Heart-Breaking Statistics

We are reading a prayer guide for our class, entitled "A Voice for the Voiceless: 30 Days of Prayer for the Voiceless". We read one to two days' worth of stories each class period. Today's were the individual stories of a child prostitute and a young African woman infected with AIDS. The following statistics broke my heart and greatly disturbed me:

- 10 million children worldwide are engaged in some facet of the sex industry. Each year at least one million children, mostly girls, become prostitutes.

- In Thailand, 10-12 year old girls service men in the sex industry. They typically have sex with men 10-15 times daily and sometimes as many as 20-30. (This one particularly kills me because this is the age bracket of my eldest daughter. Her face is the one I imagine when I think of these girls.)

- In South Africa, there are 40,000 child prostitutes.

- Africa has 12 million AIDS orphans.

- 43% of those infected with AIDS are women.

- Of the 40.3 million people living with AIDS worldwide, 1/3 of them are between the ages of 15-24.

Jesus, help us. Rise up and defend the little ones, Lord. They are defenseless. Many times sold into this living hell by their own family members. Have mercy on the adults who sell them and use them. Convict these individuals and bring your Gospel message to them so that they might cry out to You for forgiveness. Bring freedom, healing, and restoration to these little ones, Jesus. That they might come to know You. To know that they are beautiful boys and girls that were created in Your image. That they are loved. And loved unto death on a cross. Lord God, may there be men and women the world around who rise up in outrage over this horrific exploitation. Who will move heaven and earth to put an end to it. Jesus, don't just let us sit back, look on in horror, but do nothing. Move us to action. Move me to action. Show me how I might do something to help these little ones. Your precious children.

Anti-Human Trafficking Training, Day Two

For our video segment today, we watched a video that had much significance for me. As I heard the young girl's story, I was struck by how familiar it was. But where had I heard it before? When, however, she talked about dying at the age of 24 of AIDS---and wondering if anyone would even care enough to come to her funeral---I remembered exactly where I'd heard her story before.

She was my introduction to human trafficking at a seminar last year. It is her story, and those of many other young girls I heard about over those two days in April, 2011, that served to stir up a longing to help. God used her story to break my heart for these women and children.

Today, listening to the story again, this time sitting in an anti-human trafficking training session, fresh tears poured down my cheeks and my heart was broken for her again. I may not know exactly how to help them. But I want more than anything to be the voice for those who haven't a voice.

The Night Before

After months of anticipation, it's finally here. My anti-human trafficking training is scheduled to begin at 8 AM tomorrow morning. We arrived in Indianapolis last night and checked into a hotel for the night. It was literally the most stressful day before a trip we've ever had. And that's saying a lot. I was unusually sluggish. Normally, if I don't have all the laundry run the day before, I have at least a good start on it. Well, I hadn't washed a thing come Friday morning. So I literally had about eight loads of laundry to wash as well as all the packing to do. About the only thing I had done was to pull together all the school supplies Troy would need for the next five weeks. And okay. That was a massive job. So by 9:30 Friday night, aside from the school supplies, nothing was packed. For a five-week trip. Tensions and tempers were high. The tension in the air was so think that even the kids could feel it. It was bad. Thankfully, after eating a little supper, I got a burst of energy and was able to do most of the packing in about two hours. It also helped that we had abandoned our plan to leave at 5:30 in the morning. Instead, we slept in a bit and left when we were ready.

As long as we're in Mississippi, the kids have medical coverage. But once we step foot out of state, that coverage disappears faster than an ice cube in July. And of course, the dry, cold air we hit as we went north irritated the kids' throats. At least one of the kids now has a pretty nasty cough as a result. I'm sure more will follow.

Today we were able to visit some dear friends of ours, friends we haven't seen in six months. We anticipate many more fun times to come during our stay in Indiana. After our fun day together, we all got back into the car and drove to our little home away from home here on the OMS campus. We stayed in this apartment this summer during our month of Cross Training. It holds many great memories for us; it was a little bittersweet unpacking our things this evening, knowing our dear friends from last summer won't be here with us.

After I'd unpacked our belongings, and began preparing myself for the start of class tomorrow, I thought about our packing day and the fact that our kids are already fighting the sick germs. I'm not really convinced they were coincidental. The subject matter I'll be focusing on for the next several weeks is very serious and dark. But there's also a lot of hope and promise as well. With God's help, and through His grace and mercy, we can learn how to minister to those caught in the bondage of slavery. There is one who would love nothing better than to keep them there---and to keep us distracted from our purpose. Maybe the hectic packing day and the illness were attempts to do just that. Keep us distracted. Unbalanced. Unfocused. Stressed.

