The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. Mark 1:22 (NIV)

I remembered his golden brown eyes because they contrasted his mocha brown skin so beautifully. He walked up to me after class and said, “Ms. Tara, do you remember me?”

“Yes, doesn’t your name begin with an ‘R”?

“My name is Roderick. I wanted you to know where I’ve been. I was in your class ‘bout a year ago. I was sent to prison for my past. I only had my Bible and me in my cell. I read it and spent a lot of time with God and people started noticing that I am a changed man. God and me we spent all day together in the GodMod at Douglas. I wanted you to know that God used you in giving me a hunger for His Word. I wanted to say, thank you. Me… now I am a sponge. I used to be a sponge filled with a lot of dirt and mud, but now I been wrung and cleaned up. I’m a clean sponge now.”

His words humbled me. I try hard to not go female on the guys, by letting my tears show. This time was real hard!

This testimony was shared with me two weeks ago at the Open Door Mission. I asked Roderick permission to share it with the prayer team. The LORD’s Word carries authority. It is what made the people realize that Jesus was different than the religious teachers of their day. He spoke from the scriptures personally not from someone else’s experience with the Word of God. I am amazed when the LORD allows me the privilege to see someone that allows His Word to become the authority over their life. Our lesson this week at the ODM focused on this verse and the fact that light has authority over darkness. Roderick gets it. He understands the beauty and wonder of allowing the Word of God to be a light in him to dispel the darkness--sin. There is nothing more powerful than to see a life that is truly changed by Christ.

Our vision at Cultivating Hearts is to make one disciple at a time. I wanted you to see and hear how your prayers make this possible. I know you do not know their faces, but when you pray for Cultivating Hearts ministry you prepare the way for the authority of the Light of the World to be made known through me and anyone else who comes along to participate. Thank you.

This photo is taken by my step dad Paul. It truly is one of those GOD incidents. But it truly captures my heart and how I felt as I worshiped in Pageant these last few months. Serving in Pageant with my daughter Mikayla (she is the blonde angel just over my head) has powerfully blessed me beyond measure. I have met God face to face daily in amazing ways that are hard to put into words. Last night just before our last worship time, as I sat in the baptistery praying and waiting for Mikayla and I to go out and minister over the manger, I saw the shadow of the manger hay on the wall and it looked just like a crown of thorns. My heart was pierced with the thought, Jesus came into this earth with us pricking Him with hay, He walked on this earth with us pricking Him with our judgment, and He left this earth with us pricking Him with a crown of thorns. Yet, He still loves us! ONLY JESUS! ONLY THE SAVIOR! UNTO THE LAMB… GLORY FOREVER! Thank YOU Jesus for YOUR Gift of Life this Christmas Season! It is my prayer that your heart glows with deep embers flaming for JESUS not just today, but every day this YEAR!

I want to respond to my own blog... A few blogs ago I wrote about a phrase, "God has no expectation upon you." My initial reaction was that is impossible of course He does! God has a way of making a question come to light later on as we reflect. Recently, as I reflected on the prayer... "GOD has no expectation upon you." I remembered something. GOD knows everything about me. He can't expect upon me because HE already knows what I will do and be in this life. Likewise, GOD is love! When we truly love someone we do not have expectations upon them. We simply love them! Mind you we might have expectancy, but not expectations. When we have expectations we often are greatly disappointed because expectations place one in a position of meeting anothers standards. This can change from person to person. What one expects is different depending upon life circumstances. But expectancy is a hope for enjoyment, delight... presence. Two sources helped me with this struggle: a novel and a devotional. I read in a devotional by Charles Spurgeon that since GOD is love He cannot be in isolation. WHY? Because love must have two for it to be love. This is what spurred my realization that since GOD is love He does not have expecations upon me. He loves me as I am simply because I am His. That is incredibly special. What a sweetness we have in our Jesus! The novel-- The Shack provides a great dialogue with this exact concept. I really enjoyed how the author tackled this concept. Both of these challenged my thoughts... I love a good thought provoking moment in the LORD!

I love creativity. It truly is no wonder since our GOD is very creative! Just look around you! He truly has a sense of humor that shows up in His creation. Don't believe me just look at the variance of toes. I know this drew a smile on your face. But nothing more blesses me than to see the creativity born of GOD birthed in my children. My daughter came home with a poem that she wrote at school. Her thoughtfulness in considering praise for the Divine stopped me in my tracks. If her words can do this for me how much more so our Father's response to our creativity that honors Him. I know He is truly smiling as He ponders my daughter's poem titled: As Children Praise!

As Children Praise
By Mikayla Rye
October 2008

As children praise,
Hands lifted high,
All knees are bent,
Eyes toward the sky,
The rock sits silent,
Without a sound,
Lest praises stop,
A sound is found!
Said the Son
Of God Most High,
"For if you cease,
The rocks will cry!"

As children praise,
Hands lifted high,
All knees are bent,
Eyes toward the sky,
The rock sits silent,
Completely silent.
We praise Him always,
For every moment!

Consider how your praise can be lifted up with a creative response to the Father.
Amen & Hallelujah!

But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord. Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing." Acts 15:35-36 (NIV)

Good day mates! Yes, we are back from the land down under and we celebrated a joyful time with our blokes (friends)! As I reflect on our missionary journey to Australia, I am reminded of Paul and Barnabas going on their missionary journeys. I realize our time was all about the Word of God! The Father allowed us the privilege to encourage the saints and find ourselves also encouraged. We prayed, we discipled, we ministered grace, and we taught the Word. We received prayer, discipleship, grace and heard incredible praise! One thing is for certain, I have asked GOD to teach me to praise as our brothers and sisters do in Australia. They do a minimum of an hour of prayer, praise and worship before the teaching even begins. Without a doubt, many miraculous things happened, but this trip will remain one that we will have to wait and see the details of all that took place when we are in heaven. The Word was prevalent and grace was evident. Joy manifested itself in expressive ways. The Deep was pursued and He never fails.

