Dragon Slayer, Disciple Maker~ A Preacher Wages War, Wins Souls & Saves Children from Prostitution & Poverty in Nepal (Part 2)

Tattoo_It_On_Your_Heart_Rachael_M_Colby _Dragon_Slayer_Disciple_Maker-A _Preacher _Wages War_Part2

Part 2: Women at Risk, Children at Risk and a Judas—Continuing the Conversation with Reverend Brian Williams and his wife, Ruth, of Agape Missions, Nepal

Brian, where do you currently preach?

I oversee 200 churches, so I find myself travelling to these pulpits in India and Nepal. That brings me to our vision.We see this fleshed out in Bethesda Bishram, Agape’s second house in Kathmandu, Nepal, and it serves different functions. Throughout the year, you may find it populated by local pastors attending seminars, short-term missions groups working with Agape, or a family trying to get themselves back on their feet.

FullSizeRender (5)-001 Bethesda Bishram serves a different purpose than Bethel Ashrm. It is a house for rest, revival, refreshing and renewal for leaders and their families. It is a place of retreat and fellowship.

Agape recognizes the importance of rest because it allows us to listen to the Lord and His will for our lives, because without retreat, there is no surrender. The purpose is to invest in the leaders of Nepal, so that they may be sustained. It gives them a chance to escape the fishbowl experience, the sense that one is always on display, of public ministry and find refuge, strength, and rest in Christ.

Ruth, did you think when you became a Christian you would become a preacher’s wife?

No, but I love the practical teaching style of my husband.

You are a church planter and overseer of churches and the author of five books on Biblical economics. Why is this important? What is your vision?

I have a simple dream. My prayer is that the Holy Spirit will use these Biblical Economics seminars for the glory of Jesus by helping the priestly people of God walk in financial fruitfulness. My prayer is that the kingly royal anointing would be upon them and that they will experience good success in every area of life. They will be the head and not the tail of their community or society, the top and not the bottom of their locality or village.

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FullSizeRender (8)-001 My prayer is that:

It is high time that the Peter’s of today walk out their humble calling with their heads held high and not be frowned upon as old school missionaries. The Bible is never out of date and my desire is that there will be an explosion of the biblical Peter model of volunteer missionaries all around the globe. That they will destroy the fads and gimmicks of false doctrine by continuing a life of volunteerism faithfully.

My prayer is that:

The Priscilla’s and Aquila’s of today would not be shunted out of modern missions as irrelevant. My prayer is that many couples would turn their homes into churches and their workplaces into pulpits. That they would not accept being called second class workers of the gospel, which they are not. Accepting a salary or making a profit must never be allowed to be frowned upon by modern Constantine’s. That they would boldly remain in their holy calling thus defeating the false teachers of today who have demonically labelled them as the, ‘half time calling,’ people.

My prayer is that:

The Paul’s of today would continue to faithfully obey the higher calling of God by FullSizeRender (9)-001 walking in financial wisdom as per the season they find themselves in. Many times the people of God in this dual model have walked in financial ignorance and so when crushing financial times have arrived they have left the ministry. I hope these books help multiply these amazing street smart Paul model missionaries who will be salaried or free volunteers as and when the need of the ministry hour demands.

You have a ministry for at risk women, rescuing some and their children from the sex trafficking trade and also a ministry to the sukumbasi (slum/street) children as well as developing leaders through two leadership homes. What is the road that led you to these ministries?

The Agape Mission International was founded on the great Commandment (Matt 22:37) the great Commission, (Mark 16:16) and the great Commitment, (Isaiah 61:1-3). The vision the Master gave me in 1998 was of a river flowing down a mountain to the lowest and the least in society. The hurting the helpless and the broken are whom the love of God and the power of God works best in and through very easily.

James 1:27 “PURE RELIGION AND UNDEFILED before God and the Father is this, To visit the FATHERLESS, (Children at Risk), AND WIDOWS, (Women at Risk), in their affliction…”

That led us to work with children and women at risk and not just orphans and widows.

Can you tell us about your Women at Risk Ministry?

FullSizeRender (8)-003 We have 8 projects for women caught in sexual trafficking and exploitation.

WARM (Women At Risk Ministries) Nepal projects below:

1. A Tailoring Shop.

Therefore, those desiring tailoring skills are welcome.

2. A Computer Lab.

Then, those desiring software and hardware skills are welcome.

3. A Language Class.

Those desiring English Language speaking and writing skills are welcome.

4. A Beauty Saloon.

Also, those desiring beauty parlor and fashion sector skills are welcome.

5. A Food Outlet.

For those desiring cooking, baking and chef skills are welcome.

6. An Adult Literacy Center.

And, those desiring pre-school teacher training and educational skills are welcome.

7. A Candle Making unit. FullSizeRender (7)-003

Plus, those desiring scented candle-making and interior decoration skills are welcome.

8. A Handicraft Products workshop.

Finally, those desiring sewing, jewelry and crochet skills are welcome.

What is the process for rescuing and restoring women from the sex-trafficking trade?

We rescue and restore women from cabin restaurants, dance bars and elsewhere.We have intervention programs as well as prevention programs.

Please read more here:

http://womennepal.blogspot.com/

http://womenstorynepal.blogspot.com

Our training center continues to train more than 50 ladies daily. One girl aged 14 years who was sexually abused in an orphanage was rescued by our team. She is now going to school, and has accepted Christ. Another girl who was married with a child was thrown out of her home after she accepted Christ. She is now taking beautician training amongst us.

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From my daughter’s accounts from her mission trip to Nepal, and from reading some of the stories on the links at your site, it seems like many women, some with infants, end up in the trafficking trade as a result of their husband’s abandoning them.Why is this? How does the culture in Nepal view marriage?

Marriage is viewed very highly in Nepal. The problem is that the men find it very easy to run away from their wives and children. I think it’s a manhood issue rather than a marriage issue. Most women remain faithful till the end.

Prostitution and brothels are illegal in Nepal, but trafficking takes place when poor villages girls are falsely lured into better job opportunities. They are tricked and taken to India, the Middle East Muslim majority countries and Kathmandu’s dance bars and cabin restaurants, (actually brothel’s).

Please read more here:

http://fleshtradenepal.blogspot.com/

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Some are called Dalit untouchables. What does that mean?

In Hinduism there is a caste system.The low caste, the high caste and all the rest in-between.The low caste people are the untouchable dirty Dalit people. There is a passage in the Rigveda, (Hindu scriptures), which enumerates the four castes in the being of the Heaven-Man called Purusha. The Brahman is called the mouth of Purusha, as having the special privilege as a priest of addressing the gods in prayer. The arms of Purusha became the Rajanya, the prince and soldier who wields the sword and spear. His thighs, the strongest parts of his body, became the agriculturalist and tradesman,the chief support of society, and his feet,the emblem of vigour and activity, became the Sudra or labouring man, (Dalit-Untouchable), on whose toil and industry all ultimately rests.

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Can you tell us about your Children at Risk ministry?

We operate two non formal schools in the slums.We also have a street kids soccer and feeding program.The purpose is to serve the poor but also model these ministries for local churches to start their own work amongst the marginalized.

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We minister to more than 100 kids on the streets and in the slums daily.We feed them, FullSizeRender (2)-005 give them basic education, play music and football with them and tell them Bible stories on a daily basis. More than 50 of these children now attend children’s church every week.

We want to educate, empower and equip them. Our hope then is that they become good family people with sustainable jobs.

Please read more here:

http://streetkidsnepal.blogspot.com/

http://streetkidstory.blogspot.com/

http://slumschoolnepal.blogspot.com/

http://slumstory.blogspot.com

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What is the craziest situation you’ve experienced during your ministry that you are free to share?

Every Ministry Has a Judas

by Kayla Strickler

Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God. 2 Corinthians 2:17

Thirteen years ago began Tamasi’s story with Agape ministries. Tamasi originally belonged to another ministry in Kathmandu run by a reputable African man named Chibuzor (Nigerian for “God first” or “God leads”). Chibuzor ran a successful ministry in the city, but when he fell in love with a Norwegian woman, he elected to leave the beautiful mountains of Nepal for his soon-to-be wife’s homeland. Chibuzor left the ministry he had put so much blood, sweat, and tears into to another African brother. Under this leadership, Tamasi was the ministry manager.

One otherwise still and peaceful night, Chibuzor appeared to Brian in a dream. He bore a message, and through the hazy outline of the dream’s frame spoke: “Brian, I don’t care about any of the office affairs that may occur—I want you to take care of Tamasi, my manager. Don’t let her go. Keep her with you.” Chibuzor vanished. Brian’s eyes opened.

Only one short week later, Brian’s phone rang. It was Tamasi. Through anxious breaths and a crack in her voice, she failed to disguise her worry as slowly the story unfolded. The man who Chibuzor entrusted his ministry to had embezzled everything he could, including money, sensitive documents, and other information from the computer, and had disappeared—never to be seen again. He vanished still $3,000 indebted to the landlord of the rented ministry building, but in his disappearance, the debt now fell on Tamasi. Her plea to Brian was for help, so that she would stay out of jail for a nonpayment that was never meant to be hers.

Brian and Agape ministries stepped in to help. In God’s sovereignty and promise that he works all things together for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28), when Brian showed up to help Tamasi with the situation, the landlord instantly recognized his face. “Brother Brian!” he shouted. “It is you!”

The two jovially talked. With a puzzled look on her face, Tamasi watched the curiously joyous interaction. It took a moment for the realization to strike: Brian and the landlord were old football friends. Through his glee, the landlord agreed to loosen the reigns on debt collection and simply told Brian to call him whenever he was ready and able to pay. Tamasi’s dilemma and fear of imprisonment were eradicated. But this wasn’t over. A hazy picture of Chibuzor flashed across Brian’s memory. He remembered the dream he had a mere week ago and knew that he was to do more than just help Tamasi stay out of jail. So, looking at her background and skill set, he offered her a job in Agape’s ministry for women at risk.

And so began the long stretch of Tamasi’s work with Agape. For quite a few years, the partnership was fluid. But in time, word started getting back to Brian about Tamasi speaking ill of him and the ministry behind his back. (Nepali culture is known to be indirect in a way that fuels gossip, but this particular flame grew like a wildfire whose smoke was extra poisonous.) Soon enough, other team members couldn’t ignore the flames. They couldn’t ignore the tension in the air. Team members started asserting their opinions that Agape needed to dismiss her from staff, and even Brian agreed. But one thing was stopping him: the memory of Chibuzor speaking to him through a dreamy haze. As Brian remembered Chibuzor’s words, he knew what he had to do. The more he prayed about it, the more he remembered both the dream and the story of Judas. In Brian’s words, “Jesus still chose Judas. Everyone needs to have a Judas.”

And so, even though according to Brian, the last three or four years she was with Agape were “hell on earth,” every year at Christmastime Tamasi’s salary still increased. She was treated exceedingly well, even when Agape didn’t want to and their hearts told them to let her go. Then, out of left field one day, Tamasi unexpectedly left. She explained she was not feeling well; that she needed to stay home and take care of herself. She mentioned her husband and her mother as other reasons. She had been trying to get pregnant; she explained the doctor advised her to rest, and then she may be able to conceive. All seemed like plausible reasons, they thought.

But rotting fish will eventually smell.

Around six months later, all of the Agape students from the women’s center inexplicably started attending another institution. The mystery was solved when Brian learned that Tamasi had started her own center, and the drama unfolded tenfold when he rushed to check the records from the Agape program: Tamasi had stolen and deleted them all. Brian had no way to even contact the women who now attended Tamasi’s program instead of Agape’s. To add exponentially more fuel to the flame, Tamasi had approached one of Agape’s biggest financial supporters and slandered the ministry, spreading accusations of corruption. The donor believed Tamasi’s lies and began to put his financial support towards Tamasi’s ministry instead.

According to Brian, there are many lessons in this story. “She keeps me humble,” he says. Even though Brian wishes he could run into her on the street and confront her, it is a choice to love people—it is a choice to not be offended, and stand ground. It is a choice to love a betrayer despite their betrayal. It is a choice to focus on the fact that Tamasi still does something people will benefit from. It is a choice to lean on the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians describing people peddling the word of God for profit. It is a choice to acknowledge that some preach the word with an attitude that is good and some with one that is bad; but what is most important is that the truth still gets preached. It is a choice to look at people like Tamasi and intentionally not to come against them, even when the opponent is outgunned.

