October Update

As previously stated, over the past year we have been confronted with the realities of poverty like never before. For some unknown reason, all of these realities as well as a renewed interest and understanding of our responsibility to the poor have collided over the past month. My radar was turned on as a result of listening to a series of messages about how the gospel relates to the poor. The sermons probed my prejudices towards the poor and contrasted Christ’s response to the poor in the Gospels. Next, in the midst of wrestling with the almost daily begging experienced in Jamaica, I read a verse in the Sermon on the Mount for what felt like the first time. Matthew 5:42 jumped off the page as Jesus instructs me to give to those who ask (beg), and don’t hold back from those who want to borrow. Jesus words for me were a far cry from my current practice of giving terse responses to begging, some positive and some negative. The reading of these verses was quickly followed up with several opportunities to meet the needs of the poor around me in ways that really challenged my heart. Thirdly, I was listening to another message that was not directly related to the poor but applied in my context. The sermon was just another “What Would Jesus Do” type sermon but with a little twist that made it feel very real. The question of the sermon was “What if Jesus lived in my house?” If Jesus lived in my house, how would he pursue ministry from my station in life? How would he interact with my neighbors? Where would He put His energies in my world? What would He do with my resources? It was this combination of events that has begun to again shake the dust off of my prejudices towards the poor. Having revisited this topic, I have been drawn back to the gospels for a further look at how Jesus dealt with the poor. Even a cursory look into the Gospels reveals a trend in which Jesus was never far from the poor. I have no other agenda than to share how the Lord has been working in our lives, but I lay that charge to your heart. Jesus offered harsh rebuke to the Pharisee’s in Luke 11:42 as they remain faithful in their tithe while ignoring true Justice and the Love of God. May our hearts continue to break with the things that break Jesus heart.
October ushered us back into our nomadic lifestyles. But, in the midst of our travels, we have been blessed beyond measure with visitors. On October 7th, Keri’s mom came in for a visit. We were able spend a few days with her at Knockpatrick and the boys loved having MeMaw at our house. That next weekend we traveled down to Montego Bay and Keri’s sister and brother-in-law arrived. Daniel and Kasey flew in on Saturday as we began a work team at Montego Bay. We spent the week in Montego Bay working with the team and sharing life with family. We had not seen Daniel and Kasey for one year as they left for their new lives in Switzerland the same day we began our new lives in Jamaica. We were humbled by their visit and relished the sweet fellowship. The next Saturday had Daniel and Kasey leaving, the work team leaving, and another work team coming. Our new team was from Peoria, IL and it was great having a hometown group. We had another wonderful week of fellowship and work. On the Friday of that week, Ted Hirstein and Mike Rassi came in for a weekend visit. They are both on the Apostolic Christian World Relief board that oversees the work in Jamaica. We were blessed with more great fellowship and encouragement from their visit. We spent the weekend back up in Knockpatrick. After their departure on Sunday, we began preparing for the arrival of the Chad Plattner family. On Tuesday, I made a trip down to Montego Bay to pick up Chad and Laura Lee and their 6 children. We began the Plattner adventure at Knockpatrick for the remainder of the week but headed off again to Montego Bay on Friday in anticipation of the arrival of a team on Saturday. While this completes our October, the adventure of travel, fellowship, and ministry continued.
Ultimately, we continue to reiterate the same mantra, “we are blessed and by His grace we are pursuing ways to bless others.” Through the visitors we have had, the work teams, and the millions of unforeseen graces we experience everyday, we remain in awe. In awe that we have been given the blood of Jesus to save us from our sin. In awe that He would use us as His hands and feet. In awe that He has given us life and life more abundant. In recognizing our own poverty of spirit in which we must pursue our relationship with Him, may we see the ways in which He wants us to pursue relationships with our “neighbors.”