Enough

“There just isn’t enough ___________”.  I think the Enemy likes to keep us focused on scarcity in our lives, whether real or imagined.  If we are preoccupied thinking about how little we have, we will miss opportunities to be radically generous with what we do have.   Maybe you have been feeling short on money, opportunities, energy or encouragement this Christmas season. Our family has been feeling pinched for time, lately.  Maybe feeling impossibly squeezed would be a better description of how we were feeling a few weeks ago. Simplicity and leading out of rest are some of our major family values, but even operating from what we thought were bare-bones expectations was stressing us out. There were just not enough hours in the day to do what we felt we needed to be doing and still set some aside to recharge emotionally.  We just couldn't find enough time to get awesome lessons planned for each day; not enough time to meet all our kids’ physical needs (how many days has Annora been sporting that blue marker on her face?) let alone their emotional needs; not enough time to exercise properly or cook grain-free meals etc., etc. 

As Dave and I were praying together last week Dave said something profound. It was game-changing for us, and stilled our striving immediately. God gives us everything we need to do everything he has called us to do. If we feel like there isn’t enough of something, we’re probably doing more than he is asking us to do. [ 2 Peter 1:3]. This doesn't mean God won't call us to do something that's beyond our ability. When we rely on God and call on his Name, he'll give us what is needed, though it is beyond our mere ability. This is not done by our own power, but by God's. Next time the Enemy tries to stress you with scarcity, reject his attempt at distraction. Know what God has called you to do and then obey God with the resources God has provided for you. 

I (Jenn) was able to model this for the 8th grade students by taking a day out of our packed unit schedule to have a surprise "recharge day" on the day before their yearly musical performance.  I would have liked to cover more material, but one of our main objectives here is to encourage and equip the students and these TCKs were in need of some encouragement. The "recharge day" was a big hit and I could watch their stress slip away for 45 minutes. The entire middle school cast went on do an amazing job that weekend putting on Beauty and the Beast, Jr. Next unit we will be working on developing personal purpose statements. I am really excited to share with you what they come up with! 

 

Taught to teach or teach to be taught?

I (Jenn) think that sometimes God asks us to teach the things we need to learn. I've heard another missionary here in Hungary say that, "God doesn't call the most holy to the mission field, only those that have the most stubborn hearts and require the most extreme circumstances to become pliable.". For my part, I couldn't agree more.

As my 8th grade health class has been working it's way through this last unit, Dealing with Stress and Grief, I have been reminding myself as much as I have been teaching the students how to manage their time to prevent stress, "Recharge" to decrease stress, grieve the losses involved with living the TCK life, being familiar with patterns of life transition and expressing their emotions in a healthy, respectful way.

In developing this unit I pulled from the materials we collected during the two years of preparation we had before coming to Hungary. Many of the materials I used are part of WorldVenture and the Association of Christian Schools International training programs, but I was also able to pull from my personal transition experience which is still underway.  As I cried my way through the lesson on grieving the losses involved in life change, I spoke the words I needed to hear most about the nearness of God to those who weep. It is true that God often teaches us so that we can in turn teach others, but it is also true that sometimes God asks us to teach others so that we can  understand what he has been doing in us.

Thankfully, I am not the only one learning life lessons in the Health classroom. One student left my classroom in tears during the lesson on stress management and returned later to thank me for teaching on that subject because it was just what she needed.  In between the lessons on grief and life transitions I was told that one of our students will be moving back to her passport country after 11 years in Hungary.   When I collected the writing assignment on addressing unresolved grief, I found that near half the class had turned in a blank sheet of paper because the feelings they had uncovered were too personal to share. Some of the students simply wrote, "thank you" instead.

That's what I want to write too.  Thank you. Thank you Lord for teaching us all so patiently and for teaching us so that we can give these TCKs the tools they need to navigate life successfully. Thank you, friends, for teaming up to pray for us and support us financially so that we can all impact eternity.

His and Her Classrooms

And We're Off! 

A new school year begins at ICSB 

Dave's Classroom ready for students!

Dave began his career at ICSB this week with 6th grade keyboarding, 7th grade Ancient World History and 8th grade Medieval World History.  He has 66 students from 11 countries including Hungary (30%), the U.S.A. (40%), Korea, China, Albania, Canada, Bulgaria, Italy, Russia, Sweden and Finland. Many of these students (20 %) are ELL, or English Language Learners. Whew!  While the lesson planning for such a diverse class has been daunting, Dave is off to a great start.  He has already heard from some of the parents that their students are excited about history for the first time.  He also has his homeroom class, one section of the eighth grade, for devotions every morning.  We are very excited to begin the school year, begin building relationships with these students and take our first steps in the role God called us to several years ago. 

Introducing Mrs. Kelley

Do you remember when Jenn wrote an update about how God has specifically called her to foreign missions?  (If you don't you can find the link to the post at the end of the e-mail.) Several months ago she shared some of the things God had been doing in her heart regarding future ministry opportunities.  She ventured to suggest that teaching a health class may be in her future.  We had no idea when she wrote that post, or when we arrived in Hungary, or even when Dave started back at school that this opportunity would be coming our way this term!  There was a need for an 8th grade health teacher and with Jenn's experience and education as an RD she was a perfect fit. She couldn't be more excited about the content of the course, working with the students or working with such a handsome colleague. (She means Dave.  He is the 8th grade social studies teacher in case you forgot...)