Perhaps most people would choose retaliation. Perhaps many would look at Judas and shout about how he should have never been with Jesus in the first place. But Jesus still used Judas, and every ministry will have one. How will you react to your Judas?

~~~*~~~

What is the religious climate in Nepal? What is the Anti-Conversion Law?

General Information:

Nepal is a secular country with some degree of religious freedom. Nepal has gone through dictatorships, civil wars, guerrilla warfare, and earthquakes, which has made the people of Nepal very resilient in good times and bad. Nepal has never been under foreign rule, so it is very welcoming to tourists, but we still must be careful of sharing our faith in a wise way.

Specific Information:

The Anti-Conversion Law bill passed in parliament several years ago and it roughly goes like this.

You cannot force anyone to change their religion.
You cannot bribe anyone with money etc. to change their religion.
You cannot force a person to not become an atheist if he/she wants to.

To this they added last month, (September 2017):

You cannot harass any other religion that is not yours.

This Bill was passed into law by the first female president of Nepal. The funny thing is that Christians and all other religions believe and agree with the bill. As you know none of us in the Christian faith convert anyone or practise the above four points. The Spirit of Christ leads them to the Father.

So it’s business as usual…

We are open to get persecuted but not because of our foolishness. Therefore, all our churches and work in the slums and with women offer practical education, job skills and adventure evangelism with local churches, so we will always be okay. Of course the enemy goes around like a prowling lion and we must be alert also.

*To be continued in Part 3: God, Family, ministry. Which is priority?

**Did you read Part 1?

***You can read my post featuring Abby’s stories of her mission trip to Nepal here: Echoes

***Please respect the request of the interviewee that neither the link for, nor any content from this article be posted on Facebook. However, please feel to share the link to this post by e-mail and on other platforms. Thank you for your consideration.

Dragon Slayer, Disciple Maker~ A Preacher Wages War, Wins Souls & Saves Children from Prostitution & Poverty in Nepal

Rachael_M_Colby_Tattoo_It_On_your_Heart_Dragon_Slayer_Disciple_Maker_Part_One It is my honor to interview and introduce you to dragon slayer, disciple maker and preacher, Reverend Brian Williams and his wife Ruth whose ministry my daughter, Abby, served under on her mission trip to Nepal. You can read Abby’s account in my prior post entitled, Echoes.

Please welcome Brian and Ruth.

Part 1

I am an Anglo-Indian. My ancestry is a mixture of the colonizer and the colonized. I look Indian and I am most at ease in an Indian culture but I speak and think with the English language.

Brian Leonard Williams is my name and I grew up speaking English as my mother tongue.

My maternal Grandfather’s name was Edwin Joseph Seaman, a British engineer and part of a group of pioneers of the Indian Railway.

Himalayan Railway Train

These were the days when British engineering was revolutionizing communication and trade across India, much of it to the benefit of the British.

Image from: On India’s Frontier; or Nepal, the Gurkhas’ Mysterious Land Author: Ballantine, Henry

My biological Father was an Englishman named Edward Canute Roberts. However, after getting my Mother pregnant, Edward left for Australia without marrying her. So I was born in the huge metropolis that is Calcutta in 1970 to a single Mother, Antoinette Matilda Seaman, who had little means to support us; a gritty start to life. To the rescue came my Dad, Roy Ainsley Williams, a gifted diesel-engineer. He fell in love with my pregnant mom Antoinette and they got married. So Roy became My ‘real’ Dad. He was a wonderful Dad in spite of being a hopeless alcoholic. We went for walks together and ate fried fish, it’s still my favorite food. It turned out that Dad Roy was a great friend, but a poor provider. Given half a chance he would sell everything and disappear for several months at a time. I hardly ever saw him sober. I remember yearning for a sober Dad. My Mother rescued the family finances. She was industrious and resourceful, finding work as a secretary. We were poor but never went without food.

I spent the next few years at St Bedes orphanage and boarding school in Chennai, India run by the Roman Catholic Salesians of the Don Bosco order. My Mother scraped and saved money to send me there, searching for every discount and scholarship available.

My Father was Church of England and My Mother was a Roman Catholic. But we only went to church at Christmas and Easter. I had been exposed to religion at school, but essentially I was non-religious; my religion was the dance floor. I lived for dancing and womanizing every Saturday night—Shakin’ Stevens, The Bee- Gees, Boney M. I had all of the vices you would expect from a teenage lad. I remember rewriting and singing hymns for fun in the Chapel with rude and mischievous words, fighting, lying, lusting, cheating, stealing. Not in a big way, I was just one of the lads, and we got up to all sorts of pranks.

When I was nineteen, our family returned to Calcutta. I went to college to study for a Bachelor’s degree in commerce. For two years I continued to play the field. Addicted to women, I danced and drank my way through all of the pleasures that life had to offer. I lived for the day; I was an Epicurean. But the more I filled myself with worldly pleasures, the more empty I felt. Was self-centered pleasure all that there was, or was there a purpose to life? What did life mean? What if I was Michael Jackson, with all that money, fame and success? Would that satisfy? I put myself in Michael Jackson’s shoes. No, it wouldn’t, I decided. What if I had a family, a loving wife and a tribe of happy children? I would take my place in the natural birth and death cycle— would that satisfy? No, it wouldn’t. I came to the conclusion that life was utterly meaningless.

We tagged along from Calcutta with a band, just hanging out, parties and lots of fun—you know the way young people do. I found myself joining a group of music friends in Hyderabad, a large city in central India. Then a band member gave me some prophecy books which had Bible verses and newspaper articles on either side of a page. I was shocked that Bible verses had meaning in current events. I then found a Bible, but when I saw a long genealogy, just a list of names, I thought it was an out of date meaningless book. I threw it in the corner of my room. However, whether out of a sense of politeness or by divine prompting, I decided that I should at least out of courtesy, read a few verses from the Bible, then I would return it. I opened the Bible at random and found the book of Proverbs. It was like holding up a mirror. I saw myself in the words of Proverbs, like the woman at the well. This book told me about myself like no other literature I had ever read. I read right through Proverbs, then Ecclesiastes, warming to its theme of ‘everything is meaningless.’ I thought, I could have written this book. By the time I was reading the book of Psalms I was on my knees in my hotel room committing my life to Christ. That was in 1989.

I read through the Bible three times in just nine months. I welcomed Christ into my life and started attending a Church in Hyderabad. I left my old lifestyle and returned to Calcutta to finish my degree in commerce and was baptized as a Christian. At the age of twenty-two, I was marching to the beat of a very different drum. But I still have a lot to learn from God’s word and daily yearn to feel His hand on my life.

How long have you been married?

My wife is a Nepali from Darjeeling, India, which once belonged to Nepal, but was taken by the British for their amazing tea. Before that, the kings of Nepal sold Darjeeling to the kings of India for a harem of girls, so it’s a very complicated place. Ruth Reshma and I were married in 2001 in Mirik, Darjeeling. We came to Nepal on our honeymoon and never left. So technically we are still on our honeymoon…sixteen years and counting.

How many children do you have? I know some of your children are fostered. Can you tell me a little about them?

We have four sons and a four month old daughter. Three of them are chosen from the womb of my wife and two are chosen from the streets of Kathmandu, Nepal. One son, Sujan is an outreach leader with Youth With A Mission in Lucknow, India and another son, Sameer, is a youth leader in a Christian school in Denmark. Our two biological children, Samarth and Saran, are in primary and secondary school. Our small boy loves sports and his older brother loves to play the guitar and soccer.

Did you think when you got married you would be fostering children?

Never planned to, but we are pleasantly surprised. Before Marrying Ruth Reshma I went on an 80 day fast for our marriage and family. God told me that I was the sun and Reshma (means moon) would have nine planets in our solar system. We tried to figure out what that actually meant. We have five, so four more planets are yet to form in our family.

Please Describe your Ministry.

I, (Brian Williams), founded The Agape Mission International, (Tami), in 1998 in India, with the goal of living out our biblical calling to assist women and children at risk, as well as to create new apostolic disciples. It started with a church in south India, (which still exists) but is now a movement of 200 plus churches in Nepal and India.We oversee seven head pastors who manage all these churches.

We serve the at risk people group in a FullSizeRender (2)-003 multitude of ways.We minister in the slums through our Tara Non-Formal Schools. We have our street kids soccer and food ministry.

We reach out to cabin restaurants and dance bars all the while maintaining a Women at Risk Ministry Center where we offer training for eight different skills for women at risk.The Bethesda Bishram prayer and retreat house is where we give local pastors retreat opportunities as well as a camp to host mission teams into mountain villages.

Bethel Ashrm is a place for mentoring at risk people into leadership as well as marginalised youth from churches who are going through various challenges.

You have other people living with your family. How many people live in your home?

Bethel Ashrm, is our home in Kathmandu, Nepal. Its name represents what takes place there. Bethel means “house of God” and Ashrm is taken from Hebrew and means “fire, head, and water.” Therefore, our vision for Bethel Ashrm is that it would be a place where our mind is set on fire by the Holy Spirit and washed with the water of the Word of God.

Inside Bethel Ashrm, we care for rescued FullSizeRender (3)-001 children and disciple four to five young people at a time to start their own ministries and churches both in Nepal and around the world.

We offer Leadership Internships and Apprenticeships for Missionaries going to and from Nepal, India, China, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. We also have youth volunteers who are sent to my churches for leadership mentoring.

Along with our five children, we currently have ten other children living in our home. These ten children include kids who were rescued from dance bars, the streets, abusive homes, or abandoned during the earthquake.

Please read more here:

http://leadersnepal.blogspot.com/

http://leaderstorynepal.blogspot.com/

http://bethelashram.blogspot.com/

How did this came to be? Did you and your wife envision your home like it is when you married?

Nope. One day I returned from India and found that my wife had closed down the staff boys and girls houses and had taken a house so we could all live and learn together. We were then taught by God to make it into a “live and learn” house for our family and others.

Ruth, how long was your husband away when you moved your family to a different house and brought all these people to live with you?

One week.

Did he have any idea you were going to do this or was it a complete surprise when he returned home?

A total surprise.

Were you worried about what his response would be?

Nope. He came home and I took him to the new community house.

You have 15 children and several adults living in your home. How do you orchestrate meals and household chores?

Good and healthy delegation. Even the teens cook.

Brian, what were your first thoughts when you returned home and found out what Ruth had done?

I was stunned, and then realized it was the best ministry decision we ever made. Still shocked daily at seeing this ministry become the bedrock upon which all other ministries grow.

***To be continued in Part 2: *Women at Risk, Children at Risk and a Judas***

**Read my prior post featuring Jacob’s and Abby’s stories of their mission trip to Nepal here: Echoes

Echoes (Nepal Mission Trip Report)

Abby. Girl with a heart as big as the open sky. She once said, “I think when we pray, God often says, “‘That’s all you’re asking for?’” She asked, she reached, and God allowed her to go on another mission trip. This time, to Nepal.

“Abby, I know you’re busy with college and work, but it’s important that you write a post about your mission trip. Your stories will inspire others, and I don’t want you to forget.”

She glanced up and said, “You write it, Mom.”

So, here are Abby’s and her teammate Jacob’s stories as told to me.

Echoes

JACOB: I had never been on an airplane before our mission trip to Nepal. The vivid chaos of Kathmandu greeted us as we made our way to our home for the next few weeks.

Motorcycles, buses, cars, vans and bicycles, drove in and out and all over as if there were no lanes, no laws. They just did whatever they wanted. The buildings stood about four stories high and eight feet apart. They were everywhere— it seemed as though they went on forever, or at least as far as the eye could see.

ABBY: The guys stayed on one floor and the girls on another in our apartment style city dwelling. Water and electricity outages occurred frequently and without warning. We sat on mats to eat, and talk, and sing. We slept on wooden pallet bunk beds.

JACOB: Always. Car horns and barking dogs at all hours of the day and night.

The Quiet Cafe

ABBY: All the waiters were really quiet in the cafe we went to on the first day. We thought it was because they didn’t speak English, but later learned that they were deaf and our main waiter was studying American Sign Language. My teammate Kendra and I speak ASL, but I hadn’t expected an opportunity to use it in Nepal and was so excited we were able to communicate with him and share the Gospel on the days we visited the cafe. He introduced us to his many deaf friends, his wife and children, and took us to many beautiful and interesting places he thought Americans should see.

