Myanmar Bible Seminar a success

Martha and me with the students of Grace Theological College
in Yangon, Myanmar.

Fifty were expected to attend the first Love In Action Myanmar-Grace Theological College Bible Seminar in Yangon, Myanmar, this week. Sixty eight attended. Praise God for the wonderful turnout of students, pastors and church workers.

The theme of the seminar was “Discipleship: Carrying out the Great Commission.” It’s a topic we really can’t teach enough about as it is a direct command from Jesus for all of His followers. Unfortunately, far too many do not obey.

Jesus left His followers a mission: “Then Jesus came near and said to them, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” – Matthew 28:18-20.

GTC does a wonderful job of teaching and training students to serve Jesus in the ministry. Our partnership is an incredible opportunity to make a serious impact for Jesus in a country where 40 million people are unreached, that's more than 80 percent of the population.

Day 1 of the Bible seminar, Martha led a morning session for the women. God used her so powerfully to touch the hearts of the women as she taught on "God is our strength."

I led the morning and afternoon sessions with the students and church leaders and taught on "Carrying out the Great Commission." In the afternoon I taught on Jesus' invitation to "Follow Me" and how to live our lives following Jesus and teaching others how to do the same, and then ended the day with a message of encouragement titled "The Ultimate Battle." This message was to encourage current pastors and missionaries who are or will go through tough times that Jesus promises to give us life abundantly and be with us through the fire. And, it was also to encourage the students when they are on the mission field to never give up, but keep focused on Jesus and trusting in Him no matter the situation.

Afterward, a woman who is taking care of seven children in another township came forward for prayer. Being a single woman taking care of seven children who are not hers is tough enough. Add to that living in a Buddhist community in a Buddhist nation makes it even tougher. While she isn't physically persecuted, Buddhists don't like her because she is a Christian and because she is from an ethnic group of people called Chin, one of the very few people groups in Myanmar who are Christians. So they look down at her, talk down to her, and treat her as a second class citizen. She struggles financially with no help from people in her community. Please keep Ester in your prayers. She's a precious woman of God and was very encouraged by the seminar.

The seminar concluded on Tuesday and it was deemed a great success by the students, pastors and church workers. Martha and I were thankful for their response. Speaking through interpreters can be tough, but Pastors Mang, Ang and Siang did wonderful jobs of translating our messages.

In the morning sessions, I taught on "What is a Disciple" and "The Command to Make Disciples." Everyone requested that Martha speak again, so to begin the afternoon sessions, she taught on "Discipleship in the Home." Martha shared some of her testimony and how her parents raised her by teaching and showing her how to be a disciple for Jesus. She challenged parents and those who will be parents to make disciples at home.

Then I taught on "Being Equipped to Make Disciples,” and ended the seminar with a message titled "Our Lives Must be Centered on the Cross." I told the people, "if we are to be successful in life, in ministry and in leadership, the cross of Christ must be the center of our lives."

It was a great honor for LIA to lead the seminar. Martha and I are truly thankful for this wonderful opportunity.

Please keep GTC in your prayers, and pray for the growth of LIA's partnership with GTC to reach Myanmar for Jesus. We need to reach those 40 million unreached people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Together, by the grace of God, we can and we will.

Pastor Ang interpreting for Martha during the Bible seminar.

 

The front of Grace Theological College in Yangon, Myanmar.

50 decisions for Jesus today in Myanmar

The children absolutely adored Martha.

 As soon as we saw their sweet faces, Martha and I fell in love with them. Around 20 children were gathered at the site where we held our outreach service today in Yangon, Myanmar. We crossed the Yangon River on a ferry to reach this impoverished area; the landscape dotted with bamboo and thatch huts, homes to these precious children.

Some of them wore "Myanmar Makeup" on their smiling faces. It looks like paint. It's made from a certain tree bark and it is on the faces of many girls, boys, women and men.