Annora and Allister at the Ovoda

The course meets just twice a week for 45 minutes each class.  The older kids will be able to spend the day at the Ovoda (sort of like a Hungarian preschool) on those days and Anna will nap at a friend's house.  This allows Jenn to engage our students in a structured way without loss to our family.  The house may not be as clean, but we are
focusing on the eternal things. We are giving thanks and glory to God for providing the resources necessary to step into this role before he placed the desire in Jenn's heart, for changing Jenn's heart about teaching before there was a need and for his timing in introducing the need.  We serve a good God who leaves his fingerprints in the details                                                           of our lives if we will but watch for them.

Click here to check out the blog Jenn wrote about herself titled "More than an Accompanying Spice."

Working Through Spaghetti-Squash Brain

What is it about moving that makes you feel so tired? Aside from all the physical labor involved in packing up house and relocating, what makes your brain feel  like an overcooked spaghetti squash? In part the mental fatigue of moving is due to our inability to do as much on “autopilot”.  When you move to a new place, you can’t drive home, pay a bill, or get groceries without thinking through every step.  In moving to a new country we've been dealing with these changes and more. Let’s take grocery shopping for instance.

In Cheyenne grocery shopping was as simple as driving to the grocery store once per week, buying my usual brands of the items on my list, waiting and paying at the checkout and pushing my cart full of bagged groceries back to my car, driving it home and stocking the fridge and cabinets.


In Budapest grocery shopping requires writing the meal plan based on what we know to be available and what size of pan will fit in our “fun size” oven. (Thank you 4 yr. old Annora for adding scale to our pictures.) Then we need to collect the grocery buggy and head to the bus stop.  After a 20 minute ride to the grocery store nearby we need to carefully walk up and down every aisle often checking each variety of an item and consulting a dictionary to make sure we are in fact buying wheat flour and not laundry starch.  When buying produce we must use a computerized program (in Hungarian) to print labels for each fruit or vegetable. At the Checkout we have to follow the rules regarding emptying the cart, count out Hungarian forints and quickly bag our own groceries in bags we brought from home.  Loaded grocery buggy in hand we take the bus home.  The whole trip takes about two hours. We also need to make three or more 30 minute trips through the open vegetable market during the week because our fridge is small and produce will spoil quickly if left out. 

Hopefully this example gives you an idea of the scope and magnitude of the challenge we face crossing cultures.  Each day challenges our assumptions about how life should work. Just as we have shared our journey up to this point – with all the ups and downs – we want to continue giving you an inside look at the cross-cultural life of ministry through our eyes. We are so glad we are here and love learning all the ins and outs of living in the country God has called us to– even if we have to bag our own groceries.

The Month in Review!
We have been in Hungary for 6 weeks.   The first week we spent overcoming jetlag and unpacking our trunks into our duplex. The second and third weeks were largely spent making careful purchases for our new home and learning how to navigate the public transportation system.  It was also the third week the kids started óvoda (like a Hungarian preschool) and we discovered tejföl does not mean yogurt like we thought! (It is sour cream and we ate it on our granola for a week thinking, “wow this yogurt tastes like sour cream!” If it looks like a duck… We blame it on culture shock.) During weeks four through six, we have battled the flu and have been attending language school. Week five we are all healthy and have finally figured out when to put out the recycling.  We will finish language school this week and are excited for Dave to begin at ICSB on August 14^th and students to arrive August 27^th.

Devotional

Below is a devotional sent to us by our sending agency, WorldVenture. I thought it was so well said, I decided to post it on our blog for others to benefit from as well. Jenn and I are beginning to comprehend this type of life as we watched God do the impossible when we, and so many of you, decided to ask in prayer!

Enjoy.

Dear Mission Family,

One of the implications of living in the shadow of the cross is understanding what it means to pray, think and live supernaturally.  I believe it is the heart of sanctification.  We are to live by the power of the Spirit of God.  But how easy it is for us to forget.

A good friend met with me recently and announced that he is a genuine apostate.  He has left the faith.  This friend has a dramatic conversion story, many examples of powerful Spirit work in and through him, and he is a seminary grad and former pastor.  But he has tossed it all aside believing now that present reality is the only thing that ensures peace in this life.  The supernatural, including an inerrant Word of God, Jesus as the Son of God and even the hope of eternity for him is gone. 

I wonder if my friend doesn't actually reflect my own challenge of trying to live my life apart from faith in the supernatural.  For my friend, it is now intentional; for me it is simply that it comes unSpiritually natural. 

Kind of like the disciples when the 5,000 men and more were listening to the Master.  "Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here." 

That was an excellent response to a very real problem.  The disciples might even have had some concern for the crowd and were giving a very reasonable solution.  Jesus could have agreed with their plan and dismissed the crowd.  However, that solution would not have taught them to live supernaturally.  And so Jesus replies, "YOU give them something to eat."  Immediately they were forced into the realm of the supernatural.  Using the best language of my Missouri roots we would say, "Ain't no way no how!"  True, but it IS the way to live, think and pray.  Jesus encourages us to operate in the realm of the supernatural.