Maurine and I had the privilege of visiting Ayudell and Adeola our first full day there. (Their four month old passed a way just before we came.) The Father allowed me the privilege of washing their feet. Sometimes I wonder what people must think of me. It simply came to this… as I prayed for them I asked God what would Jesus do if He were here. I knew my words were useless and it was not the time to share a personal story or even speak the Word. Jesus would cry and touch. I told them so and that I simply wanted to be Jesus to them by touching them in a loving way to let them know Jesus loves them. By God’s grace they both humbly allowed me to wash and massage their feet. AND YOU KNOW I PRAYED OVER THOSE BELOVED SOLES!

Until mid day Saturday, I dealt with a daunting spiritual oppression. It fell on me the minute we arrived in Australia. I do so hate oppression. It is such a frustrating nemesis. I always battle my mind when this happens. The only way I can describe it is like a fog covers my mental capabilities and I cannot think as clearly. I know it is oppression and not digestion because it typically remains for a specified amount of time and is only released as prayer is upped! I confessed to Maurine what I was dealing with mid Saturday morning and she began praying over me and I know this would have been Friday morning for ya’ll and this would have been when ya’ll would have started praying. Thank YOU! Clarity is a good thing when you are teaching and I really want it evident in me when I am teaching.

Someone did pray to recommit their life to Christ. At first I thought it was someone asking for salvation, but after clarification it is someone that walked away from GOD and is now returning. Please pray for this loved one. Also, after the Saturday night service Shally brought Gloria up to me for me to pray. She has a benign tumor on her fallopian tube that is causing her great pain. I always feel so inadequate praying for someone in pain. I am so glad GOD is great and HE alone is healer and sustainer. Anyhow, I prayed with fear and trepidation that I only honor GOD and HIS perfect power. Gloria’s face was so sad and her eyes showed that the pain was intense. On Sunday morning as I saw her walk in, I was amazed by her appearance. She looked lifted so I went to her to ask her how she felt. She leaned in and whispered to me, “I had something happen to me last night. While driving home I felt something and I no longer had pain after.” Her eyes were clear and bright. Praise GOD! She is scheduled to have surgery this week. Please pray that the pain stay gone and that they are able to remove it without destroying her female organs.

The LORD is good in that Pastor IB and Shally both said that they will want me back. This is only to the glory of the LORD! God willing I will go again someday. This trip also solidified for me in my heart that someday I pray GOD will allow me the privilege of going to Africa as well. The Father has given me a great passion for the Latin American Cultures and the African American Cultures. Both make me want to be bolder in reaching them for Jesus. Once again I am reminded of how Paul was assigned to the gentiles while Peter to the Jews. Isn’t GOD wonderful!

Their women were so generous to us in so many ways. Jo Holley, our hostess, fed us every meal and made us tea! Living with her and visiting with my Maurine was truly a girls retreat! The church commissioned a lady in London to make me a traditional dress and headdress that is typical of Africa. Remember, we ministered in a Nigerian Church in Australia. It is a beautiful mint green with detailed embroidered flowers around the nape of the neck! INCREDIBLE! They said it makes me look like a angel! I sure felt blessed!

Shally is a real tease. She can joke and never crack a smile. Well… she knows how on our Russia trip we were required to wear only one skirt and take only three tops. So she told me i in jest, along with Adeola, that I had to wear a skirt and head scarf every time I taught. Ayudell’s face proved they were teasing me. I shared with Jo what happened and she determined to help me get back at Shally. Her dear friend Moreen is the same size as me so we borrowed a traditional African skirt, sash and head piece. I showed up for my first teaching time dressed in this since Shally said I had to wear a skirt and scarf. She did not blink an eye. She simply said, “Go home and change. You cannot wear that!” Needless to say she got me again. But I did not change because she was teasing. I wish you could hear the laughter that roared through the congregation as I told the story that night. It was fun! The funnier thing was I waited about 15 minutes into the lesson to share it and Moreen’s husband had walked in and told his friend Austin, “WOW! Moreen has a dress just like that!” Apparently, his surprise was the greatest.

Now for my sweet blessing... Shally took us to the zoo on Monday as our treat for serving. Their zoo is very similar to ours but one thing is different. They allow many animals free range. For example the kangaroo exhibit is an enclosure that allows you to walk a path that the emu’s, kangaroo’s etc can walk on too! While standing next to the separating bar near their feeding area a kangaroo hopped out and visited a lady. She petted him and he hopped back in. I was so disappointed because I wanted so much to touch the kangaroo. I said in my heart, O God I want to pet a kangaroo. We waited a bit and then a kangaroo stood up looked at us and hopped right up to me. I knelt down and petted his chest. He loved it so much he took my hands and pressed them up to his chest tighter. I scratched more. After a while he tired of me and he pushed my hand away and hopped off. IT WAS INCREDIBLE! I felt like GOD kissed me personally! What a blessing! I touched a kangaroo! How cool is that!

Australia is very much like North America. In fact, the influence of Britain and America are profound. It felt like America, but sounded different. You might say it is America with an accent. I don’t say that to take away their wonderful identity. I say this so you can know best how to pray. They suffer the same cultural pit falls that we do. Of all the places the LORD has allowed me to visit it is the one that I had a hard time remembering I was not in the US. Even with them driving on the wrong side of the road. I came to the conclusion they did this because of the Corealus Affect. This makes their toilets swirl the opposite direction of ours. So if something was a bit different I blamed the Corealus Affect.

Thank you for praying! God heard your prayers and allowed us a great privilege and honor! Thank you dearly! I love you and I praise GOD for you!

This photo is from a garden in front of a house that Chris and Donna took us to deliver food. It is hand dug by the men.

