Better transportation (vehicle) for our family. We have a nice 4×4 car now but it is old and not made to weekly travel down the village roads therefore we are regularly fixing and replacing things on it. We need something that will be stronger and more reliable for this kind of travel we have to take weekly. ($3000)
Funds for staff investment opportunities like a Christmas party, monthly birthday celebrations, staff appreciation days, small groups and bible studies, and special needs that come up ($1500)
Funds for annual trip to the US for a time of refreshment, rest, and support raising. ($2500)
Ways to be praying for us:
Protection…physical, spiritual, and over our relationships
Increased favor with our staff
Strong community of friends and encouragers
For Sole Hope leadership as they lead us in a healthy direction for this next year
Wisdom in finding a new car
Healthy bodies
Encouraged hearts
Lara and kids visas to come through (Spanky received his work permit last week!!!)
How can you partner with us:
Pray Pray Pray
Have your church partner with us and Sole Hope through hands on events like shoe cutting parties and more. Sole Hope, Get Involved
Come visit us! or Bring a team to visit and experience Sole Hope and Uganda
Share with others. We would love for others to have the opportunity to be a part of this mission and Sole Hope www.rousehouse.org
Be generous. We need more monthly givers Give Monthly
Give a special gift to support this ministry here in Uganda Special gift
This is this Christmas season. It is also the season that most of us get sucked into stress, worry, and feeling overwhelmed because of the extra financial items in the monthly budget. I could talk about how bad this is and how this is nothing more than the enemy distracting us from the real reason for the season, Jesus, but this week I am caught up in the cycle of worrisome and frustration too. Therefore, I am probably not the best to be talking about the reason for the season.
We have been trying to save money for a new car since both of our cars have well over 200,000 miles but it seems like the more we try the harder it gets. Just in the past few weeks we have had expensive plumbing issues, both cars needing extensive repairs, medical bills from Lara’s shingles and my ankle, and all that comes along with Christmas. Needless to say the car fund has been depleted and I have been stressing over my stupid, rich, first world problems! (Embarrassed but honest)
–On the bright side I am SO thankful that we had the money to pay cash for some of these items. That is a blessing and we know it!–
After spending some much needed time of being refreshed by the Holy Spirit, I began looking through some emails and work stuff when I ran across this..It was a video from one of the missionaries I support in Africa that serves local at-risk-children. It was a GREAT reminder that “everything is going to be alright because of Jesus“. Hearing little African voices singing this song broke me, renewed me, and reminded me that life is all good with Jesus. I am blessed.
Error
This video doesn’t exist
I am thankful for the small reminders my Heavenly Father sends me right when I need it! He is so gracious and merciful to this slow learner he calls, His beloved.
Driving into work this morning I was having this broken, sloppy, and unrefined conversation with the MAN up stairs about how I just feel like I am not running on all cylinders spiritually. I know most of you know this feeling and what I am talking about. Those times when you just don’t feel like praying or when you do pray it is more like drawing a blank. Now to let you also know, I am tired this morning and rushed out of the house therefore I am aware that some of this is a physical issue not a spiritual one.
When I got to work I decided that I should probably spend a few minutes reading my bible before I get started. After all I am in ministry and am expected to help people figure out God’s call on their life. I might want to be in touch with or awakened to the voice of God myself before I try to help someone else.
Just before I opened the bible I prayed, “God form my heart and life and let me pay attention to the things that really matter so I can be connected with you and love life today fully.” Then I opened up to 1 Peter 2 and the words smacked me right in the face!
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
I was reminded and awaken to the FACT that I am chosen, I am God’s special possession, I am here to declare His praises, I once was nothing but now I am something. I was reminded that it doesn’t matter how I feel today, He still sees me in these ways and His mercy towards me is overwhelming.
Sometimes I just need to stop trying to pray and make it “work” and listen to what my Father has to say to me and about me! I am special and nothing can separate me from His awesomeness! I am connected to Jesus today because He is connected to me and that is where life becomes full!
Almost 8 years ago Lara and I since that they Lord was telling us to sell our new home that we had built just a couple of years ago. We knew that God was leading us into a life of full-time ministry and wanted to make sure we had more financial margin than we currently did. We are so glad we listened and did sell it! We had no idea of the journey that was before us.
We thankfully had a great home to move into but planned to only be there for 6 months – 1 year. Well, we never really had a chance to move out of that home and we never felt like God was saying it was time. Until now.
Also, 4 years ago we were led to start a ministry in a local neighborhood (Piney Grove) after serving in a variety of countries for that past few years. This became a large focus of ours and our church’s (Ridge Church). We have seen God do some really awesome things around the school, with the staff of the school, and with a handful of families in the neighborhoods surrounding the school. There are some pretty amazing stories we can tell and some that are still in the making! Then towards the end of 2014 around the same time I was privilege to take this new role with United World Mission, the RouseHouse felt the Lord might want us to move into the Piney Grove neighborhood. We toyed with the idea and prayed some about it but didn’t know if we were ready just yet. Some of our closest friends began to feel the same stirring to move into the neighborhood which seemed really cool to imagine both of our families living and serving together. Then our pastor, Chris Brown asked us, “Have you thought about moving into the neighborhood?”
