An awesome and humbling year at Love in Action

Serving the homeless and needy with our new food trailer
expanded our food ministry in 2018.

Seeing people come to Jesus is why we do what we do.

It's awesome and very humbling when looking back at all God did in and through Love In Action in 2018.

Here are just some of the highlights:

- More than 80 of our homeless and needy friends here in Dothan, Alabama, made decisions for Jesus.

- Martha and Ken witnessed more than 100 people, most of whom were previously unreached with the Gospel, come to Jesus in India and Myanmar during mission trips to both countries. More than 1,000 more came to Jesus in India, Myanmar, India, Pakistan, Haiti and Philippines where we partner with indigenous pastors and missionaries.

- Served more than 10,000 meals to our homeless and needy friends in Dothan, Alabama. That is a record number for us in one year.

- Served more than 1,000 patients at the Samaritan Clinic on the campus of Love In Action in Dothan, Alabama. That is a record number for one year.

- Taught the discipleship method Training for Trainers (T4T) to more than 125 people in Dothan, India and Myanmar.

- Baptized new believers in Dothan.

-  New roofs were put on the Love In Action buildings ... paid for in full. This was an answer to a long-time prayer requests.

- Purchased a new food trailer to expand our food ministry. The food trailer was paid for in full.

- Purchased a bus to expand our transportation ministry. The bus was paid for in full.

- Started ministering on the radio on The JoyFM with the "Love In Action Minute" and "Sunday Morning with Love In Action."

- More people involved with Love In Action than ever in financial giving, donation of items, volunteers, and fundraisers.

- A stronger bond of unity with The Ark and The Harbor to better reach and serve the homeless and needy in Dothan, Alabama.

- Seeing more fruit being produced among the homeless in Dothan. Toward the end of the year we saw more hope in the homeless community than ever before.

Providing dental care for the homeless is one of many
blessings of the Samaritan Clinic.

This man in Myanmar gave his life to Jesus during our
 mission trip, was baptized, and is being taught
T4T to become a disciple of Jesus.

We provided water filters to give safe, clean
drinking water for people in rural villages during
our mission trip to India.

Thank you for an awesome year

As 2018 comes to a close today, I want to say a big "Thank You," first to God and then to everyone who made this the best year in our 18 years of ministry.

We thank God for His son, Jesus Christ, and for the opportunity to serve Him through the ministries of Love In Action. We thank God for His Holy Spirit moving through His people to touch tens of thousands of lives this year. We thank God for all the souls saved and lives changed by His power in 2018.

Thank you to everyone who gave financially throughout the year. Without your generosity of investing into the Kingdom of God, we could not have accomplished everything we did this year. You definitely understand Matthew 6:19-21, "Don't collect for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But collect for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don't break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Thank you to all of our volunteers. Without your servant's hearts we could not have shown the love of Jesus to thousands of homeless and needy people in Dothan, Alabama, this year. All of you exemplify the kind of Christian John wrote about in 1 John 3:18, "let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth."

Thank you to everyone who donated items such as food, hygiene items, clothes, camping supplies, and more throughout 2018. Your giving helped us meet physical needs of our homeless and needy friends, which opened doors of hearts to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. "If a brother or sister is  poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." - James 2:15-17. You put action to your faith by giving items our homeless and needy friends are in need of. Thank you for being doers of the Word and not hearers only. (James 1:22)

Thank you to everyone who prayed for us in 2018. Your prayers are powerful, because of the One you pray to, and the fact that we know God hears your prayers. "This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us." - 1 John 5:14

Thank you to all of our brothers and sisters we are blessed to serve with in the Philippines, Myanmar, China, India, Pakistan and Haiti for your dedication and zeal for Jesus and reaching the lost in your countries. Many of those you reach have never heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Most of you live in persecution and the threat of persecution for your faith. You all inspire me greatly. I think of Matthew 5:12 when thinking of all of you, "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in Heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

I thank God for our Love In Action Board of Directors - Bill Dorminy, Mike Shroades, Ted and Karen Hils, Grant Faulk, Justin Swasey, Shaun Cast, and Mama Tuck. Thank you for your leadership, wisdom, love and support. Martha and I cannot tell each of you enough how much we love and appreciate all of you. "We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers." (1 Thessalonians 1:2)

Thank you to our staff, Pamela Johnson and Dan Levy. Martha and I couldn't think of two other people we would rather serve with. Both of you have big hearts to serve Jesus and lead people to Him. You both have hearts for helping those in need, and desiring to see them come off the streets and experience God's goodness. Thank you both for taking our Lord's Great Commission serious to, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with your always, even to the end of the age."

Thank you to my beautiful bride and ministry partner. Martha has as pure of a heart of anyone I've ever met. She loves unconditionally, and our homeless and needy friends, and those around the world where we've been blessed to minister, know she truly loves them when she tells them. LIA wouldn't be what it is without her servant's heart and leadership. I wouldn't be half the man I am without her.

Martha is the epitome of the Proverbs 31 woman, and she is a perfect example of Proverbs 31:20, "She extends her hand to the poor, and she stretches out her hands to the needy."

All of you have helped us throughout 2018 to fulfill the scripture Love In Action is based on, Matthew 25:35-40: "For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me. Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You? The King will answer and say to them, "Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'"

Thank you one and all. I pray the Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord cause His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace."

I look forward to all God has planned for all of us in 2019.

A nostalgic weekend

Martha and Mama making goodies for Christmas Eve.

