The Rousehouse

Battle for the Heart

Posted on August 19, 2016August 19, 2016 by Spanky Rouse

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men of courage, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14

Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23

This past weekend I was privileged to attend a retreat with some guys that I work with here at UWM (United World Mission). Honestly, I had too much going on and this felt like just an event that I couldn’t wait to be over. Little did I know the Father was going to meet me there. And He was going to radically transform my heart that will then offer life and growth to every other part of my life.

The Battle for the Heart is a long weekend but it is so much more than an event. I was blessed to go with 4 other men that serve with UWM and spend 4 days outside Birmingham, Al learning about this battle that is going on inside each of us. This time was about each one of us learning who God has created us to be as men, what He has chosen each of us to do, how evil is hunting my heart constantly, and how a community/fellowship can protect and propel me into the Larger story of life…His ultimate story.

After the first night I went to bed thinking that my head was going to explode! It was like drinking water from a fire hose. I was ready to go home. I felt like I had only begun to realize just how messed up I was and felt like I was a big ball of tangled mess.

The second day things began to move to my heart as I processed them with my group and alone with the Lord. The mix of large group times, small group conversations, and time sitting in the woods asking the Father to speak to me were pretty moving!

The third day was all about the Father revealing His amazing love for us and me seeing me the way He truly sees me. I had a face to face moment with God that completly blew me away.

On Sunday, the last day of the retreat, I was able to start putting all of the pieces together. I was also able to share them with a group of men that were now brothers not just co-workers of mine. We spent that morning telling one another what we see God doing in each persons life, affirming the unique glory of the Father coming out of their life, and challenging one another to live out His purpose in their life, family, marriage, work, ministries, etc. This was a powerful moment!

Before this weekend I had heard two friends at work talk about this retreat and how it was the most impactful thing that they have ever been a part of other than receiving Jesus. I honestly thought it was a sales pitch to get us there. I even told one of them that and he said, “well, what do you think now?” After going through this weekend and now knowing that get to walk with these men for the next year, I am sold! It honestly is the best, most important, impactful, life changing, transformational thing that I have been a part of other than Jesus saving me from my sin!!! My life, marriage, children, ministry, and every other relationship in life will never be the same again! My HEART will never be the same again, Praise the Lord!

I could talk for days about my experience and how the Lord meet with me! It was a sweet, sacred time that I am so thankful for. Instead of talking about everything that I heard, learned, and experienced I thought I would list just 5 of the 1000’s of quotes or truths gained:

I am His Beloved, I am enough just the way I am, and I am an image bearer of God Himself.
Deceitful Desires: Expecting fulfilment of a surface desire – any material, experiential, positional, or relational desire – to satisfy a deeper desire. Only God can satisfy a deep desire.
Our deepest desires aren’t bad. They were put in us by the Father himself because they reflect who He is and who I truly am.
I can have impact not only by what I can do but simply by being – being who God created me to be.
Evil is hunting me today because I am a danger to him. Evil is going to cleverly try to get me off track through fear, anxiousness, and pride so I am not able to live and love as the man God created me to be to my domain (life, marriage, family, work, ministry, friends, etc.)

I would strongly encouarge every person I know to attend and go through the Battle for the Heart! If you are interested click here and if you would like to hear more from me about this time I would love to share. Just let me know!

Stories from Senegal

Posted on August 18, 2016August 19, 2016 by Spanky Rouse

I received this story from a missionary that I get to serve with in Senegal, West Africa. I asked them if I could share this story and they were glad for me to do this because of the One who gets the glory from it. It is a story of how God is still at work even when the Evil one has such a strong hold. I pray that this encourages you and opens your eyes to see how God is at work in your day and life.

What we are about to share with you is a story of power, a story of who God is , a story of salvation and deliverance. It’s a story that involves you and I and those who are in Christ’s kingdom here in Senegal.

We are still awed at how God works in different ways around the world and yet He never wavers or changes. He is an absolute constant, a faithful Rock. He is all powerful!!

In this story I am going to use different names for the safety of us all.

A STORY OF SALVATION AND DELIVERANCE

Our story unfolds in one of the villages we minster to along with Mission Inter Senegal “MIS”. It is a story about two wives who came to know Christ in a most unusual terrifying way! The entire family is actually saved now.