As soon as we stepped out of the taxi, the children greeted us. Neither of us could understand each other, but smiles and laughter transcend language barriers. They wanted to shake our hands, especially Martha's, over and over again. Then some built up the courage to hug these two giant white people. We are giants in this land as most of the people, and of course the children, are small.

The adults were as welcoming as the children. They smiled as we shook hands, and some said "Hello" in English. We immediately felt at home.

In Myanmar, we partner with Grace Theological College, a small college that dreams of making a big impact for Jesus Christ in their home country. It's needed. There are 40 million people in Myanmar who are unreached with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The area we were in today is where one of the GTC students has been visiting every week planting seeds of God's Word into the hearts of the people. Today, he saw the fruits of his labor as around 50 people made decisions to follow Jesus.

This isn't an easy mission field. The main religion is Buddhism. There are temples all around, and in many places you hear Buddhist chants being broadcast on speakers. Many people face persecution if they convert to Christianity. While it isn't always a physical attack, it often means followers of Christ will be ostracized from their families, which also means not having a home.

The Jesus Film is a powerful tool to use in the mission field. We brought two Burmese-translated copies with us, but we will be sending more. It does a great job of showing the life of Jesus, and for these children and adults, seeing a movie is a huge treat. They don't have TVs, and can't afford to pay to see a movie at the cinema.

They were all captivated by the movie. Seeing the expressions on their faces was priceless and would bring tears to your eyes.

Following the movie, I shared a short message about being adopted into the family of God through Jesus Christ. Then people made the decision to follow Jesus. I explained to them it was more than a prayer, that it was about following Jesus. I encouraged them in coming together often to study the Bible and pray together and to tell others about Jesus.

God spoke clearly to me that we need to plant a church in that area; one with a strong children's ministry. GTC produces wonderful graduates. We sponsor one recent GTC graduate. Bro. Solomon is currently the only indigenous pastor we support in Myanmar. He is a great example of the kind of missionary pastors they produce as he is doing a wonderful job in a different area of Yangon.

Please pray with us to be able to plant a church to further disciple these new believers. It would cost around $150/month for rent and a salary for a pastor so he can support his family. Please help us if you can. We actually need to plant at least three churches and support three more pastors.

Please pray for our brothers and sisters here. They are very precious people in a tough mission field.

Counting the costs of following Jesus in Myanmar

In Luke 14:33, Jesus says, "In the same way, therefore, every one of you who does not say good-bye to all his possessions cannot be My disciple."

Jesus was talking about counting the costs of following Him. People will hate you and persecute you. Are we willing to follow Him no matter the costs? Martha and I saw this scripture played out yesterday here in Yangon, Myanmar.

I had the honor of preaching and teaching yesterday to a small gathering of 15 people at Bro. Solomon's house. He is the first indigenous pastor LIA has sponsored monthly in Myanmar. He graduated from Grace Theological College here in Yangon. LIA partners with GTC to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout Myanmar.

Bro. Solomon has done a great job planting God's Word in the hearts of people and he saw a harvest  of seven precious souls reaped yesterday as they made decisions to follow Jesus. Myanmar is a country filled with Buddhism. Some making decisions yesterday were of the Buddhist faith, but they are now following Jesus. I will have the great honor of baptizing them on Sunday. Praise God!

Most of those at our gathering yesterday sat on the floor. Some took notes, and all were soaking up the Word of God. I had no time limit. They wanted to hear about Jesus. After those decided to follow Jesus, we all ate lunch together. Then they wanted to hear more. I talked about the importance of church and how we are the Body of Christ and Jesus wants us to be united and work together and help each other out.

Then I opened it up for questions and answers. This is when the reality of following Christ in a country that is mostly unreached become clear. I wish everyone could have heard the questions,  including one woman who could be thrown out of her house and cut off from her family for following Jesus. Talk about a serious decision and commitment.

