Casa1631 Missions

Curt and Outreach Bible Project

2011-11-09T20:50:00.000-08:00

Hi! I hope that this letter finds you and your family well. I want to share with you a ministry opportunity God has presented to me. During July 27th – August 11th, 2012 I will be going to London, England for the 2012 Outreach Bible Project. The Outreach Bible Project began in 1984, at the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and has continued on through today, with the completion of the most recent project at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia. In 1996 when the Olympics came to Atlanta, Georgia, Hillcrest Baptist Church was the sponsoring Church. Since then, Hillcrest Baptist Church has continued to be instrumental in promoting and supporting this ministry. We take the Bible and the Great Commission literally. Mark 16:15 commands us to go into all the world. And what better place to share the gospel with the world…then where all the world has assembled.

The Outreach Bible Project takes volunteers to the Olympics to distribute Bibles and tracts to the visitors who have come from all over the world. We do on the street evangelism and use our uniquely designed trading pins to share the gospel, one-on-one. We pray we will be able to see souls saved and lives changed in London, during the 2012 Olympics. This trip will also focus on allowing God to work in our lives through the personal enrichment that comes from this type of mission trip.

I’m excited about this opportunity and the experiences that lie ahead. I hope you see the value in what we will accomplish. As you can imagine, a trip like this requires financial support from a number of people. I need to raise $1,600 plus money for airfare by early 2012. This cost includes transportation, lodging, and food for one week. If you can support me in a financial way, I would be so grateful. But most importantly, I need your prayer support. Without prayers, nothing can be accomplished. Though the trip doesn't leave until July 2012, we have to buy tickets and make other preparations now, so we need your prayer and financial support now, as the Lord leads you. If you would like to be part of this ministry through your financial support, please send a check to:

Hillcrest Baptist Church, 6069 Woodstock Road, Acworth, GA 30102.
Make check payable to Outreach Bible Project. In the memo line put my name.

Thank you for letting me share with you what will be one of the most meaningful experiences of my life.

In His service,

Curt

Brave Diver

2011-08-08T10:41:00.000-07:00

I just heard from my high school swim/diving coach after 30 yrs and he said, "Jody, you were a brave diver.". I told him I'm not sure that I've done anything exceptionally well, but I do think I've been brave. That could go on my tombstone, "She was a brave diver." I think I see a theme today. God is awesome!

Now, some borrowed thoughts to go along with this.
“In God's world, for those who are in earnest, there is no failure. No work truly done, no word earnestly spoken, no sacrifice freely made, was ever made in vain.”
~ Frederick W. Robertson

“If you have made mistakes , there is always another chance for you . You may have a fresh start any moment you choose , for this thing we call "failure " is not the falling down, but the staying down .” unknown

“If you're not failing every now and again, it's a sign you're not doing anything very innovative.” - Woody Allen

“None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us.” Romans 8:37 (The Message). We don't fight for victory; we fight from victory!

“Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the LORD.”

Or in other words:
“Be brave. Be strong. Don't give up. Expect God to get here soon.”
Psalm 31:24

Hope this encourages you today.

urgent prayer request

2011-01-22T14:09:00.001-08:00

Please be praying for Maggie and her team. They were crossing over into Mozambique, and were stopped and told to get off their bus. They were told their visas were only 30 day visas, and they had been in the country for 35 days. Their passports were confiscated and they were declared illegal aliens. They were getting their things off the bus, and Maggie's backpack with her laptop was on the top (double decker) and a man, who was angry because they were delaying the bus, threw it at her, hitting her in the nose. Her nose was bleeding and she hit her head on the railing. This man followed them off the bus, yelling and had to be chased away. They were in immigrations for 6 hours before YWAM got them out. They are now safe on a YWAM base, but are being told they have to pay $300 each in order to get their passports back, and leave the country. YWAM does have emergency funds to front them.

More updates from Maggie

2011-01-10T05:19:00.000-08:00

Good morning! I just got an update from Maggie. She got 15 minutes at the internet cafe. They are safely in Maputo, Mozambique, at the YWAM base. There are 20 of them in a house, sharing 1 bathroom. They traveled one day in the back of a pick up truck, 42 people! It's 120 degrees. They are sharing the Gospel and seeing results. They plan to go to South Africa on the 22nd of January, return to Hawaii on March 6th, and then she should be back in Indiana on March 15. She is writing things down to share. Thanks for all you've done and please keep her in your prayers!