I will be praying each morning for the day's sessions, and I would love for you to do the same. This is a subject matter that tugs at my heart. It is very emotionally laden for me. I just know that the next few weeks will be difficult in many ways. It's always hard to hear about suffering. So please pray with me for the leaders and for those of us participating in the training. Pray that God uses these sessions to break our hearts anew and give us the fervor and the love needed to help the hurting.

I'm not sure yet quite how often I'll be posting, but I'm sure it will be at least a couple times a week. If you have not already signed up to follow this blog (or my writing blog, www.jottingsbyjenny.blogpsot.com -- I'll be posting to both places) you might want to do so.

Thank you in advance for your prayers. And please keep praying with me that everyone, particularly the kids, will have their coughs disappear and remain healthy for the rest of the time here.

Anti-Human Trafficking Training, Day One

Today was the first day of training. I went in this morning, knowing that it would be an emotional day. I think tomorrow I'll bring my own box of Kleenex.

Anyway, today was kind of an overview day. An opportunity to meet each other and begin the "getting to know you" process. It's always nice to hear how the Lord led people into missions. Each story is different. Encouraging. Challenging. I'm always amazed anew every time I share my story; each calling in my life has been significant and memorable, with many confirmations along the way. It's not that you forget your own story. I mean, how could you? But hearing yourself tell others about the path God has led you down serves as a stark reminder of the journey. Kind of like collecting seashells to remember a particularly enjoyable afternoon at the beach.

This afternoon once the training was complete for the day, Joyce asked us to think about what we'd learned and try to pick out a few things that stood out to us. For me, the two things that stood out the most were the video clips we watched. The first was a partly animated, partly live-action video clip telling two sisters' stories. One was promised a better life abroad by a family member. The other, by a significant other she had fallen in love with. Both men betrayed them. Sold them into sexual slavery. I can't think which betrayal would be worse: the trusted, favored family member, or that of the supposed soul mate. To be reminded that there are parents, husbands, family members, and friends who would sell their own children, wives, nieces, cousins, and friends into sexual bondage..... It's unspeakable. Unthinkable. As someone who grew up in a loving, nurturing home, I can't even imagine it. How does that kind of pain even heal? Sometimes I am absolutely overwhelmed when I think about even attempting to minister to children and women like this. What in the world makes me think they'd even listen to one word I say?! And yet, I know I'm not really the one speaking to or reaching out to them at all. It's Christ in me. Through me. Praise God, because I am so inadequate to the task.

The second video clip was based on the ministry, "Remember Nhu". The founder of this ministry was in a seminar, saw the pictures, and heard the story about a little girl named Nhu. He was instantly sobbing in his seat, broken with the knowledge of what this little girl endured. And I remember thinking, that was me. That was what happened to me. I was sitting in a seminar, blissfully unaware of the scope of the issue. When I was confronted with it in the form of stories, pictures, testimonies, I was wholly unprepared for the emotional, physical reaction I had to it. I have never been more burdened in my life, my spirit has never felt so heavy. I walked around for the next two days after that seminar in alternating states of passionate anger and shock. I was fired up one minute and sobbing the next. As I've mentioned before, I came home from the seminar and allowed life to distract me. There were children to educate. Trips to plan. More training to prepare for. So many things--not even bad or unnecessary things--distanced me from those girls I'd been so burdened for. Then, in the middle of our July training, we visited a church one Sunday with the intent to speak to the church mission's committee. That was our intention, anyway. But God had other plans. In church that particular Sunday, was a missionary leaving the next day to minister in Bangladesh. Their ministry was to women who'd been forced into prostitution--and the children conceived in that existence. My heart was broken anew and all the same feelings and burdens came rushing back to me even stronger. Just like the founder of "Remebering Nhu" recognized that he simply must do something to help those poor girls, I knew it was something God was putting on my heart as well.

He's yet to show me exactly what role I'm to take in the ministry. But I've no doubt that He has a plan for me in it somewhere.

The Battle We Wage

This week, another missionary couple was killed in a Mexican town near the Texas/Mexico border. We were broken-hearted to hear of it. Then yesterday, we heard that a young man Troy went to seminary with, died of carbon monoxide poisoning on the mission field he was serving in. Three missionary deaths in just this week alone. We missionaries certainly are not exempt from life's tragedies. But neither is anyone else. That shooting, and that poisoning could've happened here in the States just as easily as it did those other countries. It could've happened to anyone.