I wonder how often I roll through my day not even thinking about what God might want to do through me that is impossible without his intervention.  Perhaps I've developed a habit of measuring every challenge by my capacity rather than by God's.  Perhaps I've even applied that to the capacity of my WorldVenture department or our WorldVenture impact in the world.  "Oh, we can't do that.  We don't have enough..." you fill in the blank.  And so there it lies, dead in the human capacity pool because we fail to pray supernaturally.  We don't even give God a chance to say no!

I think it was Martin Luther who once said, "I've got so much to do today it will take two hours of prayer to get it all done."  There was a man who understood the difference between personal or organizational capacity and supernatural prayer.  Would you care to try it on for size this month?  Actually, it never fits; you don't have the capacity!  But why not test this supernatural God with some supernatural prayer?  Reopen that "ain't no way no how" folder and see if your prayer can match your God.  And don't forget to act if God whispers back, "YOU give them something to eat!"

Doug Hazen

Regional Mission Director

Northwest Regional Connections

Clearance!

Friends, we are so excited to tell you that we have received clearance from WorldVenture headquarters to leave for Hungary! We will keep this update brief because we are up to our eyeballs in packing, sorting, organizing, phone calls and cleaning in addition to attempting to maintain some semblance of sanity.

Let us share just a few of the amazing ways God has been working during the past month to make our departure possible:

Week 1: Three families that has previously told us they would not become financial partners contacted us to tell us God has instructed them to join our support team and wanted to know how to do so!

Week 2: Two students of Dave's, one from his time at Wheatland Bible Church and one from Laramie County Community College joined our financial team for a huge boost in our monthly support!

Week 3: A group of three sisters prayed about giving, pooled all their money, including their cherished $2.00 bill, and told their parents they wanted to send it in to WorldVenture so that "The Kelleys can help the hungries".

Week 4: Wheatland Bible Church prayed during their Sunday morning prayer time that we would have the funds needed for clearance to leave for Hungary and within 24 hours we did!

The ways in which God has been providing for this coming term in Hungary keep surprising and delighting us. He has written us a beautiful love letter composed of the last several weeks. We couldn't begin to share all the stories of faith and generosity in one update, but we did want to share just a few and give our gracious Master all the credit. We are so honored to be on this faith-journey with all of you and pray you are encouraged.

We are still in need of more people to give financially on a regular/monthly basis in order to reach full support.  If becoming a monthly financial partner is something God has laid on your heart, please do so. You can sign up online on WorldVenture's website. Please contact us if you have any questions.

We will be leaving for Hungary June 24th! We will be making stops at four churches along the Front Range leading up to our departure. We would love to see you before we leave, unfortunately we will not be able to meet with everyone.  If you would like to join these congregations in commissioning our family to the mission field, please consider attending one of the following services. 

May 26th - 10:30 at Christ Center Community Church in Fort Collins,CO
June 2nd  -   9:30 at Calvary Evangelical Free Church in Broomfield, CO
June 9th   - 10:45 at Wheatland Bible Church in Wheatland, WY
June 16th -   9:00am , 11:00am and 6:00 pm at Element Church in Cheyenne, WY

We hope to see you there!

More Than the Accompanying Spice

(Plus a quick financial update at the end)

The Call

I can remember the moment I felt God begin to call me to foreign missions.  It was the summer between my junior and senior year of high school. It was a tugging I couldn't ignore.  After four short-term trips to Mexico I knew it was time for the next step.  A year later I stepped off a plane to begin a summer-long internship with a missionary family in eastern Asia.  Shadowing and participating in the day-to-day activities of missionaries was eye opening and challenging.  It wasn't all romance and adventure. It was hard and it was lonely. God spoke to my heart in eastern Asia and made it clear that he was asking me to serve him in full-time, foreign missions.  I said yes, though I did mourn what I thought would be the sacrifice of a husband and family. There are not a lot of eligible bachelors on the mission field.  Just saying "I'm planning to work as a missionary after I graduate" generally clears the vicinity of any would-be wooers. Has anyone else noticed this? Just me? Well anyway, I was committed and I planned to head overseas after finishing my food science and human nutrition degree at Colorado State University.

Obviously God had other plans on the family front and I am thankful he did.

 I met Dave on my last short-term trip to Mexico and besides his good looks, I was drawn to him by his shared burden to reach the up and coming generations for Christ.  We are both passionate about life mentoring.  I'll define life mentoring as being involved in the everyday activities of students with the intention of guiding them to become all God designed them to be while modeling an authentic life of faith. God picked out a wise, dedicated and selfless man to be my husband, leader and partner in ministry.  I'm so grateful I get to be his wife and serve on the foreign field next to him, but even if God hadn't brought Dave, I would still be going.

My Role

I am more than the accompanying spice to Dave's classroom ministry. While my goals on the home front are also to encourage and equip believing students, live the gospel for all to see and support the missionaries, these goals take slightly different shape for me. First, we have our own little third-culture kids (TCKs) to equip and encourage towards a Christ-centered adulthood.  If I (we) neglect them and their discipleship, our ministry to other TCKs falls flat like a chubby toddler in the Wyoming wind. Second, by serving our own TCKs we model to our students what a Jesus-following family looks like.  Sometimes it isn't pretty, but we do have Christ and the gospel makes a difference in how we live. The way our family does life also impacts the missionary community around us and it is my goal to be an encouraging, loving, helpful co-laborer.