These two ladies are now part of the church in this village and their story of salvation is mind-blowing and miraculous! A Sene and F Sene are both married to the same husband. There husband was a very evil man and practiced witchcraft. In fact he was the right hand man of a super powerful man witch called a Laga. They deal deeply in demonic activity. In order for A and F’s husband to maintain his power he has to do what the Laga tells him to do. This involved sacrificing his own children.

A, his first wife, only had two children left so the husband tried to take children from his second wife, F, to sacrifice. F was a very outgoing lady and very talkative, boisterous and loud. According to the Laga and demonic spirits they like to perform rituals secretly, under the radar so to speak. F was so loud and talkative about the situation to the village that the Laga and the demons refused to use her children for sacrifices. A and F’s husband had to quickly come up with a child to sacrifice. The Laga, through the influence of the demonic spirits, grew impatient with A and F’s husband and cast a spell on him and he died quickly.

Now the Laga was looking for someone to replace A and F’s husband to continue the demonic work in the village. He chose A’s eldest son P to replace his father. A and P were terrified and could not stop the events that were about to take place.

The demons attacked P in the form of a bull but only P could see this bull. It was a terrifying situation for all the family and those nearby even. P was under such fierce combat with the demons he appeared crazy!

A and F remembered how a women by the name of E who was the wife of the pastor in this village, was delivered from demons by a group of people at an evangelical center. They did not know where to turn for help and this was the only thing they could think of that could help A’s son P.

So they sent P to the same place that E received deliverance from the demons. At the evangelical center they prayed for P. He was delivered instantly from the demons. P said he could see the demons fleeing. P gave his life to Christ and returned to his family. When A and F saw P for the first time after being delivered they could not believe their eyes and were amazed. They gave there lives to Christ that day and now the whole family are believers!! Wow, Praise the Lord!

It is hard for us Americans to comprehend the magnitude of this story but it is real and God is victorious over the darkness. Rest assured this is happening in many places in Senegal and around the world. Jesus Christ is showing Himself strong! Hallelujah!

I wanted to share this story with you to remind you that GOD IS AT WORK! And at work in some mighty ways all around this world! Thank you for your prayers and financial support. You are helping and enabling us to serve some great men and woman of faith around the world!

Take just a minute now and pray for West Africa. Pray for the believers that are working hard to spread the good news of Jesus. Pray for the harden hearts to be softened to the love of Jesus. Pray that evil will not win. Pray for our workers that are giving their lives to this great work. God bless!

Come on MEN!

Posted on July 25, 2016 by Spanky Rouse

Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children in the hands of a man in his youth. Psalms 124:7

I am feeling a little frustrated recently with men in our society, specifically Christian men. It seems that every where we turn there are men that are screwing up their lives, families, and marriages. Either sinful situations or just plain selfish, lazy reasons. I am tired of it! COME ON MEN, let’s be the men that God has created us to be and has given us the opportunity to be to our children and wives. It truly is a great responsibility so lets not drop the ball any longer!

More times than not when you talk to someone who is struggling in life they will say that is steams back to a “Daddy issue”. Can we, as men/dads, really make such an impact on the lives of our children today that will affect them for the rest of their lives??? YES! This truth can feel weighty but it can also give us the push needed to do what is right today. To love them abundantly, cheer them on like no one else does, use kind words, disciple them in all things, discipline them when needed, be present often and model what it looks like to follow Jesus. But it seems this truth just isn’t enough to keep some of us on the right path. So what will it take? I think about a young girl that is ruining her life because she is constantly trying to find the approval and affection of a man. I also think about the many conversations I have had with men that are emotionally cut off and still struggling to know who he really is even as an adult. Life is jaded, hopeless, and empty for so many because of that one person that had the chance to make life great for them…Daddy.

What you do today is going to tell the future of your children. You are raising them to either constantly struggle in life and feel stuck in this dark place because of their damaging relationship with Dad, or you are setting them up to be the healthiest person possible. You have the power to lead your son/daughter to be a person that is vibrant, passionate, confident, loving, joyful, strong, caring, self-aware and light-hearted. This will be a person that will love his/her spouse, children, and others well. This will be a person that others are attracted to and accomplish great things in their life. This will be a person that will go far in their career. This will be a person that will look back at life when they are old and are satisfied how they lived. This is the person we all hope our children would grow up to be. This should be one of the top goals and priorities for what we, as men can accomplish in our life!