This morning, a woman approached Troy with some very real concerns for our family's safety. She'd heard about this missionary couple and knows of another young missionary who has just recently disappeared. No one has heard from him for almost two weeks. We've often had people ask us if we're afraid to go into Mexico, or if we're nervous about taking our children there. Of course we are. Although, more of our fear is for our children's safety. Yet God has most definitely called us. He knows the risks. And He knows our futures. All of our futures. In all honesty, with the new ministry I believe He is calling me to, the safety concerns could only get worse. I do not yet know exactly how God will use me in the anti-human trafficking efforts. But I know one who will not be happy about it. Ministries like Hope61 exist to redeem, restore, and release victims from bondage. To set their lives free, and to give them new lives in Christ. The enemy of our souls loves nothing better than to destroy lives, and he hates those who snatch those lives out of his grasp and restore them to a life in Christ.

Yes, we will most definitely be in harm's way. But not necessarily physical harm. It is guaranteed that we will face spiritual warfare, as our enemy seeks to discredit, distract, or discourage us away from the ministry God has called us to. We are in a battle for souls. All of us. All of the time. This battle we wage is not against people or governments. But against the enemy of our souls!

Many of you have asked us how you can pray for us, particularly during my five weeks of training at OMS headquarters. Here's how you can actively take up the battle on our behalf:

1. Pray against the works of the enemy and his attacks. I will list below the names of those attending and leading the sessions. You can pray over each of our names during these next five weeks in particular. Pray against the spiritual attacks of the enemy. Pray that the Lord will encourage us. Pray for the leaders as they train us. Pray for those of us who will be actively working in this ministry. Pray that God will equip us for the battle ahead and give us His grace and love for the victims.

2. Pray for safety for all, especially the kids. Pray that God will help us be wise and follow His leading.

3. Pray that God will show me how He wants to use me in this ministry.

4. Pray for Troy as he continues to schedule meetings with pastors during this time. He's only heard from a couple. Pray that he's able to reach the rest on his list.

5. Pray also for Troy as he teaches the kids and for the kids as they adapt to having a new teacher for the next 5 weeks.

6. Pray for this young missionary who is missing. Please pray that he will be located and for God's glory to be shown in this situation. Also please pray for his colleagues on the field and for his family and friends at home as well.

Thank you for your prayers. I cannot stress enough that we cannot do this without them.


Attendees/Leaders for OMS Hope61 Anti-Human Trafficking Training
(February 6 - March 2, March 12 - 14)

(Because some of these may be in security risk countries, I'll only list first names)

1. Jenny
2. Joyce (training, out-going director of Hope61)
3. Lauren
4. Tom (transitioning director of Hope61)
5. Tonya
6. Allison
7. Sandy
8. Doris
9. Dottie

Anti-Human Trafficking Training Dates

I received the finalized dates for the training yesterday and wanted to share them with you so that you could be praying with me specifically for this training and for those involved. There appear to be just under a dozen of us taking the training, which will be a nice group of people to study with. I've always been a person that prefers a more intimate learning setting than a big auditorium or classroom packed with people.

Please keep praying with me that the Lord will show me some ways I can serve with Hope61 in Mexico City (as there is not currently a ministry branch in the city). I am not merely taking this training just to learn something about human trafficking. This is an issue I feel very passionately about and believe God has laid it on my heart for a specific reason. Thank you for your continued prayer support.

The dates of the training are:

Week 1 - February 13-15*
Week 2 - February 20-22*
Week 3 - February 27-29*
Week 4 - March 12-14*

*The main training sessions with the director of Hope61 will be held three days each week. The remaining two days each week will consist of smaller group sessions. There is also a month of study I must complete on my own before my training is complete and I'm allowed to actively minister. There is the possibility that I'll be using some of those extra days to complete this work as well.*

I'll have a week off between weeks three and four while some of the members of the group participate in OMS Candidate Orientation, something Troy and I have already completed. The nice thing is that I'll be able to spend that week with the family at the cabin they'll be staying in. It'll be a nice opportunity for some R&R during my training.

Huge Answer to Prayer

Not long after posting the previous blog entry about our trip to Indiana next month and the family's need for additional housing in March, I received several responses with suggestions from many of you. Thank you so much for your ideas and your prayers!