She lives with her son, who is a very devout and powerful Buddhist leader. She said she could have some serious trouble because of her decision to follow Jesus, but she is going to follow Him anyway. Wow. I think of how often those of us in the U.S. take our faith for granted. Lord, please forgive us. If we lived under true persecution like this woman, how many of us in America would truly call ourselves followers of Christ?

After she shared, another new Christian, who was also Buddhist until yesterday, immediately encouraged her. It was so beautiful. After a lengthy discussion of the Bible, I asked if there were any more questions. One gentleman said, "No. We believe."

Glory to God. Please keep our Myanmar brothers and sisters in your prayers. They are precious people, and Martha and I already love them tremendously. They have hard lives here, and the threat of persecution for their belief in Jesus is real. Let's pray and support them. That's what the Body of Christ is suppose to do.

Planting seeds in China

As I mentioned in a blog last week, Martha and I have the unexpected opportunity to travel within China thanks to an exciting new business opportunity presented to me. Also as I mentioned in that blog, this job is also an opportunity to be a missionary in China through work.

The past week in China was incredible. We visited Hong Kong and four cities in mainland China and met with top business executives and government officials. I was surprised to learn that two of the top business owners were Christians, as was a top-ranking official in the Communist party.

Martha and I were able to minister one-on-one to a number of unbelieving people. One night was particularly amazing. I will leave the names of the people out, but suffice it to say one of them is one of the richest people in China and the other is one of the richest.

We were invited to a private dinner in a very nice sky box on top of a 35-story hotel. The person hosting the party discovered that I like Kobe beef, so she flew some in from Japan since the market in the city we were in was closed. The person is a billionaire.

Throughout the dinner, those two wealthy individuals kept remarking how happy Martha and I looked together. That led to a conversation about Jesus. I explained the Gospel of Jesus Christ to them, and I pulled up John 3:16 on my phone and asked them both to read it. Then I asked if we could pray for them, their families and businesses. They excitedly accepted our offer.

A couple of days later my boss asked the person how much money was spent on the Kobe beef. When person text back $8,000, my boss jokingly text back, "You're crazy." The person said, "No I'm not. I got to meet Ken and Martha, and be prayed for for the first time." The person was very excited.

That's called planting seeds. Martha and I are praying and expecting a harvest.

One of those people wants to go on a mission trip with us, and another top executive from a huge company wants his daughter to go on a mission trip with us, maybe even come to Dothan and work with LIA there. Praise God!

We are very excited about the doors God is opening in Hong Kong and China. Spreading His Gospel throughout China is exciting. We are so thankful for the opportunity and look forward to going back in mid-February after our mission trips to Myanmar and Philippines.

God is up to something very exciting. Please continue to pray with us for a big harvest for the glory of God.

Revival continues in Haiti

Our experience in Haiti the week of Christmas was nothing short of amazing as we saw nearly 200 people come to Jesus, including a Voodoo priestess. But the move of God didn’t stop when we left. People are still coming to Jesus.

The word of what God did during our stay in Montrouis, L’Artibonite and Acaia continues to spread, and we are still receiving requests to come back. When people heard a Voodoo priestess turned to Jesus and burned her Voodoo idols, that got their attention. As people tell of the love the American missionaries showed them , more and more people are wanting to know this Jesus that we traveled to tell them about.

Last week something very exciting happened. Pastor Damil was having a midnight service at his church in Montrouis when a woman we prayed with on Christmas Day walked into the service. She said ever since the American missionaries visited and prayed with her she’s felt the love and power of God. She said God led her to attend that midnight service. She gave her life to Jesus that night. Praise God!

The day we met her she was downtrodden. She told us she didn’t go to church because she was ashamed, because she sells her body to earn money to feed her children. That broke our hearts. We told her God still loves her and had much better things for her. We told her she didn’t have to sell herself. We prayed with her and gave her some food.

As it turns out she was also a powerful Voodoo leader. What makes this story even better is earlier that same day we met her son and he accepted Jesus as His Lord and Savior. Two days later I was blessed to baptize him. All of this was a great plan by God to defeat Satan once again.