MEN how can we best serve our families today? By being intentional to live, love, and lead them well, the way our Heavenly Father would be pleased with. It is not too late to start being the Man of God/dad/husband you want to be today. We all have to start somewhere at sometime. Let today be your time and place you start loving your wife, leading your children, and acting selflessly.

Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children in the hands of a man in his youth. Psalms 124:7

Into the woods

Posted on July 6, 2016 by Spanky Rouse

The other weekend my awesome wife planned this great weekend to celebrate Father’s Day. Something different from just going out to eat or hanging around the house. I appreciate this kind of thing because I love quality time but probably wouldn’t take the initiative to plan something out of the ordinary. We went on a camping trip! It was a LOT of work on her part to prepare and pack all of us to go camping for 3 days but it was so fun once we got there. We haven’t been camping in a long time so this was a long over due trip!

Elly was probably the funniest to watch as we packed up the night before. I don’t think that we have ever taken her camping so she was not really getting the concept that we weren’t going to have electricity. You could tell she was concerned how we were going to make it without electricity. As she packed some toys she would ask funny little questions like; can I take my radio and listen to music, how are we going to see at night-time, and what if we have a problem and need to call someone??? She even tried to pack her pink bedside lamp but then realized it wouldn’t work at the cabin.

Part of the camping experience is simply living. You have to cook everything and it takes more time than normal. You have to build fires in the morning and evening to keep warm. You have to wash dishes and clothes without having a sink or dishwasher. You have to find somewhere to use the bathroom every time you need to go…even in the pitch black dark of night! You are constantly cleaning or putting something away so ants and other wild life doesn’t come around (we forgot this and a nice size raccoon woke me up one night!). But for us these are all a part of the experience and are kind of fun, at least for a few days.

Most of our time was spent lying around in hammocks, staring at the fire, exploring through the woods, hiking, playing in streams and waterfalls, playing games, and good ‘ol eating! It was just what we all needed! No phones, computers, tv’s, or any other electronics, just family time. My favorite part of this Father Day trip was spending time with the 4 most important people in my life. Watching Grey run around in the woods with no shoes, no shirt, and dirty enjoying nature was awesome. Chilling with Mac by the fire in the hammocks was totally relaxing. And taking walks with Elly down the mountain to the store was pretty entertaining as she talked the entire way there and back. I love these people and couldn’t imagine life any other way! Thanks baby for making this weekend so memorable!

Shining Bright

Posted on June 10, 2016June 10, 2016 by Spanky Rouse

I have been in this routine lately of getting up super early during the week. I don’t actually like to ge glory1 t up early but I do like to get in a work out before the day starts. During the winter months this is extremely difficult to do since I do not enjoy cold weather. Those mornings when it is freezing outside and the sun isn’t up until later are really hard for me. Over the past few weeks however I have enjoyed watching the days get lighter earlier and earlier. Now as I drive home from the gym I can see the sun peaking just behind the tree line shining bright! It reminds me of a child standing ready to tell you all about a big surprise. This morning the sun was high in the sky and exploding with its brightness! So bright that it was blinding me and it was only 6:30am! I love this time of year!

This week I have been finding myself reading some about God’s glory. So, when I saw that radiant sun bursting with light blinding me in the eyes this morning all I could think of was His glory. His glory covers the earth while it also fills my life. He has chosen me to be one that carries and displays His glory! When I am living life fully and abundantly it is His glory shining through. Every morning that I wake up and see the sun coming up is a direct declaration and reminder that my God is alive and pouring out His glory on me! glory3

Let us look for the glory of God in our lives and around us today! If the sun is up His glory is shining!

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.- Psalms 19:1

Arise, shine, for your light has broken through!
    The Eternal One’s brilliance (glory) has dawned upon you.
2 See truly; look carefully—darkness blankets the earth;
    people all over are cloaked in darkness.
But God will rise and shine on you;
    the Eternal’s bright glory will shine on you, a light for all to see.
3 Nations north and south, peoples east and west, will be drawn to your light,
    will find purpose and direction by your light.
In the radiance of your rising, you will enlighten the leaders of nations. – Isaiah 60:1-3 (The Voice)

“The glory of God is a human being fully alive.” – Emotionally Healthy Spirituality

noun: glory

high renown or honor won by notable achievements.
praise, worship, and thanksgiving offered to God.
magnificence; great beauty.
a thing that is beautiful or distinctive; a special cause for pride, respect, or delight.
he splendor and bliss of heaven.

verb: glory

take great pride or pleasure in.