God has answered that particular prayer and we have FREE housing at a beautiful cabin on a large property in the country. The cabins are there to provide missionary families with free options for some rest and rejuvenation. While Troy and the kids will be without television (and possibly internet as well), they will have opportunity to explore a lake, streams, and see some horses on the property as well!

I am in awe with just how quickly God answered this particular prayer. And this time, he used you all to do so. Thank you for praying for this need! Please keep those prayers coming for a full meeting schedule for Troy.

Update for February

I feel like we've been on an emotional see-saw the last month, trying to finalize our plans with regard for my anti-human trafficking training in February. Earlier this week, we learned that the dates of the training have been pushed back a week to begin February 13. This worked out in our favor. With the new dates, there will now be housing available for our entire family on the OMS campus from February 12 through the end of the month. So, the whole family will be driving to Greenwood instead of me flying by myself! Troy will still be teaching the children during this time, but now we won't be separated for an entire month at a time. As there is not housing available for the whole family after March 2, however, Troy and the kids will be staying off-campus for the remaining week of my training. So we'll only have about a week apart as a family as opposed to four.

This brings me to some urgent prayer requests:

1. Troy and the kids need to find reasonably priced (or even free) housing from March 2 to March 15. When my training sessions are over on March 9, I'll be joining the family for that last week of our stay in Indiana. If you know of any available housing, can host the family in your home, or would like to help with the cost of a hotel stay (possibly something like an Extended Stay that would have a kitchen in the room(s)), please let us know. You can email either myself at jennygentry06@gmail.com, or Troy at troygentry4@hotmail.com. Thank you!

2. Troy is trying to fill each Wednesday and Sunday of our stay with church meetings. He's also available and would love to fill some of the days as well with individual meetings. Please pray with us that God will help him to do so. And if you would like to invite our family to speak in your church, or would love to hear more about our ministry, please contact us at the above emails.

Thank you very much for praying with and for us for these needs!

The anticipation is building as I look forward to my training. I feel a renewed sense of purpose--that God really does have a ministry in mind for me. Please do not think for a second that I place any less of a value on the ministry I have to my own children, and through my family. I know that there is absolutely nothing in this world more important than training the family God entrusted to us to love and serve Him. But I've also been looking for a ministry I can call my own during the hours my children are in school--and for when they are grown and no longer need their Mama in quite the same way. I believe this is it. I can't wait to be able to share more with you as I go through the process.

Anti-Human Trafficking Training

At a conference we attended last year, our hearts were broken during a seminar on the issue of Human Trafficking. Slavery is more prevalent now than at any time in history. Later in the summer, while visiting a church, we heard a missionary speaking about this very same topic. About the horror these women endure, day in and day out. The Lord used these two experiences to kindle a fire inside of me to help women, men, and children locked in this hellish existence.

One Mission Society has a new branch of ministry geared toward helping release, redeem, and restore those caught in slavery. Early last fall, I contacted the director of Hope61, Joyce Oden, to discover how I could help. While there is currently not a branch of the ministry active in Mexico City, I believe that there is a need for one. We may not hear about human trafficking in that city. But we do hear about the drug trafficking. And I believe very fervently that where one is, the other will follow. For now, we are seeking the Lord's leading and direction, to see exactly what role He has in mind for me to serve in this ministry.

Regardless of what that future role will be, there is some required training I must complete before i can serve within Hope61. So I will be flying to Indianapolis in early February and spending the month at OMS headquarters in Greenwood, completing the main four weeks of required training. I will be going by myself. This will be a potentially long month for the whole family, as I have never been away from the children for more than a few days at a time.

We would appreciate your prayers for the following requests:

1. That the Lord will reveal the role He has for me to serve with Hope61 in Mexico City.

2. That He will give me safe traveling mercies as I fly and that He will bless the training. Not only for myself, but for all those participating in the training as well.

3. That He will help Troy and the kids at home. Especially as Troy will take over the kids' home-schooling activities for the four weeks I'm gone.

4. That in our lonely moments when we are missing being together as a family, that God would wrap His arms around us and bring us comfort.

Thank you! I look forward to sharing more with you during my training!

THE DONATE LINK'S BEEN FIXED!

The issues we've been experiencing that link our blog to our donate page on the OMS website have been resolved!

Troy took a few moments over the noon hour today to work on this. So, if you would like to donate online, you can once again use the "donate" link on our blog to do so.

By using the "donate" link, you have the option of using your credit or debit card to give monthly or just once. No hassle! No papers to fill out and mail in!

