Updates

“Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly. Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land.”‭‭Psalm‬ ‭85‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬ And so I come to the end of this amazing experience. With just 4 days left until I’m back on American soil and 9 until I’m officially home, my mind is flooding with emotions, fears, praises, and thoughts of the future along with reflections of my past. I can’t believe I’ll be hugging… Read more: Love Uncontained – Glory Unrestrained

“For David says concerning him, “‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.”” Acts 2:25-28 ESV With a litter under 4 weeks remaining, the end of this wonderful missional experience is starting to loom over me. As I continue with… Read more: Christ is in Control

“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” 1 John 5:4 Can’t believe it has already been a month since I last wrote y’all! As I’ve said repeatedly before, time is zooming by (especially this month with all the traveling) and I now stand with roughly 50 days left until I’m back home. So much has happened in these past few weeks, and in all honesty, my brain hasn’t fully worked through all of it. So, hopefully, by writing this out, I can kill two birds with one stone and figure out… Read more: Dealing with Dependency

“Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” John 11:40 ESV Time continues to tick down as I stand in my final 2 weeks here in my home of 4 months. As Ramadan came to a close last week, my schedule and the city have transitioned back to normal. Shops have reopened, people are out and about, and my days have begun to fill back up with friends and food. I once again feel productive, enjoying the time I have with these people while also finding opportunities to point… Read more: Feelings & Faith

“He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust”. Psalm 103:10-14 ESV He has risen! No longer does sin claim victory and no longer does death have its sting. What an awesome day Easter is that… Read more: Breathing & Believing

”Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.“‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭28‬-‭29‬ ‭ESV‬‬ It’s crazy that today marks 100 days remaining, more than halfway through my 4-month deployment. As I’ve said before time is flying by. Yet even though life feels like it’s moving at 2x speed, the past weeks have been somewhat slow. With some scheduling change-ups and Ramadan beginning, it’s been harder to get a hold of people and maintain a solid rhythm like before. I’ve… Read more: Kingdom Come

”For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; listen to my plea for grace. In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me.“‭‭Psalm‬ ‭86‬:‭5‬-‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬ While the beginning of this new week has been spent primarily in recovering rest, the last week and a half has been a whirlwind of events. From witnessing demonic activity to having an awesome turnout for ultimate frisbee, God has continued to show me his faithfulness and power. I will admit this week… Read more: Rest in Reliance

”Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.“ 1 Peter‬ ‭5‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬ I hate being sick. I’m currently sitting in a coffee shop getting over a small bug that I’ve had for the past day or so. Life here has been pretty consistent with the same events every week, but the work we have been putting in is starting to bear fruit. Our empty afternoons and evenings are starting to fill up with coffee discipleships, game nights, and… Read more: Transformation & Trust

“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14 ESV Time is flying, like zooming by. It’s been roughly 3 weeks since we landed in our new deployment home and it feels like it’s been a matter of days. While the weeks have been less eventful in terms of touristy attractions my ministry has been consistent and encouraging to live out. Most days I go to the gym, do my quiet time at one of the nearby coffee shops, do my language class, and then spend my afternoons doing evangelism or follow ups with people I’ve met. Sharing the gospel here is slightly more difficult, but… Read more: Solid Rhythm-Time Flies By

“And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Mark 1:11 ESV And… I’m back. In all honesty I don’t really have any excuses for my absence from this page, other than my nonstop travel from Island, to Tokyo, to the new country I preside in now. Though my cultural adventures have been spread out, the days have zoomed by and so much has happened in such a small amount of time. But, before I hop into details of the experiences I’ve gotten to partake in, I want to dive right into… Read more: Loved Son – Pleased Father

“Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?” 2 Samuel 7:18 ESV And so ends another chapter of my life. This year from beginning to end has looked dramatically different both in scenery and spiritually. While I have now been far from home for almost 4 months, I have not been far away from God and the work of his hands. Yet even here on the mission field, surrounded by passionate believers all striving to glorify God, many days I do feel a loneliness. A separation both from my teammates… Read more: New Year – Same God

