“…so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.”

Ephesians 3:17

Christmas is all in the Heart

I love the Christmas Season. I love the hustle and bustle of the Holiday Season and the scent of cookies in the kitchen, candles and fires burning all over town and in department stores. I love gathering together with family and friends and sharing in the blessings that the Lord has given to us. Most of all I love Christmas because it is the season of remembrance for my Savior, Jesus Christ. As I was listening to some Christmas music, a song came on that had the simple phrase, “Christmas is all in the heart”. Those words might not strike you as much as they did me, but meditate on them with me for just a moment. The Word of God says that Christ dwells in our hearts. However, that is only true if we have accepted the TRUTH that He is God, that He is the Savior, and that He was crucified on a Cross for Our Sin and that He victoriously Rose from the Grave, Conquering Sin and Death. When a person accepts the Truth of Salvation through Jesus Christ they are granted the gift of the Holy Spirit, and at that moment they become the very dwelling place of God. So as we rush around from store to store in the next few weeks, trying to gratify our desires for those items that we have longed for all year, may we stop and reme

mber what this Season represents. May we not discount or cheapen the incredible TRUTH of Jesus Christ – Immanuel - God with Us. May we not rush past the opportunity to share the incredible life-changing/life-saving Grace of God and how it is the only thing that can truly gratify the deepest longings of our soul. As the song says: “No it’s not in the snow, that may or may not fall; and it’s not in the gifts around the tree, it’s in the love Heaven gave, the night our Savior came, and that same Love can still be found wherever you are, cause Christmas is all in the Heart.” If you find yourself reading this newsletter and have not found this TRUTH, then I beg you to seek my Savior right now! God love you so much, and He gave His son Jesus Christ as a free gift to you that instead of death and eternity a part from Him, you and I might have Life and eternity in His presence! I can think of nothing greater than to know God and to be known by God!

We’ve Been Busy!

In August we returned to Cottage Cove Urban Ministries in Nashville, TN. This marked the 5th time that Joel went to CC this year. Brent MacDonald had requested last year that SOM prayerfully consider helping to replace the roof structure of Cottage Cove. Brent and his staff were spending too much time and money replacing things that were damaged and at times completely destroyed as a result of a flat roof that has more holes than swiss cheese! As was expressed in our last newsletter, this was a seemingly impossible undertaking. However, all Glory to God, not only did we accomplish the project, but we were able to do it within the time frame that we hoped and within the provisions that the lord had allowed CC to have. They were literally able to completely transform their entire structure and it didn’t cost them a dime! We had 3 different teams come down including 2 men that came from Church of the Open Door in September and helped Joel finish the vinyl siding and soffit..

In October and November we were back in Liberia, on the campus of African Bible College. It was so nice to return to the campus and to see the students Joel met while doing the Chapel Roof Project. We were asked to construct a multi-purpose building that was the size of a large gymnasium. In fact that will be one of the purposes of the building as it is big enough to have probably 2 full courts in it. In addition to that building John and Jared had started the construction of a Communications Building back in the spring and we had to finish some of the work on that project as well. Within 6 weeks we took a pile of steel that was laying in the middle of the soccer field, and with a homemade crane, the Lord enabled us to erect the building and to put the roof and the siding on it, wire it up and install the windows and trim!

In between these two projects we have been busy with our responsibilities at home as well. Meg started another season of Playgroup with the moms in our community and it continues to amaze all of us at how the Lord has used this simple idea in the lives of so many. She has also been taking Jonathan through his second year of homeschooling. Joel led another season of Alpine’s LIFEGROUPS which is the small group ministry that we started last spring. In addition to that we also led and participated in Operation Christmas Child and collected 100 boxes in our first year!

On the home-front things are crazy! It is obvious we have 4 children because their noisy imagination is running wild as I write! It is a tremendous blessing that we thank God for. We know that these kids are a gift from God. We know that their health is a gift as well. Baby Elsie is growing stronger everyday and is now mobile, crawling all over the house. Jonathan is getting huge, reading now, and soaking up everything that he is learning in school and loving it (well all but the sitting still in a chair part)! Micah and Faith are always together in a world that the rest of us can’t even begin to understand. Around our house their craziness has officially granted them the name “The Reds”! We have to issue status reports as to what “the Reds” are up to? It usually involves something gross that requires cleaning and a new outfit. The Lord continues to be good to us though. Even though we are tired, very tired, we are so grateful to the Lord for what He has called us to do. We really are in a good place with regards to our marriage and our love. We still have all the day to day struggles that any young family has, but there is a perfect peace that we are in the center of God’s will that just seems to calm and quiet every storm. We couldn’t do it without your prayers though. Joel was reminded of that while flying home from Liberia just a week ago. While 30,000 ft in the air over the Atlantic Ocean you tend to dwell on the Almighty more than you do when you are sitting in a recliner watching football. He was just reminded of how dependant we are on the Lord for everything! We can do absolutely nothing apart from His Grace and Mercy in our lives. Without the prayers of God’s people I don’t think we could survive in this ministry. And the reality is that without those folks that have partnered with us financially we could not do what we do. We have had to make some adjustments as so many others have had to do as well, and we have had to understand that times are only going to get harder. So please hear our hearts when we say THANK YOU! Please hear the Heart of God as He rejoices in your faith and obedience that He will take care of you as you give to His work.