Better Together

Watching Dave as a father and husband as well as their teacher gives Dave important credibility with his students, makes him more approachable and paves the way for meaningful conversations about life and faith. Dave is more effective in the classroom because we serve as a unit with complementary roles. Not to mention the fact that it will be easier for Dave to make a difference in the lives of our students if he has clean-ish clothes, is fed and is the beneficiary of what I generally call "domestic support." When not being about the business of  nurturing our young kids and keeping our household running proficiently, if not smoothly, I plan to engage with our students by supporting them at extracurricular events, helping out in the classroom, opening up our home to them as family life allows, and eventually facilitating small groups for girls. Who knows? A nutrition, science or health course might even be in my future!

Clearing A Major Hurdle

By the way, did you hear that we are 91% funded?! God is moving in incredible ways and he keeps taking us by surprise. We can now begin the process of securing tickets to Hungary! However, we will not be cleared to actually board the plane and leave the U.S.A. until we are 100% funded.  Please join us in continuing to pray towards the remaining 8.76% of our funding.  Considering  a monthly pledge or lump sum financial gift to further our ministry to TCKs? Follow this link to sign up!

A Point of Urgency: Why We Must be in Hungary This Fall

With only 60 days until our target departure date to Hungary, Jenn and I have pressed into the heart of God in prayer and, we have been filled with an ever-increasing God-given confidence that we will soon be in Hungary. Jenn and I know we were uniquely created for such a time as this!

I am a TCK

I am well suited for the task of ministering to third–culture kids (TCKs) because I am a TCK. I lived in Latin America during my junior-high and early high-school years. The experience molded me in both positive and negative ways.

The Good

Positively, I made life-long friends while I was overseas. My kids call one such friend Uncle, and I am proud to call him brother. I also see the world differently than most people who have never lived the TCK life. When I hear of events taking place, I am able to see many facets of the issue because I know how to empathize with people on every side. I can differentiate between that which is simply different and that which is truly a matter of right and wrong.

The Bad

Negatively, I, as a natural introvert, learned to isolate myself rather than face the emotional pain of saying goodbye. I learned goodbyes were not as painful if I did not get as attached. This also led to an increased difficulty in expressing my emotions...at all! Thankfully, I have learned – and am still learning – how to overcome these negatives through the power of Christ so only the positives remain.

The Redeemed

My experiences as a TCK uniquely prepare me to minister to these students. I understand first-hand the joys and challenges of living the TCK life because of my experiences. With over 20 different nationalities represented at ICSB, I will be able to use my cross-cultural skills to effectively communicate with the diverse student population. These skills will make me a more effective mentor and teacher.

A Passion for Teens

Jenn and I have been called to minister to TCKs. We have such a passion for reaching the next generation for Christ that our family mission statement and the missionaries we personally support financially have to do with reaching the upcoming generation for Christ. We also have extensive experience mentoring and discipling youth through campus ministries, Bible camps, and youth groups.

I Love Curriculum Design!

The delays Jenn and I faced in going to Hungary have allowed me to gain valuable experience as a teacher at a local community college. My confidence as a teacher has increased, working with a variety of students. My skill as a teacher has also increased teaching science-based content and developing hands-on activities that social-studies teachers typically do not have the opportunity to teach. Lastly, redeveloping the curriculum for three courses, has shown me I love curriculum development. I also discovered I am good at it, having been evaluated by the National Science Foundation!

A Point of Urgency

Jenn and I have reached a point of urgency! My experience at the college has uniquely prepared me to serve at ICSB this fall. The school will be reviewing their entire K-12 social-studies curriculum, and I love doing this work! I am good at this work. I need to be there in the fall to help the school complete this work.

For Such a Time as This!

Jenn and I have intensified our praying about Hungary over the past several months. The more we pray, the more certain we become that the time is now. We are confident we need to make it to Hungary this summer so we are there in time for the K-12 social-studies curriculum review.

A Call to Action

The only thing preventing us from going to Hungary this summer  is money. We are currently just shy of 70% funded. We know God has called some of you to partner in ministry to TCKs. Please prayerfully consider financially partnering with us in this important work. The time to act is now. We cannot move forward without you!

Send: Debunking the Top Five Myths About Missions

We talk to people about missions quite a bit. A lot in fact. We've come across several common misconceptions about missions and the money that missionaries live off of. We will now set the record straight on the top five myths of missions.

Myth #1: Missionaries are primarily supported by churches.

Once upon a time, this was a true statement. In the 1920s, American churches gave a minimum of 10% to foreign missions and spent more money on top of that for local ministry. According to Christianity Today, less than 3% of the funds collected by churches in America today goes to any outreach to unbelievers at all! In fact, only 0.1% (yes, that is one tenth of one percent) of all Christian income goes to global missions according to the Status of Global Missions Report in 2005. Sadly, according to a 2004 George Barna survey, only 15% of churches even consider missions to be a priority for their church!


Our supporting churches make up 8% of our total budget needs to serve TCKs in Hungary. We have found many churches are drastically cutting back on missionary funding and some are eliminating giving to missions altogether.

