Two Worlds Collide

Hello to all of you! Today, I have officially been in the country of Jordan for about a week. It's quite crazy to think that my time has gone that fast, and the journey is just beginning. Now that I have had a week under my belt, explore the area a little bit, try some local food, the ministry that God has given the missionaries here begins on Monday. I will be partnering with the Second Circle English Language Program. At SCELP, we teach ESL classes in order to help people gain better English skills for various reasons. The section I will be teaching is level 3. At level 3, students are progressing quite well in their English, so hopefully this position will allow for some good dialog between my students and I. Once again, I thank all of you for your prayers and support on this journey.

As I have been getting ready to start the classes on February 1, I have been considering what other things God has for me here. While being here this first week has been so surreal, and dream-like, I know that there is so much more to this trip that meets the eye. It is no longer about just being a tourist for 7-10 days, but rather interacting in a culture where two worlds collide: Arab/American, Muslim/Christian, Male/Female. The question becomes how can me be people who live in such a society in order to proclaim peace, and love. How do we interact in a world that there is division politically, religiously, ethnically, and still proclaim God? In a land that was once inhabited by followers of Yahweh, so now we find ourselves back in the land striving to bring God back into the equation.

As I have thought about such things, the issue of making this trip more than just a tourist event, and more of a mission to proclaim God's love, justice and mercy, an incredible burden has come upon me for this country: a burden that desires to see unity and peace, rather than pride and selfish-ambition. I am reminded of the prophet Jeremiah writing during the exile of Israel. He says:

⁶ "Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. ⁷ I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. ⁸ I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. ⁹ Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it."

-Jeremiah 33:6-9

As those words have sat with me all this day, I keep thinking that there is more to me than just teaching English. It is about helping to bring health and healing to it. Peace and Security. It is about starting a process that helps rebuild the city as it was before. It is about the community being so changed by the love of God that as the passage says there will be joy, praise, and honor for what God has done.

Friends, I am blessed to be in a country where two worlds collide. This experience is a way to let love come in and a bridge for these two worlds to be built. Whether it be by teaching English, meeting students for coffee, or just smiling at a stranger on the street, our entire being should be to radiate the love of Christ in our words, and actions.

Consider your world, are there worlds that are colliding, be it in your workplace, home, neighborhood, or place of worship? What are you doing that helps create a bridge between these two worlds, and to be a messenger of God's peace and love? Would you join me in your own community as I carry out this burden that God has put on my heart for this country while I am here?

To wrap this up, as I have walked all around the city, passing thousands of people, and acquainting myself with the people and understanding its needs, a song as continually resonated in me. I have the song linked and would invite you to share in viewing this. I hope that through what the Scriptures say that we might continue to take part in God's mission to reconcile the world to Himself.

I love all of you. I pray for you and thank you for your support every day. Continue to live in His love daily!

Grace and Peace

Rest At Last

‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

-Matthew 11:28-30

Greetings from the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan! I hope all of you are doing well today. It has been a crazy 3 days. With all the traveling, adjusting, lack of sleep, and getting to know the city, I have not had much time to unwind and take it all in.

Yesterday was my first full day, and it was sure a full day. Some of the highlights include touring the old downtown area, trying Shwarma (basically the Jordanian hamburger), Knafeh (a popular desert), a couple hot treats in the area. The Old Downtown area is the more traditional area of Jordan, while a more modern downtown is being established in the northern part of the city. We got to see the newer area, and go to the City Mall, which was pretty crazy. Our last endeavor of the day was hanging out with Nathan (one of the missionaries here), Jay (my roommate who is staying for a year), and a Jordanian friend of Nathan's at a local coffee shop.

This is merely the short version, of our long day, but you get the picture. Arriving in Jordan is like stepping into the dreamland. I never imagined, except from pictures, that life was like this. It is an adjustment being here, but I am good hands with the missionaries. My biggest barriers are reading/speaking Arabic, and being able to get my bearings for where things are in the city.