After giving her life to Jesus, the woman told Pastor Damil she wanted to burn all of her Voodoo idols. She had many followers, so imagine the impact this will have for the glory of God. What makes this story even more amazing is the woman and her son had planned to get together Christmas night and kill people through Voodoo. God stopped the enemy in his tracks as the son got saved and the mother was introduced to the love of Christ on Christmas morning and afternoon.

Now the mother and son both live for Jesus. The son’s wife also got saved and baptized that week we were there.

More people are coming to Jesus, and we are excited and give God all of the praise, honor and glory. People are now begging for Bibles, and to help with that need, Harvest Church in Dothan gave us $1,000 to purchase Bibles in Haitian-Creole. Praise God!

We will continue to work with our partners Give Us Hope Mission to continue fanning the flames of revival in Haiti and providing sustainable sources of food, water and jobs. God is up to something big in Haiti. Please continue to pray for our Haitian brothers and sisters, and please pray and financially support us in our efforts.

You can mail your tax-deductible donations to: Love In Action International Ministries, P.O. Box 85, Dothan, AL 36302. Or, you can donate online by clicking here, and then clicking on the “Make A Donation” button.

Unexpected, exciting opportunity in China

Martha and I knew 2014 would be an exciting year as God expands Love In Action International Ministries to reach more people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  And, just like God, He opened a new door for a different kind of ministry opportunity we didn’t see coming.

As most of you know, I resigned from the Dothan Eagle in December to concentrate more on ministry. Martha and I actually made that decision in September, but waited until we got closer to December to make the announcement. A year’s worth of prayer went into that decision, and God gave us one confirmation after another that showed us we were making the right decision. We had actually prayed for years about it, but the past year was more intensive prayer about this major life decision.

As I write this blog we are in a plane at more than 31,000 feet above the earth flying to Hong Kong. This is the unexpected part of this new phase in our lives. I discovered God didn’t want me to completely leave the business world. In fact, He has put me right in the middle of it, and Martha and I are excited about it. At the same time it doesn’t stop or slow down the reason I resigned to begin with. Only God could figure out a way to do that.

Back in October as I chatted with SoZo Group CEO Raymond Cheng, an opportunity arose. SoZo builds bridges between US and China business interests, fostering closer business ties, while advancing Chinese investment in the U.S., American investment in China, and trade between the world's two biggest economies. Ray has a great vision for his company.

In October, Ray told me his company needed help with their “Chinglish.” In other words, they did a great job communicating in Mandarin and Cantonese, but needed help with English.  I told him I might be able to help beginning in January. I explained to Ray our decision for me to resign from the Eagle and focus more on ministry. Ray understands my passion for Jesus and doing His work.

We talked some more and decided I would do some freelance writing and editing beginning in January. That has turned into Ray offering me the job of communications director for the SoZo Group, with the caveat that LIA comes first. In fact, Ray said, “We will schedule your work around your mission work.”

So God has opened a new ministry opportunity. God gives each of us skills and talents. He blessed me with the ability to write, edit, manage and build strong teams. Now, God has provided me the opportunity to use the talents He’s given me in China. No, we won’t be living there, but I’ll make several trips there each year.

My goal is to make that a mission field as God is opening doors for me to meet and build relationships with top industry owners and governmental officials. My prayer is they will see Jesus in me. Some of them already are Christians, and I pray God will use me to lead others in the business world, both in the US and China, to Jesus.

God will use Martha through this new venture as well, just like He did in my newspaper career.

While working with SoZo, Martha and I will still be based in Dothan, as SoZo has a Dothan office now. That means I will be able to spend more time than ever doing ministry work.  My schedule will be a lot different than newspaper work. I’ll be able to be out in the daytime and go out into the woods, under bridges and elsewhere to help the homeless. I’ll have more time to spend recruiting medical volunteers and securing funds and equipment that our Samaritan Clinic needs. I’ll have more time to talk at civic clubs, churches and any other open door to let people know what God is doing through LIA in Dothan and throughout the world.