Myth #2: God only wants me to give cheerfully, so if I can't give cheerfully, I should not give.

Some Christians are quick to quote 2 Corinthians 9:7 to defend their lack of giving. God does love a cheerful giver, but we cannot ignore the commands in Scripture to financially give to missionaries. God has decreed missionaries be supported financially by all believers:

• Paul and Jesus considered God's command to the Israelites to be about missionaries and other full-time ministers. To not give is to rob God and the missionary! (Deuteronomy 24:15, 25:4; Malachi 3:8; Luke 10:7; 1 Corinthians 9:4-14)
• Jesus set the precedent. Jesus' living expenses were paid by others "out of their private means" (Luke 8:1-3).
• Paul "robbed other churches" to serve others on his missionary journeys (2 Corinthians 11:8-9). Paul also included financial appeals to cover his living and travel expenses in his letters (Philippians 4:10-19)!

Paul expressed the need for those who support missions in Romans 10:13-15. It is God's desire that the world calls upon the name of the LORD to be saved, but they cannot do so unless individuals financially send someone to share the gospel!

Joy is the result of obedience, not the condition upon which we should obey. Jesus told the disciples that their joy would be complete after they chose to abide in his love by obeying his commands (John 15:10-14). In fact, Scripture tells us that joy comes as a result of making sacrifices, not before (James 1:2; Hebrews 12:2). Francis Chan said it this way, "There is greater joy in sacrifice than when we give just out of our excess."

Everyone who considers him or herself to be a Christian is commanded to give to missions (foreign and domestic). The question is not if a Christian should support missionaries, but which missionaries are God calling you to support with your finances.

Myth #3: I can't afford to support missionaries.

Most Christians believe this to be true if their giving habits are any indication. According to Christianity Today, only 27% of Christians tithe at all. Twenty-five percent give absolutely nothing to the Church or missions every year, while 36% give less than 2% of their income. 

What is fascinating is which American Christians do give. According to the same study, those making less than $12,500 per year give away over 7% of their income. This kind of generosity is generally absent from the middle class! It is not until households begin to make over $90,000 per year that a greater percentage of income is given away. 

Why are the poor so much more generous? Much of the middle class in heavily in debt. Debt is the biggest hindrance to giving. We are so consumed with coveting stuff that we go into debt to obtain it. The average American household has fixed expenses (largely constituted by debt) that make up 75% of the family budget! 

According to Randy Alcorn, "Abundance isn't God's provision for me to live in luxury. It's his provision for me to help others live. God entrusts me with his money not to build my kingdom on earth, but to build his kingdom in heaven." We could not agree more.

Alcorn's statement is backed by Jesus. In the parable of the talents, Jesus described the kingdom of God. Two slaves were given money and they invested it wisely so that the Master's estate was expanded. The third slave did nothing with the money but bury it in a hole. When the Master returned, the slave had nothing to show for it. The "worthless" slave was cast outside into darkness as punishment for his unwillingness to advance the Master's estate! (See Matthew 25:14-30.)

If we are not using the resources God has given us to advance his Kingdom, we are like the worthless slave. To use our resources to pay interest for houses, cars, and other material goods we bought on credit is worse than burying the resources entrusted to our care in a hole. 

There are few Americans who cannot afford to give to missions. Even those who make only $10,000 per year are in the top 10% of global wealth! We personally know the trials of raising a family on such a low income in the United States. We also personally know the joy and freedom of giving to missions, even while we were making so little. Giving to missions is a matter of priority, not a question of affordability.

Myth #4: What I can give is not going to make a difference.

All Christians are commanded to give. Even small gifts make a big difference when God puts it to use. When Jesus fed the five thousand, no one gave him a full catering service to work with; he was given a packed lunch for one kid. The disciples even scoffed at such an insignificant gift. God blessed the gift and multiplied it thousands of times! (See Matthew 14:13-21.)

Jesus also praised the poor widow who had nothing to give but a small penny (Mark 12:41-44). She was blessed by Jesus because she gave sacrificially while everyone else gave out of their excess. 

We are personally supported by individuals who pledge between $10 and $300 per month! Every penny counts!

We are commanded to give. Let God tell you how much and then obey! It is estimated there would be an additional $159 billion available for missions if every Christian in the United States gave something. Sacrificial giving always makes a difference when it is given into the hands of God out of an obedient heart. 

Myth #5: Making a financial commitment to missions is unspiritual.

Many Christians believe giving should be spontaneous, or that we should only give when we feel like it. Some believers have expressed think regular, scheduled giving is unspiritual and legalistic.

The truth of the matter is that habitual giving is a spiritual discipline all Christians are called to exercise (1 Corinthians 16:1-2). Making monthly pledges to a local church and to missionaries forces us to prioritize our finances. God commands us to give first to him, then to everything else. All too often we buy everything we want first, then give God the leftovers. No body likes leftovers. Except chili. Chili is always better the second day.

We had to change the way we thought about giving when we were struggling to make ends meet while we were in college and raising our small family. Every month we paid out all the bills and we had nothing left to give at the end of the month. One day we were convicted on our approach. God commanded the Israelites to give their first fruits, not the leftovers (Leviticus 23:10-14). In Proverbs 3:9,10, God promised to supply the needs of those who "honor the LORD with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce." Paul made a similar promise in Philippians 4:19. After we started giving first, we were always able to pay our bills.