It's been a nostalgic weekend for me leading up to Christmas. It's not unusual for Christmas to provoke such sentimental thoughts.

As Martha and Mama were out shopping for ingredients to make all kinds of goodies for our annual Tuck-Reid Christmas Eve gathering, I started looking at a cookbook Mama made for us kids. It's filled with all kinds of delicious recipes we all enjoyed while growing up.

Then there's the Christmas section. She made that section like a scrapbook with photos. There were photos of my Dad and all of us when we were much younger, even one from 1979 that included my fat cat named Tippy. She weighed 17 pounds, and was the Tuck house cat for well over a decade.

As I read the different things Mama wrote, remembered all of those tasty dishes, and looked at photos, tears filled my eyes. Those were really good days filled with so many wonderful memories. My Dad went to be with Jesus in 1997, so we haven't celebrated Christmas together in 21 years. Oh, how I still miss him.

Mama is 83, so we are enjoying her. As healthy as she is she may live to be 103, but we should never take our loved ones or such moments for granted. Martha and I have enjoyed Mama spending Christmas weekend with us. I told Mama we will have to make this a new tradition.

Martha and Mama baked six different kinds of goodies for Christmas Eve, and tonight Mama will go with us for the first time to the Harvest Church Christmas Eve Candlelight & Communion Service. I know she will love it. When I was a teenager our church in Fredericksburg, Va., would have a Christmas Eve Candlelight service. Spotswood Baptist Church always looked so beautiful lit up by candlelight. It kept all of our attention, even us kids, on the true meaning of Christmas.

So, what's the purpose of this blog entry? Use it as a reminder. Let's keep our focus on Jesus this Christmas, and all year long. Let's love our loved ones while we can, and while they can still love us. Let's make memories, so we can reflect on them years from now, and for others to remember after we are gone.

I believe precious memories are a gift from God. They can't be taken away. Even after 21 years, I still vividly remember the things my Dad would say. Mama talks about memories of her childhood as if they were yesterday. Memories, they are precious. Make new ones this Christmas.

Praise God for our new bus

Our Chevy 5500 bus is handicapped accessible.

Transportation is a huge need for our homeless friends in Dothan, Alabama. We have been transporting our friends in our mini van and 15-passenger van. Our big van is a 1993 model. It's old and hard to get in and out of for some. We are thankful to say we have been blessed with a 2006 Chevy 5500 16-passenger bus.

Thanks to the generous donation of a precious couple, we were able to purchase this beautiful bus. It's easy access, and it is even handicap accessible. This is a tremendous blessing.

We will be able to easily transport our friends to and from Love In Action, Samaritan Clinic, church and work. We are working on a transportation plan with The Harbor and The Ark, and our bus will be a big help with that project.

God is amazing. He knows exactly what we need and when we need it. We thank God for this incredible blessing to the ministry. May God bless the couple who gave tremendously.

Dan and I are working on our CDLs, and then we will be able to put the bus in full use.

This Chevy 5500 diesel bus runs great.

The inside of the bus is in great condition.

Praise God for new roofs at LIA

The new roofs are such a great blessing. The membrane material is the best roof you
can have on flat roofs. Apaxx did an excellent job taking great care in installing it.

Every time it rained, Dan and I sighed and started moving buckets and totes around to catch the leaks from our porous roofs here at Love In Action. It had been a long-time prayer request for provisions to put new roofs on our buildings. We are very thankful and excited to report God has answered those prayers.

We now have a new roof on both of our buildings. No more leaks! Praise God! We thank the individuals who donated financially to make it happen. May God bless you more and more.

I remember the days our late brother Rick Denney would be up on the roof working to stop the leaks. Our friend Charles would often be on the roof with Rick. I suctioned gallons and gallons of rain water off that ponded on the roof to keep it from leaking any worse.

Even when Bro. Rick was on his death bed he was thinking about the roof. I would visit him after a heavy rain and he would ask about the roof. He couldn't talk, but I could read his lips. I know he is smiling from Heaven now that we have these new roofs.

Apaxx did a great job installing the new roofs. The membrane material is the best kind of roof you can have for flat roofs. Their work is top-notch; high quality work with high-quality roofing materials. They had to tear off, rebuild, and change the topography of one of our roofs because it was in such bad shape.

The new roofs protect the integrity of our buildings. It will also allow us to expand our ministry in suites 5 and 7. We are praying about exactly what God wants us to do, but we do believe He is leading us to expand our medical ministry with the Samaritan Clinic in suite 5.

We are in need of more room to conduct discipleship classes, so at least part of suite 7 will probably be used for that.

Please pray for the finances to remodel those two suites. It will take a lot of work, but it will be worth it as we will be able to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ through acts of compassion even more with the expansion of those two suites.

We are so thankful for these two new roofs. Now when it rains Dan and I just smile and say, "Praise God! No more leaks!"

God is so good and faithful. We thank Him for His great provision and for each of you who financially supports Love in Action. May God bless you all.

The new drains (above), combined with the new topography on the roof, makes
the rain water drain off very quickly. No more ponding like the old roof. Praise God!
The new vent covers (below) were also badly needed.

Praising God for another good doctor report

Three years ago I didn't know if I would live to see another day, much less another year. Complications from a prostate biopsy nearly took me out.

I was in the hospital for the second time in a month this time three years ago. In addition to my kidneys shutting down, blood pressure bottoming out, and being very sick, I experienced excoriating pain in my back. I couldn't move, much less walk.

