Fruit in Eternity

"I trust that eternity will reveal fruit from the effort." - Jim Elliot

I will give you what God has being revealing to me, but first wanted to give you some updates on ministry here.

Things at the Well, have been going through some changes. Some changes in programs and some, in some of the women and men. There are five from the ministry up at a Bible training school. They are doing very well and some are really growing. There could be some future prophets or preachers in the group. Maybe not right away, but everything has it's processes.
As for the rest of the Women at the Well, there has been a lot of sickness going around. Fevers, and headaches are the worst of them. There has been two babies recently born from the women at the center. There are plenty of other ones also crawling around at the center. Jesus, we need some fathers!
Jim has been really challenging the men and women, to really grow and become leaders of their community. On our little Sunday gatherings, call it church, or what ever your liking, Jim has really been challenging and encouraging the women to step out in faith. To walk in the authority of Jesus in the things they do. Like telling others about Jesus, or reaching out to their families, and neighbors. To Love their neighbors has been a focus in these discussions and teachings also.

So that's a little snap shot of life at the Well. Mr. Larson has his own blog at www.servantworks.com/jim . So if you want to hear other stories or insights you can check it out. I don't know, I think he's kinda cool;)

Personally I have been encouraged, by some new friends I have made recently. I met Add and Juup just this past week. Thai young adults, who feel personally called out to make a change in what's going on around them. They see the pain and hurts, and lost lives. They know the issues plaguing the young people. A lot of the issues are similar to what I grew up watching. Unfaithful fathers, drug addictions, gangs, prostitution, lack of education, no families, poor values, etc. Straight up like the hood! I talked to Add for some time over lunch, as he told his story, my spirit just got lifted. His talked about some of his family members being drug dealers, and having to live in a church for part of his life just got me. Man, isn't this God not incredible? How was he spared? For some reason he took to going to church. He realized the power of God and his life had been changed from there on in. Gradually being blessed with a group of believers that loved him like family, and then moving on to University. I didn't get to speak to Juup much until this pass weekend, as I spent a night in their neighborhood, and got to worship with their house church group. It was bangin! (awesome) She has a happy, affectionate spirit. She too wants to do something about the Kingdom. God raises up soldiers to win, Amen. Do we really want to do something about the lost? I once read that "We don't believe something simply by saying we believe it, or even when we believe that we believe it. We believe something when we act as if it where true." - Dallas Willard

I feel like God has answered my cries for friendship. For brothers and sisters to build this Kingdom on earth with. To start really loving on the inner city, working class people. Add told me that he had never met a man that reached out to prostitutes, until he met Jim. I said,"Jesus hung out and loved on women like that in his ministry." He just thought for a bit and smiled. And nodded in agreement, and let out a "Yea".

If God could take me out of Kensington, North Philly, then anything is possible through his transforming power and love. It took time, but God is so faithful! I have always felt like the hood doesn't define me, but Christ does. But God chose to raise me up in a hurting broken place. I don't speak about it to pump me up, but I glorify the father in his amazing plans. I will always remember my times playing in the fire hydrant in the summer, because we didn't have a park to swim in. Or running in the house, because a shoot out just broke out. I never thought I would ever live to see 16 years of age, let alone leave the city. Can anything good come from Nazareth? I know it. It can come out of these streets, slums, suburbs, rich communities and hoods of Bangkok too. I will trust that eternity will show fruit, so no use in sitting here and waiting for eternity, I got work to do.

"What if you where dead in sins, and Christians over looked Y'all; This is why we leave the couch and leave the comforts of our house, to show a dying world a God they probably never read about!" - Lecrae Moore (Christian Rapper)