Update-Maggie in Mozambique

2010-12-30T08:58:00.000-08:00

This is Jody. I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas! I pray for blessings for you for the New Year. I've included parts of an email I received from Maggie. Please continue to pray for her team as they minister in the heat, and for their plans to go to the YWAM base in Mamputo.
I got to check my email again!!...Christmas was nice here! We got up early to deliver presents to the kids and helped serve them lunch. In the evening I
organized a white elephant gift exchange and a letter exchange. It was
a lot of fun. I don't think I have ever been that homesick though...It was
good though. Now we are preparing for new years. We
are doing face painting and a whole bunch of other stuff. It's going
to be fun. We leave Iris Ministries base Wednesday morning and are
suppose to be staying at the YWAM base in Mamputo, the thing is that
they haven't been returning Brandon's emails and so as of right now we
don't have a place to go. Our bus tickets back to South Africa aren't
until January 24th so we are kind of in a pickle. So yeah be praying
that everything works out.
Where we are working right now is in the big city and the iris base is
really nice. So I haven't really seen how Africa really is, that is
until yesterday. Yesterday we went out into the bush bush and went
from house to hut praying for families and things there. It was sooo
sooo hot and I got sick once. Everyone was just because it was so hot
and we were hiking everywhere....It's been about 115 here the past
few days and next month it is suppose to be even hotter!! But it was
an amazing experience to see how the majority of Africa lives.
OH!!!! Something else so Paul came up to me a few days ago and told me
that when Hanson recorded their The Walk cd, the one that I got just
before I went to their concert, they came here and recorded with the
kids for the cd (remember how it had the Africa children singing?)
Well the whole group knows I am a Hanson fan, but when Paul came and
told me I thought he was just messing with me. So yesterday I went and
asked a missionary here and they confirmed it!!!! How awesome is
that. My life is now complete :)
Ok time is about up so I gotta go. Tell everyone that I love them and
pass along any updates! LOVE YOU!!!!

Update-Maggie

2010-12-22T06:21:00.000-08:00

I pray you are having a very blessed Christmas season! I wanted to make sure you all knew that Maggie, as far as we know, is in Mozambique. We last heard from her Friday in Johannesburg. They had gotten their malaria medicine at a much cheaper cost than they had anticipated, and had received their visas in 20 minutes! God is paving the way. Ministry plans had changed and Maggie said she'd be involved in a music and dance ministry with children. If you know Maggie, this is a dream come true for her!! They split up duties for their time in Mozambique and Maggie is in charge of meals and worship. Again, this is a blessing for her! Please continue to pray.

Our church has been handling money for Maggie's YWAM training. Now that the tuition cost has been covered, any funds for her needs in Africa or continued support for her future mission work needs to be sent to LOVEM Ministries, C/O Don and Jody Fields, 22394 Mulebarn Rd., Sheridan, IN 46069. If you have any questions about this feel free to call Faith Family Ministries or Jody at 765-242-2684.

God bless you this season!

Updates

2010-10-06T06:32:00.000-07:00

"I will go before you and level the uneven places; I will shatter the bronze doors and cut the iron bars in two. I will give you the treasures of darkness and riches from secret places, so that you may know that I, the Lord, the God of Israel, call you by your name. Isaiah 45:2,3

More changes for our family...We have moved back to my hometown of Sheridan. We are actually living in my grandparents old farmhouse. Many of you know Don worked 2 jobs for a year. This move has allowed him to quit the second job. The email and phone number is the same. I will update the address in the info.

Treyton's adoption is final-praise God!!!! As of September 20, 2010, he is Treyton David Fields. So glad to be done with the legal process. Please pray for Treyton as he grows and asks more questions. Pray that he will just be understanding, forgiving and grateful for his life.

Maggie is in Hawaii doing her Discipleship Training through YWAM (Youth With a Mission). Here is the link to her blog. www.maggiefields.blogspot.com I'm sure she would love to hear from you.

May God bless you all during this beautiful fall season!

Patience...and more patience...

2010-06-29T09:22:00.000-07:00

"By your patience possess your souls." (Luke 21:19) Another word for patience is longsuffering. And that says it all. When you suffer for a long time, it means you put up with more than you want to. Pray for God's patience to so be established in your soul that nothing you have to put up with will ever uproot it. UGH!!!

Every Tribe

2010-06-08T10:03:00.000-07:00

Hi!! The Kirbows will be out of state on June 15, so we will be changing this months coffee club to June 22. Sorry for the inconvenience.

July Coffee Club

2010-05-19T06:21:00.000-07:00

Someone just pointed out to me that July 13 is in the middle of fair week. We thought it would be better to change that one to July 20. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Every Tribe Coffee Club

2010-05-18T10:08:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,
God has provided 3 great nights for us!! They are as follows:
Tuesday, May 25, 6PM-Joe Lanham Joe has a long history of mission work in Haiti, having lived there and also having traveled to and from on short term trips. He has a very interesting story of work in hospitals, "adopting" a daughter, and even being shot! We will meet at Jeff and Sally Moore's home, 408 S. Clay.

Tuesday, June 15, 6PM-Amy and Derek Kirbow. The Kirbows and been missionaries with YWAM, long and short term, in Africa, Russia, Yemen, and probably places I don't know about. You may also have heard about Amy's work with stained glass, and now midwifery. This time we will be at our house, 1355 Burlington Ave.