Thank you so much for giving toward this ministry God has called us to.

BEFORE YOU DONATE, PLEASE READ FIRST!

There have been some linking issues with our "donate to the Gentrys" tab on this blog. Until we can get it fixed, you will not be able to use it.

However, in the meantime, if you'd like to donate, simply go to www.onemisisonsociety.org. On the upper right-hand corner of the home page is a tab that says "search missionary or project". In this tab, type in Jennifer and Troy Gentry (in that exact order or it won't work). This should bring up our biography page. At the bottom of this is a link to donate online.

Sorry about the confusion! Hopefully we'll get the donate link on our blog fixed soon! Thank you so much for your willingness to contribute to God's ministry!

What It Will Take

Many people ask us what it will take for us to be fully funded. Note, we do not have to have all of this in the bank. We merely need 100% of the needed funds pledged.

If we had:

140 individuals/couples/churches/Sunday schools who made new pledges of $25 a month...

or

70 individuals/couples/churches/Sunday schools who made new pledges of $50 a month...

or

47 individuals/couples/churches/Sunday schools who made new pledges of $75 a month...

or

35 individuals/couples/churches/Sunday schools who made new pledges of $100 a month...

...then we would reach our goal of being 100% funded.

Won't you please prayerfully consider picking up a new pledge for our family? Or, another way you can help is by referring us to friends who might be interested in supporting.

Until we get the "donate now" link on our page to work, you can go to www.onemissionsociety.org to donate. At the top right hand corner of the home page is a tab that says "search missionary or project". In this tab, type: Jennifer and Troy Gentry (in that exact order or it won't work). This will bring up our bio. At the bottom of that page is a link to donate online.

Thanks!

No Coincidence

Originally when we began planning our North Carolina trip this last spring and summer, I did have ulterior motives for selecting October as the month for our meetings. After spending nine years in a part of the country that experiences very little autumn color, who wouldn't have? God had His own plans, however.

Thanks in large part to the planning and coordination of some good friends, we were able to get the four weeks filled. Those of you who received our updates know that Troy shared about our ministry in a different church each Sunday from October 1 - November 6! Throw in three Wednesday nights as well, and our schedule was full!

Within the first week or two of our arrival in Reidsville, it became clear that the timing of the trip was certainly not ours---it was God's. Our pastor friend had four busier-than-normal weeks at their church that kept him away from his family quite a bit. The timing of our visit meant that our friend had some other adult company at home with her while her husband needed to be away. The timing of our visit was not coincidental.

Perhaps the most amazing evidence that this was a divine appointment was in the opportunity to meet a young man who was interested in becoming a missionary. This young man's family was new to our friend's church--they'd only been attending a few weeks prior to our arrival after extensive church hunting. He was glancing through the church bulletin, reading the listing of missionaries the church supported and the organizations represented by each. At home, he took the time to look up online each of the missions organizations listed. One stood out to him more than the others---One Mission Society. Not long afterward, he realized that missionaries with this very organization were staying with his pastor and pastor's wife! He, Troy, and our pastor friend met over a meal. Within a couple weeks, he'd already begun the paperwork to become an OMS missionary! The timing of the family finding our friend's church and of our subsequent visit were not coincidental.

I may have initially selected this particular month so that I could enjoy some fall foliage. But God clearly had other plans. He had a divine appointment for us to keep, and it was His leading and direction that brought us to North Carolina in October and workout out all of the details so beautifully.

Weekly Messages

In the past, we haven't been as good at keeping you up to date on the things happening in our ministry. This is about to change. Beginning today, I am sending out a weekly email or FB message (however you'd prefer to receive it) with updates, praises, and prayer requests on a weekly basis.

If you are interested in receiving these emails, please send me a message on Facebook (Jenny Cox Gentry) or send me an email (jennygentry06@gmail.com), and I will include you on the list.

I've already sent out the first message detailing our schedule for this month. If you'd like to receive that, please let me know.

October Schedule

Weeks ago we asked you to pray about our October schedule. Well, you prayed, and God is answering!

PRAISES:

1. As of today, we have every Sunday morning and Wednesday night filled between October 16 and November 2!
2. Some dear friends of ours are hosting us in their home during this time in order to help us keep costs down!
3. We participated in World Communion Sunday at a church in South MS on October 2, serving communion in two of three services and sharing during the Sunday school hour as well. As it was our second time participating, the pastor shared with us that we will likely pick up some monthly support from the church!

God is GOOD!