House Full of Rescued Kids and Former Prostitutes

ABBY: Our ministry host Brian and his wife, Ruth, have three natural born children, two fostered, and many more live with them, some orphans from the earthquake in 2015. Their house is full of women and children who were at risk, some rescued from human trafficking. The women are the most welcoming people I ever met.

It is amazing how Brian, his wife and the women raise their children. They are some of the most God loving people I know. The children are the best behaved, most selfless kids and they pray more passionately than anyone I’ve ever heard.

The Women’s Center

ABBY: Brian and Ruth’s ministry encompasses more than those living with them though. They have a women’s center, a home for at risk women and children and those taken out of prostitution. There they are taught English and various skills such as making jewelry so they can earn money for themselves and their children.

We spent the mornings at the women’s center, painting and renovating the building and grounds to better suit their needs, and helping with the women’s children as they worked on their new skills. In the afternoons we went to Brian’s house and talked to the women who lived there and tutored the children in English.

The first week we had the option to go on a prayer walk around a cabin bar where the prostitutes worked and possibly go in and talk to them, or to stay and tutor the children. I had already spent a lot of time with the children. Tutoring for the afternoon was not appealing while my other teammates ministered in ways that seemed much more intense and more like what I came to Nepal to do. But when they asked for volunteers to stay, there was barely anybody, so I raised my hand and as half of my team went out, I stayed behind.

The children led us along a road filled with flowers. We played games and they sang songs in Nepali, picking flowers for us every step of the way as we walked back to the house for lessons. …Oh. This is where I was supposed to be, I realized

While teaching the three-year-olds English at Brian and Ruth’s house, I got the chance to talk to one of the women who lived there. She said she loved having visitors like our team. She held a newborn baby and talked as if we are best friends. She told me her husband left her when their baby was three weeks old. He moved to Saudi Arabia and never came back. She said she had no bitterness in her heart though, and was thankful to God to be with her baby and live with Brian and Ruth. This painful abandonment was recent, but still, she kept saying. “Praise God.”

For your Maker is your husband, The Lord of hosts is His name; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth. Isaiah 54:5 (NKJV)

ABBY: “We walked everywhere in Kathmandu— 45 minutes to Brian’s house, Sometimes 35 to the cafes, and 40 minutes to church. We never know the schedule, Mom. Literally, never.”

One morning, a group of little children from our ministry host’s home walked 45 minutes to our lodging. They chattered and jumped, faces aglow, as they led the way. “Come! We want to show you our church!”

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As we entered the tiny church building, the Nepali women rose and sat in the aisles, insisting we take their seats. After song service, they called our team on stage and someone placed a guitar in my hand. We looked at each other, perplexed.

“What songs do you know on guitar?” my teammates asked.

“None,” I said. “I can only play if I have the music notes, and I have none.”

So, my teammate, Jen, started playing the keyboard, calling out notes to me as she did. I know we sounded awful, but they still cheered at the end and asked one of us to testify of what Jesus had done in our lives.

Afterward, the little girls ushered us into another room. “You’re leading Children’s church today!” they said. We weren’t expecting to lead, so we had nothing prepared. After a lot of convincing, one of the older children agreed to translate for us. We sang songs, and after the preaching, we played games and taught them the creation story. Our translator knew limited english, so, as they told us their favorite Bible stories, we acted them out, teaching what they could learn from each one.

We found out afterward that the wall between the children’s church and the sanctuary is paper thin and the congregation could hear every word we said.

Listening Prayer and the Armor of God

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. Ephesians 6:14-16

ABBY: We stood together in a circle, whether in a room or on a street, and named each piece of the armor of God and pretended to put it on ourselves and prayed every time before leaving for any ministry.

We asked God to show us people who we needed to talk to about Him and my friend Kendra had a vision of a little girl in a red dress.

Mountain Ministry

ABBY: He jumped aboard the bus, yelling as he did, and wearing so many layers of clothes. Who is this dude, we wondered. As our bus wound its way up the narrow, dusty mountain road jostling us from our seats, he bounced around, randomly hollering, “Fire!” Bipin is a pastor and he is the happiest person I’ve ever met. Everyone on the team ended up loving him.

The villagers glanced up from their work as we sped by. Each of us carried a few of Brian’s books on church planting to hand out at the pastor’s conference where he was preaching. Brian is a writer, a preacher, and disciple maker. He has sent workers into Denmark, India, and Nepal to pioneer churches. He preaches so much like my pastor, Paul Campo.

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns! Isaiah 52:7 (NLT)

It was hotter in the mountains than in the city; hot in the day and hotter at night. The night rain beat on the tin roof, some making its way inside. We lay on the ground to sleep, sticky and pouring with sweat. There was no electricity, no water. We took buckets to the waterfall for our showers.

Brian’s wife went into labor unexpectedly, so we left the mountains earlier than planned, making it in time for the birth of their baby girl.

The Monsoon rains burst from the sky, sending water coursing through the muddy streets and filling potholes.

ABBY: One Saturday morning, the day of worship in Nepal, we attended Bipin’s church. There stood the little girl in the red dress who Kendra had seen in her vision. She was speaking sign language to her mother. She lit up with a broad smile when we started signing to her.

Bipin was always singing and he made us sing along everywhere we walked. We jumped puddles and little rivers meandering across our path, the aftermath of the rain. I wondered why Bipin had chosen this long and tiring route to his home for lunch that day.

Suddenly, a woman called out to us from the upstairs window of a house. She had fallen asleep and awakened to find that the group she traveled with had forgotten her and locked her inside when they left for the airport that morning. She had been praying for someone to come by and rescue her. We retrieved the key from under a flower pot in front of the house, unlocked the door, and she hurriedly left to catch her flight, thanking us and praising God as she did.

We walked past a freaky butchered goat, its head cut off, a machete beside it. They eat goats and chickens there.

Sometimes we choose restaurants based on the rating we gave their bathroom— if they had one. The food is so spicy it makes my nose run and burns my stomach, but I love the momos.

The Rat Race

ABBY: The warm night air clung to us as we trudged up the giant hill on our way home. The bushes by the side of the road rustled and I bent over expecting to find an injured bird, but four rats lept out.

“It’s not a bird, it’s not a bird!” I cried, as we ran screaming into the busy street and cars and buses brushed my ankles.

We named our animals— like the cockroaches and the pigeons who knocked on the windows.

It’s a Whole Other World Up There On the Rooftop.

ABBY: I finished washing my clothes and pitched the water over the edge of the roof.

“Hey! There’s a drain up there for that!” my teammate said as water splashed through the window below.

Oops. I didn’t know.

Almost every house has a flat rooftop. I went on ours every morning to read my Bible and pray. People walked to and fro on the streets below, winding between the rows of buildings. Nepali women swept every floor of their houses precisely clean, as if they needed to get every single speck of dirt out before they could start their day.

The rooftops of the neighboring houses stretched straight across for miles. Laundry draped from lines strung on poles, colorful prayer flags hung from rooftop to rooftop. People washed their hair, bathed and did their laundry on their rooftops. The three-times-a-day-tooth-brusher vigorously performed his ritual.

The lower mountain ranges of the Himalayas loomed in the distance. On days when the clouds parted revealing the taller snow capped peaks, we ran down into the house to tell everyone so they could come up to the rooftop to see. Many of my team went up there at night to listen to worship songs, sing and pray.

JACOB: Christian, the only other guy on our team, and I stood on the rooftop praying over the house, for the girls, and the mission trip. We still felt uneasy when we finished, so we stayed up to worship. While Christian let out cries of worship from the front edge, I felt called to the back corner of the roof. I didn’t know what for specifically, but I could feel something dark, something that didn’t belong there.

“God,” I said, “thank you so much for this place of worship. This place of fellowship and community. Lord you have put something on my heart, you have made something very obvious. Christian and I feel we aren’t alone on this roof right now. I just want to declare your name. Jesus Christ is Lord. I ask that you cast out anything that is here with us and is not of you, for it has no dominion in your house, in this house.”

Suddenly, a tall, dark, muscular, evil, being was coming toward me. It had depth; it was there— in a spiritual sense, but also in a physical sense. It ran at Christian and I, pushing clothes out of its way and ducking under the clothesline to get to us. The demon got right in my face, then disappeared and reappeared on the rooftop of the home next to ours.

Christian and I looked at each other; our hair stood on end. “Did you see it?”

“No; but I felt it!” Christian said.

ABBY: We left the windows open, even when it rained. But still, the thick warm air hung heavy over us. The neighbor’s conversations, crying babies and barking dogs punctuated the night, keeping some of my teammates awake, but I fell asleep.

The Cabin Bar

ABBY: The next time we got the opportunity to stay or go, I went out with the other girls to a prayer walk by a cabin bar where the prostitutes work. It was the most intensely I’ve ever prayed in my life. We walked and prayed for about an hour before going inside.

Men came to the cabin bars to order a drink and a girl. Several rooms for this purpose encircled the dining area.

No one in the cabin bar spoke English, so while we waited for one of the women to come to our table, we prayed out loud. But we were careful not to say the names, God or Jesus, as our ministry leader had warned us not to, so the owners wouldn’t know our intentions.

Such darkness in the room, spiritually and physically.

Tear stained tender cheeks.

When cabin bar workers walked over to our table, the Nepali woman who works in the anti-human trafficking ministry translated for us. We told them we were tourists.

We ordered drinks and talked for awhile.

Her husband had left her. She had been there about a week. She hated it. She wanted to leave.

That’s where I met Surita and her sweet baby.

We asked her questions about her life and what she wanted to do, her hopes and dreams. She had none.

If a woman seemed interested in escaping, we would ask her if she wanted to talk to us again. We hoped, if she trusted us enough, we could meet elsewhere and tell her about the women’s center, offer her a new life and introduce her to Jesus.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV)

To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” Isaiah 61:3 (NKJV)

Motorcycles zipped by, a family of four on one, including a newborn. We dodged cows. Three wheeled busses careened across streets with unmarked lanes.

Slum Ministry & Discipleship

ABBY: Some of the disciples from Brian’s discipleship training school, choose to minister in the slums to at risk children as their service before being sent out to start their own ministry. These young men are only 18-21 years old, but carry great responsibility.

So, our last week in Nepal, we went to one slum in the morning and another in the afternoon.

The children were down by the river playing with rocks and sticks as trash floated by. One of the girls yelled something in Nepali and they all came running after us as we walked up the street. We played soccer with them first so hopefully they would sit still for us afterward.

The children sat on the hole studded floor of the small, dark, cement building watching intently as we told Bible stories. On one of our last days, an older man from the slums wandered into the room and joined us playing a game called Indian Chief. Every time he lost, we made him do a dance in the middle of our circle, just like the rest of us had to. It was one of my best days in the slums. He danced like one of the young Nepali women performing for the king.

We sang songs, and the children yelled them back to us in a language they didn’t fully understand and did the motions for them energetically. Their clothes never fit, they rarely had shoes and they smelled so horrible that when they came close you wanted to cover your face. But with their big beautiful smiles and them reaching out wanting to hug you— you couldn’t help but hold and love them, no matter what.

JACOB: Nepal is a country of deeply spiritual, hospitable, sweet, and loving people. This trip taught me to find a place in my heart to store compassion. It taught me that no matter what my circumstances are, there is always safe haven in the Lord. This was the first time I experienced the Holy Spirit overseas. It was the best month of my life.

I got closer to the team of seventeen people I served with than I ever could have imagined. They are some of my favorite people and will always be a part of my life. Every day I pray for Nepal, the people we impacted there, and for my team.

Absolutely the hardest thing about this trip was seeing our team members get sick, taken off the mission field and admitted to the hospital in the third and fourth weeks of the trip.

The most rewarding, was being able to pour into our ministry family. They were extraordinary. They sacrificed so much and insisted on serving us. Having the opportunity to serve them was incredible. I miss Brian and Ruth and their family very much.

