Sense of Urgency

I told Lawrence last night I better understand how missionaries feel when they are in the process of raising support.  They feel called to reach out to a certain country or area; their hearts are full of love for the people there, whether that be a foreign country far, far away or the streets of their current cit or somewhere in between.  They desperately want to live among them and share Jesus with them.  BUT, they have to raise support first, before they can go.  And so they ask people to join them in the ministry God has given them.  They admit they can't do it alone and need others to help them -- by donating money and by praying.  They visit churches, send out emails and handwritten letters, post videos on facebook, etc. to spread the word about the task God has laid before them.  Then, they wait...

Waiting, it seems like it would be an easy thing to do.  But no, waiting is hard, REALLY HARD.  You are filled to overflowing with this sense of urgency, and yet you aren't able to fully act on those desires.  You can't quite fulfill your dreams or turn your ideas into reality, not just yet at least.  Instead, you have to wait.

And so you pray more for other people to catch the vision, to realize the need these people have for Jesus, to understand the heaviness of the burden you carry in your heart and mind as you think about the work God has called you to do.  You long for them to sense the same urgency that you do.  But, of course, you can't make them feel or do anything.  Only God can do that.  So, you wait for Him to act, to rally the troops.

God always comes through, usually in a way that is bigger than we could ever have imagined.  Which makes all the waiting worthwhile!  It doesn't make the waiting itself any easier at the time, but just like a woman in labor is soon overwhelmed with love and joy and pride as she holds her newborn for the first time, our waiting will be overshadowed by our delight when God breathes life into our hopes and dreams.

As I think about the ministry God has given us, my heart is filled with this same intense urgency.  These boys and girls NEED Jesus.  Some of them are hurting and need His healing.  They may feel alone or unlovable or invisible.  Perhaps, they have bought the lie that they don't quite measure up or that they don't matter.  Whatever the case may be, each and every one of these children (and their families) NEED Jesus.  Yes, they are young.  What better time to be introduced to Jesus, to develop a deep personal relationship with Him, and learn how to boldly and passionately pursue Him in every area of their lives?!

Kellybrook is the 10th elementary school in Liberty!  Around 650 students attend just this one K-5 school!

Those numbers blow my mind as I graduated with a class of 30 from a K-12 school with around 250 students total!  My entire hometown has between 500-700 people.  And that's how many boys and girls, ages 5-11, go to Kellybrook Elementary alone!  You can tell from the map that Kellybrook is a "young" family-dense area.  It's one of the smallest zones, and yet one of the most highly populated schools.  So in addition to the 600 or so school-aged children living in these neighborhoods, I am sure some of them have younger brothers and sisters who aren't in school yet.  And I bet you some of them have older siblings who are in middle school, junior high, and high school.  That's A LOT of kids who NEED Jesus!  

But, you may say, Liberty is a well-churched area.  Yes, it is.  I would guess we have about 50 or so churches in our area.  I can also guarantee you that not every single family in Kellybrook regularly attends one of these 50+ churches.  And even those kids who do go to church every single Sunday, or Saturday, may not have a personal relationship with Jesus.  That is foundational and of utmost importance, of course.  But it doesn't just stop there -- oh no, that is just the beginning, the very beginning.  We strongly sense the need for DISCIPLESHIP, starting when these boys and girls are young, setting them up for a solid, deep, ever-growing relationship with Jesus.  We want to plant seeds and help these kids grow strong roots, but we also want to watch them bear fruit.  It's been so exciting (and rewarding) to see Lawrence's former students (and mine too) invite friends to camp year after year.  Because of those 9 students who first went to Ponca back in 2007, around 90 kids from the Liberty area are registered for camp so far this summer!  Those former 3rd graders will be in high school this coming fall, and that brings on a whole new mission field.  It's a ripple effect that will keep growing and growing and growing.

I could go on for quite some time about what we feel God is laying on our hearts, but I will stop here, for now.  But be prepared to hear a lot about Kellybrook and the vision God is giving us for the many opportunities God could give us there.  We have a sense of urgency to begin this ministry, so it's extremely hard to be in the waiting phase...We know, however, that God is definitely at work and will bring about His perfect plans and purposes in His timing.  Thank you for your prayers as we seek His leading, guidance, and provision!