God has opened up an opportunity to start a child tutoring ministry in Coverstone Community which is a lower-income neighborhood within 2 miles of our campus.  If you are interested in any level of involvement please contact dave.young@mcleanbible.org

Six years ago I planted these beautiful mums in my front flowerbed. They came back the next summer looking just as nice, but in the third spring I decided it was time for these mums to go – they were taking over. So I pulled them out – roots and all. Fall came when mums are due to grow and there they were. So I pulled them out again – roots and all. Spring came – grow, overtake, pull – repeat. This has been going on for three years. I have laughed and jokingly screamed at them each time they reappear. I have pulled those mums out by their roots 6 times, or so I thought….

For me, these mums in my garden represent the ups and downs of growing up as a woman after God’s own heart. Sometimes there are a lot of healthy roots and sometimes there are unhealthy roots that are just lying in wait there – annoying me or suffocating healthy growth. Sometimes they take over. So each time I dig the mums up, I remember that digging up really does go with the idea of growing into the woman God has instructed each of us to be.

In digging up I find that things are revealed – after all its pruning by the Father. Sometimes He reveals to me that the roots are good healthy roots — roots in the Word, roots of biblical community, roots of struggle that have been replaced by His forgiveness, grace, love, and so on. However, as in the case of my never-ending mums, sometimes they are painful, ugly and/or disconcerting roots that run deep and won’t go away. I call these the “ugly, good grief, do I have to face that ‘root’.”

These roots, whether painful, ugly or both, can easily lead to stubbornness which can lead to the “I can do it all by myself” attitude which almost always leads to discontentment. I don’t know about you, but I get entangled in these messy, painful, ugly roots, tripping over my own feet. The older I get, the longer I stay single, the more independent I become. I catch myself often in the struggle of doing life completely alone. I mean trying to deal with it alone, because, I can come through it, “I always do.” (I wish you could hear the dripping sarcasm in my voice.) I always do… it is in those moments that my control wins and in the long run, I’m really not in a better place – just more independent or more closed off because the pain hurts too much to face. It’s then I know it really means greater stubbornness and much less surrendering – ugly or painful roots that have not been properly uprooted.

As I shake my head and pull out these stubborn mums for the 7^th time this past weekend, I begin to cry. Oh, I hate practical lessons sometimes – because clearly there is a lesson to be learned in my flowerbed of life – which is just a mess at the moment. I realize I’m just pulling at this mess and it is not enough.

This mess has revealed that, as Todd discussed during his message, I have spent the past year numb. I don’t know about you, but I sat in the auditorium dumbfounded when he said, “what we tend to do is look back at that circumstance and somehow emotionally shut ourselves off from the pain. We’ll compartmentalize those things in our lives, shut ourselves off. Here’s the problem. The same thing you have to shut off your pain in your brain is the same thing you shut off to shut off the pleasure and the joy. And all of a sudden you wake up one day, and you’re numb. All the control has changed nothing. You no longer hurt, you no longer feel the pain. But the joy is gone too. And the best thing to describe you is numbness. That’s not the way God planned you to live.”

Honestly, he hit a nerve. Was anyone else in the auditorium or was it just me that needed the lesson?

In my nature, I want to take these frustrations, pain, hurts and issues that I resolved and just make them go away. I’ve spent years trying to do that – the independent woman, of course – and now my pastor tells me I’m just numb, that all this controlling of my pain and hurts didn’t help and my joy is fading too. Really, Todd, really?!!

Then, just to bring the point home that maybe my own numbness needs to stop, a precious friend of mine, unknowingly, used the same analogy of digging to the roots of discontentment and stubbornness and well, the tears began to flow and haven’t quite stopped. “Ok God, I’m listening.” And His Word refreshes my mind immediately in these passages:

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23-24

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

I love the Word and how if offers the good news. I remember I must dig down, uncover, and literally uproot every piece of it in order to get rid of the numbness completely. I can then begin to feel again. I remember I do not have to do it alone, in knowing God and His Word and living it out, I have the key. I can surrender the stubbornness, daily, and praise the Lord He is a God of multiple chances! I love the reminders all throughout scripture of second chances – surrender, my friend, surrender the stubbornness and the numbness. Dig up to the deepest roots of discontentment.

Remember, roots grow and bloom. They may be pretty on the outside, but some are not deep down. The blooms are the outpouring of the roots. If it’s a root firmly planted in a healthy, growing relationship with the Lord, the blooms are amazing, not always easy, but amazing. If the bloom is painful or ugly, there are roots I am still facing with the Lord.