Mac’s trip to South Africa

Posted on May 12, 2016 by Spanky Rouse

Screen Shot 2016-05-11 at 6.10.06 PM — I will travel with this kid anywhere because he knows how to eat! Sushi!

As many know, last week I was able to take Mac with me to Stellenbosch, South Africa. It was so fun to have this cool guy travel with me, especially on such a long trip. When he was 5 he had the chance to go with Lara and I to Panama but honestly he doesn’t remember much other than the ice cold showers we had out in the jungle first thing in the mornings. He even asked me if we would be able to take hot showers this time a few days before we left. haha! This trip was kind of special and it was his first time to Africa which was pretty special for me. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t praying that he would fall in love with this place and the people much like Lara and I did 10 years ago.

It was a long journey just to get there. 32 hours to be exact. He was a champ the whole way there and back. He slept, talked, ate, talked, read, talked, did home work, talked, watched movies, talked, played games, and then talked a little more. Let’s just say I was more tired by the time we got there than he was. It was fun though!

This week in the Cape Town area was good for he and I. I was busy many of the days in a conference/leaders summit with some remarkable leaders from multiple African countries, Thailand, India, Mexico, multiple European countries, and the US. We dream, talked and planned for how God can take this way of life, living and serving in intentional community, and transform lives around the globe. Let’s just say He is up to big things…and by His grace I have a chance to be a part of it! Screen Shot 2016-05-11 at 6.10.40 PM

Mac had a full week too. When I was in meetings he would hang out with some of the families that live in Stellenbosch and are a part of the East Mountain community. I think he really liked being with them more than me but I can’t blame him for that! The other half of the time he would come along with me to visit ministries, head into town, or go have a meal by the water. Lunch by the ocean with your son and friends is pretty cool if you are 11 or 33 years old! Mac also just hung around with us at the East Mountain house and busted out some homework. Yes, he had to do homework per his teachers but just being in Africa was pretty educational.

“Dad, I need a coffee and I have my own money.”

I asked Mac a bunch of questions on our way home so that he would be ready for when people asked him, “how was your trip?”. I know how this kid works and I didn’t want him to just say, “good” in his non-excited tone. Once we talked through the trip he really had some great answers so, I thought I would share just a few of them.

What was the craziest/best thing you ate? Ostrich steak and kudu sausage…This kid loves some meat!

Braai – South African for cookout or BBQ. We had 7 or 8 different meats!

What kind of money do they use? The use the Rand which is around 15 ZAR to $1USD. I love math so I liked figuring the price of things out when we went to buy something.

Did you see any cool animals? penguins and seals

Was it what you expected? No, I thought it would be a bunch of huts and animals but it was really normal.

What was the funnest thing you did or visit while you were there? The day we visited the township and saw just how poor some of the people were. I couldn’t believe that people in the world actually lived that way. They were also cooking goat heads on the side of the road which looked weird, but smelled so good.

Screen Shot 2016-05-11 at 6.09.24 PM — Over looking Khayelitsha

What language do most people speak? I think it is called Afrikanns but they also have some tribal languages but I can’t say them.

What’s one cool fact that you learned about South Africa? There are 2.4 million people live in the Khayelitsha township which is only about 15 sq miles.

The top of Table Mountain. Usually you can see for miles.

What was the weather? Well, they say that it is really nice but it rained while we were there, especially the day we went on top of Table Mountain. It’s not too cold though.

What did you do most days? When I was with you (dad) we hung out at the East Mountain house which is really cool and when I wasn’t with you I played with my friends Asher, Madeline, Caleb, Dylan, and Isaiah. They were pretty cool!

How do think God could use you in a place like Africa one day? I would love to work in the poor townships teaching people about Jesus, playing with kids, and helping with whatever they might need.

Mac visiting a church sponsored school in the township.

Well, I think we have another lover of Africa and future missionary in the RouseHouse! He did great and loved every minute of his time in South Africa. It was a really blessing to be able to spend so much one on one time with this kid and see him love being a world traveler! He was made for this.