There are a few things to pray about as well:

PRAYER REQUESTS:

1. We need to fill 4 Sunday evenings, 1 more Sunday morning, and 1 more Wednesday.
2. We need to line up as many individual meetings as we can during the weekdays following each service.
3. Please pray that the Lord will break our hearts anew before each service for the Mexican people and help us to help others see the spiritual need of the people.
4. Please pray against attacks of the enemy during this time. He loves to deal in Discouragement, Despair, and Divisiveness. Please pray against these Ds of the devil.
5. Please pray for traveling mercies as we travel to North Carolina and as we travel to and from each of the services/meetings.


Thank you so much for all your continued prayers and support. We are praying that this month will be the jolt we need to get some momentum in our funding. Only God could've put all this together, and so we are trusting that He has something BIG planned for our family and the ministry He's called us to.

North Carolina in October

I've been working on putting together a plan of attack for what we hope to be a month jam-packed with church and individual meetings throughout western and central North Carolina.

Please pray with us for the following:

1. Filled Sunday and Wednesday night meetings.
2. Filled meetings each week with individuals in each region we visit.
3. Housing (hotels could get expensive)
4. Supportive pastors
5. No scheduling conflicts!

Thank you very much for your continued prayer and support. We seriously could not do this without you. God is the one who blesses, but you are the vessels He chooses to use.

Faith Promises and What They Are Not

Whenever we sit down with people, or share from the pulpit on Sunday mornings or Wednesday evenings, we always ask people to consider a faith promise gift. Unless that person has given to missionaries in the past, most often they are unfamiliar with that concept. A faith promise is a donation that an individual makes, trusting that God is going to be faithful to provide the needed money at the appointed time.


When I ask folks to consider a faith promise, I'm not asking them about their budgets. I don't want to know if they can afford to donate or not. Because, quite frankly, we often cannot. We are so overextended financially these days because we have gotten away from the concept of living within our means and saving for the things we want or need. Credit has become the norm. And so we are, many of us, deeply in debt. It is little wonder missionaries and other ministries are turned down or hurting for funding these days. Fewer and fewer folks are donating because they have fewer and fewer dollars to spend.


When we rely on ourselves and neglect to trust in God's provision for us, we miss out on a huge blessing. Recently, we were forced to rely on God to provide a mere $1.75 each to get back to Greenwood from downtown Indy. A mere $1.75! We didn't have it--all of our money had been stripped away prior to the field trip. But obviously, as I'm sitting here back at home in Mississippi, God provided. I cannot begin to tell you the blessing we received when we completely trusted God for His provision. How freeing to not have to "worry" where every penny was coming from!


If a missionary asks you to prayerfully consider supporting them with a faith promise pledge, they are not asking you to consult your checkbook. They are not asking you to pour over your budget to see if there's any wiggle room. They are not asking you to be the ones to support them. What they are asking you to do is to ask God how much He wants to donate through you. In other words, you're asking God how much extra money He is going to provide each month for you to in turn donate to those missionaries. In essence, even though you are the ones listed on paper as the givers, it is actually God who is the giver. You are merely the tool, the funnel, He uses to provide for His workers.


And when you have stepped out in faith and committed to the faith promise, if it is from God, He will provide in sometimes the most unexpected ways! A couple years ago, while at a camp meeting, both of us felt that we should donate to the camp. We came up with a number in our heads, according to what we thought we could afford, of course. But then, the Lord asked us to double it! We couldn't afford that! However, we felt very strongly that He was asking us to pledge that amount. And so we did with great trepidation. That very first month our pledge was due, someone hired Troy to do an odd job. They hadn't discussed pay ahead of time, but neither was Troy concerned about it. When the job was finished, he received a check from the man. In the exact amount needed for our first pledge payment! God had provided, just as He'd promised. And so it went.


Folks, if God is asking us to do something, He will provide the strength, ability, or resources to do it. We believe very strongly that He has called us to this ministry in Mexico City and know that He will provide. While He owns all the cattle on the hillsides, He provides for us most often through other people. But those people must be willing and obedient to His leading, just as Troy and I must be in our calling.


So the next time a missionary---possibly even Troy or I---asks you to consider a faith promise pledge, instead of answering with the automatic no (unless you've prayed about it ahead of time and sense God giving you that answer, of course), or mentally running through your checkbook or budget to see if there's room, pray and ask God how much He wants to give through you.


I promise you will not regret it.