ABBY: My favorite thing about this mission trip was helping our ministry hosts, Brian and Ruth and their family, and spending time the women and children they rescued.

It’s been a privilege to serve in this beautiful country.

JACOB: This spring I’m going on a mission trip to Peru for eight days and in the summer I’m hoping to go to Africa. I feel called to plant churches overseas.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.” Matthew‬ ‭28:19-20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Video, Come On, Won’t you Run Free? Nepal 2017, by teammate Miriam Meeks

And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” Romans 10:15 (NLT)

UP NEXT: It is my honor to interview and introduce you to Reverend Brian Williams and his wife Ruth of Agape Missions whose ministry Abby and Jacob served under on their mission trip to Nepal.

PART 1: #Disciple Maker~ A #Preacher Wages War, Wins Souls & Saves Children from Prostitution & Poverty in #Nepal “I am an Anglo-Indian… a mixture of the colonizer and the colonized…”

#whyiteach

TEACHER: Texting you this… Need people to help remind me why I teach when I’m having bad days.

Teaching is one of the hardest jobs. You rarely ever get kudos. You mostly hear what you are doing wrong.

So, in those rare moments when the smoke clears, and you see what truly matters, and you see the little things you do, and the impact they can have, that is the gold you have to hold unto- or you will quit.

So Far Today:

I comforted and prayed with a teacher who just had a miscarriage.

I’m standing in the hallway welcoming students, hustling the stragglers to class. Glancing in my classroom, I realize one of my boys is crying. I motion him to come into the hall and he tells me his aunt died from a stroke last night. We talk, I give him a hug, and help him grieve. He gives me permission to share with the class. His friends quickly change seats and circle him; No talking or touching; they are middle school boys after all. They support him by just being there. They take out paper and write notes of encouragement- without any prompting. #proud #whyiteach

All before 9:30am.

11:20am Update

Another student running up and down the hallway screaming and crying. Counselor trying to help. He refuses… I step into the hallway, take his hands, have him take deep breaths with me to calm him down so he can talk to the counselor without screaming. #whyiteach

Teaching is never about the subject you are teaching. It’s about showing compassion, how to grieve, process anger, express joy. So much emptiness and anger in my students- they just don’t know how to handle life. Happy that I can be here to help them.

Remind me of this when I’m having a really bad day.

Anyone who becomes a teacher because they want kids to learn a subject is missing a huge piece of teaching. I went into teaching because I want to teach children how to successfully live their lives, process emotion, and become productive people. The subject I teach has so little to do with what I really do.

“When will I use this?” they say. (Algebra, science, etc..)

The answer is: “Who really cares? Will you remember that I taught you compassion when your classmate’s aunt died, that I held your hands when you just couldn’t take another step, that I told you I care about you?”

And yes, of course, I’ll give you another chance when you screwed up, yet again, in my class, because this is #whyiteach

Update 1:00 pm

Two boys try to fight in my classroom. Calmed them down and talked to them. One of the boys tells me he’s not really mad at the other kid. He just watched his dad get arrested and he’s really upset… Sigh. #whyIteach

At lunch, the boy whose aunt died comes up to me. “I’m doing better,” he says quietly, and dashes away.

Last Block:

The boy who was crying and screaming in the hallway comes to class. He’s smiling now, and we’re just figuring it all out. It’s a good day. #whyiteach

I know I could get a job in a better district. My family asks me why I stay, all the time.

“Who’s going to teach them if I don’t?” I reply.

“Someone will,” they say.

“But will they care about them? Will they pray over their desks? Will they cry over them? Will they love them?”

I can’t walk away from these kids. Many of them don’t have adults that truly care. They are used to being thrown away, adults not sticking with them. I can’t be one of those people. Teaching is a calling, not a job. I have to teach them how to be cared for and to care for one another, to create community in the classroom. Once I’ve done this, and only then, can I actually teach them any academic content with success. This usually takes a few months to establish.

I have to teach them, I don’t know if someone else will care for them like I do. #whyiteach

A Few Weeks Later:

TEACHER: Why do I teach again? My head hurts, my neck aches…

RACHAEL: Because it matters- maybe for eternity for some of your students. Even though you don’t see it now.

Because they need you even when they don’t want you.

Because you may be the only love, the only Jesus, some will see today and over the next few months

Because you have to. It’s your calling. #makeadifference #youmatter

Because it costs more to quit than to carry on. #whyyouteach

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:37 NKJV

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my
infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2nd Corinthians 12:9 NKJV

*I received the above messages from a friend who is a teacher. She wishes to remain anonymous.

In honor of #TeacherAppreciationDay and #TeacherAppreciationWeek

Tattoo_It_On_Your_Heart_Rachael_M_Colby_Heroes_Among_Us

Please take the time to encourage teachers, not just this week, but throughout the year

Tattoo It On your Heart

A Brighter Day with Ben Laine

Congratulations, Ben, on your recent radio play on Christian radio station, 96.1 The Branch.

As of today, Ben has 5 songs on SoundCloud. You can check them out here: https://soundcloud.com/ben-laine.

That’s quite an accomplishment at 17 years old.

How many songs have you written?

Ben: I have written close to 100 songs in the last six years.

Born in Chicago and raised in Rochester New Hampshire, as the son of a pastor, contemporary Christian singer songwriter Ben Laine’s life has always centered around God. At just 5 years old, The Jackson 5 sparked his interest in music when Ben played a role in the church Christmas play. Ben took to singing, “Santa Claus is coming to town,” after he and his mom changed the lyrics to “Jesus Christ is coming to town,” for the play. Influenced by his drummer father, Ben started playing the drums at 6 years old. He picked up the saxophone at 9 and piano at age 10. Since then, he has heavily focused on piano, singing and songwriting. Many of his songs are influenced by life struggles and his faith in God. Ben’s music is a pop/rock sound, with heavy piano and rhythmic parts. Through his music, Ben wants to reach out to the lost and give hope to a world in need.

rachael_m_colby_tattoo_it_on_your_heart_contemporary_christian_singer_songwriter_ben-_laine-_interview Tell us about your music journey, Ben.

I started off in church concert scenes. Then in 6th grade I won the talent show. In 7th grade, I got the chance to play at my middle school assembly for veterans, with almost 2000 in attendance. The following year I wrote my song, Would You Do the Same? for that very assembly.

Ever since, I have played at the Apple Harvest Festival in October where the streets of Dover are closed down and thousands come to welcome the autumn season. Other places have included local restaurants and a music festival in Rochester.

I’m not exactly sure what genre I like writing. I really enjoy writing music that touches people- reaches them in a way that other music doesn’t, whether it be about God or just life in general, but mostly God

What instruments do you play?

I play piano, drums, harmonica, guitar, bass and a few others. I also play saxophone in the school band.

What’s your process for creating a song? What comes first- lyrics, or music?

It’s never the same. Sometimes a melody comes to my head, sometimes lyrics, sometimes both.

What are some of your other interests?

I’m in the drama club. I’m playing the part of the beast in this years production of Beauty and the Beast. I run varsity track and cross country. I love summer, anything involving the beach, and any type of outdoor activity, including hiking new Hampshire’s Mountains.

I want to know if you have the goods before I recommend you to my church or my kid. Expand on what you see as problems in today’s culture, the need and the remedy for, “the lost world.” Who is Jesus to you?

Our culture has lost a certain respect for God. I feel as if basic values are also in jeopardy. The Bible says in the end times good will be traded for evil and the other way around.

I feel like love has truly been twisted in today’s society; it barely has any meaning. People use it like it’s just another word; it has lost it worth among many.

Honesty is diminishing. People say the exact opposite of what they believe or do.

Tolerance is also a huge problem as far as the mentality of, “I believe everyone is equal, except for people who don’t agree with my views.”

There are many, many people searching for hope in a world full of war and hate. The only hope you can find is in Jesus. A life in Him is a life full of hope and joy. People are lost because they do not truly know God.

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23 NKJV

Jesus died on the cross so that we can be saved from our sins and set free. All you need to do is give your heart to Him. Jesus is the only way, the remedy for this lost world.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 NKJV

Jesus to me is a merciful savior. God is so incredible and in no other religion did their god come down and give his life for his people. Christ has really shown me recently the incredible mercy He has on His children. He has given me a revelation of the true love He has for us and nothing can ever persuade me to believe otherwise.

“I once was lost but now I’m found, was blind but now I see”

Some will oppose you and challenge why you want to put your music out there. They will say things like:

“He just wants to promote himself and make money. He should keep his music in his local church instead of trying to become a professional musician. He could get caught up in that and lose the Gospel’s primary focus of preaching.” What’s your answer to this?

I want to put my music out there because God has given me a gift and I want to use it for His name and glory.

God has a plan for everyone. As long as I stay close to God and His will, what he has planned for me will come to pass. As of right now, I really feel that music is a large part of that plan.

Where God takes me, is his choice

It is interesting how some who oppose Christians producing and performing music professionally, still listen to their music. It’s also interesting how some believe if you are talented at a particular thing, it’s okay to pursue a career in some fields, but not in others, even if there is nothing morally wrong with that pursuit.

I’m not undermining the potential temptations in a music career, but people succumb to temptations every day in all sorts of traditional careers.

Music is powerful; it is spiritual. The question is, what spirit is behind it. I hear people complaining about a lack of good Christian music. I don’t believe this is true. I think some are just too lazy to spend the time discovering Christian music that appeals to them. Some seem comfortable with, or unaware that they are filling their minds and hearts with music which promotes promiscuity, violence, drugs, hate, discontent, or is just plain drivel. Some say, “I don’t listen to the lyrics; I just listen to the music.” Well, I believe that is even scarier, as then they are absorbing those messages without exercising sound judgement as to what is truth and wholesome in the content. The heart, mind and soul feeds on music. We must be careful what we feed it, as what we listen to influences our mind and alters our hearts.

There is no shortage of musicians using their abilities to evangelize the hearts of many with harmful propaganda, which is why I believe it’s crucial that Christians use their musical abilities not only to worship God, but as a tool to influence by ministering truth.

We need dedicated Christian musicians who hone their craft and keep their relationship with Jesus current; ones who refuse to prostitute the talent God has given them by selling out to the highest bidder, but rather, are willing to pay the price to impact people with hope and an eternal directive, even though it’s easier, more popular and more financially lucrative to appeal to secular interest. By investing our talents in serving God and people, we store up eternal treasure in Heaven.

Sadly, some Christian artists do get caught up in secular allure, yield to the pressure and water down the message. Many put the Gospel on the back burner, or they let celebrity status inflate their ego, even walk away from their faith. How do you plan to avoid the pitfalls of secularism, worldliness?

To avoid these pitfalls I will stay connected, close to church. I will stay connected with followers of Christ who also live clean lives. Reading the Bible and praying everyday will also ensure that Godly Wisdom will help me through these hard times.

Oh, so when someone asks Jesus in their heart, they don’t get an endless flow of happy juice and their life is perfect thereafter?

God does not promise a perfect life when you ask Him into your heart. But he does promise direction and blessing through times of hardship. Ask and you shall receive, knock on the door will be opened. God is the answer and we can always turn to Him.

Who inspires you musically? Any favorite bands/ artists?

Growing up listening to oldies like Hall and Oates has influenced my music to be very drum related and syncopated. Today, musically, I really look up to Matthew West. His lyrics have great meaning and he writes his own songs which really stands out to me.

rachael_m_colby_tattoo_it_on_your_heart_looking_for_inspirarion-001

Who is the greatest influence, inspiration in your life? God is my greatest influence and inspiration when it comes to music and life.

I believe true hope and blessings comes from God. I have seen incredible things done by Him and would like others to experience the same life that I have.

rachael_m_colby_tattoo_it_on_your_heart_two-things_there_is_no_-substitute_for

Ben, I wrote this for my son and another good friend of mine who is a musician. Remember this. Always. I’m praying for you.

UPDATED 5/2022 link to check out Ben’s many new songs since this interview and all he is up to: https://lnk.bio/BenLaine