“”Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”“‭‭Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭14‬ ‭ESV Merry Christmas everyone! These last two weeks for me have been a mixture of Christmas camps, recovering from sickness, and rest. As you can imagine, it has been tough not being with family and friends for the holidays, but God is continuing to focus me on himself, especially in this special time. One thing God has specifically placed in my heart is a gratitude for God’s love in the gospel. However the past few days spiritually have felt tiring and mundane,… Read more: Love Come Down

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9 And so begins the final week of our deployment here in this country. What a fast few weeks it has been yet not a day empty of witnessing to God’s work through the undertaking of missions. This week specifically I’ve really gotten to see a theme of harvest through the faithfulness of the missionaries working here. As a missionary, harvest is not always guaranteed in our lifetime. Throughout this entire trip we’ve read countless missionary testimonies about… Read more: Witnessing the Harvest

”For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.”‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬ A phrase that really stuck with me this week was “the people here when they give their life to Christ really mean it.” What makes their confession different from mine, what did they have to give up as opposed to me? I preached a sermon this week on 2 Corinthians 1:3-11. The passage talks of comfort amidst affliction and suffering. As I prepared and then spoke my message God worked on two areas of my heart. Firstly, suffering produces a… Read more: Comfort in Christ

“The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!” Psalm 50:23 I have much to be thankful for. Even here across the world, away from my family and all the good food they made this Thanksgiving, God has still given me all that I need. But that doesn’t mean that I get all that I want, it often means the opposite. That I must sacrifice the things of this world for God. And yet the bible says to still be thankful in all things. This is… Read more: Giving Thanks

“Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”” Matthew 16:24 ESV What does it mean to pick up a cross and follow after Christ? This question is a very clear reality I’ve been exploring and witnessing here in this new country. While this country isn’t necessarily a closed country, or at least the area we’re in currently isn’t, it still holds a great amount of persecution. I’ve been convicted that in America my sufferings as a Christian are extremely light compared to the adversity the… Read more: At Great Cost

“To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God” Psalm‬ ‭123‬:‭1‬-‭2‬a ESV‬‬ And so AOT comes to close. What a full and fulfilling few months it has been. God has taught me much both through our weekly lessons on different spiritual topics, and through the hands-on ministry we’ve done in the communities around where we’ve been staying. I’ve said this… Read more: End of the Beginning

”Spiritual warfare is not just a fragment of Christianity, it is the whole of the Christian experience.” (Sherman in “Spiritual Warfare”, pg. 186) It’s already been a week since I last wrote as I now sit on a boat, watching as the lush, green mountains of Bucas Grande Island gets closer by every passing second. As I prepare my heart for the coming full week of ministry and evangelism to the lost I reflect on the past week and the lessons I learned in class. The primary lesson being spiritual warfare. Spiritual warfare is something that often flies under the… Read more: Worship in Warfare

“My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,    and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.” Psalm 145:21 And so I said goodbye, till we meet again in this life or the eternal life to come. This week, while being our last at our outreach church, was by far the best. Full of the spirit and overflowing with reflections & emotions of what God has done to get me here. To be in the place where I am discipling 6 young men, and seeing their faith take off. All glory be to our awesome God, and all praise be… Read more: He Is Worthy

“Holy spirit come, guide us in your truth Let us always run, back home to you Till the race is done, all the glory be to you Holy Spirit come, let us blaze your life anew” (“Holy Spirit Come” Chorus) Though this week has been a longer one it feels as if not much has happened. However, even in the slower parts of life, God is still working and pointing our lives back to him. And that this week, has been without a doubt what God is continuing to do in my life. He continues to show me truth and… Read more: Holy Spirit Come

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29 This week has flown past so fast and, like many others on my team, I’m not quite ready to leave yet. While we’ve done many farm related activities, we’ve also had some space/time to be in God‘s word, and really seek/abide in him. And God has really used that time to open up my life and revive my need for him. One of… Read more: Farming with Faith