Walking in the Garden
Chapter 6
By: Tara Rye
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Matthew 5:8

There is nothing more enjoyable than walking through a garden with your loved one or with one precious to you. Somehow, their presence enhances the experience. It is the shared joy of celebrating the planting or harvest together. I recently went on a field trip with my son touring Lauritzen’s Gardens. Grant and I both could not wait to take Greg and Mikayla to see the mini replica garden of Omaha made out of twigs and leaves. We think nothing of asking another to come along and celebrate a garden’s beauty, but what if the garden held danger like risky terrain or snakes in the grass? Would we still be willing to invite another to come along? In many respects, a missionary is the one who takes another by the hand to walk them through a particular garden to cultivate what has already been sowed by another or to reap the planting. Often their places of service—their garden is dangerous or risky at best. Missionaries Chris and Donna Mooney of Bethel Ministries International takes about fifteen teams a year by the hand to walk them through the garden in Guatemala. They do not stop at just walking the people through. They hand each person a tool and say, Get to work! Plants don’t grow by just looking at them. It takes love and hard work to cultivate a rich and bountiful harvest! In the summer of 2008, a team from our church had the privilege of being taken by the hand to walk and serve in the garden with the Mooney’s. One afternoon while our team dug out the ground to lay a house, Chris picked up an old fashioned pick and hoe combination and started to give us a sermon while he broke hard chunks of earth. “You know this hoe and pick is a lot like the LORD. He has to break up the hardness in us to make us soft for planting.” I paused in my labor to ponder what he said and without thinking I blurted out our theme verse, Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you. Hosea 10:12 (NIV). Chris turned and looked at me and laughed! I discovered as the days unfolded I was going to love that laugh as we toured the garden with this couple because the LORD reminded me that the purest laughter often comes from great depths of pain. Through the simplicity and purity of their ministry in a land scarcely loved by man our team saw Jesus in Guatemala.

Lately, I am hearing a phrase in various Christian environments and it seems to bother me. I even had someone pray it over me recently. "The Lord has no expectation upon you." What does this mean? How can we say this? As I reflect upon the Word of God, I observe countless commands. Does not a command connate an expectation? How is it that we can tell others that the Lord has no expectation upon them when we are expected to read our Bible, pray, seek fellowship, and serve? No expectations... such a subtle and enticing thought. The implication is rest and less stress. Who does not want these? Yet, James tells us clearly that faith without out works is dead. What good is knowledge if it is not acted upon? Knowledge blesses and equips for action. I am reminded of Jesus saying on a regular basis, "He who has ears let him hear..." Quite simply Jesus says, "Listen!" But this is not a listening to just hear. This type of listening responds. It is a call to action. To say the Lord has no expectation upon us challenges my theology. Does it challenge yours too? Stretch my mind and dialogue with me.

Gardening 101
Chapter One of Heart Garden
By: Tara Rye

“Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God.” Matthew 5:3

With anticipation I waited for the missionaries to show up at our breakfast meeting. I could not believe that I was on my first international mission trip in Foz de Iguazu, Brazil. My mind raced with all kinds of random questions: What are they like? Will they like us? What will they ask us to do this week? How did they become missionaries? What compelled them to leave all to serve Christ so far from home? The elevator opened and the family filled the room with their greetings. Hugs were given as if we were life long family friends returning home. As Donya came to greet me, I giggled inside because she sported a tiny diamond stud on her nostril. Since, I did not feel it appropriate to mention the cute stud I mentioned the next fun thing about her. “I like your necklace. It is cool the way you have it hooked.” Her hands rose to her neck and reminded her of what she wore. “Thanks! I made it!” She then took it off her neck and wrapped it around mine. “I want you to have it! Just promise me you will wear it!” I wonder what she would have done if I said, “I like your diamond stud!”

How little did I know that this first encounter with international missionaries will greatly change my spiritual walk and prayer life forever! It is through their lives that God revealed to me that He intended for me to be a gardener. Not just a local gardener, but international gardener as well. Let me explain, by gardener I mean a person who plants seeds, but not the type of seed that goes into the soil of the earth, but the type of seed that must be planted in a human heart. Hence, a heart gardener! In fact, God calls each of us to be a heart gardener. Scripture is filled with numerous references to sowing, planting, reaping and harvesting. This is proof positive that the Creator wants hearts to be tended just as a gardener tends a physical garden.

David went to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech trembled when he met him, and asked, "Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?" 1 Samuel 21:1

The conversation began simply. I saw her walking along the path as she headed toward the lake, her ten-year-old face deep in thought. The rule at camp is no one is ever to be alone. We must go in twos. I quickly joined her since she belonged to my family group. “What ya doing?”

“I just left the store. Did you know I can buy a Bible for $1.00? They are used Bibles and they sale them for a small donation. I am going to buy myself a Bible.”

“Do you not have a Bible?”

She replied, “Yes, we do at home, but I want one for me now.” Her big brown eyes melted my heart. Immediately, I began to devise a way to get her a Bible before she could buy it herself. Then I felt the familiar tug from the One I love so much. “ASK HER IF SHE HAS EVER ASKED JESUS TO BE HER SAVIOR!” I used to not listen to His voice or even argue when He told me to do this, but not anymore. I honestly do not know when HE made that change happen within me. I simply asked, “Have you ever come to a place in your life where you personally have asked Jesus to be your personal Savior?”

She looked up at me with a thoughtful expression. “No!” She tilted her head pausing to think. “I have asked to be forgiven of specific sins a lot, but I have never asked Jesus to be my Savior.” Honestly, her response stunned me. Obviously, the LORD was moving in her life. I just happened to walk into a moment of HIS calling out simply because of a rule that states no one is allowed to walk alone. “Do you know what a sin is?”

“Yes, it is when I do bad things.”
“Who are they against?” I asked.
“God.” She replied.