In 2014 my PSA jumped to over 6. It remained elevated over 6 in 2015. So, a biopsy was performed. One report stated I had prostate cancer. Another said they weren't sure. Later in the year I went for another biopsy for a second opinion. That one showed something really small and what they said was non-aggressive. It was after that second biopsy things went awry.

I was on my back for three months, unable to walk as the infection settled in my spine. I was quarantined in my hospital room, but my precious bride never left my side. I remember telling Martha I was ready to go home to Heaven and be with Jesus.

There were some touch and go moments, but obviously, God brought me through it. And, for the third consecutive year, I'm thankful to say I received another excellent report from my urologist in Birmingham today. My PSA is in the safe and healthy range of 2.49. To God be the glory! I believe God has healed me. That's the only explanation I can give for a PSA above 6 for two years to where it has been now the past three years.

A friend asked me this weekend what did I think it caused my PSA to drop so significantly. I responded, "Prayer, lots of prayer."

Martha and I both shed tears of joy again this afternoon in Birmingham and praised God. I told God that obviously, I want to be well, but I also want Him to get all of the praise, honor and glory for it. My prayer is my testimony will encourage someone. I pray that someone reading this or someone who hears me talk about it, will realize there really is a God and give his or her life to Jesus. I pray someone's faith will be increased as he or she face serious health issues, knowing they can trust God with their health.

Around five years ago, God miraculously healed Martha when a lump was discovered on one of her breasts. We are so thankful for God's healing power on our lives. We know it's all for His glory, and for us to continue doing His work that He has called us to do.

So be encouraged. Call out to God, no matter what the situation looks like. Give it to Him. Put your faith in Him. When you do, it's amazing how calm and relaxed you can face your situation. I remember no matter how much pain I was in, I knew God had me. I thought about the pain Jesus went through for me and knew what I was experiencing was nowhere close to what He went through to bring salvation to all who believe.

Since 2015, I've understood and lived by what the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 1:21, "For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." That's how I will always face life now. I had to go through that valley to understand that. So whatever you are going through, trust God. Let Him teach you want He wants to teach you in that valley. And know if He brings healing then to live is Christ. If He takes you home to Heaven, then to die is gain.

I know one day I will leave this world, and I look forward to it. For on that day I will see my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ face to face. But until He calls me home, I will thank Him and praise Him for all He does for me every day, and continue to live for Him.

Launch of food trailer a great success

Serving lunches to those in need with the LIA food trailer Saturday at the library.

I'm always excited about a ministry opportunity at Love In Action, but this past Saturday the level of my enthusiasm and expectation rose higher and higher as the day approached. A long-awaited prayer request had been answered and was about to be launched. Saturday was the maiden voyage of our new food trailer.

God has blessed us with a beautiful, well-built food trailer that we will use to reach thousands of people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ through acts of compassion. Those acts will be providing food for those who don't know where their next meal is coming from. Imagine being hungry and wondering where and when you will eat again and a pickup truck pulling a trailer pulls up. The side of the trailer goes up and people are handing you food from that trailer. You would have no doubt that God has not forgotten you.

That happened Saturday as we used the food trailer for the first time.

We started the day by serving BBQ sandwiches from the trailer at Love In Action. I wanted to start at home so we can learn what we need and don't need without being out in the city unprepared. It worked out great. Bro. Robert hooked up a new electrical plug for the trailer, and Bro. Bill brought us some step-down connections we needed to plug the trailer in. From that point, everything worked perfectly.

Our friends from Wiregrass Church smoked six Boston butts for the BBQ sandwiches. Our brother Erik knows how to use that smoker. That was some delicious BBQ, and all of our friends thought so, too. We served 100 meals at Love in Action.

Later Saturday afternoon, Martha, Dan and I took the food trailer out into the community. The trailer has a built-in, self-contained battery, so the lights work when we are out in the community. We took BBQ meals, fish dinners, and vegetable soup to a couple of low-rent hotels, the public library parking lot, and tent city. We served 75 more meals, but what made the entire day with the trailer worthwhile was a young man at one of the hotels who gave his life to Jesus.

A soul saved and 175 meals served made for a great first day with the food trailer. We know God is going to use this food trailer to reach thousands of people. We will be able to provide for physical needs, which will open doors to tell people about Jesus.

We thank God for this wonderful tool to spread His Gospel and meet needs.

The team from Wiregrass Church who helped us break in our new food trailer.

Making BBQ sandwiches inside the new Love In Action food trailer.

God, give me eyes to see them as You do

A homeless couple walk to their campsite in Dothan, Alabama.

As I dropped a homeless couple off at their campsite recently, tears filled my eyes. They were thankful for all of the help they received at Love In Action, and the prospects of a job for him added a spark of hope to their lives as well.

We have known this couple for a while. Like many others, we share the Gospel with them every time we see them, and help them with their physical needs. They are thankful. Still, my heart goes out to them and all of the others.

The homeless are survivors. They are better equipped to handle living conditions when disaster strikes than most of us, because they are already living in that kind of situation. When we receive materials for disaster relief it’s perfect for the homeless. They know how to eat a MRE. Snack boxes? We hand them out daily. Flashlights, batteries, tents, sleeping bags, bug spray, bottled water ... that’s a way of life for our friends.

As I took the photo above, my heart hurt. I’m thankful it did. I prayed and asked God to always let me have a heart for the hurting, and to see them as He does. I don’t want to grow callous, insensitive, indifferent or jaded. God could easily be that way toward all of us, but He's not.

