I have a request I'd like to bring before you. As I've mentioned in previous blogs Renae and I started a bible study here onsite at the orphanage for the junior high and high school students. Things started really well, we had very good participation averaging about 20 kids (boys and girls) per bible study! But things have started to diminish... so much so that last week only 4 kids came. Now don't get me wrong I understand that bible study is not a numbers game and the success of the study is not based on the amount of kids that come. However the hard part is the reason they're not coming. Allow me to explain.
These kids are not just "kids" to me, they are more like my little brothers and sisters. These are the people I eat my meals with, hang out with, go to church with, do "family" things with. Imagine (some of you won't have to) but imagine that you are on fire for the Lord, passionate for the things of God and desiring to live a Spirit led life but someone you're very close to completely rejects this Jesus Christ that you've devoted your entire life to. Pretty painful huh? Well that is what's happening here. Now if the case were that the kids loved going to church, loved going to youth group, loved the small services we do here at the orphanage, loved the Lord but simply just didn't want to or couldn't come to bible study, then things would be different, but unfortunately that is not the case. Yesterday Renae and I went walking around the orphanage reminding the kids of bible study that was going to happen that night and when we asked one kid their response was "no, I don't think I'll come." When we asked why, we were expecting the typical answer of "I've got homework or chores to do" but instead the teen told us that they hated bible study, that they don't believe that God or the Devil even exist. Now this isn't a kid that just came to the orphanage yesterday, they've been here for a while. Now if one kid had the guts to tell us to our face what they were thinking, there are bound to be far more who are thinking the same but just didn't open their mouths. Like I said before if I saw the kids here at Door of Faith Orphanage living Spirit filled lives and they simply just didn't want to come to our bible study, things would be different.
So please be praying for the kids here at Door of Faith. I encourage you to look at and imitate the way Paul prayed for the churches like in Philippians 1:9-11 " And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God." also look at Romans 1:8-12, 1 Corinthians 1:4, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4.
There are also some specific kids who I'd like you to pray for. There names are...
-Kevin
-Lulu
-Tyler
-Alexia
-Luisito
These are the kids who get criticized by others for their love and devotion to Christ. When one of these kids choses not to speak profanity they are criticized, when their answer to everything is "God is in control," they are criticized, when they're not looking for a boyfriend or girlfriend but rather serving God, they are criticized, when they volunteer to pray aloud before bible study, they are laughed at. For these kids I encourage you to pray as Paul did for the believers in Ephesians 1:15-19a "For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe...." I know that's already alot to chew on so I'll stop there.
I'm sure by now some of you are wondering why I haven't talked about my engagement. Yes! Renae and I will be getting married March 12th, 2011 in Placerville and if you can email me your address, you're invited. But the reason why this is but a small paragraph in this long entry is because our engagement and marriage although it means alot and the both of us are very excited there are still things that are more important than our wedding day. If Christ were to return in this instant we know our place, we know we'd be taken up with Him and we know we'd be at the good feast, the marriage supper of the Lamb. But we're working with lost souls, teens, friends who we love who don't know the Lord. Everyone one of the kids here at Door of Faith coming to know the Lord is our focus, our passion and our desire as a couple.
Thank you all for your prayers!!!