Traveling to Asia several times a year will afford us with the opportunity to visit our friends in Myanmar and Philippines more often, and make our first trip to Pakistan where God has opened a wonderful door.  That means more mission trip opportunities for people.

Another great thing about SoZo is Ray wants to help LIA. He wants his staff to go on mission trips with us. That is amazing.

So, Martha and I are on our way to Hong Kong and then to mainland China for the next six days. We will be extremely busy, but enjoying this new experience at the same time. I would ask that you pray for us. Pray that the light of Jesus will shine brightly through us as we meet new people. Pray that God will touch the people’s hearts in China. Pray that God will open opportunities to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ in China.

This new phase of our lives gets more exciting every day. We told Jesus wherever He leads we will go. We have learned not to say that unless we are serious, and we are serious. Jesus says to “Go and make disciples of all nations …” That’s the Great Commission. I encourage you to dive in head first in His Great Commission.

He wants to use the skills and talents He has blessed you with for His glory. Let Him work through you at your place of business, school and home. Then, pray where He wants you to go and use those same talents and skills in a different part of the world. Then take a short-term mission trip. You can’t afford it? Neither could we or a lot of other people we know, but once you put your trust in God and His provision, He will make a way. I don’t know how He does it, except that He is God and He can do anything He wants to.

We serve an awesome God.

Worship at Vaughn Towers outreach

As Love In Action volunteers were at Vaughn Towers Saturday night, Jan. 11, 2014, we served dinner provided by Goldfingers and prayed with residents. Then as we were enjoying a great time of fellowship our friends Linda and Keith, who live at Vaughn Towers, sang beautiful songs to Jesus. This video is of them singing those two songs. Praise God!

For more, visit loveinactionministries.com and facebook.com/lia.ministries

A soul saved on a beautiful night of ministry

Teresa, an LIA volunteer sings "Jesus Loves You" to a man who just gave his life to Jesus.

When the bus pulled into the Dothan bus station tonight we immediately noticed it was full. Some nights there are just a handful of people on the buses and other times the bus is half full. Tonight, it was totally full. There was no room for new passengers.

We started scooping hot soup into the cups and putting more food bags together. As the people walked off the bus, our volunteers warmly greeted them on this cool night. As the people walked over to the serving table our volunteers served up the love of Jesus with a side of soup. Many people were prayed for as they told us their prayer requests.

Prior to the bus arriving, a young man was dropped off at the bus station. There was a lot going on in his life and a lot of hurts. My great brother Rick Denney and I talked with him. The young man's name is Roy, and he decided he was ready to give Jesus a try. We prayed with him and encouraged him to follow Jesus from this point. We told him when he gets to his destination to find a good church and get involved, and the more he followed Jesus the more his life would be restored.

After we prayed, one of our volunteers, Teresa, told me the Lord wanted her to sing a song to Roy. Teresa hadn't planned to volunteer tonight, but the Lord put it on her heart to come, and at this point she knew why.

As she sang "Jesus Loves You" to Roy, tears streamed down his face. It was a beautiful moment. God touched Roy tonight, and he was blown away by the love shown him.

This is what we do every Tuesday night, Saturday morning and Saturday night. This outreach is simple and very effective. If you would like to join us, please come on out every Tuesday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Roy was just one person who experienced the love of Jesus tonight. They were all thankful and encouraged. Those of us doing the serving were blessed as well. That's just how God works. He blesses everyone involved. God is so awesome.

Thank you volunteers for coming out on this cool night tonight. Many seeds were planted and God even allowed us to see a harvest reaped. Praise God!

Human Trafficking Awareness Month

Every 30 seconds another person becomes a victim of human trafficking, and the average age of trafficking victims is 11-14 years old. How can we as the Body of Christ sit back and do nothing? We can't.