At this moment, we entered the lake front area. LORD, this will the test, I am going to sit down at that picnic table. If she is serious, she will remain to continue the conversation. I lifted my leg over the bench and sat down as she quietly joined me at the wooden table. We watched for a moment as one brave soul flew through the air as another blobbed them off the big blob on the lake. I gazed over at her and said, “Each of us will have a time in our lives that we must make a choice. We will either choose to accept the free gift of salvation from God or not.” Earlier as we walked I had picked up a rock off the road. “Do you see this rock?”

“Yes.”

“Well, it is as if GOD is saying to each of us. This rock is my gift to you. You can either accept it or reject it. The rock is His Son Jesus.” I held out my hand to her and she reached out to pick the rock up.

“I want to do that!”

“All you have to do is pray. Just tell Jesus what you just told me.”

We bowed our heads and she prayed on her own. “Jesus, will You be my Savior? Please increase my faith in You. Help me to read my Bible and be a good friend…” She paused for a long moment, obviously not knowing what else to say, so I said, “In Jesus’ Name” and we both said, “Amen!”

Before our leadership meeting I ran into the store and asked about the Bibles. The older women were so excited to join in the celebration of our new sister in the faith. We carefully went through each donated Bible to pick just the right one. I wrote her a note reminding her of the conversation to best of my ability in the front of the Bible. I dated it and signed it. Praying as I wrote asking the Father to speak mightily to her through it. At dinner, I laid it in her lap as she ate. I kissed her on the head and walked away basking in a rule that said, no one must ever be alone!

DRAGON SKETCH
By: Tara Rye

“Mom, will you please teach me how to draw a dragon?”

Obviously, Grant needed some mom time all to himself. “Of course, Grant!”

Grant and I gathered the paper and pencils needed, as we went to the computer to research pencil sketches of dragons. It did not take us long to find the perfect image for us to draw.

“Okay Grant, the first thing we will do is lightly sketch out the shape of his face using simple circles and squares. It is important we focus in on the proportions of the shapes. This will keep the image realistic.”

Grant lifted his pencil and began to draw the head and jaw line. Slowly, we patterned out where the eye, teeth and even long horns flowing from his head loosely on the paper. The sketch took form and the idea of a dragon began to take shape.

“You know Grant drawing is something that takes time. If you want a picture to be beautiful, you must fill in details. This requires patience.”

Grant nodded his little head as his brow furrowed with deep concentration as he penciled in the dragon scales. After an hour of drawing, I suggest we take a break and work on it later. We walk away from our dragons and focus on other things. It did not take long before the call to visit his dragon tugged on Grant’s heart. “Mom, do you think we should…” His little pause told me he did not want to me to say no and he hoped that I wanted to do what he wanted to do. “Sure, let’s go draw.”

“Grant, since the details will make the dragon come alive I will now show you how to make the scales look like the light is shining on them. We will darken in the far left edges with a scratchy dark line. As we move to the far right in the scale, we will lighten our touch on our pencil to create a reflection effect.”

Grant’s tongue pressed against his lips as he slowly filled in each scale. “I only have twenty-eight more scales to fill in.” After coloring in nearly a hundred scales, what is twenty-eight more? With each scales completion the dragon began to move on the page. With only the flowing horns left to fill in, Grant’s anticipation was palatable. “Mom, how do I make the horns?”

“This is the same as the scales, but you will shade from the bottom to the top. Once you have the shadow effect then add a small curved line along the base. This will give it a rounded feel to it.”

“You know mom, when we started this I thought the first sketch of my dragon was ugly. It was only lines and it didn’t look right. But now that the details are added I love my dragon. He is beautiful.”

“Grant, you are so right. This reminds me of our relationship with God. When we first ask Jesus to be our Savior we can only see the simple sketch of what our life is to look like in Christ. But the more we study God’s Word and allow Him to show us the details of how we are to live our lives we discover that our lives in Christ are more beautiful than we can ever imagine.”

I am wondering. Where in your life do you have a simple sketch, yet you desire to see the live image of what is to come? Ask the Father to fill in the details for you so that you can see the beauty of His plan. The details He will add are immeasurably more than you can imagine!


42 This image of planting a dead seed and raising a live plant is a mere sketch at best, but perhaps it will help in approaching the mystery of the resurrection body—but only if you keep in mind that when we're raised, we're raised for good, alive forever! 43 The corpse that's planted is no beauty, but when it's raised, it's glorious. Put in the ground weak, it comes up powerful. 1 Corinthians 15:42-43/The Message

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

"He has shown strength with His arm." Luke 1:51a

Mikayla, Grant and I went to serve their school Omaha Christian Academy the other day. We are moving into a new school facility in October so there are ample opportunities to find a local mission project for the kids. We have been so busy this summer that this is our first time to go. We were allowed the privilege of sanding two door frames and then washing 37! Every once in a while one of them said, "Mom I can't reach a spot can you get it for me?" I did not think anything of it. Immediately I moved to the spot they needed reached and took care of it.

As we continued working, I started to pray in my heart to God. Ever so sweetly I heard in my heart, "Tara do you see how lovingly you are willing to stretch your arm out to Mikayla and Grant in their time of need?" I said, "Yes, LORD! It is no problem for me." "Tara, I too show my strong arm to my children in their time of need!"

I paused for a moment and basked in the wonder of our Father. There is nothing out of our reach that His arm cannot reach! There is nothing that is too hard for His strength! He is ready and available to show His strong arm in our behalf. Do we pause and ask? How long do we try to work through it on our own? How long do we strive and strain when it is simply solved with a request for help?

O Father, forgive us for not asking sooner! Forgive us for sometimes not asking at all. I am always amazed at how you meet me in the simplist of places. I love you Father! Help me to seek You first in all things. In Jesus' Name, AMEN!

Is there something out of your reach today? Why don't you ask the Father to stretch out His strong arm in Your behalf.

This morning as I sat through the worship service in church my heart and mind saw Jesus in Guatemala. Scenes from our mission trip rolled as a movie scene across my mind. One day Molly said that the music playing in the background made her feel like she was in a movie scene. In my mind I replayed the movie on my personal DVR. This reminded me of the verse in Malachi 3:16 that says, "Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another , and the LORD listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who meditate on His name."