God keeps loving us and looking at those of us who are followers of Jesus as His own children. We slip. We fall. We take God for granted. We make mistakes. But, He keeps loving us, wanting more for our lives if we will just completely surrender to Him.

I always want to see others as God does. I don’t want to ever give up on anyone. When you see the same people day-in and day-out living the same kind of lifestyle, you can easily become jaded. But, no. God doesn’t, so I don’t want to either. That’s why prayer is so important.

No matter what’s going on in someone’s life, don’t give up. Keep praying. Keep loving. Keep reaching out. They may never respond, but maybe they will.

When you see the homeless, don’t pre-judge and call them bums or losers. Don’t tell them or think to yourself, “they need to get a job.” It’s not that simple. Yes, a job for many is part of the solution, but it’s not that easy.

Instead of judging and criticizing, pray for them. Go even further and help them. Love In Action is a great place to volunteer. We would love to serve with you. There are other wonderful ministries as well. Find where God wants you and respond with love.

They are waiting for us. Will we respond and show them Jesus?

Convoy of Hope delivers blessings

Convoy of Hope, men from The Ark, and me after unloading supplies from their
truck into the trailer behind 2-1-1.

We thank our neighbor Tri State Diesel & Auto Eletric for using their forklift to
unload some pallets from the Convoy of Hope truck. 

Sometimes God answers prayers quickly. With the Southeast Alabama Homeless Coalition (SEACH) Homeless Stand Down fast approaching on Nov. 3, we are in need of a lot of supplies.

Today, God answered prayers by sending a truck load of supplies from Convoy of Hope. They blessed us with hygiene items, chips, Cheez-its, wool blankets and water ... lots of water. In fact, so much water we aren't asking for any more water for the stand down.

Wiregrass 2-1-1 Executive Director David Duke and I were all smiles as we unloaded the truck. We greatly appreciate the men from The Ark for helping unload the truck.

Convoy of Hope also blessed Love In Action with some medical supplies, such as aspirins, vitamins, back braces and more for the Samaritan Clinic.

Convoy of Hope is the third largest disaster relief organization in America. Because of they are faith based and are so well organized, they are my favorite. According to their website, since 1994, they have done incredible work, including helping "more than 100 million people throughout the world by sharing food, water, emergency supplies, agriculture know-how and opportunities that empower people to live independent lives free from poverty, disease and hunger."

They "mobilize tens of thousands of volunteers each year, and partner with churches, businesses, individuals and other humanitarian organizations who are intent on doing good work among the impoverished and suffering."

Thank you Convoy of Hope for this awesome blessing today. May God continue to bless you and do mighty works through you.

We are still in need of more hygiene items, non-perishable food, tents, flash lights, batteries, bug spray, Coleman camping stoves, camping size propane bottles, sleeping bags, air mattresses, coats, blankets, toilet paper, women hygiene items, coats, and jeans (no other clothing).

Donations can be dropped off at the Wiregrass 2-1-1 office, 545 W. Main St., Suite 313, in downtown Dothan, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. through Nov. 2, and 7-10 a.m. on Nov. 3.

Volunteers are needed from 7-8:30 a.m. on Nov. 3, to help sort and pack the food and supplies for the homeless. Volunteers are also needed from 8:30-10 a.m. to deliver supplies to the homeless. If you would like to volunteer on Nov. 3, meet at the Covan trailer in the parking lot behind 2-1-1.

For more information, call 2-1-1.

Tom with Convoy of Hope standing in front of bundles of blankets and boxes of
hygiene items they blessed us with for the SEACH Homeless Stand Down.

Praise God for all of the bottles of water Convoy of Hope blessed us with for the
SEACH Homeless Stand Down.

Homeless Stand Down Needs Your Support

Martha sorting items at the SEACH Homeless Stand Down in May.

Every time there is a need, our community responds. That's a big reason why I tell people all around the world that Martha and I live in the greatest city in the world. Your hearts are to help those who are hurting.

The response to the Hurricane Michael disaster from Dothan and the entire Wiregrass has been incredible. Everywhere you look churches, businesses, organizations, and individuals are collecting needed items to help those suffering in Florida, Georgia, and right here in our home county of Houston County.

Teams of people are showing up in heavy hit areas with chainsaws and all of the necessary equipment to help cleanup the devastation left by Hurricane Michael. I'm not surprised, though. I knew our people would respond in these ways.

While you continue to help those in the disaster areas, please remember those who have come to Dothan seeking help. We have already seen an influx of new homeless people in Dothan. They weren't homeless prior to Michael, but after the storm leveled their homes, places of employment, schools ... pretty much their entire cities and towns ... they have nowhere to go.

Many have run out of money for hotel rooms. The situation is not good, and we are trying to help the best we can. It's not just us, though. We could never do it by ourselves. The ministries and organizations that make up the Southeast Alabama Coalition for the Homeless (SEACH) are all working non-stop to help.

We are also helping the homeless who were already here in Dothan when the hurricane hit. Michael shredded their tents and blew them in trees and who knows where. The needs have increased, and we need our community's help.

The SEACH Homeless Stand Down is coming up on Saturday, Nov. 3. This is an opportunity to connect with the homeless and provide items they need. With the new increase of storm victims to the homeless population, we need even more of you to help us meet all of the needs. Please donate items and/or volunteer for the homeless stand down.

