The support cycle

We were approached in church a couple weeks ago by someone who told us she has been wanting to support us for quite some time, but was financially unable to. She had been praying about it, and God answered her prayer by supplying her with a part-time job! Now she is one of our financial partners, and we are doubly encouraged.

It is so excited to see that full cycle of support - God meets the needs of our supporters and by doing so, meets our needs.

Inspiration from Our Daily Bread

Praying, resting, waiting, trusting -
These are words that tell a story,
As we wait for God to lead us,
He responds, "Just seek my glory."
-Hess


Lord, we are seeking Your glory during this adventure.

Moving Date

Rachel and I have been praying about setting a projected date for us to be at 100% and moving to Colorado. We've settled on Sept 25, 2010.

God only knows if we will meet that date or not, but we need a tangible date to keep us motivated doing our part. We are growing increasingly restless with not being out there. Proverbs 13:12 says "Hope deferred makes the heart sick," and that is how we are feeling now.

Please pray that we will be faithful to do our part in raising our support, and thank God for continuing to do His part.

Newsletter time!

It's time to mail out another newsletter! I got them printed at the office yesterday, then last night we stuffed, sealed, and stamped them. They'll be in the mail later today!

February Update

     It is nearing the end of February, 2010, which means Rachel and I have been serving with HCJB Global for about a year and a half now. That is a strange mindset for us to maintain because we are still living in Michigan. Our job description for now is to continue raising our funds until we are at 100% of our financial goal. Once we've reached our goal, we will move to Colorado Springs and have a new job description. :)
     We are half-way there. We have 58 partners with us in ministry who have committed to support us financially as we strive to do what God has called us to. Knowing there are that many people whom God has called to give is a daily encouragement for us.
     That brings up some of our main prayer focuses. We ask you to join with us in thanking God for His amazing provision through the lives of so many people. Please pray God will bless them abundantly. But please also pray God will prompt the hearts of many others to give. God has called us to GO, pray others will hear God calling them to SEND.
     One of the things that keeps us encouraged through this process is to sit down with people and tell them our story. The process of remembering and recounting what God has done in our lives is a refreshing time for us and helps motivate and encourage us. If you'd be willing to encourage us by allowing us to tell you our story, please email us (njohnson@hcjb.org) or call us (269-240-0016) to let us know.

50%!!!!

We gained two new monthly supporters this week, bringing us to 50%! We are officially half way to our goal! We're praising the Lord for His blessings. :)

Discouraged?

I had a conversation last night about whether or not we were feeling discouraged about raising support in this economy. My response was that we do at times feel discouraged. But when we do, God usually sends a reminder to us that He has called us to this ministry and that He is greater than the economy of the United States.

We were reminded of this on Sunday when someone came up to me and told me that he and his wife wanted to start supporting us. God is the One who is providing our financial support - through the people around us.

God is good.

January Update

Year 2010 -- here it is -- and we’re still as busy as ever!  Because I work one-on-one with kids who have special needs at a local preschool, I was selected to undergo some training that will help me with my current job.  It is called Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI).  There is much good information and valuable knowledge to be gained through this training.  One of the major points we are taught is to use “Active Listening” skills when communicating with a child.  In the same way, God pointed out to me how I also need to be listening actively to Him. James 1:19 says, “Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.” I believe we would know how to respond better in any situation in which we find ourselves if we would only take the time to actively listen to the Lord. We are told in Psalm 46:10 to be still and know He is God.  So I encourage you to take time and listen to Him.  He will speak to you!

At times it is hard to be still, knowing He is God. We sometimes think that since He is God, why doesn’t he bring in all our support? If we listen carefully, I think He tells us, “My child, it’s because I’m not finished with you here yet.” We are currently at 48% of our goal. We are so close to being half-way there, and we have become even more passionate about going, especially after hearing about HCJB Global’s immediate involvement in the Haitian relief efforts. Within 3 days of the earthquake, they had a disaster relief team in the country providing much needed medical supplies and manpower to the ravaged country. In addition to meeting the physical needs of the people, they are also ministering to their spiritual needs as well, telling them about the incredible hope they can have only through Jesus.

If you’d like to directly support their efforts in Haiti, you can do so here.

A Fruitful Night

I spent a portion of this evening making phone calls, sending emails, and having conversations with people about joining our support team. What a learning experience! A couple things that God taught me through my conversations:

• "When God says, 'Be still and know,' He's saying, 'Let go and relax!'"
• "It's often the people you don't suspect that God uses"

God has once again reminded me that He is actively involved in this process and that I can fully rely on Him to do His part. 

A new supporter!!

We met with a wonderful couple tonight who joined our monthly support team! I am again praising God for His goodness and for continuing to bring in our much needed support.

New Blog!!

We've decided to start a blog to keep people more up to date about our ministry with HCJB Global. Check back often for updates!