Processed with VSCO with g3 preset

(Y’all feel free to start sending Ben offers for a recording contract now!)

ben_laine_soundcloud_brighter_day

Part 16: A Fire in My Bones~ A Series of Interviews with Pastors & Wives from Around the World

tattoo_it_on_your_heart_rachael_m_colby_love_and_passion_for_god

Words are eternal. The words of God’s shepherds are precious. I will gather them. -Rachael M Colby

Then I said, “I will not make mention of Him, Nor speak anymore in His name.” But His word was in my heart like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, And I could not. Jeremiah 20:9 NKJV

Thus says the Lord: ‘Stand in the court of the Lord’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the Lord’s house, all the words that I command you to speak to them. Do not diminish a word. Jeremiah 26:2 NKJV

To the Pastors and Pastor’s Wives who participated in this series:

It’s been an amazing journey, a privilege, an honor, a humbling and challenging experience, to host these interviews, to gather your words. Sometimes I shouted, “Hallelujah and amen!” Sometimes I cried; often I repented. Thank you for sharing your hearts, your vision, and your lives with us. Thank you for answering the call to follow Jesus, to serve and shepherd His flock, to be salt and light to the world.

God, as I bring this series to a close with this last set of interviews, I pray you would bless and protect your ministers, their marriages, families and churches. I pray you would refresh them physically and spiritually, provide for their needs. Guide them; give them fresh vision and strategy. Grant them favor in their communities. Increase their faith; may they never go a day without knowing the assurance of your love and presence in their lives.

…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…Hebrews 12:1-2 (NASB)

Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:12-14 (NASB)

Jesus, I pray you would pour out your spirit on Your Church. Grant us your gift of tattoo_it_on_your_heart_rachael_m_colby_cry_out_my_soul repentance; bring healing and deliverance. Open our hearts to your perfect will, that we might choose to sanctify ourselves. God make us miserable in trivial pursuit, and discontent with complacency. Let us abhor compromise and sin and pick up our cross and follow you, Lord. Create in us a clean heart and let our joy be found in You. Give us ears to hear, eyes to see, hands and hearts that serve each other and reach out to the lost. May we become obedient and zealous sons and daughters to the tasks and destiny you have called us to. Give us holy boldness. Draw us to You, set our souls on fire; may we love You and one another as You have commanded. Bring people to salvation, Lord, and revival to our souls, our churches and our countries. In Jesus’ name I pray; amen.

Enlarge the place of your tent; Stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, spare not; Lengthen your cords And strengthen your pegs. Isaiah 54:2 (NASB)

What is your favorite memory of pastoring?

We prayed for a woman who struggled with diabetes for 20 years, after which she didn’t come back to church for nearly a month. We called her house and stopped by many times, but got no answer.

When she finally returned, she testified why she had been absent for so long.

The day after we prayed for her she took her normal insulin dosage and became deathly ill. Her doctor had her admitted to a hospital for testing because he couldn’t figure out the problem.

A specialist was eventually called in, and his discovery baffled everyone. The doctors were amazed because they could not explain how her pancreas had “somehow” rejuvenated itself. She was no longer diabetic! -Pastor, Transformation Ministries

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What is the funniest or craziest memory you have of pastoring?

Pastor’s Wife: A church member and I were hanging out, so she lent my husband her car because we only had one vehicle at the time and my husband needed to travel out of state for a men’s class. He almost missed his exit so he cut across lanes too fast. He got pulled over for “Driving dangerously.”

Pastor: I needed to find the registration and when I reached into the glove box her bra fell out. It was crazy!

Pastor’s Wife: Apparently she had had an MRI the day before, and had to leave her bra off, so she put it in the glove box and forgot it. He called me and said “Tell _____thanks for the surprise.” He was half laughing, half horrified. She was dying!! So funny.

LOL! Did he get a ticket? Or did the cop extend grace in exchange for a good laugh? I’m trying to picture him explaining this to a cop!

Pastor’s Wife: Yeah he’s telling the cop “It’s not my car!” The cop was probably like, “Yeah buddy. Good excuse.” 😂 He didn’t get a ticket.

And then he handed the cop a flyer and invited him to church, right? 😂

Pastor’s Wife: Um, no. I don’t think he acknowledged he was a Christian in that situation. -Anonymous

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Pastor Winslow and Suzanne, how long have you been married?

We have been married 30 years. We have six children and have been pastoring 28 years. -Pastor Greg and Suzanne Winslow, Missionary to Zihuatanejo, Mexico

How did you become a pastor?

We went to Mexico to be a helps ministry to a work already there with Bible studies. We were thrust into it by the need and embraced it a couple years later. I have planted three churches in Mexico and pastored three at once at one point. (The Winslows are currently in transition in the United States for a time, while still overseeing the work in Mexico.)

What have been some unexpected hardships to pastoring?

Hardships in the area of provision. Lack of finances sometimes made it difficult for us as large family, but God always provided.

We didn’t expect the conditions we had to live in. When we first got to Mexico, our daughter Olivia got very sick. It took a long time to figure out what was wrong with her and I, (Suzanne), had to go back to the USA with her for a time. It was a long process of healing.

Our son, Josiah was born with two holes in his heart. At age four we were told he had to be operated on or he would die in a year and a half. But God miraculously provided everything for him to be alive. He is now a pastor in Mexico.

Do you have someone you can talk to for counsel, encouragement, prayer- someone you can be open with?

Very few and very little. We had each other and the Lord. Until towards the end, we had more fellowship, leadership, under a new covering.

Would it have been easier to be missionaries if you had had that covering all along?

I’m sure it would have. But we were formed in a way we wouldn’t have been if we had. I am grateful for both.

What has been the most unexpected benefit to pastoring?

The ability to train my own family and some of them are now coming into the ministry themselves. Knowing that eight or nine preachers are a result of my discipleship.

What are some of your favorite memories of pastoring?

Baptizing my children. Dedicating my grandchild. Baptizing people as new believers who are still serving God. Marrying people who were children raised in church. Seeing kids grow up in church and come to their potential. Marrying my own son and daughter. Visiting works we pastored before and feeling welcomed. Seeing people get saved and grow. The miracles, marriages put back together.

All the good memories revolve around positive fellowship. All the negative ones revolve around the church not getting along.

What encourages you? What are some things your congregation could do to lighten your load?

People making amends, having positive fellowship instead of not getting along. The congregation having stable relationships, loving each other in hard times working out their relationships on their own. -Suzanne Winslow

Show appreciation; we are fighting a fight for your families, your souls. Be available to be trained, even when your pastor says hard things. Suck it up and be formed. -Pastor Greg Winslow

Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something on the wheel. But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make. Jeremiah 18:3 -4 NASB

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What is your biggest challenge pastoring?

I love the reboots, the small and struggling church. I love to use my gifts for the church.

What are your gifts?

Church re-planting, bringing fresh vision and direction, putting up leadership structure and reclaiming the power of the gospel in the community. We’ve always had churches that supported us; the nucleus has always been good even if there was some cancer there,the DNA of the churches we’ve pastored has always been good.

What most encourages you?

The change in people’s lives. -Pastor Bruce and Sarah Hanlon, Forrestdale Church, Sandwich MA

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What do you believe is the biggest threat to the church today?

Tolerance. Christians should be discriminating. They should exercise sound judgment; not no judgment. -Anonymous

There is no difference between the Christian and the world. There needs to be a difference between the world and the Church. -Anonymous

The worldliness in our own hearts. -Pastor James La Belle

And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. Romans 7:18 NLT

Leaders give license. When pastors become tolerant to sin they give license to the behavior for others to continue in that way. The church needs to recognize its distance from God, repent, and take steps toward God. -Pastor Greg Winslow

What do you believe is the biggest threat to the church today?

Cultural relativism,

Biblical illiteracy,

Prayerlessness,

Fat baby syndrome from so little exercise,

Lack of spiritual curiosity,

Gun shy evangelists. -Pastor Bruce Hanlon, Forrestdale Church, Sandwich MA

People don’t tend to pray when they don’t feel threatened. Once Suzanne was surrounded by a bunch of people with machine guns in front of our home in Mexico.The danger there keeps you focused. When things are good and sweet and easy, people tend to become distracted. Some people in the USA spend more time watching football than with God. Education is overrated in US- kids go to college and don’t use their degree. They pursue what life says they should and leave out the God factor. They don’t know God, or the why or what they are here for. People in USA feel they have to pursue a good job so they can accumulate more nice things. Some think they always need to upgrade things instead of getting by with necessities and investing in reaching people with the Gospel. Pastor Greg and Suzanne Winslow

So, materialism and the god of entertainment?

Yes those two, definitely. So, while we are here in the USA, we try to keep ourselves ministry minded and focused. That’s why we have shunned TV.

The false doctrine and worldliness that’s been slowly creeping in. Much of the church is using worldly things like entertainment, programs, etc., to draw people in and keep them interested, but not presenting enough sound biblical doctrine to produce disciples who are uncompromising and strong in the faith. -Pastor, Transformation Ministries

What do you believe is the key to revival?

Revival is something that God has put in my heart from I was a young convert. I’ve always known it’s something God wants to do. I believe when Christians will simply take God at His word and live the Gospel lifestyle, then revival will be attached to that, a momentum you can’t stop. It starts with a few people that take God seriously. -Pastor Chip Ganiear, Victory Chapel CFM, Cape Cod

Forgiveness and Lordship. Lordship means supreme authority. There is none higher than Jesus. Without Lordship, there is no revival. people need to not just pray to God, but actually meet with him, enjoy Him and get direction for their lives from Him.

I believe the answer can be found in 2 Chronicles 7:14. The church (starting with leadership) needs to humble themselves before God, seek Him wholeheartedly, pray, and repent.

We are in a seriously troubled time in our nation, and in the world. I urge you to turn away from all forms of worldliness, repent of any sin in your life, and draw closer to the Lord than you ever have before. -Pastor, Transformation Ministries

If you love people, you will say something if they are going the wrong way. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so. It’s time for the people of God to enter in. This isn’t a pep rally or wishful thinking. I am persuaded of God and by the Holy Spirit that God is doing a new thing. -Pastor Paul Campo, Victory Chapel CFM, Cape Cod MA

If you could tell your church anything about yourself, your family, or anything else what would it be? What’s on your heart?

I suppose I would tell them that I’m human too and struggle with the sins and temptations that all people face, that patience in the face of difficulty will bear better fruit than anxiety, that I protect my family and before a word is spoken against them it has to get through me, that I love the LORD Jesus and He is my rock and salvation, that what you “feel” in your heart might not be what is real in God’s word, that truth conquers lies and light dispels darkness and there is no sin that cannot be overcome by grace. This I would tell them… and so much more. -Pastor Michael Duncan, Author, Speaker, Pastor, Mountain View Baptist Church, Darrington WA

Give God 6 solid and faithful months, 3 services a week and I guarantee your life will be transformed. -Pastor Raul and Stephanie Delcid

I would tell them, whatever they’re going through, God is faithful; trust Him; never doubt Him; wait upon Him. -Pastor James Labelle, Pastor, Author

Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord! Psalms 27:14 (NKJV)

Is there anything else you would like to share that hasn’t been covered?

Serving God is not an option. When you love God, He becomes your number 1 priority. -Stephanie Delcid, Missionary Wife, Cuenca, Ecuador

I would say this: See your pastor for who he is and not for what you imagine him to be. Pray for your pastor, and encourage him along the way. He is just as human as you are, filled with weaknesses and struggles – with hopes and dreams. Make sure he knows that he is not alone and that you are willing to walk with him through the fires of life. Don’t abandon ship because you find your personality at odds with someone else. Grow up a bit and embrace the faith. Shout an “amen” once in awhile! It will do you good and surprise your pastor. And, above all, be true to Christ Jesus who is LORD of all and Savior for all who believe. -Pastor Michael Duncan

…Thank you for the prayers, we appreciate the prayers so much. -Stephanie Delcid

Highlights from Interviews with Pastors & Pastor’s Wives from Around The World 2016 (You may need to pause the video to give yourself more time to read some of these slides)