Here is the list of needs:
- No clothing except coats, sweaters and jeans only for men, women and children. There are many ministries, like Love In Action, who provides clothing for people every week.
- Hygiene needs: combs, hair brushes, soap, shampoo, razors, men & women deodorant, toilet tissue, hand sanitizer, wet-wipes, tooth brushes and tooth paste, lotion, and women's hygiene items.
- Bedding/Sleeping Needs: tents, flat sheets, sleeping bags, air mattresses, or cots
- Food: non-perishable food items, including pop-top easy-to-open cans, and cases of bottled water
- Other Needs: flashlights, batteries, wallets, purses, camping chairs, Coleman stoves, personal camping sized propane bottles, belts, bikes, bug spray and backpacks.

Donations can be dropped off at the Wiregrass 2-1-1 office, located at 545 W. Main St., Suite 313, Monday-Friday, until Nov. 2, between the hours of 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., and 7-10 a.m. on Nov. 3.

Volunteers are needed from 7-8:30 a.m. on Nov. 3, to help sort and pack the food and supplies for the homeless. Volunteers are also needed from 8:30-10 a.m. to deliver the food and supplies to the homeless. If you would like to volunteer on Nov. 3, go to the Covan trailer in the back parking lot at Wiregrass 2-1-1.

For additional information, call 2-1-1.

Volunteers from throughout the Wiregrass sorting items during the SEACH Homeless
Stand Down in May.

When the homeless encourage you

Praying with one of our homeless friends.

I shared Matthew 6:33 this morning with our homeless friends at Love In Action. I talked about how Martha and I see people in Third World countries who rely totally on God. They don't have a Love In Action to go to for food and clothes. They do what Jesus says and seek Him first, knowing God will take care of all of their needs.

I like to engage people when sharing the Gospel, and today they really responded. As we talked about Hurricane Michael and how God protected us, one homeless woman raised her hand and asked if she could say something.

She said her and her husband were standing outside of Winn Dixie not knowing where they were going to go to get out of the storm. Then another couple pulled up and asked them if they wanted to work to help them board up some storefront windows. They needed the money, so they went and did the job.

They were asked where they were staying, and they replied they didn't know. They were invited to stay with the people who gave them work. They were safe and protected from the hurricane. They both praised God and gave Him all the credit.

When talking about the winds of the hurricane, a homeless man talked about faith. He said, we can't see God, but we have faith in Him and know He is real. That's the same as the wind. We don't see it, but we see the effects of it.

One after another shared about their faith. It encouraged me so much to hear our homeless friends who live in tents, cars and abandoned buildings share about how God takes care of them.

It leads me to ask myself, am I thanking God for how He takes care of Martha and me? Do I thank God enough for how He meets all of our needs? Do you?

Please keep our homeless friends in your prayers. Many are believers and trusting Jesus. Please pray God will lift them out of their situation. With their faith in Jesus, I have no doubt God will.

Acts of compassion make a difference

Martha helping a women pick out clothes in the Love In Action clothing room.

We see people hurting for different reasons daily. Our goal is to show them Jesus and His great love. A Florida hurricane victim experienced His love Thursday night at Love In Action

During the Samaritan Clinic, a woman hobbled through the doors on a crutch with a 5-year old boy in tow. It turns out she suffered a leg injury when her house in Lynn Haven, Fla., collapsed during Hurricane Michael. She lost everything. She came looking for help. After a day of being turned away from one agency after another, she was beyond exhausted. Saying she was feeling down would be an understatement.

Filled with compassion and the love of Jesus, Team LIA went into action. Dan sat down and talked with her. He told her not to worry, God was in control and will take care of her. He told Martha and me her situation. All she had left from her personal belongings were there clothes she was wearing and one or two more clothing outfits.

After Debi and Lisa prayed with her and gave her a good meal, Dan, Martha and I took her to suite 6 so she could pick out some clothes for herself and her child. We helped her with hygiene items and food. I asked her if she had a Bible. She said the storm took that, too. As she started to explain what kind of Bible she had and how much she enjoyed it, I showed her three different Bibles. Her eyes lit up when she saw a study Bible. She said, "Can I have that one?" While it wasn't the same Bible she lost, it was close, and she was so excited and thankful.

We saw Psalm 30:5 happen last night. "weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." This sweet woman limped in dejected and in tears. She left smiling and thanking Jesus with tears of joy streaming down her face. She left with hope, a hope that what Dan said was really true, "God is in control," and He will take care of her."

We are blessed to do this throughout each week for our homeless and needy friends living in Dothan, so why am I writing about this particular act of compassion. It's to bring glory to Jesus and to encourage you with another great example of what can happen when you let the love of Jesus flow through you. Our region needs more and more of these types of acts of compassion. I pray this column encourages more people to be instruments of God's love, mercy and grace to our hurting neighbors.

Tens of thousands of people are hurting throughout the tri-state region because of the devastation Hurricane Michael left behind. I see so many people helping one another, and I want to encourage you to continue. Your love and help really makes a difference. No, we can't give a person the money to rebuild their house and fill it with food, clothing, and furniture. But, we can give them hope they are not alone and forgotten.

As the rest of the country moves on, unaffected by the storm, our neighbors will continue in their struggle to recover. Let's continue helping them to persevere through acts of compassion. In the weeks and months to come, take time to pray with the hurting, help them where you can, join in the many efforts to help provide for their physical needs. Most of all, let the love of Jesus shine through you. Your acts of compassion will make more of a difference than you know.