This is not a health-and-wealth teaching. Our income didn't increase and we made sacrifices, but our needs were met. The key to understanding this is also found in Philippians 4. Paul taught that he was amply supplied because he had learned to be content (Philippians 4:11-13). When we give our first fruits, we are putting God first in our life. When we put God first, we are radically changed from the inside out. We are no longer slaves to this world, instead we have released the material things of this world in order to seize eternity (1 Timothy 6:17-19).

To make a regular financial pledge to missions is one of the most spiritual things we can do because it results in our personal transformation and it directly advances the Kingdom of God.

And your point is...?

Our goal in writing this blog post is not to convince you to financially support us... really. Our goal in writing this post is to convince you to financially support missions. We do not seek a gift from you, but we seek what may be credited to your account (Philippians 4:17). Missions is the heartbeat of God. If we love God, we will love what he loves. If we too love missions, then we will make it a priority in our lives and demonstrate it by giving financially.

If God is calling you to partner with us financially, then please do so. You can make a commitment by clicking here.

If you do not believe God is calling you to partner with us, and you are not partnering with any other missionaries, then you need to start by finding at least one with whom you can partner. Click here to see a list of missionaries that we know personally. We support five of these ourselves on a monthly basis and know them all to be great investments in the Kingdom of God. 

Let us spend each dollar with eternity in mind! 

Prayer: Drawing Near the Heartbeat of God

Making God's Heartbeat Our Own

Studying and meditating upon the Word of God is how we learn about those things that are near the heart of God. Prayer is the way we make God's heartbeat our own.

If we attempt to pray without Scripture, we will not fully comprehend God's heart. If we attempt to study Scripture without prayer, we will never be changed into the servants of God we were destined to be. The best way to pray, then, is to pray Scripture - the heart of God.

Stop reading and think about the implications of those two statements for a moment.

In his book The Circle Maker, Mark Batterson described a way to pray Scripture - God's heart - so that our lives and our world are changed to more closely conform to God's purposes. He used the illustration of the Israelites circling Jericho which resulted in God moving in a powerful way. Batterson makes it clear making prayer circles is nothing magical, but it is powerful because it increases our intensity, focus and perseverance as we pray God's heart.

God's Heart: A Quick Look

A quick look at some key passages in the Bible will reveal God's heart has not changed over the millennium.
God chose to make promises on several specific occasions. These promises reveal God's heart over time.

1. Genesis 3:15 - Right after Adam and Eve sinned, God promised to send a Savior who would redeem the entire human race.
2. Genesis 12:1-3 - God promised to bless Abram and make him a great nation so that through him all the nations on earth might be blessed.
3. Exodus 19:3-6 - God promised to make Israel a kingdom of priests. The role of a priest is to represent people before God. It was always God's intention to bring the world to himself through Israel (Jer. 4:1-2).
4. 2 Samuel 7:12-16 - God promised to make David's kingdom last forever. This promise was ultimately to bring the nations to God (Is. 55:3-5).
5. Jeremiah 31:31-34 - Israel had failed her God-given mission to be a light to the world, but now God promised he would change them so they could fulfill their mission (Is. 49:6). This promise is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus (Heb. 8:9-13).
6. Matthew 28:18-20 - Jesus came to show us and enable us to complete the original mission of humans: to point the world to God. Jesus entrusted the completion of God's plan to redeem the world to us and He will not return until we have completed our mission (Rev. 7:9-10)!

Prayer does not only change our heart, it also changes the world around us. We are co-laborers with Christ in bringing all of the world into God's kingdom (1 Cor. 3:9). The Bible implies that until we pray, God chooses not to act! Francis Chan noted in his book Multiply that the Church is God's plan for reaching the world for Christ, and he does not have a plan B. Until we move in prayer and in action, God waits. John Wesley said, "God does nothing but in answer to prayer."

A Plan of Action

We know reaching the world for Christ is the heartbeat of God. Let that truth transform us, you, and all the world so that we accurately reflect the image of God - just as we were created to do. Let it transform us through prayer.

We want you to join us in praying Scripture in circles around our family and the assignment God has given us to serve him at ICSB in Hungary. To facilitate those prayers - and so we are all joining together as a body to pray in a united mind (Mt. 18:20) - we have created a prayer circle that we would like you to print and pray through with us every day. It can be found on our website here.

If you choose to join us in this critical work, please reply to this email and tell us you want to be a part of our prayer team, or you can go here to sign up to receive specific prayer updates as a part of our prayer team. Let us join together as one and change the world through prayer and action as God intended us to do!.

Sharing: Facebook and Beyond

Last month we laid out our game plan to achieve the necessary funding to serve TCKs in Hungary. That plan included four parts: subscribing to our newsletter so you could stay informed, sending us by partnering with us financially, sharing our ministry with others, and supplicating God with specific prayer requests about our ministry.

In the last 30 days we have seen people get involved in all of these areas:

• Subscribe: 20 new individuals and couples subscribed to our mailing list, 
• Send: financial support has increased 2%, so we are now 60% funded, 
• Share: 83 likes on facebook and we have personally met with 4 small groups,
• Supplication: we have received emails from several individuals pledging their prayers!