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 This week has been the calm before the storm, as we prepare to be at “the farm” this upcoming week. The farm is an agricultural training experience to get us better acquainted with how to support ourselves off the land and to use farming as a form of ministry. But that is tomorrow/next week, today/this week has also been quite eventful in its own way. Particularly, now that I have… Read more: The 6 Disciples

“What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Mathew 10:27-28 This week has been full of deep and sometimes profound spiritual moments. Or in this Sunday’s case absolutely humbling moments. Before I begin this story, please excuse the embarrassing nature of this experience. On Sunday morning as I prepared to preach, sitting in my chair hyping myself up for my third sermon… Read more: Faith or Fear

“Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”” Exodus 4:11-12 While this week has been a slower one, God has still been active in me and this team. Specifically this week, as we learned about David and his attitude towards God, he has really shown me and convicted me of my weakness and desperate need for him. He has shown me my emptiness… Read more: Mangling Maggots & Beset by Brokenness

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:26 I learned two things this Sunday, (1) I’m never touching a pasta recipe again & (2) in the Philippines I’ll inevitably become a baller. These are two facts that are undisputable, but before I get into the background of this weekend, and the events that led me to these claims, let me give a quick rundown of some of the other things I did this past week. This week has been one of continued conviction. God is slowly but surely pressing in on… Read more: Pasta Failures & Becoming A Basketball Player

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 When people talk about having information shoved down your throat like a fire hose, that is how this weekend has felt, except for me it’s been less information and more experiences. When I landed in the Philippines just a little over a week ago one of the first things I was told was I would probably be asked to preach one of coming Sundays. Me, always wanting to be… Read more: Planting The Roots

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 I’m finally officially in the Philippines! What a wild rush of events. It’s been like 3 days since I’ve been here, but it feels like it’s been weeks. Definitely still getting adjusted to a different sleep cycle, language, and especially the driving/traffic situation. Thankfully, though it seems like a storm of new things, I continually am able to fall back on my rock in Jesus. While I could easily… Read more: In A New World

“But I will Trust in you.” Psalm 55:23b And so, camp comes to a close. What a summer. So many amazing new memories and so many things to be thankful for. In this passing season God has really just surrounded me with people that have generously poured into me, and he has also given me the opportunities to pour into others as well. And, while I’m currently still a little mentally/physically exhausted from this final week of camp, I feel as if I have been filled up to the brim with joy and fulfillment for what I’ve seen God do… Read more: Camp Ending & My Packing Beginning

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1 I have never been good at rest. With a life full of opportunities to have fun and find pleasure in what God has made it can be hard to slow down and not do anything for a bit. This past week however was one of the most restful and peaceful weeks I have experienced in a long while. However, before my week of rest set in, I had to go through an amazing week of controlled chaos. I had been looking forward to my first week as a high… Read more: Finding Rest & God’s Abundant Grace

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.” Isaiah 43:2 These past two weeks have been a mixture of overflowing praise, spiritual exhaustion/mental rest, and a growing excitement for what lies ahead of me. This excitement, at least recently, has been spurred on by an awesome landmark of 75% of my funds being raised! I’m just still in awe of how good God is in meeting my needs and pushing this door for missions open even further. So so cool. Also, just want to… Read more: Behind the Scenes

And just like that the first week of camp is in the books, and what a week it was. Started off with some butterflies of getting back into that counselor role/mindset but as soon as the kids got there it was pedal to the metal all the way to the end. Some real quick highlights were bellyflopping off the high dive, beautiful double rainbows, amazing co-counselors, and the opportunity to pour into kids the good news and, in one special moment, lead one kid to Christ. God continues to remind me of how blessed I am; that even me, a… Read more: Camp Counseling and Kids Coming to Christ

I am so thankful for all the things that God is doing in my life, the first of which being the astounding generosity of so many amazing people. I just want to say a special thank you to Jim and Ann Cade, Noemi Pagan, David Melhado, Micah Lang, The Britton Family, Jonah Park, Anna Gourley, Cristopher Williams, and the Anonymous donor for their awesome gifts. I am so thankful for y’all and your kindness and look forward to sharing more with y’all about what God is doing through this trip and through me this summer. While I’m still trying to… Read more: Beginning Summer