Beautiful worship in Myanmar

Worshiping Jesus at Harvest Church-Myanmar

We experienced such beautiful worship today with our brothers and sisters in Myanmar. They truly love Jesus with all that’s within them and it shows in their worship.

This morning we were at Harvest Church-Myanmar, our home church in this beautiful country. With a mixture of praise and worship songs in Burmese and English, we worshiped our God. We lifted up a sacrifice of praise to God with a guitar and a keyboard, along with 100 or so beautiful voices.

There was such a beautiful, sweet and powerful presence of God during worship. God was in the house meeting the needs of His people. It was awesome, one of the most beautiful times of worship I’ve ever experienced.

The children sang a special song, and it was so sweet. The Grace Theological College (GTC) students also sang a special song. They have beautiful voices.

Martha shared her testimony and a great word of encouragement for our brothers and sisters. Then I preached about God’s Grace. I pray it encouraged our brothers and sisters here to ask God for more grace through every struggle and every situation they face. It’s not easy being a Christian in Myanmar, but God’s grace is sufficient.

This afternoon we drove about an hour to a very impoverished village to worship and share God’s Word. We didn’t take any pictures of the people there for their safety. Talk about using what you have to worship God. In this bamboo hut house church they had a guitar player and a drummer. The drummer was one of the pastor’s sons, probably around 8 years old. His drum set was the floor and a metal pan for a cymbal. That little guy blessed me so much. He was very good and kept the beat perfectly.

Most of those in attendance were regular church members. However, one older woman decided to give her life to Jesus. Praise God! Our God is saving souls all around the world.

Worshiping in Third World nations reminds me that we do not need a “light show” to worship God. We just need to come to Him with a pure heart and offer to Him a sacrifice of praise. I believe that pleases God and causes Him to smile upon His people.

Click on the following link to view a photo album from today’s worship service, https://tinyurl.com/ya9pj4db

60 decisions for Jesus today in Myanmar

A man sings from a song book, and people respond

to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

How do you properly put into words seeing around 60 previously unreached people come to Jesus in one day? I know I’m supposed to be a wordsmith, but God often leaves me speechless and wordless. God and everything He does is truly indescribable. He is so awesome.

Martha and I shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ today in two rural villages here in Myanmar. These unreached people are just some of the 40 million-plus, or 85 percent of the population in Myanmar, who have not heard the Good News about Jesus. Seeing their response to the Gospel is amazing. The Gospel of Jesus truly transcends all cultures, and that shouldn’t come as a surprise as Jesus died for everyone in the world, and came back to life to give everyone who believes eternal life.

There was this one man, probably around my age, who I knew was going to come to Jesus today. How did I know? I could see the Holy Spirit drawing him to Jesus from the moment we locked eyes and said hello. Martha knew it, too. Before I asked people if they wanted to surrender to the lordship of Jesus Christ he was already shaking his head “yes.” He, like the others, have a hunger for Jesus.

We saw many older people give their lives to Jesus today. There were also a number of children. I’m not sure if all of them knew what was going on, but who am I to say they didn’t? Martha gave her life to Jesus when she was 7 years old and knew exactly what she was doing. The children captured our hearts as they always do. I will write more about them in another blog entry.

We met in two house churches in two very impoverished villages. These houses were made out of bamboo poles and bamboo mesh. But, I’m convinced the most powerful services in the world happen in bamboo huts with the poorest of the poor. No lights and fancy instruments. No comfortable chairs or air conditioner. It’s the simplicity of the Gospel in action. We can learn a great deal from our brothers and sisters in Third World countries like Myanmar.

We were also blessed with being able to provide a delicious lunch of chicken biryani to about 100 people today. They never eat chicken biryani, because it’s too expensive. Praise God, they ate it today.

We love the people of Myanmar. Most importantly of all, God loves them, and they are finding that out now.

Click on the following link for a photo album from today’s outreaches. I have to warn you, though. The children will steal your hearts. https://www.flickr.com/photos/loveinaction/albums/72157696513163330

There are many beautiful and precious children in Myanmar.

I love sharing Jesus with the unreached.

10 decisions for Jesus in Buddhist village

People respond to the Gospel of Jesus in photo above.

Martha shares the “Creation to Christ” story in second photo.

Proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ among unreached people groups is a great passion of mine and Martha. It’s because Jesus commands us to live out the Great Commission. His words to, “Go and make disciples of all nations (people groups),” is ingrained in our hearts.

Today we were blessed with another opportunity to tell an unreached people group about Jesus, this time in a Buddhist village in Myanmar. The majority of people in Myanmar are unreached with the Gospel. In fact, more than 85 percent of the people have not heard the Gospel.

There are about 1,000 households in the village we visited today, but only a handful of the people are Christian. Today, God added to that number.

Martha and I shared the “Creation to Christ” story with 30 people today, and when we were finished 10 people decided to give their lives to Jesus. Praise God! We could see the Holy Spirit moving on the people and drawing them to Jesus as we shared. The looks on their faces showed a hunger for truth and realizing they were hearing the truth about the one true God and His Son Jesus Christ.

As we prayed to confess Jesus as Lord and Savior, Martha and I were filled with amazement. God’s message of love and forgiveness translates into any language, and it’s because Jesus died and rose again for everyone in the world. Love translates into every language.