Because we are 60% funded, we will be attending the Pre-Departure Training at WorldVenture June 3-6. This is training for those who plan to depart within six months of the training.

What do we mean by "Share?"

There are several ways you can help us keep moving forward. We are really excited about the workshop we have developed. The focus of the workshop is to encourage and equip believers to identify and live their divine purpose. We use our story as a template to develop their own purpose statement. Here is a brief outline of what we do at workshops:

1. What is the purpose of humanity according to the Bible?
2. How do we discover God's personal plan for our life?
3. How do we live that purpose with intentionality?

We are specifically looking for people to host workshops in Cheyenne, Laramie, Fort Collins, Wheatland, (and Denver on the weekends). You can introduce us to new people by inviting us to share with your: 

• Bible study or small group,
• church congregation, 
• Sunday school, or 
• put together your own group of friends you think might be interested. 

Here's what some who have been through the workshop have to say:

• "[We] were really blown away by how powerfully God has anointed you."
• "We were very blessed/honored to have [Dave] share with us. I know that everyone there was very encouraged and challenged to press into God and what He has for their lives."

Shoot us an e-mail or give us a a call to let us know what you have is mind.  We're looking forward to connecting with you! 

Four Easy-Peasy Ways to Partner with Us

I love the fresh start of a new year!  It's like setting out on the first hike of spring or a putting on a brand new pair of socks - there's nothing quite like it.  The brainstorming and preparing for the next phase of our partner-development push has been in full swing around here for a couple of months and we are happy to be able to share some of our  most recent progress with you.  

Where We Are 
Right now we are sitting at 58% funding of our monthly expenses! Our sending expenses were satisfied in September (for more information on monthly vs. sending expenses click here). We have finished all of WorldVenture required reading for a total of 15 hefty books (reports soon to come Cheryl!). 

Where We Are HeadedWe have developed a workshop for small groups that helps singles and families discover their God-given purpose and craft usable mission statements  for life.  Part of this workshop includes sharing our family's journey of drafting a family mission statement and landing on our life's calling: ministry to TCKs (What's a TCK? Click here to read more).  After hours of stuffing and sticking we have our take-home materials ready, and we are counting down the days 'til go time. The plan is to give this presentation of our ministry to well over 20 groups of people over the course of the next few months. Additionally, we are currently creating an e-booklet which will accompany our workshop and which we will also make available to those of you not in the Cheyenne area.  We can't say too much just yet, but we will share the title: "Carpe Aeternitatem: Developing and Living out Your Divine Purpose, Everyday." Fist pump!  

What You Can Do
As you know there is no "I" in team.  There really aren't any useful words in team except the word "tea" which doesn't help us much here.  The point is, we need you to get involved and here are four ways you can get off the bench:
Subscribe:
If you're getting these e-mails, you're already doing this one, so good for you! Look at you, team player!
Send:
Whether through cash gifts or a monthly/regular pledge all of your generous support goes towards sending us and keeping us on the mission field and in the classroom at ICSB. If you need a reminder, we are with WorldVenture and you can give here.
Share:
This is where you can make a big impact with minimal effort.  We always need to get the word out to more people so head over to our facebook page and give us a like, share our blog posts, pictures and website information on your timeline and with your friends.  If you don't do facebook, you can always forward emails to people who might be interested. Don't forget word of mouth too.  Shoot us an e-mail if you think you could use a stack of our business card, brochures or magnets to pass to friends, colleagues and fellow public-transportation riders. 
Supplicate:
This fancy word simply means pray for us!  To go to Hungary with sufficient funds but insufficient prayer will only result in disaster. We ask you to bring our family and our requests before God as the persistent widow in Luke 18:1-7 .  You can find our current prayer requests here.
Thank you, thank you for your partnership! We cannot wait to see what God will do in the next few months! Stay tuned for updates!

There and Back Again

The trip to Hungary was an eventful week that gave Jenn and me valuable look into the country where we will soon be living. Of particular benefit was the time we spent at the International Christian School of Budapest, where we observed the culture and dynamics of ICSB, where I will be teaching middle-school social studies.       I spent time meeting with my future colleagues at ICSB. Of particular note, I had several productive conversations with the head of school and the middle-school principal. Through our conversations I was able to see the challenges and rewards of teaching at ICSB. Hungary is often a discouraging mission field (Why Hungary?) and this was confirmed on our trip; teachers at ICSB are not immune, even though ICSB is a healthy environment. Candid conversations with teachers instilled in me a deeper understanding of the need for teachers who are committed to serving long-term.      I also gained insight into the diverse nature of the school, where there are currently 22 nations represented. I sampled the social-studies classes and met the students I will be teaching next fall. It was amazing to hear all the different places they are from. The first question every student asked me was, "Where are you from?" I was proud to explain where Wyoming was and inform that it was indeed a state! Because of this trip, Jenn and I both have a clearer understanding of how our ministry vision will translate into action.      After speaking with friends at ICSB and our WorldVenture team in Hungary, we have set our target departure date to Hungary as July 1, 2013. Of course, we will not be going anywhere until we have received pledges for all of our monthly living expenses. Please pray and consider how you can be a part of ministry to TCKs in Hungary! This article was originally published by Dave and Jenn Kelley on another site in early November, 2012.    Want to see pictures from our trip? Look for the slide shows on the Photo Album, Why Hungary? andWhy ICSB? pages!