We must uproot the independence and the pain and let the roots of God’s Word grow deep so that the blooms flourish in truth. Instead of trying to perform the lists in Titus 2:4-5 and Proverbs 31 be transformed by the word of God so those characteristics flow through us. We must be, as the Proverbs 31 woman is:

• Clothed with strength and dignity
• Laugh at the days to come
• Speak with wisdom and give faithful instruction
• Watch over the affairs of her household (and single life) and
• Not eating the bread of idleness

These verses remind me – I cannot – CANNOT – do this without full surrender, without knowing God. And the only way I’m going to get there is to be willing to dig down deep, spread away the unhealthy or painful dirt and worms (and ugliness) and deal with the roots of discontent. Only then will each and every bloom be one that represents true biblical womanhood.

I cannot believe that the time has arrived, but this update will be the last one that I write while in country.  Even while I type these first few sentences of this email, memories of people and experiences of these past 6 weeks are flashing across my mind.  God has shown me and grown me so much during our time here, and I know He will continue to do so as I process everything once we return.  I am looking forward to sharing in person about the impacting ministries, precious children, giving people, and beautiful culture of East Africa.  Below are just a few snapshots of our time here in Eburru.

 1)     Church Kenyan Style- The last two Sundays Katie and I have had the blessing to worship with the African Inland Church (AIC ) here in Eburru. Pastor Steve started the church here in 2004 and it has since grown to be the largest church in the areal. Let me tell you, this Kenyan church knows how to praise the Lord in song and dance.  The young men are playing the drums, the children are performing traditional dances, and the older women are banging on the tambourines.  Church service begins at 11am and goes well into the afternoon.  This past Sunday there was a special time for people to come forward with specific needs for the church to pray for.  How awesome it was to hear prayers going up in four different languages- Swahili, English, Kikuyu, and Turkana.   Although our words were varied, our hearts were united in the Holy Spirit.

2)     Teacher Eva- Currently, there are 3 teachers that work here at the Camp Brethren Mission School- Ms. Nancy, Mr. Kago, and Ms. Eva.  I have really enjoyed getting to know Ms. Eva, the lead teacher.  What I love about her is that she ALWAYS has a smile on her face!  This joyful teacher lives in a simple one room “apartment” that is attached to the clinic.  She uses a small coal burner for cooking and heating water for her bucket showers.  At night, she has a paraffin lantern for light and an outdoor “squatty potty” for her bathroom.  Even with such rustic living conditions, Eva radiates the joy of Christ to all around her.

While at the market the other day, I asked Eva if she ever has a down day when she feels sad or lonely.  She explained, “I may have a minute or two when I am sad, but joy quickly returns to me.”  I further inquired    how she maintains such a joyful spirit.  She quickly replied, “ I sing praises to Jesus.”  Our conversation ended with us standing in the “parking lot” of the market singing Eva’s favorite song, “Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice.”

3)     Ministry of David’s Hope International (DHI)- As you probably know, I am here serving alongside Katie Futrell who is part of DHI (www.davidshope.org).   This non-profit organization was formed by a mission team that served in Eburru back in Dec of 2008.  God gave this 16 member team a vision to continue serving this small village and, thus, DHI was founded.  Wow, how God has blessed their ministry!  Through their efforts and funding, in less than 1 ½ years, a school of 90+ children has been founded, a maternity ward to the clinic has been added, and plans for an orphanage have been drawn up.  Through these projects, lives have been saved- physically and spiritually.  I am humbled to have had the opportunity to serve with this organization and am excited to see how God continues to work through them.

I look forward to sharing more stories and pictures with you when I return.  Thank you for making this trip possible through your support, prayers, and encouraging emails since I have been hereJ  Katie and I will be arriving this Tues, Aug 10 at 1:50pm at Dulles Airport.  Please pray for safe and peaceful travel.

Blessings,

KariJ

Did you know Frontline has a new Internet Campus? It includes new features and increased reliability, but it’s mission remains to spread the gospel to secular Washington and the world.

To worship online from anywhere in the world, visit www.FrontlineLive.com Sundays at 5:30 PM ET.

For McLean Bible Church’s Internet Campus, visit www.MBCLive.org Sundays at 9:00 AM, 10:45 AM or 12:30 PM ET.

Join us at all our Frontline campuses as we start a new series called “Welcome to Life”!