That's why Love In Action joined the fight to stop human trafficking. We conduct awareness campaigns in Dothan, AL, and throughout the tri-state area through outreaches at truck stops, state rest areas and bus stations. We bring awareness to local youth by speaking to youth groups and in schools. We work closely with local law enforcement agencies.

How aware of human trafficking are you? January is National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and we are doing all we can to bring more awareness to this horrific crime, which is the fastest growing organized crime in the world.

There are more slaves - sex and labor slaves - in the world today, 30 million, than ever in history. It's not just a Third World problem. An estimated 100,000 children are being exploited in the United States today.

Human trafficking brings in more than $32 billion a year. That is $20 billion MORE than Nike. That's a staggering and very sobering fact.

That's why Love In Action is actively making people aware of this problem, and working with local and state police to help abolish this injustice in the 21st century.

You need to know the signs of trafficking, such as when a person is not free to leave or come and go as they please, a person having injuries or signs of physical abuse, and the presence of an older boy/girlfriend.

LIA Director of Human Trafficking Outreach Gia Hughes is available to present a program to youth, churches, civic groups, etc., to bring more awareness to this evil. Call us at 334-494-4995 to set up a presentation.

Visit our website for more information about human trafficking. We even have documents you can download and print to help you become more aware and share with others. Click on this link to go to our website: http://loveinactionministries.com/#/human-trafficking

The power of God on display in Haiti

The "Greatest Gift Mission Trip" to Haiti the week of Christmas was filled with a lifetime of memories, too many to recount in this blog. To sum it up in one phrase, our group of 15 missionaries from Dothan, Headland and Cottonwood saw the power of God on display.

How? In many ways. The religion of Voodoo is practiced by many Haitians. Some don't know any other way, because they haven't been told. Voodoo is in a word, evil. It deals with demonic spirits and Satan himself. If you don't believe in Satan, demons and occult, then you are blind and haven't read the Bible. Jesus talks a great deal about the "enemy," and the Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:12, "For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens."

In Haiti, we felt the presence of evil, but we felt the power of God so much more. Knowing who you are in Christ Jesus, and knowing that the King of kings and Lord of lords, almighty God Himself lives within you, gives you confidence that you will see the mighty hand of God move for His glory in the midst of darkness.

We saw the power of God in nearly 200 people making decisions for Jesus. The Holy Spirit drew them to Christ, and they surrendered. They heard the Gospel message of hope, peace and salvation in Jesus Christ alone, and turned from the dark to the light. One of those saved was a Voodoo priestess. A smile instantly appeared on her face Christmas morning when she prayed to renounce the ways of Satan and turn her life completely over to Jesus, and that smile was still there when we left.

After we baptized her two days later, she felt the power and love of God so strongly inside of her, she told Pastor Damil (our host pastor in Montrouis, Haiti) that she wanted to get rid of all of her Voodoo stuff. That afternoon we burned and destroyed all of it.

After making the decision to follow Jesus, one man told us that up to that point he hadn't cared about anyone and drank alcohol all the time. He was to the point where he was going to cast a Voodoo curse on two people to kill them. On Christmas morning he surrendered to Jesus, and on Friday morning he was baptized. Now, he is learning to become a disciple of Jesus and to be a man of God for his family.

We saw the power of God at work in each other. His love is power, the only force that gives hope to those in the deepest of despair. That's why orphans and widows could smile and say they now have hope after we prayed with them and took time to talk and have fun with them. We danced, played soccer and basketball and other games with the children, and even discussed math in a classroom setting while waiting for food to be served for Christmas lunch.

We saw the power of God give hope to pastors and give them the determination to keep on "fighting the good fight of faith" for the glory of God.