We can get there, but we can't live there!

Big news this month! Our sending expenses are one hundred percent met! (Insert Jenn's raise the roof happy dance here.) What are sending expenses? This is the category of our budget that encompasses all that we will need to move and set up house in Hungary.  Things like cross-cultural training, language training, plane tickets, visas, driver licenses, vehicle, deposit on a dwelling etc. are included So why aren't we on our way? Well, in addition to funds to get us set up in Hungary we also need to live while we are there. (Dave's teaching job is 100% volunteer and he isn't paid a dime by the school.) Monthly expenses encompass our daily living expenses.  Things like groceries, rent, utilities, health insurance, etc.are a part of this category. As we write, we are 46.5% funded in our monthly expenses category. To be fully funded we need the equivalent of 10 more $100 per month partners, 20 more $50 per month partners and 34 more $30 per month partners.  Please join us in earnestly praying that more people catch the vision of reaching TCKs for Christ and come on board as monthly financial partners. What about those of you that are already giving? Please keep it up! The gifts that you send in have brought us this far and will now continue to build our monthly expenses fund.  Did you notice our Hungary Scouting Trip countdown? Only 12 days left! Look for our October update to be filled with photos and stories about life in Budapest and Diosd. Check out our prayer request page to get more detailed prayer requests! This article was originally published by Dave and Jenn Kelley on another site in late September, 2012.

Servanthood is in the Pee Bottle

It was my turn to comb the easement alongside Taft Avenue for trash as our family slowly made our way north. Dave carried Anna in the Moby wrap and pushed the stroller with the other two and I picked up yet another soda bottle and started to unscrew the cap to pour out the contents before stuffing it into our bulging bag when I glanced at the Dew-like liquid inside. Yuck. I'd heard about other people picking up similar bottles near the highway as others from Element church served our city in "I Heart Cheyenne" month with cleaning, painting, feeding and other projects. I had finally stumbled upon a bottle that some person, presumably male, had peed in and thrown out the window of a passing car. And it was half a twist away from splattering on my sneakers. "What pigs live in this city!", I thought. half way through the 60 hours our family served this month, I admit my attitude was less than immaculate. We all know Jesus served all, including the ungrateful and those that made his job harder, while on earth. We also know serving is our life and mission here on earth; the very reason we exist.  I've heard it said that you can tell whether or not you are developing a servant's attitude based on how you respond when you are treated like one. Oh, ouch. I guess I have a ways to go. Serving should not be an annual event that comes from a challenge; serving should be the daily posture of our lives.  Don't believe me? Consider this, God created Adam and Eve to serve him, and to some extent all of creation, by working in the Garden. Humans failed in that service. To redeem mankind so they could fulfill their destiny, God chose Noah and started fresh. Again mankind failed to fulfill their destiny. God chose a nation from among the people and established the Israelites as his servants on earth. Israel failed. God chose a family from within Israel to serve him always - the line of David. David's dynasty failed. Finally, God prophesied through Isaiah that He would work out the  destiny of mankind with is own arm. The Servant Songs of Isaiah describe this perfect servant. Jesus fulfilled that prophesy. God himself  became a human and served as all mankind was created to serve. The God-man died and rose from the grave so he could pour out his Spirit on all of us that we might fulfill our destiny as well. Wow! All of salvation history points to mankind's destiny to serve. Let us all serve and glorify our Father in heaven and see what happens to our world! This article was originally published by Dave and Jenn Kelley on another site at the end of August, 2012.

Hacked!

This month we received a notice from Google that told us our account had been compromised by someone using an IP address from China. Why anyone would like to use our account, I have no idea! Jenn and I deleted the entire account since we were in the process of transitioning to this site from blogger anyway. That said, our old blog is no longer in existence. From now on, this will be our new blog location. Also associated with our account was our phone number. Our email is the same. Please see the link to the right labeled CONTACT US for our most current contact information. You can also see pictures from this month on the right by clicking PHOTO ALBUM. Jenn and I have been getting to know people in Cheyenne; the going is slow with such a young family. Our small group is a huge blessing to us as we are developing meaningful friendships with the other couples in the group. Tuesday nights are a weekly highlight as we meet with other believers and encourage and challenge one another in the faith. As we are getting to know people in our community, we are beginning to share more about our plans to serve Christ in Hungary. We have been able to tell several couples about our vision. Of particular note, we will have the opportunity to share about our ministry to TCKs in Hungary with our church in Cheyenne after we return from our scouting trip to Hungary in October. Please pray for receptive hearts and minds as we meet with more people in the near future. Jenn and I are beginning to become involved in ministry through the church as well. This Sunday we will begin working in the "Living Room," which is intended for those who attend or visit the church that would like to discuss questions they have with someone. Jenn and I are very excited to be involved in this opportunity to share Christ with others. Please check out our August prayer requests found on the navigation bar to the right by clicking PRAYER REQUESTS. This article was originally posted by Dave and Jenn Kelley on another site in early August, 2012.