The Frontline Teaching team will be going through Romans Chapter 8 for seven weeks. Trust us, you won’t want to miss it! Watch the video above to get a taste for what we’ll be talking about throughout the series.

The Secret of Contentment

Finding true, lasting contentment in this life has always been a tremendous struggle of mine in all seasons. God has faithfully granted clear guidance, insight, and peace with His purposes in my life, where He is leading, and yet I continue to struggle in my restlessness and uncertainty. As much as I have grown in faith over the years, the issues (plural) of contentment and control rear their ugly heads all too often. I find myself growing impatient and discontent crying out to God, “Okay, enough of this waiting, let’s get on with it here!” Why am I still single? Where will you take me next? If only I could have this or that…” It’s truly staggering how quick I am to forget His faithfulness and ultimately lose faith in the King and Lord of my life.

In his message, Todd covered a great deal of content in regard to Biblical contentment and gave us the example of Paul learning to be content in all circumstances. We learned that this didn’t come naturally to Paul; he disciplined himself to exercise his choice to be content. Paul had learned contentment was not a feeling that comes and goes, but a choice he made day by day to be obedient and trust in the Lord. I desperately desire freedom in this area! Over the past 3 three years of having the blessing of building relationships with women at Frontline, I know that many of you have the same types of struggles over contentment and control. Maybe for you it is appearance, relationship status, infertility, career, friendships, or family?

As I’ve prayed through and processed through the primary causes of this in my life, God has revealed several things to me. First and foremost, it comes down to a lack of faith and not trusting that God is enough, in control, and truly has my absolute best interest at heart. If I really believed that God is perfect in His Sovereignty, the Blessed controller (1 Timothy 6:15) and knows best for my life, would I be living in the “grass is greener” state of mind? No! I absolutely wouldn’t. I see that in my efforts and genuine desire to trust God, I deep down feel that He’s moving just a little too slow! I am quick to forget. This is where I unconsciously decide that God needs my help…taking things into my own hands. I begin to CONTROL and manipulate – taking my eyes off of Him, placing myself on the throne, and focusing on my circumstances. I mix my pride and own strength with those efforts to trust, which creates a discontent, anxious heart.

So, what do we do with this plaguing tool of the Enemy in our lives?

We must…
1. Meditate upon, know, and BELIEVE God’s Truth and promises.
2. Take thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ.
3. Choose to surrender.

We can trust that He is with us and will provide all that we need, therefore live lives of peace, freedom, and contentment. Believe in the unfailing character of who God is. Confess any unbelief and pride to the Lord and ask Him to grant you the strength and grace.

“And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 4:19

“Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “the Lord is my Helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:5

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedience to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5

In Philippians, Paul gives us the recipe and instruction in finding Biblical, genuine contentment in Christ. Paul says, “I have learned the secret of being content in and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty of in want. I can do all things through Him who gives me strength…” This secret is trusting in the power and might of Jesus in our lives. Have you ever wondered why this very often quoted verse follows Paul’s bold statements about contentment? This verse is translated literally from the Greek as, “I am able to face anything by the One who makes me able (to do it).” I love that truth. If you find yourself struggling with God’s timing in bringing you a mate, you can cling to God’s promises in that He will supply all you need in this current season to bring Him glory and remain faithful as a single person.

In Linda Dillow’s book “Calm My Anxious Heart” she quotes, “At all times, in all circumstances, Christ is able and willing to provide the strength we need to be content. Contentment occurs when Christ’s strength is infused into my weak body, soul, and spirit….He infuses contentment into us through His Word. As it seeps into our minds, it transforms us.”

I am praying for the women of Frontline as we seek God in living godly lives as women of contentment, joy, and surrender! Contentment IS possible through the One who gives us strength. Continue to persevere. While I am on this journey with you, I have experienced God’s transformation in this area and even though my circumstances haven’t changed, God is changing me through them.

Todd spoke about two key challenges on Sunday that women must address in order to become more godly; contentment and control. Today, I’d like to expand on the topic of ‘control’ by sharing what I believe the Lord has taught me personally in this area and how it’s enabled me to trust in God’s sovereignty.

I believe it began with Eve in the Garden. The serpent cunningly convinced her that she would not die if she ate the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden but that her eyes would be opened, and she would become like God, knowing good and evil (Genesis 3:5). But as soon as Adam and Eve had eaten the fruit, their eyes were opened and they hid from God because they were afraid.