Some Prayer Requests

We are working on our schedule now that Troy's time at WBS and our training session in Indy is completed. Troy will be leading a Sunday school class at a local church through September. The hope of ours (as well as the individual who helped us arrange this) is that we will receive some support from either the class and/or the individuals involved in the class. Please be praying with that the Lord will speak through Troy as he leads this class.

Some of you may have already heard, but we recently received a generous gift from a total stranger! While we have yet to meet this couple, I (Jenny) had been chatting with them in an Amazon forum about Christian books. Through the discussion, I was able to mention that we were missionaries raising support for our first term. The husband is an evangelist from Hawaii who felt that God was leading him to give us an encouragement blessing! Please be in prayer with us for Chuck as he is traveling today to Taiwan for a month of preaching and teaching. Pray for open hearts and safe traveling mercies.

Finally, we would like to spend the entire month of October in North Carolina. We'll be contacting some of the pastors there soon to schedule meetings. Our prayer is to fill each Sunday (morning and evening, when possible) and all but 1 Wednesday with meetings. What we hope to do is to spend a few days with each church. We'd have a meeting with the body and then invite individuals to meet with us one-on-one for more information about our ministry. Please be in prayer with us as we begin to schedule these meetings. Pray that the Lord will fill the month with both church meetings and individual meetings as well.

Thank you for all your continued prayers on our behalf. We greatly value them. As always, if there is something we can pray about for you, please let us know.

Excitement in the Mundane

Today we took our lunch break to open a savings account here in Greenwood, something that is a totally mundane occurrence. Until the woman setting up the account asked me (Jenny) where I work. I instantly blurted, "Nowhere," as that is what has customarily been my answer. Then the thought struck me that yes, I am employed. As a salary-receiving missionary candidate of One Mission Society, I most certainly am employed. Troy later remarked that he'd been able to respond to that question with, "I work at Wesley Biblical Seminary", but then, with a similar jolt, realized that was not true.

A mundane occurrence such as opening a savings account profoundly impacted us by serving as a stark reminder of our commitment to step out of the boat and trust God fully for our every needs---especially our funding needs.

Thank You, God, for the excitement in the mundane.

Field Trip of Faith

I want to warn you now, the following post is LONG. So please only read it when you have the time to really read it. Thanks!



When you see or hear the words “field trip”, what are you reminded of? That grade-school field trip you took to your state’s capitol building? How about the “insider’s” view tour you took of the back of a grocery store in early elementary (did this in either kindergarten or first grade and thought it was MAGICAL back there. Then, once I actually worked in a grocery store in high school, it somehow lost it’s magic)? Anyway, when I saw the words “field trip” on our schedule for today, I immediately was thinking of something soothing and relaxing--maybe a meal off-campus with the whole group (minus the children). And then, like working in a grocery store burst that bubble of how magical the back of a store was, Friday’s corporate Bible study had the same effect on my expectations of today’s field trip.

We looked at the passages of Jesus sending out the twelve and the seventy two, in pairs, and His very detailed instructions of what they could or could not bring. Almost immediately, little warning bells started sounding in my head. My heart sank as an idea took shape---they were going to pair us up and send us out into downtown Indy to do street evangelism. Was it too late to back out of this whole CROSS training experience? Maybe if I worked at it really hard, I could somehow develop a strangely rare, non-contagious disease that lasted only twenty-four hours, yet would prohibit me from participating. Some of you might be shocked right now. A missionary scared of doing street evangelism? I mean, is that even allowed??? Yes, it is, and the word should be “terrified”, not merely “scared”.

Fast-forward to today. Knowing that we would be fasting through lunch, our plan of action was to eat a good breakfast. At the appointed time, I noticed that my usual purposeful strides as I walked across campus toward the main building were somewhat lagging in their enthusiasm. And as the departure time kept drawing nearer and nearer, my heart rate kept increasing, and dread completely took up residence in my gut.

In an attempt to make a long story a tiny bit shorter, I’ll just lay it out. We were split into four groups of three, told to empty our pockets of all but our IDs (no credit cards, no cash, no phones---although we each did carry a bottle of water, as it was HOT today), given one baggie of change per group and some further directions, and dropped off at the bus stop. Each team had enough change to ride the bus from Greenwood to downtown Indy....and that’s all. We were to arrange our own rides back. Say, what???