Songs: Soul on Fire by Third Day & Once and for All by Lauren Daigle

Acknowledgements

Thank you to my faithful friend Renee Williams, for putting up with my tantrums over tech issues and always being there to bounce my ideas off of. Thanks for pulling this video together at the last minute, thus keeping me out of trouble with God.

To Jerry B Jenkins my mentor at jerrysguild.com: You are the reason this blog exists. You are an amazing writer and teacher. Someday I will make you proud. I know- I still have much editing and learning to do. If you read this, you will probably find a million errors and cut my word count in half.

To my fellow guild members within our little group who share their knowledge, hearts and struggles: You inspire and encourage me. Thanks for talking and praying me through this writing journey- sometimes at 3 am as I put this series together. Indeed, we are aptly named- Mom by Day, Writer by Night. Write on, mamas.

To my local writer’s group at Brooks Free Library: Thanks for your encouragement. To our leader, author Jack Sheedy, thanks for putting up with me and pushing me just a little further. That’s why there is a video in this post.

To my family: Thanks for enduring the chaos of the last couple months and hanging in there with me in my delirious state. Thanks for reading and rereading my work, handing out website cards and wearing my t-shirts..

Most of all, thanks to Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith. You never leave me and always carry me through. Thank you for the privilege of being allowed to write for You. You are the love of my life.

Rachael

Founded in 2010, Energize Ministries provides encouragement, refreshment, and recreational opportunities for pastors and ministry leaders and their families. Additionally, they spread awareness among churchgoers about the need to be intentional in supporting, encouraging and praying for their spiritual leaders. Learn more about how to support and encourage your pastor at energizeministries.com

Text the word PASTOR to 74574 for daily/weekly reminders & tips to pray for your pastor.

Part 15: Like a Trumpet~ A Series of Interviews with Pastors & their Wives from Around the World

tattoo_it_on_your_heart_-rachael-_m_colby_asleep_in_the_light When I address a minister by the title “Pastor,” it’s to show my respect for their God given calling. In doing so, I’m also reminded of God’s loving provision and covering for my most valuable asset- my soul. -Rachael M Colby

The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. 1 Timothy 5:17 NASB

Cry loudly, do not hold back; Raise your voice like a trumpet, And declare to My people their transgression And to the house of Jacob their sins. Isaiah 58:1 (NASB)

What is one of your funniest or craziest memories of pastoring?

The guy who wanted to be a living parable. He wanted to testify of what God had delivered him from, squirt ketchup on himself and then be baptized, then say the next thing, squirt ketchup on himself, and be baptized again- for each thing. -Anonymous

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Why did you become a Pastor?

My mother was a Bible Teacher. My two sisters are minister’s wives and Bible teachers. I have been a follower of Jesus since I was born again at 8 years old. I am now 73.

Because I was exceptionally gifted as an artist even as a small child (see detail story on my art website, NicholsFineArt.com), I did not want to be a pastor. I resisted and was determined to be an artist. But during an emotional and very personal encounter with the Lord, he called me to become a pastor. I was in college pursuing my art degree when I was called. I immediately changed course and the Lord has been with me the rest of the journey. I’ve served him as a pastor of a senior retirement chapel, a small country church, a large metropolitan church, and as a seminary professor of theology and Christian philosophy. He also allowed me to enjoy my art gift, which I did as my avocation.

I served as a pastor in five different types of churches in America. Being a pastor is a high and holy calling. I was privileged and completely undeserving of the opportunity. I was privileged to see the hand of God transforming people’s lives in ways that are beyond human explanation or description. I give many other details, examples and stories in my latest book, Healthy Faith: A Strategic Lifestyle to Transform Your Head, Heart and Hands.

Currently, I am giving my full time to writing, doing mission trips, and helping a number of non-profit Christian ministry organizations in the USA and Internationally. -George W. Nichols, Ph.D., (Dr. Bill), Pastor, missions worker, author, artist

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Did you think when you became a Christian you would be pastoring one day?

Not at all! I believed that God wanted me to do something, but I planned on pursuing a ministry in Christian music. Even today I tremble at the idea that I’m a pastor, responsible before God and the church for the care of His flock.

How long have you been a Christian?

I have been a Christian for 30 years. I came to know Christ when I was 19 while serving in the U.S. Air Force. (Thank you for your service, Pastor Duncan.)

How long have you been married?

My wife and I have been married for 23 years. We have three children.

Tell me about when you realized you were called to be a Pastor.

Several events happened in my life that showed me God was calling me to do the work of the ministry. First, God’s word literally saved my life from depression and potential suicide. It was through His word that I found salvation, and I committed myself that day, if God ever wanted to use me to share His word, I would. Then, through the encouragement of a chaplain in the USAF, I discovered that God had called me to preach and teach His word. Finally (though there are many sub-texts to this story), the pastor who baptized me invited me to learn from him the work of being a pastor. I served under him as his associate pastor/disciple. He was my Paul and I his Timothy.

I have been in ministry, preaching and teaching God’s word, for over 25 years and serving as a pastor for the past 19. I have been the senior pastor of two churches, and have served as associate pastor of two others. I have been at my current church, a small rural church in the mountains of Northwest Washington State, for the last 11 years. –Rev. Michael Duncan Author, Speaker, Pastor. Mountain View Baptist Church, Darrington WA

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How long have you been a Christian?

32 years

How long have you been married?

I’m not married. My life is dedicated to serving the Lord Jesus Christ without distraction. I know this isn’t for everyone, and it was something I had to come to terms with, but I know it’s the life the Lord had called me to live.

Did you think when you became a Christian you would be pastoring one day?

No, not in the beginning. In fact I would never have thought of myself as someone who would minister publicly in any capacity. I was never good at talking in front of a group of people, even those I knew well. I was that kid in school who froze with fear whenever he had to stand before his classmates and say something.

But, the Lord has a way of changing us into what we need to be in order to fulfill the things He has planned for us, in spite of what we may see as our own personal phobias and shortcomings.

From the beginning of my walk with the Lord I have always felt compelled to be a servant to others. I have a love for people that runs deeper than most realize and a genuine concern for the spiritual welfare of others.

When visiting a church I had preached at a couple times, the position of assistant Pastor was offered to me in 1991. I had been praying for the Lord to open the door for a greater opportunity to minister and immediately recognized this as the answer to my prayer.

How many Churches have you pastored?

Three altogether. The ministry I’m currently involved with, in an area of N.E. Ohio comprised of both small towns and rural communities, is one we started approximately a year and a half ago.

How do you keep your heart and zeal for God and people in spite of people’s failings and some turning against you?

It’s not easy. Having recently experienced two individuals attempting to create division in the ministry, this particular question is very relevant for me, as the things that occurred are still a bit of an open wound.

I remind myself everyone still struggles from time to time with their fleshly nature, which can at any moment raise it’s ugly head and cause a person to act in a manner contrary to the new nature we have in Christ.

I pray, asking the Lord to work in me anything needed to endure adversity. I trust Him completely, knowing He has called me to what I am doing, which in essence motivates me to keep pressing forward, regardless of opposition or the indifference of others.

It is never advantageous to doubt or question the Lord, but to trust. I don’t allow the actions of a few to influence my reaction to others.

Since the Lord is the primary source of my strength, joy, and peace, the only way others can rob me of those things is if I allow them to. I do not permit others’ failings to influence my ability to rejoice in the Lord. -Pastor, Transformation Ministries

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What do you see as the biggest threat to the church today?

Tolerance—watering down of the gospel and what it means to have a genuine or healthy faith. That’s why I wrote my new book, Healthy Faith. – Dr. Bill Nichols

Unwillingness to embrace sanctification. –Pastor Roger Williams, Victory Chapel CFM, Cape Cod MA

The felt need of churches and pastors to adjust to the culture. -Donna, Pastor’s Wife

Distraction. Statistics show faithful weekly church attendance has dwindled to less than 17 percent. That is probably the greatest indicator of how problematic our generation is. The model for the Church is not what’s happening today. The book of Acts is the model, and they gathered every day, at the risk of their lives, because they felt it was important. Some lost their lives for their assembly, but that’s how dedicated they were.

Today, it’s, “I’ve got to put my kids to bed early. My kids have sports practice..” They don’t come midweek or Sunday nights, so there’s just a religious attendance today, instead of a Biblical pattern. That’s a real threat because if people don’t come to church and hear from God, they’re not going to do a whole lot.

People resisting instead of flowing with what God is doing. People who don’t want sanctification, separation from the world. They want God to bend His will around theirs. -Pastor Paul Campo, Victory Chapel CFM, Cape Cod MA

Social culture. People leaving God to follow one they have created in their own image. –Pastor Bruce Hanlon, Forrestdale Church, Sandwich MA

The greatest threat to the church today is the downgrading of the gospel of Christ. When salvation is about our comfort, our easy life, our enjoyment or our self-interest it is no longer the gospel of Christ. Jesus said that we are to deny self, take up our crosses and follow Him. There is no other road to walk—but the world has encroached and invaded the church with a social gospel, a message that proclaims hope but does not require repentance from sin or renewal in Christ. There are, today, packed out houses of worship that are filled to the rafters with pseudo-Christians who do not have any desire to conform to the message of Christ. -Rev. Michael Duncan

What do you believe is the key to revival?

Being offended can never be an option. -Pastor Greg Winslow

The faithful, weekly preaching of the Word of God. We don’t need to look for extraordinary revivals. In God’s kingdom, the ordinary (weekly preaching) is what’s truly extraordinary.

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17 (NKJV)

The beginning of revival has always been and I think will always be a holy mystery. No human formula automatically produces true Spiritual revival. But some elements that seem to accompany revival include “If my people who are called by my name shall humble themselves, turn ….(II Chronicles 7:14 NKJV) – Dr. Bill Nichols

The easy answer is prayer. But I think then we are adding works to grace. We are saved by grace, not by works. I don’t think revival is something we manufacture. I think it’s first the Holy spirit, then prayer. I think the church needs to make herself ready, but it’s the Holy Spirit that decides to bring revival. -Pastor Bruce Hanlon

God has to do it. Preachers are always ministering relevant issues to our generation, but the people hear with their ears, not with their spirit. God has to turn the switch on with humanity, Unfortunately if you use Biblical pattern, the only thing that causes people to give God undivided attention, is when there is a major disaster, a cataclysmic event. 9/11- when the towers came down, everyone wanted to unite, and they said they would never forget. But now it’s as if it never happened. We forget easily.

Locally, in our church we have limited personnel, everyone is pulling double and triple loads. We need fresh new converts with that vital enthusiasm and zeal. They bring health to the Church and inspire others. -Pastor Paul Campo, Victory Chapel CFM, Cape Cod MA

Communicating revelation to the next generation. Personal hunger for God; being willing to sacrifice whatever is needed. History always zeroes in on a person who got ahold of God. –Pastor Roger Williams

In a word: repentance. In every true revival of the past, the call to the people was a call of repentance from sin and returning to Christ. Only then did the overflowing joy of the Holy Spirit wash through the churches and communities. -Rev. Michael Duncan

How do you feel about Jesus’ return, the rapture?

Live each day like it’s your last. -Stephanie Delcid, Missionary Wife, Cuenca, Ecuador

It’s going to happen! My personal position is Post-Tribulation, but it’s best to be ready at every moment. -Pastor, Transformation Ministries

Imminent. The world disdains the things of God. The world is prime for God to do something or man will destroy himself. -Pastor Roger Williams

Imminent. It’s a lot closer than we think, the stage is already set. -Pastor Greg Winslow, Missionary to Zihuatanejo, Mexico

I’m all for it! Anytime He’s ready to come—and until then, I pray that I may win one more soul to Him. -Rev. Michael Duncan

Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! John 4:35 NKJV

The Bible says Jesus will return and there will be a rapture. Since the Bible says so, I believe it. Interpretations as to how, when, where, and other human elements are a wonderful mystery hidden in the mind of God. Their reality keeps me working and witnessing while there is still time. -Dr. Bill Nichols