You see, Eve feared the Lord – not the type of fear that causes us to have a deep reverence for Him – but the fear that causes anxiety and concern. It’s the fear that makes us afraid of the outcome. Eve feared that God did not have her best interests in mind and that perhaps, God was holding out on her by not allowing them to eat the fruit of the tree. So she chose to trust the serpent rather than God.

Let’s face it…we all question whether God’s will for us is TRULY what He promises. Don’t you feel some hesitation deep down inside that He won’t really give you your heart’s desires, or that His best doesn’t line up with what you’re thinking? Satan knows that’s where we struggle. He went to the woman in the garden – not the man.

So what does it look like for the 21^st century female Christ-follower? We don’t truly trust God’s authority in our lives, whether it’s in relationships, our physical appearance, careers, finances, providing for our needs, or what our calling is. We get anxious and ask for prayer in our small groups – but oftentimes we take things into our own hands and allow the culture to influence us rather than the Word of God. That’s when we seek ‘control’ of our environment and the variables in our lives. We fail to remember God’s promise as stated in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

In order to battle Satan’s tactics, we have to know (1) who God is, (2) develop a deep understanding of His promises in scripture and (3) foster trust in the sovereignty of God. This is only going to come through diving into His Word every day, engraving scripture on your heart and putting on the full armor to fight the spiritual battle of our minds.

Do not allow your fear of what God has planned for you to immobilize you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Trust in God’s sovereign plan and release control of your life over to Him on a daily basis.

1)     “Jack & Jill of ALL Trades”- Pastor Steve and his wife Mary are the inspiration behind the church, clinic, feeding program, and school here in Eburru.  They work tirelessly serving in whatever capacities are needed.  For example, in addition to his responsibilities as a pastor, husband, and father, Pastor Steve can be found hauling construction material to and fro, hosting mission teams, providing transportation for hospital visits, playing keyboard at church, and a myriad of other tasks.  Mary works long hours as the head nurse at the mission hospital in Kijabe where they live during the week.  On the weekends, she serves at the clinic and church in Eburru and always is the “hostess with the mostess” for visitors.  I thought I had a lot of energy until I saw Mary in actionJ  What self-sacrificing servants of the Lord this couple is!

2)     Eburru “Retreat”- Eburru is a remote village tucked away in the north central part of Kenya.  If you look up Eburru in the encyclopedia, it will actually describe it as being in the African bush.  Although this isolated place lacks in the modern conveniences of electricity and running water, it overflows with natural beauty and the friendliness of the people.  Each night we lay our heads down beneath the black African sky illuminated by the shining stars and we wake up to the sounds of chirping birds, gobbling turkeys, and a cocka-doodling rooster.  The perfect alarm clock- God’s creation!!:)

3)     Faith of Children- The children of Eburru have captured my heart.  Before the school and the feeding program which is sponsored by David’s Hope International was here, many of the children would go for days without food- let alone any nutritious food.  As a result, these young ones are quite small for their age.  For example, little Mary is 7 years old, but she is the size of my 3 year old niece, Abby.  Although these precious ones may be small in stature, but they are big in heart. 

My favorite part of the school day is break time when we have chapel hour.  My heart melts seeing the smiles and the joy of the children as they praise God.  This week the students learned Psalms 23:1, “The Lord is my shepherd.  I have all that I need.”  Wow, these little ones may not know where their next meal is coming from, yet they are confident knowing that their Heavenly Father will provide all that they need!  The great faith of children- a lesson we can all learn from.

I pray that these stories encourage you about what the Lord is doing here in Africa and also encourages you in your walk with the Lord.  As the children of Eburru exhibit with confidence, we serve a God who is a ProviderJ

A Humbled Teacher,

KariJ

Our desire as a church is to minister in our community and meet needs in the name of Jesus Christ through word and deed.  One of those needs that we’ve discovered is with families in a few local low-income neighborhoods surrounding our church.  Some of our volunteers and leaders who work in the public school system wrote to our local schools asking if they have any families in need who could use some assistance.  The response we received from 6 schools was that they were in need of many back-packs and school supplies for the children.  So we would really like to rally together and supply these needs in the name of Jesus. 

How can I help?

Please consider picking up one or more sponsor sheets in the lobby after any of the services with all the information you will need.  Then just drop off the back pack, with the school supplies inside, in the designated drop off area in the lobby anytime before August 23.  We will include a card from MBC written to the child and then had deliver them on August 30th.  If you would like to help deliver the supplies or have any other questions please email- dave.young@mcleanbiblechurch.org.