I read this verse in the airport in Guatemala as we waited for our plane to leave. We spent nine days together talking of the LORD, praising the LORD, serving the LORD, and submitting to one another for the LORD's sake. He watched us and listened. He heard all we said and did. He will not forget. He has written His own book of remembrance because we meditated on Him. What a sweet God we have!

As we communicate and gather we remember. Remembrance is so valuable. It is crucial. We must not forget! In the days and weeks to come, we need to remember the GLORY of the LORD and how we met Him in Guatemala.

I read this verse yesterday morning and thought this is Chris, Donna, and Dick. "A bruised reed He will not break and smoking flax He will not quench..."Matthew 12:20 The Father allowed us to learn how to love through acts of service in such a way that Jesus was the center.

Father, we ask YOU now to reveal to us how we can go and serve in love sacrificially and through prayer. Encourage us to motivate one another in love and acts of service that demonstrate that YOU first loved us. We saw this in Chris, Donna, Benny, Cindy, Saul, Hannah, and Dick. We can only pray that others will see this in us here as well.

Help us to never forget. As YOU read YOUR scroll of remembrance help us to read ours too! Let us be Jesus in such a way that when we see someone with smoldering hope that we seek to ignite them in the fullness of Your All Consuming fire! In Jesus' Name, AMEN!

I love you all so much! Thank YOU Father such a rich experience!

What did I learn from Guatemala? As I ponder our mission trip and all the Father accomplished, I realize this trip taught me in a greater way the value of missions to the team. While in Russia on a mission trip, God revealed to me that every mission trip has three separate ministries occuring. Obviously, the people you go to minister to, but while there I realized the team needed and received ministry as well. I also recognized that those left behind lived vicariously through the team. I have known this, but the Father used Guatemala to help me live this.

I don't even know if I know how to put this in words in such a way that anyone will understand except the team. We had such a sweetness about us that our time together brought laughter, tears, prayers, healing, encouragement, hope, restoration, relaxation, sweat, and yes... even silliness.

As I sat with the team around me all I could think about was how to make this their best mission trip. How can I bless them? How can I minister to their souls? How can I be Jesus to them? I know I am not the only one that thought this way. Listening and hearing each day how Jesus met them face to face and watching them experience the reality of Christ as alive and real became my hearts desire. My sweet Greg always challenges me and our kids to ask good questions. If you know me well, I can talk all about me. I have to consciously make myself ask questions of others and stop my mouth from talking. My two favorite questions I love to ask all the time and drive my kids nuts with are "What is your favorite thing that happened today?" What is the hardest thing that happened to you today?" Or "What did you like most or dislike most?"

One night at dinner I began asking this of our team. WOW! Such honesty is not always easy, especially when it is you answering. I can still see Molly bend over and try to pass on the question to another, but finally opening up and jokingly say, "I don't like questions!" Then sharing her heart. I can see Carley's eyebrows raise as she smiled to tell us how much it meant to her to play soccer with the kids and have Pastor Juanito say to her "FOOTBALL!" Which is soccer in Guatemalan.

We saw some tough stuff! Even the dogs were depressed in Guatemala, but this did not keep the people from being loving, gracious and kind. Learning how to express ourselves and share our hearts each night became very precious. What typically might have ended in a few minutes each night turned into hours.

Rhonda... our resident planner. Set up a night for all the ladies to gather and do facials and foot massages! At one point many of us had green face masks on while Pastor Jim came by to check on Molly. Our giggles sealed us as sisters.

The night of footwashing with the women and men has become a great memory for me and I have heard several say it is their favorite night. But for me my favorite night came when Pastor Jim led us in the LORD's supper. The room we were in was so dimly light that Chris held a candle over the Bible as Pastor Jim read it. Pastor Jim asked Chris to pray for us as the closing prayer and when he looked up he said, "I want to go around and pray for each person." Blessing upon blessing!

Jim and Chris went from person to person laying their hands on their heads as Chris prayed. In our time together, we(meaning the women)were able to share intimate things privately that no one knew. We sat in awe as Chris not knowing these truths prayed exactly what needed to be prayed into each persons life. I wish I could remember the details of each prayer. I cannot. However, I do remember that there was a theme to each persons prayer. For example: Tiffany was called to remain in the light. Mikayla had goodness prayed over her and through her.

As for me... I am still pondering what was prayed. Only a few select people in my life know the deep call I feel. Chris nailed it on the head. I never spoke to him of this. It scared me! It affirmed me! It touched me. As he prayed, I was so focused on the prayer that I did not think, but once he walked away I wanted to weep. How is it that HOLY GOD allows us to serve HIM? He trusts us with so much! He trusts us enough to allow us to go on the mission field daily. We do not know have to leave the country or travel far. HE TRUSTS US RIGHT WHERE WE ARE AT! Each of us have been given a trust. How are we responding?

It was obvious that each of us were greatly impacted by the prayers prayed over us. Courtney... a very rare quiet lady in the LORD. Held a look upon her face that said, "The deep has called out the deep." Chris affirmed her in the call to be a missionary by saying, "Don't be surprised if you become a missionary." She leaves in September to go to China to study medicine. She is praying about full time mission work. Please pray the LORD's presence upon her and protection.

As our stories unfold and we face reality at home, it is my prayer the LORD will help us with the transition back. It is hard. It is so hard! Once you have experienced the divine service full throttle facing reality and the mundane at home can seem so unattractive, distracting, a nuisance or even routine. I have prayed a guard upon our team. Because we are called both near and far. Father, may our lives never be the same. Allow the right change to take place to put us in further service for YOUR Kingdom to each other right were we are! Let us be the VERB in the moment since YOU ARE I AM ALWAYS!

