the final days in fiji

well, exactly one week and two hours from right now, i'll be boarding a plane headed to LAX. that moment i believe is going to be bittersweet for me, probably more bitter. i don't want to leave fiji. this country has changed my life in so many ways, and i know an emotional reaction to a country is all part of the process of missions but there is so much work to do here and the people are so open to God's word. now is the time to act here and i don't want to leave.

through this whole fiji process, God has proven himself faithful over and over. providing the money for the trip, my passport, the people he's brought into my life on this trip, and the way he's orchestrated so many different events. i'm so humbled by this love and faithfulness, and how he can use someone so unworthy and incapable like myself.

i'm praying now that God would keep me from being an emotional mess when i get back to the states. i really don't want to leave, everywhere i go i meet people and they're openly friendly people. just today, i was leading a group on OJT. OJT stands for on the job training. i am given two people to teach how to share the gospel, and then we actually go out and they watch me do it.

today we were dropped off in front of a house, and thought, why not go into the house we were dropped off at. inside were two women, a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. they invited us in happily and we began to sit and talk with them. once the conversation was directed towards God i saw God was presenting an opportunity to share His story with them. i began sharing the gospel with them and would stop and ask them if they had questions after each step. i was heartbroken each time as they would ask questions because they had been raised in different denominational beliefs or no church at all, and both were quite confused.

i shared my testimony and they both seemed moved, then i asked them if they wanted to know for sure that they would spend eternity with Jesus. they did, so we prayed and they accepted Christ. they were crying and i was trying not to, and they said that they would like to know how to share with their husbands who were lost. so before i left i tried to quickly teach them how to share the gospel with their husbands. they were so loving and honest with me it was amazing. i'll never forget them.

my point isn't to say, "hey look at me. look at what i did." my point is that i am nothing and look at what God can do with me, look at what he can do with each one of us. many of you know my story and the sin i came out of years ago, but yet God still wants me. instead of asking why like i used to, now i just let him. i want to encourage you all to do the same. instead of asking why do you want to use me or how can you use me, just let him. the time is now, not tomorrow. this world needs Christ and they're all crying out to him. this isn't just christian-cliche it's real.

God will take you places you never dreamed if you just begin surrendering to him, and give him your life fully. 5 months ago i had no idea and couldn't imagine being in another country, sharing the gospel with other people. but here i am because God wants me, and i can guarantee he wants you. maybe not in fiji or some other country, but where you are. do it.

i pray that you would seek him now and begin to figure out how you can begin to be used by God. i love you and miss you all.

Remember God's Loving Kindness

Hello to all in my Torch Family-

I come to you as your brother, now experiencings God's loving kindness 400 miles away. Let me encourage you: the LORD's loving kindness is all around you, as it is Ash and I here. God is so amazing! He rewards faithful obedience.

As some of you may like to know, things went exceptionally well over the weekend. Our visit to the church assembled in the Cottonwood community was more than we could have ever asked for. We spent many hours laughing, playing ball, and meeting a wonderful community of people who desire to see God move in radical ways. One of the highlights for us was the time we got to share our heart with the students there. God has stirred in us a passion for Him that is driving our hearts as we move forward.

Small town America is a new experience for us as a couple, but it is one that reminds us of our Torch Family. Everyone is very caring, loving, and desires to be in relationship and build community. If God does move us into this community, we may be the new kids in town for some time, but we are far from outsiders. They welcome with open arms, arms that desire to be Jesus on a daily basis.

We praise God for the opportunity to share the weekend up here and look forward to what He has for us in the future. As for now, we sit here, with hearts extended to you. Our love for you is known and springs from God's loving kindness. Continue to seek Him out with radical surrender. Let nothing come between The God of Creation and His beautiful creation, which is you.

We pray that God's loving kindness will continue to foster a community of radical discipleship to the King of Heaven. Continue to make every effort to grow in God's grace. Let not the enemy take even a grain of the ground your Heavenly Father and Commander has given you. Continue to press forward, living off His Word, and take the Hill that He has placed before you. Do not lose heart when the battle is long, but be encouraged by the Spirit as you fall on your knees to seek His presence. Let your brothers and sisters in Christ be your encouragement. The Spirit speaks through each of you so that none of you may be overtaken by the enemy.

Our hearts long to see you again. We look forward to the time we shall celebrate what God is doing in you and in us soon.

Your brother and sister in arms-

Chris and Ashley

New Starbucks = New Lesson Learned

So tonite, on my way to the grocery store, I noticed that the brand-new Starbucks just opened. I figured, what would go better with grocery shopping than a tall vanilla soy steamer? I stop in and place my order. It takes forever to get the drink. Mind you, I’m the only customer in the building and there are 3 people behind the counter with a 4th one on his way. So, I’m getting a little inpatient, saying things in my mind like,

“How long does it take to pump vanilla and steam soy?”
“How bout we train everybody then open the store?”
“Umm, the store will be closed by the time I get this thing…”

Absolutely rude of me, I know. As I was thinking all of that, the Holy Spirit reminded me of what my life looked like and what I was dealing with. New kid on the block at a new job that I’m probably not really qualified for. I basically have a job that requires accounting or finance experience–I have neither. And it’s pretty obvious I’m struggling. I’m way behind the curve and it’s been very discouraging. I’ve been very fortunate as everyone at work has really encouraged me.

So here I am; in the same boat as that poor barista behind the counter. The new guy, just learning the ropes, probably doesn’t have any experience and I have the gaul to be bitter, or angry, or hasty. I never said anything out loud, but the fact that I was thinking in my mind really forced me to evaluate how merciful and graceful I’m being with people around me. Is me being impatient and short-tempered SHOWING & LIVING OUT the love of Christ? Nope. Is my behavior lining up with the behavior of a person TRANSFORMED by grace? Nope. So I just began to think and ask for forgiveness. It’s been hard, but it’s funny that God would use something so close to my life, like a starbucks to teach me about mercy & grace & the love of Christ.

While at the grocery store I thought about the whole starbucks thing and how I was going to really keep striving to live grace & mercy out. I began to ask myself if I am living a life that is pouring out great measures of grace & mercy. I began to ask myself if my leadership was something that exuded grace & mercy. I began to ask myself if my heart was something that just wreaked of grace & mercy. The answer to all those questions was “nope”.

Today while at work I got the chance to share with a co-worker who God is and just quote scripture and see how scripture does such an amazing job at revealing who God really is. Moreso than my life ever will. I mean, it’s God’s word, it defends itself! I love it! But in that time of sharing, it really struck me how I have no place to condemn anyone as I am under the same condemnation without Christ. And even under the Grace of Christ, I too will stand before the throne of judgement…just like all of those who reject grace. It’s powerful.

All in all, I’m realizing that for most of my life I’ve been living in a religion that is Man-Centered and not God-Centered. For what is man? The Psalmist says, “Each man’s life is but a breath.”–Psalm 39:5