We love you all and cherish your love and support. May the Lord truly bless you this Christmas and every day!

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever, Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

Can you really comprehend the Truth that is in that small line of scripture? Just pause for a second and reflect on your life and relationship with Jesus Christ. Have there been times and situations where you can remember the Lord doing far more than you ever thought possible? Maybe it was a situation with your health or your finances, maybe your marriage or family was going through an incredibly difficult time, maybe your church was stuck in a routine rut? I don’t know what your situation is or was, but I know that during our time in Guatemala this past May and June, the Lord showed Himself so intimate, and so incredibly faithful to do more that I could have ever thought possible. In an effort to echo the words of Paul, to God be the Glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever, Amen!

I had the opportunity and the privilege to take another group to Casa Bernabe Orphanage in Guatemala. I have been a part of this ministry since 2002 and have since taken 10 groups down. Praise God for the chance to do so! This last group came from a church in Doylestown, OH. Crossroads Community Church is a great church that really has a heart for children and families and this was their first ever international missions trip. The team was comprised of primarily woman, most all of whom were mothers leaving behind families and their “normal” day to day responsibilities. It was a different team than the typical Steppin-Out projects attract but I thought, this will be great; they can go to Guatemala and love on the children there which is obviously a vital part of orphanage ministry. After all, we are only going to be there for 10 days and this will be a nice “easy” trip for a new group.

The group was working wonderfully; they were plugged into the houses and ministry without any problems. We were into our second week at the orphanage. Hoping for nice weather we set out on a quick trip to Antigua to see the “real” Guatemala that we don’t see during our time serving at Casa Bernabe. We were also planning on bringing our trip to a close by having lunch at Pedro and Donie Hernandez’s home, they are the directors of Casa Bernabe. One of the things that the group had been praying about during our time at the orphanage was the financial need that Casa Bernabe had. The ministry had suffered a couple accidents and had some surprises in their day to day budget and they were very far behind on their bills. We as a team had been praying that the Lord would move in our midst, and show us His power in meeting the needs of these orphans. Well the Lord decided to “move in our midst that day at lunch when not only did I receive word that the utility bill that was 2 months past due was going to be paid, but the Lord decided to literally “move” the earth below us! We had a small earthquake shake the tables and chairs that we were sitting on and grab our hearts and attention as we praised God for His provision of this utility bill.

After our day was over, we headed back to Casa Bernabe. The trip was a little slower than usual because we thought that we were driving through a bad fog from some rain showers that were likely coming through the area. As we arrived back home and sat down for the youth ministry that night, it sounded like hail stones were pelting the metal roof. However, it was not hail; it was volcanic ashes and cinders that were blanketing the countryside from the Volcano Pacaya that had exploded, which was of course the earthquake that we had felt about 6 hours earlier! At this point, we are scheduled to depart for Ohio on the 29^th, just 2 days away! We started receiving word that the airport was closed and that we were not going to be able to leave for a couple of days. It was incredible to see the Lord move in the hearts of His people as I shared the news of our delay. Remember we are dealing with moms, husbands, businessmen and women, children, etc. Every one of the team members’ initial reaction was positive and encouraging. We all thought that after just a few days the air would clear up, the ashes would be cleaned up and we could go home. Once again the team received news that we were going to be delayed even longer and really had no assurance when we would be able to return home. I was so proud of the team as again they rallied in prayer to the Lord for provision and for peace, for discernment and for guidance. Remember our passage, He is able to do far more than we could ask or imagine. The Lord faithfully and intimately in a way that

only He can through His Holy Spirit and His Holy Word, he transformed our minds and gave us a new vision for our remaining time. We shifted gears, unpacked our stuff for the second time and decided to make ourselves available to the local villages as many of them had been completely destroyed by mudslides. A group of us set out for a 2 day clean-up trip to a small village near Antigua and once again saw the Lord do more than we could ever have asked or imagined He would do. We worked and shoveled for 2 days trying to help the local people simply try to find the floors in their homes, business, and even streets. It was an amazing sight to see all of the town people working tirelessly to uncover their lives from the mud and muck. It was incredible to see the smiles on their faces, and to receive a gracious thank you as you worked alongside of them. I don’t know if we helped them as much as they helped us, but it was 2 days that I will never forget.