I will miss our evening gatherings of sharing and caring! It blessed me beyond compare! Somehow, we always moved to prayer. Beloved, missions is everywhere! How will you serve today? Have you asked Jesus to see HIM? If not, do so! His face is everywhere! Even right where you are! In Him, Tara

Flip this house! In this moment in Guatemala we met Jesus through physical strength!

Chris looked over his shoulder as we drove through incredibly bumpy mountain roads beaten by the rains and said, "Today, we will lift an 800 pound house!" HUH? Yep! You heard me! Grandma's house fills with water every time it rains. It also faces the wrong direction. The first time Chris and Dick went to tell Grandma that they were building her house she actually blew them off. She was tired of people promising her things and never following through. It was the first time they saw Grandma not be her sweet self. I wish you could have seen her face when we finished her house! WOW!

Before our arrival they built a two foot concrete wall with cinder blocks. Our task was to lift the 800 pound house and turn it facing the opposite direction while sitting it perfectly on the blocks. I remember thinking how will we get 20 people to do this in unison. DUH! ONLY GOD!

Now, I am very smart! I knew I wanted to be next a very strong man so I made sure I was close to Pastor Jim this way I can help his strength! :) Okay, so now you know the real me! One... two... three... we lift and turn and sit it perfectly on the blocks. We screamed and shouted VICTORY! Grandma stood there with tears in her eyes. It WAS INCREDIBLE! POWERFUL! AWESOME!

Our men set about creating the concrete floor while we painted her children's home down the long muddy road. In which Pat, Dick and the children had a snake that was grey cross their path while walking between the houses. YES, it was poisonous! EICK!

When Dick drove back and forth between the two houses many of our people climbed on his bumper and side running boards while they held onto the roof luggage rack! Dick loved to gun the vehicle through the mud. Squeals of delight burst through the village.

It was on this day that we drove to another town to take me to the doctor. We thought we were going to town in order for me to get treatment, but GOD had another plan! On the way there I asked the Father, to please open and close doors as HE saw fit and that if I was not to be treated in Guatemala then shut the door. I asked HIM for a divine appointment because I did not want to be away for the group. I have this selfishness in me that wants to be a part of the excitement and going to the doctor did not fit into this as far as I was concerned.

Dick loaded the car up with children: Ronnie (who is in a wheelchair), his younger brother (never caught his name), Jessica, Kimberly, and Clara. Pat and I sat in the back with the girls and Dick sat in the front with the boys while the little guy drove the car for Dick! We had so much fun! I fell in the love with the girls. They were so tiny. If I remember correctly Jessica is 12. The same age as Mikayla, yet size wise she looked to be only 6 or 7 in American size. I kept saying all week THE GIANTS ARE IN THE LAND! We are enourmous compared to the Mayan people and the Guatemalans.

Guess what... the clinic was closed. We could not reach them by phone either. Okay... so we went to the pharmacy. The were four in a row. Dick chose the fourth one for me to visit. Honestly, my being there was not incidental. We were there for Pat. See, Pat is praying about full time ministry in Guatemala. The owner of the pharmacy asked to pray for Pat. She prayed asking the Father to bring Pat back to Guatemala and rebuked the evil one from getting in her way. This lady knew nothing of Pat, yet she prayed exactly what Pat needed to hear. Her prayer was such a powerful encouragement for Pat, Dick and me. WOW!

As we left the pharmacy with meds for me and holy meds for Pat, Jessica grabbed Pat's hand and said, COME! As she pulled Pat down the street, there before Dick stood a young 20 something man with a blanket tied around his head in a knot to create sling that he carried his mother in on his back. Can you imagine? He walked around town with his mother riding on his back in a homemade sling. My mind keeps revisiting this scene. Talk about a sacrifice of love and even if it is not down in love... think of the physical burden of carrying someone on your back using your neck muscles and forehead to bear the weight. Her legs were crippled. Goose bumps are riding up and down me as I reflect on this memory. Humbled by his devotion and love for his mother I stood amazed. They had a small dish in the their hands seeking out hand outs to survive. Dick told them he wanted to help them with getting her a wheel chair. This is part of the Bethel Ministry International ministry. They provide wheel chairs for those that cannot afford it. http://www.bethelministriesinternational.com/

He kept telling Dick, "No money" I think Dick had to say it was free at least three maybe four times. It finally registered on his face that it was free. This is when I remember him sitting his mother down. Either the weight of her body too much to bear for so long or the shock of the burden finally being lifted forever too much to ponder. I do not know which it was, but I can only imagine the sense of mental and physical relief he felt.

Then Pat knelt over and shared the love of Jesus Christ with them. I stood there watching two amazing people use their gifts to the fullest measure through Dick and Pat. I knew Pat belonged in Guatemala. She has a compassion and understanding that is needed to make the LORD's name great. Dick has a compassion but does not have the language. Pat interpreted for him and I stood there in awe of GOD! WOW! There is nothing like watching a child of GOD bless HIS name with their acts of service. Humbled I thanked the LORD for my infection and the blessing that I was able to go and be there with them at this particular moment.

We went and bought Pepsi's for the kids. WOW! The boys guzzled theirs gone in a moment and no one burped! How is that? Where as the girls took tiny sips and saved it with guarded anticipation for further sips. Clara looked at me and used sign language to pat her pop as if it was precious. We take for granted the simple pleasure of a drink! One of the girls when we arrived at home shared her pop with one of her littler brothers... he guzzled it! She took a simple sip and then shared it. This is very rare for them to ride in a car or drink a pop. O GOD forgive us for how we take so much for granted! Forgive us!

Please pray for Grandma. She has stomach cancer. Rhonda prayed for her healing! Tears flowed generously as Rhonda's prayer lifted to heaven. Her cancer is most likely do to drinking impure water. Grandma deals daily with free flowing bowls. Please forgive me for the bluntness, but you must understand. Even going potty is something we take for granted in America. I could tell you all our potty stories, but I won't! Let's just say this... we are blessed!