17 Hour flight with NO TV! What else can you do but sleep.

BIG Things, Legacy, Life’s Purpose….

Posted on April 6, 2016April 6, 2016 by Spanky Rouse

rf4-2 — Grey (left), Mac (center), Elly (right)

I believe that God has created me and called me to do BIG things in this world! Big things that will move the Gospel forward. Big things that will change lives, families, and communities. Big things that will help people know Jesus better and better. Big things that will put a smile on my Heavenly Fathers face and things that will become my legacy.

I have dreams of what these BIG things might be, could be, or want them to be. They all revolve around our life and family’s mission statement…we are going to love people well, serve those in need, and help them know Jesus and grow in a real relationship with him…The BIG things could be endless with a focus like that.

But what if the BIG things that I dream about and hope for are smaller than I initially imagine? I had this thought the other day and it is something that I have really come to ponder a lot over the past couple of years. What if the biggest thing I ever do for God, for those in this world, or as my legacy is NOT to change the world? When I say change the world what I mean is making a lasting difference wherever and with whoever the Lord puts in front of me.

What if God’s whole purpose for me in life is to simply raise/disciple/train up 3 little people that will then go on to change the world? Not that this is or would be a simple task but at first glance it does seem way smaller than the dreams I have for changing the world. What a difference could it make if I simply tried to, Be the best, most Godly dad I can be to my children? I whole heartily believe that if this is one of the main focal points of life that my children will go on to change the world, at least the world around them. They will be people and are people that love others, enjoy serving others, and know the truth that Jesus loves people more than anything else already. If this is who they are today, WOW, who will they be in 10, 20, 40 years from now!!! They will go on to do BIG, HUGE, ENORMOUS, GIGANTIC, UNIMAGINABLE things for God. I get the opportunity to shape these kind of people. That seems like a mission worth pursuing.

I know two things in life. God has created us to be people that love and trust Him wholeheartedly, and He has called each one of us to a specific purpose. If I can live out the first part of that then I will live out the second. As I come to love and trust God with my life I will live out the purpose of raising world changers! I have never been great with words but I do great with numbers therefore, 3 is always better than 1. What the 3 of them will do with their life will make a greater impact than my single life could every make. I can live with that kind of legacy!

Is There Value to Short-Term Missions?

Posted on March 21, 2016March 21, 2016 by Spanky Rouse

I was asked last month to do a write up for the UWM blog regarding my thoughts and views of short term mission work. As many of you know Lara and I cut our teeth in missions serving churches through short term mission trips. We had great experiences, learned a lot, and gained a new heart for the world through these years. Unfortunately, not everyones experience with short term mission teams is as good as ours was. Short term missions can too often be disruptive, inconsistent, and harmful…unless they are done with a few long term goals and thoughts in mind. Here is our my story…

For many of us we we hear someone say “short-term” missions or a missions trip, and we associate a negative feeling or thought with those phrases. We stereotype what they look like and the impact they could have on the “real” work of missions. We ask questions like: How helpful could this really be? What could short-term trips really accomplish in just a small period of time? Are they going to be helping or will they just hurt the work we are doing? If we are really honest with ourselves, we don’t see a great deal of value or need for short-term missions.

What if this way of thinking may not be all there is to short-term missions? What value can we find in short-term work, if any? I have one thought about the benefit of short-term missions.

spanky st trip — My first hike into the jungles of Chiriqui, Panama, 2004

I could share with you many stories, and some of them would be your story, that long-term missionaries have told me about how God led them into missions. For many missionaries it started with them first participating in a short-term trip. Many of us have committed to give our life to missions because of a short-term mission trip. Many of us realized the call of God on our lives when we stepped out of our comfort zones and went on a trip to serve in another country for two weeks. Many of us experienced how God could use us and wanted to use us. Many of us received a passion for a specific place, people group, or type of ministry because we said yes to going on a short-term mission trip.

For me personally, I look back and remember many of the short-term mission trips that I took as a teenager and younger adult. They were highly instrumental in shaping who I am today as a man, minister, and follower of Christ. I often think back to a specific short-term mission trip that I took 12 years ago when I clearly heard the call of God on my life to pursue Him and to live intentionally/missionally. I was sitting in a tent in the middle of the Panamanian jungle when I believe I heard the voice of God call to me. I was out of my comfort zone, working with local pastors, experiencing a different culture and language when I was awakened to the possibility that God not only could use me but wanted to use me to reach the nations with His Good News.