While these things can be frustrating, we must remember that it is God that is continuing to give us the strength to overcome these things. As I was reading my Bible yesterday, I was reading about how Jesus continues to call all back to himself. In the passage above, Jesus tells us to come to him when we are weary and burdened, and he will give us rest. I can definitely see that the language barrier, geographic challenges, and others will all prove to be burdens to me on this journey. Getting to know the Jordanians and understand their heritage so that the light may push back the darkness also presents plenty of challenges.

No matter what, God promises us rest. For me, it was getting to Jordan, and being able to be removed from all that I was doing, and taking up something new. Rest is more than just a physical thing. The rest is refreshment. It is seeing things with the eyes of our God knowing that he has already overcome the world. Rest is what we have when we come to God in devotions, prayer, silence, and our worship. It is allowing the layer of blah to be removed and allowing our God to clothe us with Himself.

Where do you find yourself today? Are you wandering, and desperately need rest? Take rest in God and remove yourself from the norm and allow yourself to taste and see God's goodness.

Well, that is all for now. I thank all of you for your prayers, and know that I am praying for all of you as well. Until next time...

Grace and Peace

Away we go...in 4 days

1"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
-John 15:1-8


Well...Only four more days until I step into the unknown on the other side of the world. I have been feeling very calm, and collected as the excitement builds toward going to Jordan. I admit, the past week has not been the easiest. It is easy to be lazy, and to fall into a comfortable pattern. That pattern is not always the best, and healthiest.
As I was at church with my parents today, the person preaching today talked of the passage from John 15. Too often, this passage is used, and used, and sometimes loses its luster. This passage is powerful, and speaks of how our daily lives ought to function as we follow Christ. Several quotes stick out to me:

"apart from me, you can do nothing."
"every branch that does not bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful."

I found both of these very convicting. Apart from Christ in my life, I am powerless, and can do nothing. My own pride and self-sufficiency mean nothing, but only the divine power of Christ living in me is who gives me my identity.
In addition, it is interesting in reading that the parts of us that don't bear fruit God will clean/prune, so that they can be be made fruitful. There are definitely areas of life in me that continually need pruning so that everything I do might be pleasing to God. Daily, I must ask God to be my source of strength and as Colossians 3:1-4 speaks of, we are to set our minds on things that are above. Likewise, Jesus speaks of storing our treasures in heaven, and not in the things of earth (Matthew 6:19-25).
Are you abiding in God in everything? Where in your life do you need God to prune you so that you may be fruitful?

As you are praying this week, I ask that you would pray for safe travels. Also, I ask that you would pray that God would continue to prepare my heart and that I would abide in God as I make this step of faith into the Middle East. Pray that my words and actions would be from God, and that they would be fruitful as I seek to spread that Gospel.

-Grace and Peace

Happy New Year- 1 day closer

"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you wil carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains for defending the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer; that your love may abound more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of the righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ- to the glory and praise of God."
-Philippians 1:3-11


Hello everyone! I hope all of you have had a blessed holiday season and new year. I can honestly say this has been one of the most enjoyable and blessed holiday season's ever. I am excited for what God is going to do in 2010. I am done with school, headed to Jordan, and getting married. Could 2010 start off any better than that?
Well...I am getting closer and closer to departure to Amman, Jordan. I am officially leaving January 21 out of Cleveland, OH. So, mark your calendars because it is coming soon. I am still in the process of fund raising and getting belongings and what nots ready before the big day.
If you are still interested in giving toward this mission, I would certainly appreciate it. When saying "support", yes, a part of that does mean financial. With that, I would like to invite you to commit to praying before, during, and after the trip. You can read my blog often as I will be constantly putting updates up from the field.
All of you are constantly in my prayers and I am grateful that I have all of you in my life to share in this experience. As I think about me going, and you sending, I am reminded of the Apostle Paul from his letter to the Philippians as I put at the beginning of the blog. I pray for you and that God would continue to encourage you and help you see the story of God lived out everyday. As I travel away, all of you are going with me and will be in the midst of every action because you have helped me get there.

Thank you all so much for your support. Grace and Peace.