My group arrived at our designated spot, a lovely park area with a fountain of scantily-clad women (not so lovely), directly across from the Indiana war memorial. During the long bus ride there, we had (reluctantly) agreed that we would not ask people for the return bus fare---we would simply pray that God would provide and then leave it in His hands. Once we’d written down some ideas, some immediate feelings (more terror, worry, panic, etc), and then figured out our plan of attack for the morning, we each set out individually to walk the perimeter and just pray. Knowing my tendency to worry things to death, and my tendency to have to know all the details ahead of time, I was really struggling with this whole idea. So during our short time of prayer away from each other, I had to give it all to God. This whole kind of thing is so out of my comfort zone, that it’s in a whole ‘nother state from my comfort zone, okay. And going up to people I don’t know and asking them about God? Same thing. Just because I am a missionary (well, a missionary candidate who hasn’t yet been to the field, anyway) doesn’t mean that I’m totally comfortable sharing my faith with strangers. You might ask how someone is to reach people for Christ if they aren’t willing to share with strangers, and that is a totally fair question. Today reinforced several things for me and one of them is that I need more boldness in order to be effective for Christ. I can’t let fear dictate what I will or will not do. It was also brought home to me the fact that there are many things in the Word I still do not know, and that is mainly because I’ve gotten lazy about reading my Bible and having my quiet time with God. Realizing that, it’s little wonder why I was so ill-equipped for today’s excursion.

As the morning went on, the realization came to me that I really had turned our return trip over to God. I wasn’t stewing over it. I wasn’t trying to figure out in my head how in the world we were going to come up with $5.25 and who we could ask for it. I was assured that God was going to provide somehow. There are no words to describe how freeing this was for me. I am the type of person who has to have everything all figured out. I need a plan. Living by faith is a foreign concept for me. Yeah, God recently asked Troy to leave his job and live on a smaller income as we fund-raise full time. But a smaller income is completely different than no income! Knowing that none of us had a dime in our pockets, nor any plastic with which to procure some cash could’ve been---should’ve been---a really frightening thing. And yet the assurance was there.

During the course of the day, through the boldness of one of our team members (who, I don’t believe met a stranger in the park the way he was able to converse with them), and through offering to take pictures for people and because of other people striking up conversations with us. we were able to speak with a Muslim family from Turkey, a Buddhist woman from the West Coast, a few homeless men, and several fellow Christians who were more of a blessing to us than we were to them. I was never bold enough to approach anyone and share Christ with them, but I did come out of my shell enough to approach people I didn’t know for the pictures. This is all a work in progress (not that I’d like to do this exercise again, mind, but I imagine God will continue to use this in teaching moments with me for a long time to come).

By 3 PM, we started making our way to our bus stop, knowing full well that we had no money to actually ride the bus home. We had no idea how God was going to provide. (But the fact that you’re able to read this proves that He did.) As we rounded the corner, we could see our bus coming down the street. Some panic set in, at least for me. Then, glancing up, we saw another team walking our way. They asked if we were ready to get on the bus, but when we admitted that we hadn’t gotten any money, they smiled at us and encouraged us to get on the bus anyway. When we objected, they smiled again and said, “We have enough for you.” Stunned, we raced to get on the bus, wondering how in the world---and where---they had gotten enough for both of our groups. But there was still more money left! A few bus stops down, we spotted another team. They’d found a free one-day bus pass that someone had taped to the bus stop shelter’s window, but still needed the money for two more people. Our fellow teammates had the money for them as well. They explained that, through the course of a conversation with someone, they’d shared their predicament, but had left it to talk of other things. At the end of the conversation, they’d walked away from this man only to have him chase them down and give them $20!! All told, there was enough money for 8 people to ride the bus---with $5 leftover! Back at our stop in Greenwood, one of the men was able to give the remaining money to two women who were getting on the bus as we got off, furthering the original giver’s blessing to include 10 people! We later discovered that the fourth team had met a group meeting for a Bible study (and were actually able to join in their Bible study!) and, through conversation with them, met someone who kindly gave the three of them a ride back to Greenwood from downtown Indy!

God faithfully provided a way home for all of us and taught us all many valuable lessons on faith in the mean time. For me, the lesson I will take home with me from the whole experience is that I don’t need to have it all figured out. I’ve always admired the faith of missionaries like Hudson Taylor, who prayed in their needs and didn’t worry about them. But until today, I didn’t really think that kind of faith was actually possible. Friends, I am sitting here at this computer because it IS possible! God knows what our needs are and He is more than able to provide them. He knew that we needed a way home from downtown and He provided. And not only provided, but provided abundantly!

The question is, do we have enough faith to let Him?