It might surprise you what I mean by “seeing His work.” We didn’t clean-up the whole village; we didn’t provide homes for all 165 orphans at Casa Bernabe. But it was the amazing ways that the Lord faithfully and intimately dealt with each one of us as His children. It was the peace offered to an anxious heart, it was the provision of strength, funds, health, and safety as we worked. It was the way the He moved in the hearts of family back home as we stayed twice as long as we originally had planned. It was the way that He took His Holy Word and proved its authenticity and reality in our lives. It was how each and every one of us could sense His Holy Spirit moving in our hearts and lives enabling us to do things that we would never do apart from Him. It was the way that He appointed two of our team members to share their stories of God’s love amidst past abuse and turmoil to help these children break free from the bondage of guilt and unforgiveness. It was the way He filled calloused hearts with Love overflowing, now beating with a desire to hold and love these children that were tossed away and forgotten. It was the way that He united a team from very different backgrounds and personalities and drew us close as a family. It was the way that He reminded us each and every day that He authored creation and He sustains creation and that includes us. It was the way that He once again confirmed in my heart and Megan’s heart that this is what He has called us to do with our lives! I could fill volumes with more testimonies but I don’t want to miss the biggest area of all; the fact that the Lord moved in the hearts of these people “to GO” and to “Step-Out” and serve in missions. We would have never been able to see, experience, touch, witness, and do the incredible things that we did, had we not said “Here am I Lord, Send me”. The Lord continues to amaze me with His goodness and grace! It is incredible to see His people at work, whether they are in a little village in the middle of nowhere, or in an inner-city surrounded by skyscrapers and concrete, whether they are in another country or in their own hometowns, He is faithful to do more than we could ever imagine.

This is such a good reminder to me personally as Meg and I gear up for more ministry in the coming days. It is so easy to lose sight of the Lord’s goodness and faithfulness in an instant and we completely forget that He will be with us. We are excited to have the opportunity to return again to Cottage Cove in Nashville, TN. We will be leading work teams down to remodel the entire roof structure of Cottage Cove. This project will be incredibly intense, and will require us to allow the Lord to take the lead because the project is somewhat daunting and looks to be very difficult. If it’s any indication, my dad said to me the other day, “if the Lord allows us to do this, it will be one of the wildest and crazy things that we have ever done” that is a pretty loaded statement from a guy who has built 1500ft radio towers in the Jungle and erected entire buildings in the African Desert! I have no doubt that the Lord will be with us though. It is so refreshing to see “simple ministry” taking place every day at Cottage Cove. To see the children coming in from their respective neighborhoods and to know that they are being discipled in Christ is a beautiful thing. In addition to that, we are planning our second season of LIFE Groups at Alpine, where I am honored to serve on staff. We hope and pray that our local body of believers will rise up to Gods calling of connecting with one another and with our world for His glory. Then in November I plan to be gone to Yekepa Liberia and the campus of African Bible College. We will be finishing up the last couple buildings there on the campus and hope to finish everything in time to celebrate with Samaritan’s Purse, the Liberian President, and ABC University as they celebrate the dedication of the campus to the ministry. In addition to that it is an added bonus to know that Franklin Graham will be conducting a crusade in the very buildings that we are building and to know that they Lord might use our efforts in a tangible way to intersect the lives of the people of Liberia! We remain confident that though we get weary sometimes, the Lord will always do more than we could ask Him to do and we Trust Him!

Of course another way that He answers that prayer is through all of you. It makes us stop in our tracks sometimes to think that we have been able to serve in this ministry for 4 years now because of the faithfulness of His people responding to His leading. We absolutely could not, and would not do what we do if it were not for your partnership with us in this ministry. We always answer the question, “So who is Steppin-Out Missions?” by saying “You Are!” You are a vital part of what we do and we thank you for your love and generosity and your faithfulness to support us. I will close this letter with another “God moment” from my time in Guatemala. I was reading in Philippians one night and read Paul’s closing statement. I think there is no more fitting way to end than to echo the words of Paul and I hope that you hear our heart in these words: “Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received the gifts that you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen” Philippians 4:17-20

We love you and thank you for loving us. We pray for you and thank you for always praying for us. We are not finished yet, and we trust that you are encouraged and challenged as you read this letter. The Lord has some incredible things in store for those people that are willing to seek Him with their whole hearts. May the Lord continue to work in your lives and bless you in the coming days.