Do you want to know the power of the name of Jesus? Every night we heard Voodoo drums. The drums beat throughout the night, and at some points it changed and became even eerier. I got tired of hearing it. I got tired of hearing them give glory to Satan. He doesn't deserve anyone's glory. He kills, steals and destroys. Around 10 p.m. on Thursday as we walked outside of the gates of the mission house to walk to the house where Martha, Gia, William and I were staying at, we heard the drums again. I yelled "Shut up in the name of Jesus!" The drums immediately stopped and we didn't hear them the rest of the time we were there. That's the power of the name of Jesus.

We saw the power of God as we prayed with people in L'Artibonite. The response to prayer was tremendous as all of our team members laid hands on men, women and children and prayed for them. A woman who was so ashamed of her condition, during worship she faced a wall and wouldn't look at the people. She came forward and told us that she had AIDS. That took the power of God to bring her forward. We laid hands on her and prayed and then hugged her.

We saw the power of God as we were stuck on top of a very high mountain because the pickup truck that was to take us back down broke. One-by-one and two-by-two we rode on the back of motorcycles down a very bumpy and treacherous road. On top of that mountain we saw the Holy Spirit draw more than 100 people to Jesus.

God's power. It's real. Just dip your toe in the water and feel how refreshing His power is. You see, His power comes in different forms - forgiveness, salvation, love, grace, peace, strength, and many other ways. And, nothing and no one can resist His power.

It has nothing to do with you, me, missionaries, preachers, teachers or anyone else. It's all God. When we completely surrender to Jesus we get the awesome privilege of seeing His great power released in and through our lives. I saw it in each and every member of our mission team.

Each one of us grew in the Lord on this trip. Our faith was tested time and time again, and each time we trusted God and saw how incredibly faithful He is.

What about you? Are you experiencing the fullness of God? If you are, keep going forward, because you haven't seen anything yet. If you aren't, there's one thing you need to do. More than 2,000 years ago Jesus gave this invitation to 12 men, "Follow Me." His invitation is still available. Will you accept it? Will you accept Jesus and follow Him? I encourage you to do so and experience what real life is all about, because Jesus is the real life. He is the only life.

Turn your suffering over to God

"Endure suffering as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons." - Hebrews 12:7

Don't listen to the false teaching that says if you are a Christian and you are suffering, then something is wrong with you. No, suffering is part of life, period. And, that means Christians, wonderful saints of God, will suffer. Jesus suffered. Paul and the apostles suffered. Who are we to think that we won't ever suffer?

Let God use our suffering to teach us. "... but He does it for our benefit, so that we can share His holiness." (Hebrews 12:10) Wow! For "our benefit." Nothing is better than sharing in God's holiness. You see, suffering and discipline, while there is nothing fun or enjoyable about it, is beneficial if we turn it all over to God and trust Him.

"No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the fruit of peace and righteousness to those who have been trained by it." (Hebrews 12:11)

So let's allow God to teach us as we go through various types of suffering throughout our lives. Suffering will come. We can let it make us bitter or better. Let's turn it all over to God so He can produce the fruit of peace and righteousness in our lives.

Seven baptized on final day of Haiti mission trip

The final day of the "Greatest Gift Mission Trip" to Haiti was another great day of ministry. It started with LIA Pastor Ken Tuck baptizing seven new believers, including a woman who was a voodoo priestess. She gave her life to Jesus on Christmas Day and two days later she was baptized. Praise God! Later that day she asked us to burn her voodoo stuff as she doesn't want anything to do with that now that she is living for Jesus. Glory to God!
The team then ministered to orphans and homeless adults. More than 50 people made decisions for Jesus during that outreach. We also gave socks, underwear, candy and homemade popsicles to the orphans, and food for orphans and homeless adults.
For more, visit loveinactionministries.com and facebook.com/lia.ministries
Also, visit giveushopemission.org and facebook.com/pages/Give-Us-Hope-Mission/228519210603748