After we prayed, there were smiles everywhere, and in Heaven there was a big celebration as we know, “there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:10)

We explained baptism to them and encouraged them to be baptized, and we encouraged them to learn the Bible and become a disciple/follower of Jesus. There is a pastor there who can train them.

I told the people that Martha and I hope to come back to their village and visit them, but if not we will see each other again in Heaven. We will have a grand reunion there and worship Jesus together for eternity.

Click on this link for a photo album from today’s outreach, https://www.flickr.com/photos/loveinaction/albums/72157674409891638

Ken shares the “Creation to Christ” story as Pastor Mang translates.

Discipleship training completed in Myanmar

Students teach each other T4T during our final day

of the three-day seminar.

Our third and final day of discipleship training in Myanmar is complete, and it was an exciting day. There’s not much more inspiring to me than seeing 60 people excited about fulfilling the Great Commission in their lives.

One of the most important parts of T4T is giving time for those we are training to teach each other and make sure they are doing it correctly. After two days of Martha and me teaching, we let the students teach. They divided into groups of 2, 3 and 4 and took turns teaching each other.

It was thrilling to watch them teach. Their excitement filled the room. Pastors Mang, Siang and Eng walked around the room making sure the students were teaching correctly. Martha and I observed with them and they interpreted for us.

Afterward we had a Q&A session, and that was fun. They asked excellent questions that were really challenging. When all was said and done, the students, pastors and missionaries were ready to go out and live the Great Commission like never before, and so were we. God tells us in Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” We were all sharpened these past three days.

During the afternoon session, Martha and I shared and taught the “Creation to Christ” story. This is an awesome evangelistic tool, and especially in a country where 85 percent of the population has never heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

One of the students asked during the first day of the seminar how to reach people who have never heard of the Gospel. I told him to hold on and we will show them all through the Creation to Christ story.  It gives the listener a solid foundation of who God is, why He sent Jesus, and how they can reconnect  with God through Jesus and have eternal life. They were also very excited to receive this teaching.

Please pray for these 60 individuals as they take what they have learned and do what Jesus says in the Great Commission ... “Go, and make disciples of all nations.”

Pastors Siang, Eng, and Mang observe the students teaching each other T4T.

Powerful Testimonies on Day 2 of T4T

Martha teaching T4T in the top photo with Pastor Mang interpreting.

A young Myanmar woman shares her testimony in the second photo.

When her mother remarried, she and her mother converted to Buddhism. They lived what seemed to be a good life. They had plenty of money. In fact, they were the second wealthiest family in their village. But that didn’t satisfy her soul.

She met a Christian woman, who was one of her teachers in school. The teacher shared Jesus with her. She didn’t want to leave the money and lifestyle her Buddhist stepfather had given her, but something was still not right. She didn’t have peace.

When she decided to give her life to Jesus, things changed. The riches of the world no longer mattered. Jesus had forgiven her and filled her heart and mind with His peace. Today, she is pursuing her calling by attending Grace Theological College in Myanmar.

Our testimonies are a powerful way to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others. That’s why it is an important part of Training for Trainers (T4T). When we completed Day 1 of our T4T seminar yesterday, I gave those in attendance some “Hiswork” (instead of homework). They were to write out their testimonies and some would share their stories on Day 2.

The Apostle Paul gave us a great blueprint on how to share our testimony in Acts 26:4-23. Paul stood before King Agrippa and shared his testimony. He broke it up into three parts - Life before Christ, how and when he came to follow Christ, and how his life changed as a result of following Christ.

This is how Martha and I share our testimonies and how we teach it in T4T. This is one of my favorite parts of T4T, because I get to learn how Jesus transformed people’s lives, like the young woman I wrote about above.

Transformation is the key. If our lives have not been transformed by Jesus Christ, if there isn’t a change, then we need to go back to the beginning and call out to Jesus and truly surrender to His lordship in every area of our lives.

Sharing testimonies is also good in getting people out of their comfort zones. Most people are nervous about speaking in front of others and talking about Jesus. This gives them the opportunity to do it and see that they can because of the power of the Holy Spirit living inside of every follower of Jesus.

Not everyone’s testimony is as dramatic as Paul’s. And, not everyone lived a wild and crazy life before surrendering to Jesus. That leads some people to think they don’t really have a testimony, because they never did anything really “bad.”

Nothing could be further from the truth. Paul writes in Romans 3:23 that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. All of us ... everyone of us ... have sinned. Whether we lived a so-called good or bad life before surrendering our lives to Jesus, we were all bound for Hell. What could be more exciting than a soul being saved and an eternal destination changed to Heaven? Nothing! So, nobody has a “boring testimony.”

Our Myanmar brothers and sisters understand that. Not all of them grew up in Buddhist homes. Some were raised by Christian parents. However, they knew they needed to trust in Jesus as savior and Lord to inherit everlasting life with Him.

We all have a testimony. I encourage you to write your story on a piece of paper or on your computer. Make sure you have the three different parts, and then share it with others. God will use your testimony to touch lives for Him.

In addition to the testimonies, we completed Lesson 2 today.

Click on this link for photos from Day 2 of our T4T seminar, https://tinyurl.com/ybet9jho

A young Myanmar man shares his testimony in the top photo.

Ken teaches T4T as Pastor Mang interprets.

T4T Seminar in Myanmar off to a Great Start

Pastor Mang interprets as I teach T4T in Myanmar. In the top photo, a young
woman answers questions during the teaching of Lesson 1.

