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Pastor Owen asks, “What Captivates You?”

Recorded LIVE at HAVEN, Friday, April 17, 2009.

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It’s Coming!

It’s coming and im so excited to see what God will do, I leave March 17th to go to Ecuador, the middle of the world, for a month!!!!!!!!!!! How insane is that, God totally supprised me! I honestly did not think it would happen, but as I prayed, God continued to lay on my heart to go. When God wants you to go, He DEFINITLY makes a way, and provides. Please keep me in your prayers, as I know that this is a work of His Spirit and I never want to get in the way of what He is doing. . . may God Bless you richly as I prepare to go start the adventures in the middle of the world. . .

Psalm 85:13 (NKJV)
“Rightousness will go before Him, And shall make His footsteps our pathway”

(taken from Sarah’s blog at http://sarahalysinecuador.blogspot.com/)

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Charlie Hall -- New Year

Delirious? -- Inside Outside

Penn talks about sharing your faith:

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“You’ve got a whole lot of living coming to you.”

Our day at the Children’s Emergency Hostel can be summed up by the answer of one 11 year old boy, named Kendell.

You see, the Children;s Emergency Hostel is an orphanage for children who are still in elementary school. The tough thing for all these kids is #1 there are a lot of them so they can’t really go places and #2 because there is so many of them they never really get any one-on-one attention or affection.

So this hot and humid Monday in the Bahamas, we would pick up these children and take them to a beach called Goodman’s Bay. When we got to the orphanage we packed the bus with as many children as possible. The goal was to spend the entire day with two to three children, getting to know them and just simply lavishing them with God’s love.

Well, back to the story. We had been playing with the children in the beach but now it was time for lunch and let me tell you, you don’t know what hunger is until you go with us on one of these trips. Before lunch we gathered all the children onto this kind of stone ledge where they could sit. Carol and Rebecca did some kids songs with them that they totally got into and then I shared a bit with them on Jeremiah 29:11.”For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.”

Well, this is where Kendell(picture with Tim, up to the left and all the way to right) comes in. I asked the group what the word “FUTURE” means. I called on Kendell and his answer was classic and quite possibly the best definition of future I’ve ever heard. He said, “You’ve got a whole lot of living coming to you.” His statement struck me as I stood there on that beach. I thought yeah, now that you’re a christian you can be sure that, ‘you’ve got a whole lot of living coming to you.’

So, we played football on the beach. We threw a couple of kids in the air in the water and it turned into a line of kids where I wasn’t sure if I would ever be able to lift my arms again. One little girl, probably about 9 years old, must have come over to Brad and I about 30 times. We’d have them curl up like a cannonball and we would shoot them over the oceans surface like the cannonballs that came from the pirate’s ships that once filled the Bahamian Islands.

To you, this may seem insignificant but that we were spending time with them as a father or mother would spend time with their children was as they say it, “just what the doctor ordered.” These little children on the ride home were falling asleep with our arms around them feeling like they may not have felt loved for possibly their entire lives (picture bottem left).

What a place to spend your life? Talk about meaning and purpose. These children need people like you in their lives.

Well, when we got back to their orphanage we decided to stay there for a little while. When I initially arrived there was one young man that I was looking for. He was a 13 year old Bahamian boy named Sydney. Last year I spent the whole day with him but unfortunately he was punished when we got there so he didn’t get to go to the beach with us.

I spent some time with him when we got there. He looked good. He was having some trouble in school but oh how I longed to see him know the Lord and be put in an environment where he could grow in a relationship with God.

We would soon have to leave…but I don’t want to leave out Nate “Indian Jones” Malone. There was this sky scraping palm tree with humungous coconuts. You know, the kind you see and say oh, only if I had a fire truck and could climb up its ladder then I could get those coconuts down. Well, next time you’ll say only if I had a fire truck or a Nate Malone around.

Let me tell you, he climbed all the way to the top of the tree next to the palm and began to whack the coconuts on the Palm Tree like you wouldn’t believe. It was amazing. He must have hit some of those coconuts 50 times each. But it was all worth it when one of those coconuts would drop out of the sky and the kids would run for it with utter excitement.

Sydney got a hold of one and he made sure I ate as much of it as I wanted. I just remember his extra large smile. What a special young man.

As much as none of us wanted to go, it was time and regretfully we loaded into the bus on our way back to the ALC. We’ll never forget that day and we’ll never forget those children.

On a seperate note, it is so important that we don’t get lost in the American Dream. We, must live for more than a family, two cars, a house, and a job. Jesus!!! He must be our Lord and leader of our lives and we must be willing and then Go when the needs arises.

There is too many without for us to occupy all our time and energy on the attainment of “stuff.”

Can I tell you that when you get it, you’ll find like everything else you’ve trusted in, it’s not what it seems.

Spend your life on something that matters. If its spending your life in the Bahamas and giving your life in service to the Lord by being with these children, then go.

God bless.

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