Because of that trip my family and I committed our lives to a missional way of living, whether it was in our neighborhood, our school, our church, and/or around the world.

I understand that short-term missions – if not done correctly or are not closely tied to the long-term goals – can do more harm than good. But, I also believe that they can be a tool that helps fuel the fire of missions around the world! I have seen and experienced how God can use short- term missions as an on-ramp to a life of leading others in a growing relationship with Jesus while loving and serving them well.

Who is God calling today who will only encounter His purpose for their life through the experience of going on a short-term missions trip? Many, many more Kingdom workers, I believe!

By: Spanky Rouse, Mobilizer & Coach – Africa & Asia

Visiting the Community, South Africa part 2

Posted on March 14, 2016March 14, 2016 by Spanky Rouse

The second half of my trip to South Africa was pretty amazing! My beautiful bride was able to fly down and join me for the second week which very cool for us. It was the first time in 5 years that we have been able to travel to Africa together. When we are together in that special place it is always some kind of wonderful.

The reason for this part of the trip was to visit one of the biggest projects/ministries and groups of missionaries that I support and have the blessing to serve alongside here at UWM. My biggest priority for this part of my trip was to gain a better understanding of who we are and what we do in South Africa. My favorite part of the trip was having the privilege to spend time with the people that are living and serving in South Africa. What better way to get a feel for the ministry than to get to know the people.

I have wrote about East Mountain, the ministry there outside of Cape Town, a couple times and many of you have heard me talk about them because they are just that awesome. **Actually the very first missionary couple and the first intern that I had the opportunity to work with when I came on board here at UWM, both went to serve here with East Mountain South Africa. I just wrote a blog post on East Mountain not long ago and you can read more about who they are and what they do here EAST MOUNTAIN or you can check out their website for more info here eastmountain.tv

DISCLAIMER – This may sound like no work and all play but…I enjoy my work so much and most of my co-workers live in beautiful places around the world so…most of my work does feel like it is all play. Great things were accomplished for the Kingdom while we enjoyed every sight, sound, and taste of South Africa! If you got to have a job it might as well be one you enjoy, right!

When I travel I usually get the question, “how was your trip” from many of you and my response is often, “amazing!”. This time I would say exactly the same thing, “amazing!” So, I thought I would share with you some of the experiences, pictures, and stories that Lara and I had from being there and being with the East Mountain Community that made it “amazing!”. It was a full week but really fun! Fun, not just because we were in one of the most breath taking places on earth but because of the people we were with…the giant mountains, gorgeous beaches, perfect weather, wine country, and delicious food didn’t hurt either!

Sunday: Lara had just arrived the night before so we took it easy and hung out with the Halbert family. They allowed us to crash with them for the week and it was great. These guys are great host and friends to spend time with. Sunday lunch was at a local winery where they have what they call, “market”every week. It was like a small, relaxed festival with local food and crafts. Then we headed to the famous Table Mountain to hike and see the sunset. The views were unbelievable! Pictures can not do it justice. Unfortunately, we did not see the sun set because the winds were so bad they evacuated the mountain. Still an awesome day!

Monday: We did the “Loop” as they call it. Basically, you start going down the eastern coast of Cape, down to Cape Point, then back up to Cape Town. This was a long day but a really fun way to see much of the area and cool sites like, penguins, Cape Point, and the beach! We finished the day off having dinner with all of the interns from the US and Africa that live at the East Mountain house. Awesome day!

Tuesday: We were invited to the staff meeting where we had the chance to hear about some of the things happening and coming up in the next few weeks. It was good for me to see all of the Community together and working together. Later that afternoon Lara and I went out with Gabe Smith, friend and founder of East Mountain, to the oldest winery in Stellenbosch. We had a good time catching up on life and ministry while doing a wine and chocolate paring. So yum! Later that evening we sat around with the more friends catching up, laughing, dreaming about the future, and talking about how God is doing a great thing with this work here in South Africa. Awesome day!