Saturday, July 5th proved to be the day that Jesus made it very clear to our team we need to develop an attitude of gratitude. It was by far the hardest day with the weather because the heat was unbearable! Carley is who stepped up to the leadership role on painting the house. When all were exhausted and ready to quite, she encouraged the group to see how far we could make the paint go and we did. We were able to even paint the back of the house one coat. This was huge! We did not think we had enough paint. But GOD stretched it and HE used Carley to stretch us! Way to GO!

The Joy of the LORD is my strength and HE washes feet too! More from Guatemala. Jesus came in strength, not physical strength, but spiritual strength.

JOY! Choose joy! What most will not know as they read this blog is that Rhonda on our team was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer two weeks before our trip. The doctors gave her freedom to go and she is scheduled for a lumpectomy on July 30. I must share how Jesus met me through Rhonda. Well... actually I think everyone who met Rhonda or is near Rhonda meets Jesus regularly.

What is joy? I believe it is joining Jesus in our heart even when we do not understand or like what we know, see, or experience. This is not self denial or stuffing of thoughts or feelings, but realizing that the only way you can get through the circumstances is to release to HIM and then let go. Rhonda is my hero! She lived JOY for us in Guatemala! I want to take the time to share true JOY through RHONDA!

Two words describe my fun memories of Rhonda... YES and I SAID FUN! Because with Rhonda everything is fun! My two words are tears and singing. Well, maybe I have more than two how about dancing? Yeah, I will start with dancing. As we were buidling the house for Juana and her family music on the radio played with an upbeat Latin American tune. Rhonda could not contain the joy within her and grabbed Mikayla's hand and started dancing on the concrete floor we built two days earlier. I decided to join in and grabbed the daughters hand to dance with her while Gina grabbed another to dance. Our dear missionary Chris informed us that dancing is perceived as a sin. OOOPS! We were uhm-- shocked! It is hard to contain JOY that bubbles out of someone. I told Rhonda not to worry. He did not say anything when she danced! It was when I got out there! So Rhonda danced in the spirit I must have danced in the flesh! Please laugh out loud! No harm was made! The family was laughing too! Such is the life of a missionary... learning what is acceptable and not!

I do not know how many mornings we awoke to love notes posted on our doors from Rhonda. A scripture here, a word of encouragement there! It was exciting to see what she might do to make someone else feel special. Mikayla awoke with balloons all over her door on her birthday. What Mikayla does not know is that this was the second morning balloons were placed on her door. Rhonda did it twice because she did it one day early. On the morning we were to leave, Mikayla and Tiffany followed in the footsteps of Rhonda. They stayed up late the night before and wrote a sweet note with a scripture for each team member. Proof positive that who you hang out with impacts how you behave. We all need to choose Rhonda's to hang out with so we can be more like them. One thing is for certain, I am humbled my daughter spent significant time with the entire team!

One night Rhonda set up a night of feet washing so we might bless one another. She invited everyone back to her and Steve's room. Yes, we crammed 18 people into their hotel room. She brought the supplies for us to scrub, wash and lotion feet. We set up two chairs and began with the daughters washing their daddies feet. Without anyone speaking different people gathered others and before we knew it all feet in the room were washed. Both the young and old. As the feet were washed we read the Bible. People chose favorite verses and we read and prayed allowed. Sweetness fell on the room as well as pure joy. The HOLY SPIRIT filled us up and Jesus smiled as we read HIS word and ministered to each others very tired feet. On this particular day we worked in very exhausting heat to paint a house, lay another concrete foundation and we did something incredible, but I will tell you those two stories in the next blog! Anyhow, everyone needed a little TLC for their weary feet and minds. Blessed indeed! Why? Rhonda chose to minister to others instead of focusing on her self. She chose JOY!

As the evening ended, we gathered Rhonda, Steve and Carley in a circle and we prayed. O my... the prayers prayed while we were in Guatemala. Well... when we get to heaven you will need to go and watch the DVD! The power of prayer is amazing. Imparticular Chris' prayers blessed our team. It seems we were trying to find ways to get him to pray! As Robbie says, It does not matter that I do not understand him when he prays in spanish I am blessed. As he prayed over Rhonda I experienced something I never experienced before. I will confess something. I scratched behind my ear on the first day and it became terribly infected... no grossly infected. EICK! Such is the life of serving with dirty fingers! WASH YOUR HANDS! It was bad enough we tried to go to a doctor on Saturday to have it lanced. He was gone so a pharmacist made ugly faces at my wound and sold us some meds! Anyhow, while Chris prayed over Rhonda I felt three sharp pains in my wound. IT was extremly painful and hard to turn my head because of the infection, but after he prayed it stopped. Gina and I went to our room and I showed her my wound. It broke open! A holy lancing occured. THe next morning all pain was gone. The wound was still there, but the infection was releasing. Because of Rhonda the LORD allowed me to experience a second hand healing. Don't think I am crazy, Gina, my roomie will testify how nasty it was and then changed. We await with great expectations in how the LORD will accomplish HIS healing in Rhonda.

On our last day as we drove home from the lake Rhonda, Cindy, Molly and I sang the whole two hours back. Poor Deb in the back, we kept her from sleeping! Robbie chilled out with her head phones and Jim and Chris were in the front joining in periodically. Chris gets easily drastracted and takes his hands off the wheels while driving. All of us fell in love with his crazy antitics. As I think of the Joy of the LORD is my strength, I see Rhonda lifting her right foot up in the van to the Hokey Pokey or wiggling her shoulders to the beat of another song. Praise continously poured out of her lips.

I started calling her my wonder and awe girl. She is so filled with the wonder and awe of GOD that I am blessed to just be near her. Jesus came to me through Rhonda with silent tears as we prayed, joyful singing all through out the day, and continously saying, "I AM SO BLESSED!" Rhonda... we are the blessed ones! We were allowed the privilege to reap the blessing of JESUS upon you!