I’m torn; there is so much work to be done for unreached groups. I look at the possibilities in new countries and Bible translation, but then I look at American culture and say, “Please come. Can’t come soon enough. Even so come.”

I’m glad it’s not up to me. We just need to focus on who we need to be and the mission in front of us.

Wake up and stir the sleeping Church. A large segment of the Church is asleep. Asleep in the light. -Pastor Bruce Hanlon

Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 1Thessalonians 5:6 NKJV

Asleep in the Light -Keith Green (Live from Estes Park, 1978)

Part 14: I Call Him Pastor

rachael_m_colby_tattoo_it_on_your_heart_what-_if-jesus-_held-_you_to_the_standards

I was a new convert, only saved a few weeks when I walked into his office. I didn’t want to be there, but my life was a mess and I needed counsel. I had come to the Cape to work for the summer, run from my life, get drunk and pursue my modeling career, but somehow, I ended up becoming born again instead.

“Can I sit on the floor?” I said.

“What’s wrong with the couch?” he said in an even tone.

So, I sat on the couch. I felt like he could look right through me. I couldn’t stand him. He suggested I move to the Cape and serve God. I hated Cape Cod, didn’t like most of the people either, and I had friends and family all over the world. Why would I do that? So, I took a detour via Florida and Europe. I called him from Spain. I wanted him to tell me what to do so I wouldn’t be responsible if it didn’t work out. He told me he already counseled me once, I would have to pray about it myself. Nine months after I left, I surprised everyone. “What are you doing in about an hour and a half?” I said to the friend who had brought me to church. “Can you pick me up from the airport?”

“Pray about it.” That’s my Pastor’s mantra. He wants me to have my own relationship with Christ, to learn to hear His voice.

My pastor called me aside at prayer one morning shortly after I started dating my future husband. “Rachael,” he said. “Virtue is in the hands of a woman.” With those words my pastor set the responsibility of purity squarely on my shoulders.

You won’t keep your purity by mere good intentions or good moral convictions, but by being a vigilant soldier, setting deliberate boundaries and guarding them. So, I decided to take the really high road, a different route than before I invited Jesus into my heart. My husband and mine’s first kiss was on our wedding day. And we still managed to figure things out- without the test drive. Really.

Early in my salvation, a visiting minister preached a message entitled, “Despise not God’s anointed.” In the Bible account, David has been chosen by God and anointed to be the future king of Israel, but the ruling king, Saul, is hunting him down to kill him. David had the chance to kill Saul, but instead crept up when Saul was unaware and cut the edge of his robe off. Even though David spared Saul’s life, his conscience bothered him. This is what David said:

So he said to his men, “Far be it from me because of the LORD that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD’S anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, since he is the LORD’S anointed.” 1 Samuel 24:6 NASB

I didn’t answer the altar call because I didn’t want my pastor to see me. The next sermon was on not responding to altar calls. I went to the altar.

I believe if I let God be God and keep my heart right, He will provide for and protect me and bring me to my destiny.

My pastor is not perfect; he’s just a man, as are all preachers. But he’s the man God provided to shepherd my soul. I believe, as we care for those God has set over us, praying for and treating them with respect and appreciation, He empowers them to care for us. So, I have chosen to honor the ordained authority God has been kind enough to place over me.

I’m not speaking of blind following. Pastor worshipers don’t do well in their walk with God, because sooner or later they wake up and realize the god they created has failed them, or offended them and they derail as their reference was on the man and not the God the man represents. Likewise, those who are like a horse who shies from his groomer when his bridle is reached for, refusing to be led, don’t fare well.

I am responsible to know the Bible and be governed by it. If a minister or anyone else deviates from the precepts of the Bible, it’s my job to stay the Gospel course and humbly pray for their redirection or recovery, realizing we are all fallible. Here’s the balance between blind following and being rebellious and unteachable:

Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1 (NASB)

Gossip and slander are bloody weapons that harm the intended and erode the spirit of the attacker. Giving ear to it is as bad as speaking it.

So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! James 3:5 (NASB)

Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm.1 Chronicles 16:22 NASB

The background for my words on my graphic is crime scene tape because some people murder their ministers and others with their mouths and in so doing they tear down God’s prophets, themselves and the Church. Some starve their pastors and families of support, but then expect them to be able to carry all. What if the time spent speaking negatively about pastors and their wives was used to pray for their needs and shortcomings? Instead of magnifying problems, become part of the solution.

There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, But the tongue of the wise brings healing. Proverbs 12:18 (NASB)

The scripture below speaks of Aaron and Hur who supported God’s man, Moses their leader, in his weak and weary time. As a result, everyone was victorious.

As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage. Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset. As a result, Joshua overwhelmed the army of Amalek in battle. Exodus 17:11-13 NLT

Life is too short and eternity is too close to be at odds with those we are called to love.

I believe, when I extend grace to others, it’s there, waiting for me down the road when I need it. If I am gracious to others, God will be gracious to me.

Summer 2014

The warm summer sand and the salty air brought no solace as a friend and I talked about recent events in our lives and those around us. Life as we knew it was imploding and exploding all at once; spiritual debris and the resulting carnage surrounded us. I couldn’t see or hear clearly from all the noise and smoke. My heart ached.

“God.” I said in anguish. “I want no part in this.” I saw myself walking backwards on the beach, away from the direction we were going, as if I was being pulled and everything began to fade. “Jesus, I’m coming to you.” I said. “I hide myself in You. Cover me.” And Jesus was there. His presence fell. It was as if He held me and He began to speak to me and show me things. I didn’t know at the time I was breaking up the soil of my heart, planting seed, or that one day in October I would be called into a field, and my soul would catch on fire in the midst of a storm as I placed myself on the altar again.

Do you know what I’ve found in 29 years of following Jesus? Even when holding to high standards is not popular, or I face persecution, or things don’t go as I wish in spite of standing for what’s right; it’s worth it. A clean conscience and no regrets is priceless.

When God was handing out charisma, my pastor wasn’t there. But he’s steady. His heart is for God and souls; he proclaims the uncompromising message of the Gospel and upholds its standards. My pastor’s eyes are fixed. His goal is to get as many in the boat as possible and safely to the desired haven-Heaven.

Dessert is nice, but it’s not a diet to sustain a healthy life. I expected whipped cream with a cherry on top, but God gave me a Pastor who serves up meat and potatoes. Amen.

Share some words of appreciation for your pastor and he will be listed on the Wall of Honor and entered to win a retreat at the Energize Lodge. http://energizeministries.com/latest-news/pastor-wall-of-honor/

PART: 13~ Restoration Story

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Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Romans 8:35 NKJV

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37- 39 NKJV

Did you think when you became a Christian you would be a pastor’s wife one day?

It did not cross our minds at the time, but it didn’t take long to feel like it was our calling.

Tell me about when you realized you were called to be a pastor’s wife?

Actually, before we got saved I spent some time in a women’s maximum security prison. There I would have dreams of my husband preaching under a big white tent. So when we got saved, it all started to make sense.

What kind of challenges do you face as a pastor’s wife raising Preacher’s Kids?

I think the same challenges as any Christian, except everything they do is magnified. So, raising kids who understand why we do what we do. Always reassuring them that being a servant is worth it.

What is the hardest thing about being a Pastor’s wife?

In our first church, I was always under the critical looking glass. As we pastored our other churches that hasn’t been an issue.

What has been the most unexpected benefit to pastoring?

Being a missionary.

Are you ever lonely?

All the time. The language barrier of difficult for me. My husband is fluent and I am not so I do feel left out. I battle it by being in prayer.

Who inspires you?

My pastor. I don’t have a pastor’s wife, she died of cancer yet he still prays for the sick and believes in the power of healing. That speaks volumes.

Do you ever want to quit?

No, we understand that Jesus warned us of violations and persecutions; it comes with the job.

Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. Proverbs 4:23 NKJV

How do you keep your heart and zeal for people and God, in spite of people’s failings and some turning against you?

We serve God for who He is not what He can do for us. That’s enough.

tattoo_it_on_your_heart_rachael_m_colby_do-_you-remember_when

Can I share a very personal experience?

When we pastored our first church, I was raped by a disciple, a 19 year old boy who we took in under our wing. He was an orphan and struggling teen, a two time offender, but we thought he had changed. It was so traumatizing, it took us out of ministry for two years. I couldn’t understand how something like that could happen. I didn’t trust people and I didn’t want to open my life up. It tested my marriage. It tested my faith.

It took a real miracle to bring me to the point where I realized that we will be violated and persecuted as we serve God, and for me to love Jesus enough to open my heart and trust again.

To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. Isaiah 61:3 NKJV

Just want to say that Jesus is worth serving no matter what tribulations we go through. God has totally restored my heart. I love people and trust again and He is doing amazing things in our ministry now.

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Romans 8:18 (KJV)

What is your favorite thing about being a Pastor/ Pastor’s wife?

Helping people make it into their destiny. –Stephanie Delcid, Missionary Wife, The Potter’s House CFM, Cuenca, Ecuador

Tell Your Heart to Beat Again -Danny Gokey (a story & a song)

Part 12: A Day in the Life ~ A series of Interviews with Pastors & Pastor’s Wives

I have heard people say “The pastor has it so easy; he doesn’t have to go to work. What does he do all day? All he has to do is write a few sermons a week.” So, the following few questions are aimed at setting the record straight. What does a day in your life as a pastor look like?

tattoo_it_your_heart_rachael_m_colby_a_day_in_the_life_of

It’s not routine. I like that it’s it’s different all the time. For example this week I spent 30 hours painting the church. There’s counseling, church council meetings, staff meetings. I do maintenance there’s no full-time janitor here so I do the dump runs.

The apostle Paul said he worked harder than all so as not to be a burden to the church. To be a part of the body is to serve and I should be the first to do this.-Pastor Bruce Hanlon, Forrestdale Baptist Church, Forrestdale MA

There is no way of quantifying the day in any particular structure. It is such a fluid situation. Some days I can take the day and press through my studies without interruption. Most days, however, it never happens so easy. As the pastor of a small church, I am called upon by my congregation for everything from marital counseling to plumbing. It’s not a 40-hour/week situation. Much of my time in the evenings is taken up by meetings, planning sessions, hospital visits, seminars, conferences, emergencies. I teach multiple Bible studies as well as services on Sunday. So a “day-in-the-life” of this pastor is often different every day. For instance, yesterday I spent several hours in the morning with a church member and then returned home to study. Today, I spent my morning studying, counseling, working on this questionnaire, and tonight I will be out of town with another member of my church. I’m usually up by 6:30am to have morning coffee and devotions with my wife before she goes off to work (she’s a school teacher) and I’m finally in bed around 1am. Besides all that, I am also a published author and am working on several other manuscripts. –Pastor Michael Duncan Author, Speaker, Pastor. Mountain View Baptist Church, Darrington WA

I wake up at 4 AM, spend 1-2 hours in private devotions (Bible reading, prayer, meditation). After breakfast and family worship (Bible reading, prayer, singing), I get to the office between 8 and 9 AM. Unless I go out for an appointment, visit, or counseling, I am at my desk working until I leave for home at 4:30. My work involves studying for my weekly sermons and teachings as well as my bi-weekly and monthly teachings; writing sermons, sermon outlines for the congregation, and Sunday School or Bible Study lessons for the people to use as I teach, responding to and sending emails; answering the church phone; calling on people in the church in need of various kinds of ministry; pursuing outreach and evangelism opportunities; and, when I can make the time, working on my writing projects (I’m researching for my 4th book now). Also, by God’s grace, I just completed my doctorate, graduating with a Doctor of Divinity degree in Puritan Studies. -Pastor James Labelle, author, Pastor, Presbyterian Church of Cape Cod

No two days are alike. Besides the obvious personal responsibilities and time set aside for message preparation, personal prayer, etc., there are numerous other things that can arise at any moment.

Some days the phone rings constantly with calls from people requesting advice, counselling, prayer, and on occasion help in an emergency situation.