Wednesday: The morning was freed up so that Lara and I were able to spend a little bit of time together in the city. We walked around exploring this quaint city, checking out little coffee shops, talking just to two of us, and we enjoyed all of the fun shops that line the streets of Stellenbosch. For lunch and dinner we went out with two different couples that serve at East Mountain and got their view of life, ministry, and experiences as they have just recently finished up their first year being in South Africa. These times are valuable and very helpful for me as I work with others interested in serving overseas in the future. Another awesome day!

Thursday: This day got off on a good start! We had an early meeting to talk about future work and plans for East Mountain and how I could help resource them with the right people. The kicker is, our breakfast meeting was at the beach starring at the cliffs running off into the ocean. In the words of a wise person I know (wink wink you know who you are), this did not suck! We were then able to visit with another leader at East Mountain who serves one of our partner churches and school in a local township to see transformation…real life changing, long lasting transformation. Today this poor, lower class community is better than it was last year and in the next 5-20 years it will radically different! This isn’t the nicest, safest, or most welcoming township but there is a bit of light that is springing up out of the local church. They are educating, feeding, loving on people, tutoring, creating fun spaces to learn the bible and how to worship, meeting needs, interacting with the least of these, and making it a better place today and for the future. We have the opportunity to come alongside them as a resource, friend, and support to help them do even more of the things God has called them to do. This was one of the most impactful times of our trip for Lara and I. We were able to participate in some of the ministry while sitting with people in their homes and walking the streets. We ended the day by having dinner in the home of another “fresh to the field” missionary family that seem to be rocking it! It was truly an awesome day!

Friday: We headed back home but before we did Lara and I took advantage of this great weather and wonderful little city. We went walking, site seeing, got some coffee, ate at our favorite breakfast spot, and said our goodbyes to some of our new friends! It was an awesome day other than the fact that we had to leave!

East Mountain is a community of people who love Jesus, the local church, and each other. We are blessed to have spent some time with each one of them. For all of you who partner with the RouseHouse through prayer, financial support, and encouragement we want to say a BIG THANK YOU for making this time possible! It meant a lot to us as well as to the men, woman, and families we were able to sit with and encourage during this week. Thank you and God Bless!

J-Life Leaders Summit, South Africa part 1

Posted on March 7, 2016March 14, 2016 by Spanky Rouse

IMG_5573[1] — Leo (my friend from UWM living in South Africa), Palgrave (from Ghana), and me

Two weeks ago I arrived in another country for the first time. South Africa! I have heard a lot about this place but really had no idea what it was like. All I knew about this country was Nelson Mandela and the rugby movie with Matt Damon. South Africa is an extremely beautiful and wonderful place! It definitely has a different feel than anywhere else in Africa that I have been to but still has a little sense of Africa underneath the initial impressions.

This week I was invited to come to a leaders summit for a new ministry that we are looking at partnering with called J-Life. J-Life focus is raising up indigenous leaders who will passionately pursue the mission of making disciple makers. I don’t know that I have seen any other organization so laser focused on making disciples like these guys. Their vision is clear and their methods are simple and highly effective! They believe that if they can especially disciple the youth of this continent they can reach the entire continent of Africa. They are currently serving in 30+/- countries and doing pretty well. I am excited for the future of United World Mission and J-Life’s partnership. J-Life

J-Life country leaders working on strategies together

While being here in South Africa I have come up with 10 things that I have seen, heard, or experienced that stood out to me this week. When I get the opportunity to travel to a new place I love seeing the differences as well as similarities of other places so making a list of 10 things really helps me with this.

So here they are…

Africa is the most beautiful place in the world to me and I find myself falling in love every time I come back.
No matter what country, region, or tribe you are from, all of us need some close relationships to make life better.
Africans wake up ridiculously early and when they do they are not quiet they immediately get LOUD! Usually with singing.
Africans will willingly give you the shirt off their back if you asked for it or not.
Everybody loves free stuff! No matter what continent you lI’ve on, you love free stuff but Africans appreciate the free stuff more than most.
Africans love you and make you a part of the family within a couple minutes meeting them. They have never meet a stranger.
God is always present no matter where you go in this world. The problem is, the enemy is also.
Africans don’t always do simple things in simple ways. They do it the way their families have always done it.
Africans love to sing and dance no matter what country, culture, or language.
This place and these people are like good medicine for my soul! You should try it sometime too.
A late afternoon way out away from the city enjoying a long walk