100-plus saved in Arcahaie, Haiti

The fifth day of the "Greatest Christmas Mission Trip" in Haiti, took the team of Give Us Hope Mission and Love In Action International Ministries way up on top of a mountain to a little village in Arcahaie. The trip up and down the mountain was a great challenge as trucks couldn't make it up and one broke down. We all ended up riding on the back of motorcycles for nearly 40 minutes back down the mountain at night. The team persevered and everyone's faith in God grew stronger as we all saw God's faithfulness and power time and time again. More than 100 people made decisions for Jesus after we handed out socks and underwear to children, as well as homemade popsicles. We also gave bags of rice to the people who all struggle every day for food. It was an awesome day, and one we will never forget.
For more, visit loveinactionministries.com and facebook.com/lia.ministries
Also, visit giveushopemission.org and facebook.com/pages/Give-Us-Hope-Mission/228519210603748

Christmas Day in Haiti

Day 4 of the "Greatest Christmas Mission Trip" to Haiti was Christmas Day, and what a great day it was for Give Us Hope Mission and Love In Action International Ministries. We walked through an extremely impoverished neighborhood sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ and delivering bags of rice and beans. Four people gave their lives to Jesus. Then we served dinner to nearly 200 children at Pastor Damil's church and school. The children also received gifts, and we danced and played soccer and basketball with the children.
For more, visit loveinactionministries.com and facebook.com/lia.ministries
Also, visit giveushopemission.org and facebook.com/pages/Give-Us-Hope-Mission/228519210603748

Worship in L'Artibonite, Haiti (+playlist)

Here is a short clip of worship at the church in L'Artibonite, Haiti.
Love In Action is building a church here. It will be the only Christian
church in the area, which is known for being filled with voodoo
worshipers.

Haiti Mission Trip Day 3

On Day 3 (Christmas Eve) of the "Greatest Christmas Mission Trip" with Give Us Hope Mission and Love In Action International Ministries, we walked through neighborhoods in Montrouis, Haiti, praying and sharing Jesus with the people. Three people made decisions for Jesus, including a husband and wife. We gave a lot of candy to children and played soccer with them. Children really enjoyed blowing bubbles and little girls loved having their fingernails painted.
We also walked through the market in Montrouis. That was a very unique experience. On this slideshow you will also get a tour of a Haitian mud house.
For more, visit loveinactionministries.com and facebook.com/lia.ministries
Also, visit giveushopemission.org and facebook.com/pages/Give-Us-Hope-Mission/228519210603748

Haiti Mission Trip - Day 2 (+playlist)

Day 2 of the Greatest Gift Mission trip to Haiti was spent in L'Artibonite, which is a voodoo town. However, there is a precious elderly couple who hold church services at their tiny house every day. Bro. and Sis. Orelien are two very precious people who love Jesus with all of their hearts. We were blessed to worship with them. Their worship is intense with a lot of hand clapping and dancing. It was an amazing time.
LIA Pastor Ken Tuck was honored to preach a message with Pierre interpreting for him, and then afterward Team LIA prayed with many people, including a woman who has HIV. She was so ashamed, but we prayed, hugged and encouraged her.
After the service we gave gifts to the children.
During the week-long missions trip, about 200 people made decisions for Jesus Christ.
For more, visit loveinactionministries.com and facebook.com/lia.ministries.

Haiti Mission Trip - Day 1 (+playlist)

Day 1 of the Greatest Gift Christmas missions trip to Haiti on Dec. 22, 2013. Team LIA and Give Us Hope Mission ministered at  Eglise Baptiste Solid Rock church in Montrouis, Haiti. LIA Evangelist Rick Denney shared his testimony and Pastor Ken preached during the Sunday morning service. LIA Vice President Martha Tuck and LIA Director of Human Trafficking Outreach Gia Hughes taught a women's classes, while Justin Swasey taught the children. Rick, Jesse Johnson and Jared Etress taught a men's class. That night, team members handed out gifts to the children.
During the week-long missions trip, about 200 people made decisions for Jesus Christ.
For more, visit loveinactionministries.com and facebook.com/lia.ministries.