Thursday, July 19, 2012

Extreme Expansion

I have been absent from this blog for too long.

And you know how when you avoid something for a while, you dread returning to it. Like if you take a break from working out, it seems so much harder to start again? Or if you try to keep a daily journal, and miss a few weeks, you know you could never catch up, so you just don't even want to try?

Or, you try to keep a blog, and you forget to write about HUGE things happening, so you just stop?

My apologies. Seriously. Because I forgot to tell you about the AMAZING short term volunteer project we had the last two weeks of June.

Incredible. We built two churches. We did tons of impact. And God moved so powerfully.

And I forgot to tell you about leaving Cusco. And how incredibly hard it was to say goodbye. And how I already miss the people from our churches. My hermanos.

And I forgot to tell you how WEIRD it has been coming back to the States. Ask me about it, and I'll tell you how I feel.

And I forgot to tell you how BUSY I am with speaking engagements. Really. Every week. So, shoot me an email if you would like to hang out while I am home.

And something important that I also have forgotten to mention, is how much I need your support. I know, this may be the thing people dread from missionaries. And missionaries don't particularly like to talk about it either. But I have to tell you, because I want to give you the opportunity to partner with me in this ministry.

I need PRAYER PARTNERS. Please, pray with me as I set out to serve God in the way he has called me to. Prayer must be the foundation of everything. It is a mighty weapon against the enemy's attacks. It is our connection to a gracious Spirit who intercedes for us. We need to pray. And I need prayer.

I also need FINANCIAL PARTNERS. Allow me to be honest: I have a huge chunk of money I need to raise. It is IMPOSSIBLE for me to support myself. I need you. And I'll be even more honest: the one time gifts are great, but I have expenses every MONTH. (See, I have grown accustomed to eating every day, and having a place to sleep, and not walking from town to town to do my job. I know, spoiled!) I need people to partner with me in monthly donations. That is the ONLY WAY I can serve the Lord the way he is leading me.

Please pray about being my partner in this ministry. See, I believe that God did not JUST call ME into ministry, because he knows I can't do this alone. I believe he called YOU TOO. So seek out earnestly what God would ask of you. I didn't plant churches by myself. Every person who has prayed and given was part of that.

So I won't mobilize South Americans into mission work by myself either. You are part of this.

We are ALL a part of the extreme expansion of God's kingdom!

www.extremenazarene.org/stevens