A young man stood up and asked, “Are there special or elect people who are to carry out the Great Commission?” The  young Myanmar man’s question is a common one. Or, it’s at least a common question people ask themselves, but he was brave enough to ask. My answer was, the Great Commission is for all followers of Jesus. If you are a believer, a follower of Christ, then you are to carry out, live out, the Great Commission.

His question came as we started the first day of our Training For Trainers (T4T) Seminar here in Myanmar. It was a great first day as we completed Lesson 1 of the six lesson course with 60 people in attendance.. It’s a joy to teach T4T with my beautiful bride. Martha did a great job teaching today as she always does.

The president of Grace Theological College (GTC), Pastor Mang, interpreted for us. Not every English word translates into Burmese, but Pastor Mang did an incredible job translating and keeping the seminar going very smoothly.

Those in attendance were GTC students, former GTC students, and indigenous pastors and missionaries. They were very attentive and took notes and highlighted scripture in their Bibles as is required in T4T. I asked several times if what we were teaching made sense, and they said they understood.what we were teaching. When asked if they think they could start teaching T4T to someone, they said yes. Praise God! That’s the goal of T4T, to teach/train believers to become disciples of Jesus and to teach them how to train others. It’s all about making disciples who make disciples.

The students have some “Hiswork,”instead of. homework, to do tonight.  A very important part of carrying out the Great Commission is being able to tell your testimony, so tonight, they will write out their testimony and we will go over some of them tomorrow. 

Please continue to pray for us and the students. We believe a lot of fruit will come from this seminar like it did in India back in April.

Pastor Mang interprets for Martha as she teaches T4T.

A young man reads scripture during T4T seminar in Myanmar.

Precious orphans in Myanmar

We were blessed to present the orphans in Myanmar, who  Love In Action sponsors,
with beautiful handmade quilts. Thank you Linda West of Harvest Church-Dothan
for making these quilts.

Martha and I had the privilege of visiting the orphans today in Yangon, Myanmar, who Love In Action sponsors. Oh, they are so precious, smart and talented.

Pastor Siang and his wife already had two children of their own when they took in 11 orphans. Their hearts just went out to the children and they couldn’t stand the thought of the children growing up on the streets, so they took them in. When they did, Pastor Siang explained it all to me.  I told him Love In Action would help as much as we can. It hasn’t been easy, but we’ve been able to provide support. We still need individual sponsors, though. It’s only $30 a month to sponsor one child.

Imagine taking on the task of raising 13 children and providing for their needs. Our brothers and sisters in Yangon are not wealthy people. In fact, they are extremely poor. So, opening an orphanage was a big step of faith.

Martha and I thoroughly enjoyed today. The children sang several songs for us. One of them can be viewed on our YouTube page by clicking here, https://youtu.be/zJvUVogqyJQ

We are so impressed with the children and how Pastor Siang and his wife are taking care of them. It’s easy to see the children are well loved and know they are by how they act. There is laughter and joy in their voices and on their faces. They are very polite and help do chores around the house.

We are praying for more help in sponsoring the children. Just $30 a month is a very inexpensive investment in the life of an orphan. We are also praying to provide money to hire a helper. Could you imagine cooking, washing clothes and cleaning daily for 13 children? For only $65 a month we can hire a helper. That would be a huge blessing.

You can mail your tax-deductible donations to: Love In Action, PO Box 85, Dothan, AL 36302. You may also give securely via PayPal through our website, by clicking on this link, https://loveinactionministries.com/donate

Pastor Siang also asked us to help them come up with a name for the orphanage. Please help us pray for the right name, and if you have any suggestions please let us know.

We want to give a very special thank you to Linda West, who attends Harvest Church in Dothan, Alabama. God touched Linda’s heart to make each orphan a guilt. Such a beautiful gesture of love. The children loved the guilts, and they were perfect for them. They were so excited. We also want to say a special thank you to Jim and Keitha Lanley, who purchased to large totes for us to bring the quilts in from the US. It’s great what the Body of Christ can do when we work together.

We were also blessed to be able to give the orphanage a new HP laptop. This will be.a great tool in helping with the children’s education.

Please pray for these precious children, and please help us financially. God tells us in James 1:27, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction ...”

You can view more photos of these precious children on our Flickr site by clicking on this link, https://flickr.com/photos/74412547@N03/sets/72157698968001232

You can also view a video of the children singing, “Lord I Lift Your Name on High,” by clicking on this link, https://youtu.be/zJvUVogqyJQ

A Sweet Welcome to Myanmar

Our Myanmar family gave us a very sweet welcome

last night at the Yangon airport.

Martha and I arrived safely in Yangon, Myanmar, around 10 p.m. Myanmar Time last night. The welcome awaiting us made the 28-hour trip worth it. Our indigenous brothers and sisters were waiting for us with hugs, smiles, handshakes and flowers. Ah, it is so good to see our Myanmar family. It’s been too long, almost five years.

They took us to our hotel where we got a good night’s sleep. We’ve already gotten up and eaten breakfast. We will rest a little more this morning before getting started on the day. We like to rest up on our first day in Asia to recover from the trip and then hit it hard for the rest of our time here.

This afternoon we will visit the orphans we sponsor. We will spend time with them, pray over them, and present them with beautiful handmade quilts that Linda West from Harvest Church-Dothan made for them. We will also eat dinner with the children this evening.

The three-day seminar on “Making Disciples Who Make Disciples” will begin tomorrow morning.

We pray all of our family and friends back home rest well. Thank you all for your prayers. God bless you all more.