We began wondering what it would look like for “us” to become a “them”? How much more could we live intentionally and missionally if we were in the midst of the community? Why wouldn’t we do this? Is God putting all of the pieces together for us to take this step? This could actually be a huge blessing for the RouseHouse in so many ways.
As we began praying through and wrestling with these and other questions we quickly found our hearts becoming more attached to the idea of living in this community. Therefore we started looking for houses with our friends. Every home that was for sale over the last 6 months in this neighborhood we have looked at. Early on in our search we found one house that was in much better shape than most and it seemed to have a lot of community living space; 2 living rooms, patio, large back yard, and a front porch. For the reasons we want to move in this neighborhood we knew that we needed living spaces like this. So, we made an offer! Unfortunately, the night before the seller accepted someone elses offer. We were bummed but had to try to move on. We just couldn’t move on though. At least I couldn’t. I genuinely felt that the Lord had told me that this was the house He had for the RouseHouse but it didn’t make sense because someone else was already buying it, so I prayed that if it was His will He would make a way. And He did, about a month later the contract fell through and we were the first offer on the table!
The RouseHouse on the front porch of our new home
It isn’t the dream house, it isn’t the biggest house, it isn’t the newest house, it isn’t the area we would normally choose to move too…it is however the place God has called us too! It is our mission field and these are the people He has put on our heart and in our path to serve/love for this season of our life. This is our home and we love it already!
The RouseHouse is so excited and so nervous all at the same time. We know that there will be days that may not be the easiest or the most comfortable. We are also hopeful for the days when we get to sit on the front porch or in our living room with new friends laughing with them and caring for them. Our goals are simple. We want to be the best neighbors, make good friends, serve those in need, seek ways to bless those around us, and after all of this, we want to show people how to follow Jesus and worship our God.
As we take this next step in life and ministry we would love for you to remember us in your prayers often. Please be praying for His Spirit to be so evident, His blessings to cover us and our new home, that we may be a “city on a hill”, that we will gain favor from our neighbors and have great influence in their lives, that God will provide a smooth transition for us and the kids, that our kids will build some great friendships, and for the Fathers blessings and presence to flood us during this season of life.
Just want to let you know that I will not be posting pictures of our missionaries because many of them are in places that are hostile to the Gospel and believers. Thanks for understanding.
I am sure I will have quit a few stories and blogs come out of my time here in Thailand. It is an amazing place and I have been privilege to be with some amazing people, hero of the faith really.
During the first couple days of being here in Thailand I sat with some of our missionaries that are serving all over Asia. My goal was to get to know them, hear their stories, encourage them, and see how I can best serve and resource them. It didn’t take but a few conversations to know that the life of a missionary is not an easy one. I knew this but still thought that they were always happy and joyful because they are walking with the Lord. Made sense to me until I saw and heard what life really is like as a missionary in some of the darkest places in the world.
Our second morning here we had a time of prayer and worship. These times were so incredible, even though there was no special lights, super talented worship leaders, and sound systems. Don’t get me wrong I love and value all of those things on a Sunday morning when I am at y home church. There is just something special about the simplicity and authenticates of worship when you get to travel to other places in the world.
During this time I couldn’t help but to have a heavy and broken hearts for the people in that room. A people that are living in some extreme areas with little to nothing but their worship was joyful, inspiring, almost overwhelming with excitement for God. As they stood with their hands lifted, knees bowed, and spirits in tune to the Father I stood speechless and tearful in the back of the room. I realized that this group of faithful believers knew what it meant to trust in God and live on mission. It was lie they were begging for the Spirit to come and flood them…and they were expecting for that very thing to happen.
God I beg that you will allow me to know what it is like to have such a relationship with you. One that I search for in my every moment and experience in whatever circumstance of the day.
Will you PLEASE be praying for those who are serving the Lord and literally sacrificing their life for the name of Jesus to be known! There is a real battle in this world between light and dark…as the body of Christ we can all play a role.
This was the first morning of our conference in Thailand with our missionaries from all over Asia. We started the morning with worship and prayer. Worship and prayer time with a room full of missionaries that are living in some of the toughest spots in the world is quit incredible! You would think they have a direct line with the Father.
One of the songs we sung was “Lord I need you”. After sitting at dinner the night before and breakfast that morning with different couples listening to their hearts I couldn’t help but to have a heavy heart for them. They are facing situations of loneliness, feeling like there is no fruit from their years are hard ministry, and deal with the struggles of raising families in foreign cultures. Life is hard! Way tougher than anything I can find to complain about back home.
During this song I couldn’t help but cry and think that this is so much more than a song to them. It is a literal cry from the deepest place in their heart to God. These amazing men and woman know what it is like to depend on God fully. They declare their dependence every day they wake up in the country they are serving.
“Lord I need you, Oh I need you. Every hour I need you. My one defense, my righteousness, Oh how I need you. ”
Father, forgive me for not declaring my dependence on you but rather living as though I can do it with out you. Oh God how I need you today and in every single moment of this life. Thank you for being the one and only one that is dependable. May my life be in your hands, or may I not forget that my life is completely in your capable and loving hands.
The Rousehouse 