Then there are many other things will that occur on various days of the month. Involvement in community affairs. Fellowship meetings with other ministers. Home visitations, checking in on people in the hospital, nursing home, etc.. -Pastor, Transformation Ministries

Pastoring is more than preaching. Pastors have to care for people; it’s meeting whatever needs you can: visits, counseling, praying for deliverance, work crews to fix houses. Training people for ministry- my job is to work myself out of a job. -Pastor Greg Winslow, Missionary to Zihuatanejo, Mexico

On average how much time does it take you to put together a sermon, including research, study, etc.?

On average, it takes about 20 – 30 hours a week. –Pastor Michael Duncan

4-5 hours, but it’s never really finished until it’s preached.-Pastor Roger Williams, Victory Chapel CFM, Cape Cod

5-6 hours when I was younger, now it takes days, I go back and proof and add things. The burden of needs and to be an oracle for God is a tremendous responsibility. I need Him to show me needs and speak what He wants me to say. I need a burning ember, the rhema of God. It takes travail for that. -Pastor Paul Campo, Victory Chapel CFM, Cape Cod MA

15-20 hours a week. It’s all interconnected, reading, praying, reading my Bible. I’m always thinking this would be a good sermon, or minister to this person and then I will pray for them right then. – Pastor Bruce Hanlon

The average sermon usually takes me 12-15 hours, initially, to prepare. But when I revisit it on Saturday (since I usually finish it on Tuesday), I will spend another 4-5 hours working and praying through it on Saturday and Sunday morning before preaching it. –Pastor James La Belle

5 minutes – 7 days! – Pastor Greg Winslow

I am answering this question as a pastor’s wife. We have been pastoring for 15 years. He is currently a working pastor because the church cannot afford his salary. I’ve witnessed many times my husband on his knees crying out to God for souls. There have been countless nights that I woken up at three in the morning and my husband is not in bed because he is praying. We have learned as a family to give him quiet time when he is writing sermons usually Tuesdays and Thursday nights. I have seen him searching the computer for illustrations, digging through commentaries, searching the Scriptures as he puts together a sermon. I have seen him spend an average of 3-5 hours on one sermon. Sometimes he’ll leave in the middle of one to go for a walk, or drive or simply to pray. Because we have three church services a week, between preaching, praying, and sermon writing my husband spends a little over 20 hours a week just on sermons alone. Never mind the countless hours of his own Bible reading and praying before God, phone calls, and Counseling sessions.

My father-in-law and brother-in-law granted us a large sum of money to buy a home. Overwhelmed by their generosity, my husband and I asked why are you doing this? To which they replied, “We have seen your sacrifices.” I burst out crying because even when others don’t see our sacrifices, God does, and it’s in those moments that He uses others to let us know. So when someone thinks we’re just sitting around the house all day because all we do is pastor a church,I leave it in God’s hands. –Ruthanne Laine, Pastor’s Wife, Victory chapel, Dover NH

Quite honestly, I don’t think it would be possible to provide an average time. Each message is different. Some fall into place in a matter of hours. Others can take days or weeks to prepare. There have been times I’ve spent 4 or 5 days preparing a message, then the night before the service I’ll reread my notes and realize it’s lacking something. On many occasions I’ve stayed up nearly all night on a Saturday reworking a message for that very reason. -Pastor, Transformation Ministries

As a pastor, it usually took about 40 hours per week of prep time. I had three sermons per week to prepare, plus funeral, wedding, and special event messages. -George W. Nichols, Ph.D., Pastor, missions worker, author, artist

How much time do you spend in personal Bible study, prayer, reading, a day?

I always tried to spend at least 10% of my waking hours in personal study and prayer. Now I spend about about the same, 3 hours per day. -Dr. George W. Nichols, Ph.D.

It often depends on the day. But, on average, it’s about 3-5 hours a day. –Pastor Michael Duncan

3 hrs. -Pastor Roger Williams

About an hour and a half. -Pastor Greg Winslow

Prayer, at least an hour of concentrated time. But also throughout the day I am constantly talking with the Lord or praying in tongues.

Bible study, other than what is required for message preparation also varies. But I do spend at least 2 hours in the Word daily

Then there’s something I started doing a couple years ago that’s been very beneficial. Listening to the Bible on DVD while I’m sleeping. It helps me to enjoy a peaceful night’s rest and wake up feeling spiritually energized. -Pastor, Transformation Ministries

What are some duties you perform for the church on a regular basis that your congregation may not be aware of?

Perhaps the simple things, such as making sure the tables are all set up for fellowship meals or making sure the heat is on in the building go unnoticed. But, what does that matter? I don’t serve to get noticed but to make Jesus known. –Pastor Michael Duncan

Cleaning . nursery duties. Help with books and paying bills. Overseeing things, making sure people have what they need. -Lori Ganiear

It is varied. This week, I need to correspond with a lawyer in terms of setting up structure of how our church functions with planting churches. -Pastor Chip Ganiear, Victory chapel CFM, Cape Cod

Fixing electrical equipment, setting up before concerts, events. Visiting the hospital. –Pastor Roger Williams

Administration duties, prep, cooking for special events. It takes us four days to set everything up so it’s taken care of before we go out of town. everything has to be planned in advance. –Pastor Paul Campo

What are some things your church could do to lighten your load or refresh you and your family, so you can better serve God and them?

My church is so supportive of me and my family. I am grateful to the Lord for their care and love. I think it would help if I had an associate pastor to help with the ministry; and I pray that the Lord will provide him when I’m ready. -Pastor La Belle

Be a part of the church. for example, hospitality teams. I’m not spending hours setting up and cleaning up after an event. Everybody needs to be involved. -Anonymous

What would refresh me is involvement. When the church begins to function as the LORD purposes, there is not load too heavy or burden so great that it cannot be borne by all. I want to see participation – share the love of Christ, attend the services on a regular basis, connect with someone new and tell them the good news of Jesus. I would be most encouraged when I see a member of the church bringing others to faith in Christ. –Pastor Michael Duncan

Be present. Have a willingness to serve, bring new people to church. When everyone works together like an orchestra, we get a lot more done. -Pastor Paul Campo

Help follow up, help outreach. -Pastor Raul and Stephanie Delcid

What is the hardest part of being a pastor?

When people don’t grasp the destiny and potential they can have if they stay serving God. -Pastor Raul and Stephanie Delcid

What is your biggest challenge pastoring?

Getting people to catch the vision. -Pastor Raul and Stephanie Delcid

To get ahold of God and get a vision for this last generation. trying to become all God wants me to be personally. You need to have discipline and inspiration and the hand of God if you are going to make it as a pastor, or are you going to come up empty and reach burn out. You must have a heart for the people and for the ministry because you’re certainly not in it for the money. –Pastor Roger Williams

What kind of challenges do you face raising Preacher’s Kids?

The fish bowl. Your kids are expected to be to be perfect, they are not allowed to fail and succeed. How much is too much and how much is not enough? How much do you force on your children/let them make their own decisions? -Pastor Bruce and Sarah Hanlon

What has been the most unexpected benefit to pastoring?

The depths of extraordinary sorrow and the heights of remarkable joy, these have been unexpected benefits. –Pastor Michael Duncan

Learning from others. Sometimes even the youngest of Christians have spoken such profound wisdom that it makes me wonder why I hadn’t thought about or considered those things before. It’s a blessing being around people whose hearts are aflame with passion for the Lord and His Word. I can’t begin to express the gratitude I feel for how being around God’s people has enriched my life. It’s given me the ability to look beyond my own little world and forced me to consider others in a whole new light.-Pastor, Transformation Ministries

What has been the most unexpected hardship to Pastoring?

Violations from people who we gave everything to and for. -Pastor Raul and Stephanie Delcid

What is your favorite memory of pastoring?

The thing that stands out is when things didn’t work out pioneering a new church.We were moving back to a church I was unfamiliar with to a new state. My brain was short circuiting. I was beside myself with all the upheaval. I remember going down by the river, a spot I’d go to sometimes to pray and just throwing it all out there at God. And somehow God just grabbed the reins of my mind and emotions and showed me He was right there with me. God told me that this was right where I needed to be. “It’s not over, it’s just the next step. I’ve got you covered.” It’s one of these reference points where God just says, “Calm down; I’ve got this.” -Pastor Chip Ganiear

Seeing the people “get it.” My greatest joy is seeing the people meet Jesus in the preaching of His Word. They come to church hungry, and when they get filled by the preaching of the Word, my heart is overjoyed. -Pastor James Labelle

Perhaps my favorite memory (and there are so many) is when a young man came up to me and told me that he was going to speak the truth in court because of what he heard me preach. He trusted the LORD that day and repented of his crimes, and then threw himself into the merciful arms of Jesus—trusting that only by telling the truth would God intervene in his situation. –Pastor Michael Duncan

What is the funniest or craziest encounter, situation you’ve experienced during your ministry that you are free to share?

We were having revival and the Spirit was moving tremendously. People were getting healed instantly and the whole church was abounding with joy and praise. All of a sudden it felt like the floor of the church was floating. Many of the members thought it was a move of the Holy Ghost. I discovered the next day while watching the news, an earth tremor had affected our area the night before. -Pastor, Transformation Ministries

When a man came into my office, set his gun down and told me that he was going to kill every pastor he meets. After talking with him for some time, we prayed together and he, in tearful repentance, walked out of my office and promised to return home and seek the help of Godly men in his community. –Pastor Michael Duncan

Text the word PASTOR to 74574 for daily/weekly reminders & tips to pray for your pastor.

Part 2: Women at Risk, Children at Risk and a Judas—Continuing the Conversation with Reverend Brian Williams and his wife, Ruth, of Agape Missions, Nepal

Brian, where do you currently preach?

What is the craziest situation you’ve experienced during your ministry that you are free to share?

Every Ministry Has a Judas

What is the religious climate in Nepal? What is the Anti-Conversion Law?

*To be continued in Part 3: God, Family, ministry. Which is priority?

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Please welcome Brian and Ruth.

How long have you been married?

How many children do you have? I know some of your children are fostered. Can you tell me a little about them?

Did you think when you got married you would be fostering children?

Please Describe your Ministry.

You have other people living with your family. How many people live in your home?

How did this came to be? Did you and your wife envision your home like it is when you married?

Ruth, how long was your husband away when you moved your family to a different house and brought all these people to live with you?

Did he have any idea you were going to do this or was it a complete surprise when he returned home?

Were you worried about what his response would be?

You have 15 children and several adults living in your home. How do you orchestrate meals and household chores?

Brian, what were your first thoughts when you returned home and found out what Ruth had done?

*To be continued in Part 2: Women at Risk, Children at Risk and a Judas

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Echoes

The Quiet Cafe

House Full of Rescued Kids and Former Prostitutes

The Women’s Center

Listening Prayer and the Armor of God

Mountain Ministry

The Rat Race

It’s a Whole Other World Up There On the Rooftop.

The Cabin Bar

Slum Ministry & Discipleship

UP NEXT: It is my honor to interview and introduce you to Reverend Brian Williams and his wife Ruth of Agape Missions whose ministry Abby and Jacob served under on their mission trip to Nepal.

PART 1: #Disciple Maker~ A #Preacher Wages War, Wins Souls & Saves Children from Prostitution & Poverty in #Nepal “I am an Anglo-Indian… a mixture of the colonizer and the colonized…”

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So Far Today:

11:20am Update

Update 1:00 pm

Last Block:

A Few Weeks Later:

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To the Pastors and Pastor’s Wives who participated in this series:

What is your favorite memory of pastoring?

What is the funniest or craziest memory you have of pastoring?

Pastor Winslow and Suzanne, how long have you been married?

What is your biggest challenge pastoring?

What do you believe is the biggest threat to the church today?

Acknowledgements

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Did you think when you became a Christian you would be a pastor’s wife one day?

Tell me about when you realized you were called to be a pastor’s wife?

What kind of challenges do you face as a pastor’s wife raising Preacher’s Kids?

What is the hardest thing about being a Pastor’s wife?

What has been the most unexpected benefit to pastoring?

Are you ever lonely?

Who inspires you?

Do you ever want to quit?

How do you keep your heart and zeal for people and God, in spite of people’s failings and some turning against you?

What is your favorite thing about being a Pastor/ Pastor’s wife?

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***To be continued in Part 2: *Women at Risk, Children at Risk and a Judas***