Help me Rhonda, Help help me Rhonda!... Help me Rhonda yeah... get joy in my heart!

Jesus digs in Guatemala...

As we drive through the incredibly lush mountain side I am astounded at the hard work that surrounds our view. Es una vista muy bonita... it is a pretty view. The mountains are covered with a patch work quilt of crops. Some precariously posed on steep slopes. How might a man, woman, or yes even child stand to work the land? How do they do get water to it? How do they get their crops back up and then down? Hard work! The Guatemalan people we met may be poor financially in our American eyes, but they are rich in industry and work ethics.

Our team as well encompassed people that are industrious with incredible work ethics. In fact, astoundingly so. In order for us to build the house we first had to lay the concrete. This became almost like a work dance. Yes... I definately would call laying concrete a dance. It must be perfectly timed and pursued with passion. Chris and his son-in-law Saul showed us how to do the dance. I must confess I stayed away from the mixing. Not because the fear of getting dirty, but because I feared I might mess up such a precious commodity by mixing it wrong! We had to make sure no dirt got within the mixture. This is a little difficult since we are mixing it on top of dirt.

The first step of the dance began with sand thrown with in the frame of the home. Shovel full after shovel full. As our team shoveled the pile grew. The next thing we know Saul, small in stature compared to us Americans because of his Guatemalan descent, put us all to shame. I believe he shoveled about 5 scoops to our one. With power and swiftness he filled the spot fast. The second step required the concrete on top of the sand. More shoveling. ALOT of turn taking. One thing is for certain we are proud of our men! WOW! They were incredible and tireless. There is nothing more respectful than watching men work hard and seeing the joy for the fruit of their labors. Mind you we women did our part too. Some shoveled. Deb, Carley and Tiffany got in when they began to form a volcanoe and helped form a perfect volcanoe for mixing. Over and over the team shoveled sand, concrete, rock, and water to form volcanoes to mix the supplies to form the exact consistency to make concrete. As each time the volcanoe form took shape Rhonda and Robbie would throw water into the volcanoe hole. Then everyone with shovels mixed it up. This was done many times over and over. We were the concrete mixers! At one point they needed more rock. Gina and I picked up the shovels as they counted 48 scoops of rock! Scoop throw! Scoop throw! It was so much fun having them cheers us on. Words of encouragement flowed freely amongst us.

As I think on these moments, I realize the value of the ant. We teased several about being an ant. They never stopped. All of our men definately fit into that category and so did Courtney and Carley! I saw Jesus dig sand, concrete, and rock as our team formed volcanoes! I know Jesus digs that HIS children dug for HIM! I dig HIM, don't you? This is why our team traveled so far to dig in dirt. We know that Jesus digs it when His children serve Him through serving others! Even while digging in sand, concrete, rock and water to build a firm foundation for a simple home about 15x9 in square feet.

July 4, 2008

I think I have messed up on my days on this blog site... one thing is for certain while on a mission trip time and dates are of no importance.

Happy Fourth... truly the fourth. We finished the house we started today. Wow! Jesus the carpenter has soar shoulders tonight. Jim, Chris, Rick, Steve, and Saul worked non stop until 2:30 without a break to eat or anything. All the girls helped, but we did not work as they did.

The mother of the home greeted us with an embroidery she made for each of us. YES, for two days straight she sewed to create for each family a banner that she personally hand quilted. Jesus sewed.


At one point, Mikayla became very sick to her stomach and I needed to take her to the van to lay down. I must confess... I sat there for a brief moment in complete selfishness. I do not want to sit in the van while every one else enjoys the mission trip serving. AS if serving my daughter is not a mission trip. Quickly I realized my littleness and confessed. I then took out a piece of paper and began to pray. As i prayed for Mikaylas healing, the team building, and then for the salvation of the community a little boy came to the window asking for a dulce. I told him, solamente uno... only one. I went back to praying then a little girl came to the window. Una dulce. Solamente uno. After she left I decided that the next child must receive a witness before any candy goes out the window. In pops the little guy from early looking with sad little doe eyes as if I robbed him by only giving him one. I talked with him the best I could with my broken preschooler spanish. I asked him if I might read to him about JEsus and he said yes. GOD allowed this selfish person to sit in a bus while her daughter slept to read a spanish tract to a twelve year boy. He listened and did not leave even when his friends made fun of him through through the other window. Suddenly, a cloud burst over us and rain fell hard. He said, Adios as he reached for the tract. He did not leave until I finished reading how to receive Christ as Savior. JEsus met me in my selfishness. HOW can I be so blessed!

We now sit in a dining hall in Santa Lucia waiting to paint tomorrow. AS we arrived tonight we saw a luscious pool resting under palm trees. Tempting indeed. We put our feet in as we waited two hours for our clothes to arrive grieving no bathing suits. I sent Ben to ask if we might swim in our clothes and they said yes. I was the first to dive in. YES... I did. Soon Courtney and Jim joined me. YES... JEsus even swims!

July 4, 2008 from Guatemala,

I must share a few JEsus moments that happened on July 2, but I did not put them down. THere were so many that I saved a few for another blog because they deserved special attention.

Did you know JEsus plays soccer? Well... He did in Guatemala. Carley and Steve gathered children in the village and pulled us all into a game of soccer. We had so much fun and so did they. Many came out just to watch us play.


We visited a widow of six months with four preschool children... one only 3 months old. Her husband was hit by a car on the way to work early one morning leaving her to struggle in providing for her family. Her face broken and sad welcomed us to her home. Dick told us of her toddler daughter and how she screamed whenever a gringo came to their home in the past, but now she welcomes them. At one point I caught a glimpse of Pastor Jim carrying this little tyke. Her dirty little face rested only inches from his and the sweetness of her cherubim like cheeks proved too much. I saw Jesus kiss her sweetly twice and hold her with gentle care loving on her as a daddy. AS we left he slowly put her down... not wanting to leave.