Tuesday, July 13, 6PM-Fred and Betsy Eiler. The Eilers are with World Missionary Press. We met years ago when I was looking for materials to take to Brazil. The Eilers invited me to spend the day with the at WMP, and I was amazed! Learn more about how this organization is helping spread the gospel to "Every Tribe." We will meet at the Moore's, 408 S. Clay.

You may wonder why these are all on Tuesday. I have found that many missionaries have their weekends scheduled out months in advance. For some reason, Tuesdays seem to be the least busy day of the week. Sorry if it doesn't work for you. If I found there was a need, I'd be willing to video tape.

I always appreciate an RSVP, but if you forget to, or find yourself available last minute, please come any way, and invite a friend!!!

Things Turn Out Best...

2010-04-04T17:23:00.000-07:00

Wow!! Look at this post from a fellow LOVEM Missionary:
Jody Kennedy International
Things turn out best...
April 2, 2010

"Things turn out best for the people who make the best out of the way things turn out." - Art Linkletter

Mission work is full of surprises, unexpected situations and challenging obstacles. Yet, the result is always predictable when God is glorified and the gospel is clearly and directly presented. God has His way with both the missionary and those touched by the missionary. Below are some lessons that must be learned and re-learned when serving the Almighty God.

-Learn to be led by the One we are serving and adapt our priorities to meet His

-Learn how to cheerfully change your plans when unexpected conditions require it

-Do not be discouraged when faced with unexpected challenges. God has already prepared a way to overcome them in a way that will glorify Him

God said,
10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. 11 From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do. (Isaiah 46:10-11 NIV)

Missions is about following God's lead and trusting Him with the result.

Prepare!!

2010-02-22T07:42:00.000-08:00

Go to the ant, you slacker! Observe its ways and become wise. Proverbs 6:6
In my devotion for today I was reading about delayed satisfaction. The ant doesn't spend all its time eating. It works to store food so it will have it when it needs it in the winter. If we are young, we need to prepare for the future in every way we can. No matter what age we are, whenever we have to do something in public, we must prepare. We have to spend our time being ready for what God has called us to do. Then when the time comes and God is tells us to begin, we will be ready. Whatever God has asked us to do, we can't take His blessings for granted-we must prepare.

What a reminder for me!!! This is the time to make myself ready for whatever is to come!!

Praise God Maggie has been accepted for her DTS through WYAM. She will now begin preparing for September-financially, spiritually, and emotionally, and physically. Please keep her in your prayers.

2010-01-25T21:20:00.000-08:00

We are asked many times why we think we haven’t gone on the mission field. We understand the many questions as to why we haven’t gone, what we have been doing in the meantime, etc. We have asked God many questions ourselves. We want to share with you from our hearts. We have wanted from the beginning to glorify God in all we do. We don’t understand why we are still here, but we have tried to be open to meet needs whenever we are made aware of them.
In a book I (Jody) am reading now, the main characters are going through a trying time. They began to quote scripture, each adding what came to their mind. How encouraging, the words they spoke! Maybe you need to be encouraged also. “I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak His praises. I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart…Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt His name together…I prayed to the Lord, and He answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces…Even young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing…The Lord is close to the broken hearted. He rescues those whose spirits are crushed.”
God is so good to us. With the help of you, our family in Christ, we have had the blessing of being able to share the Gospel in Frankfort, Mexico, Brazil and Russia. We have helped others go on short term trips, and to mission camp. We have purchased Bibles, craft supplies, and food for the hungry. Don has been ordained. With your help, we have all been the hands and feet of Jesus.

If we can join together to minister to one person, we are indeed blessed. "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. . .Matthew 25:40
Please continue to pray for us as we seek His will. We have so many ideas we are praying about, trips to Costa Rica, Mexico, Brazil, and Russia. We’ve looked into training through Youth With a Mission and into adopting orphans from Haiti. All are good things, but what is the best for us?
NEWS
• Maggie has turned in her application for Youth With a Mission. If accepted, she will begin training in September. We will keep you updated.

• On February 6 at 2:00 pm we will have our Every Tribe Coffee Club. Please RSVP if you will be coming, or call if you have any questions.

PRAYER
• Pray for Haiti, for healing, and for God’s glory to be shown to the Haitian people.
• Pray for Amanda Smith as she ministers in Rwanda.
• Pray for Jan and Scotty as they continue their ministry in the Amazon region of Brazil.
• Pray for Matt and Brooke McClain and their children as their ministry changes and grows in Costa Rica.

trip update

2009-06-12T16:40:00.001-07:00

Until June 11, we had been moving forward with our plans for our trip
to Brazil. Actually it felt as if we were moving one step forward and
two steps back. We began planning back in the fall, and had a huge
response. Thirty people were interested in going. This leveled out to
about 11 and stayed that way until around the first of the year. Then
it dropped down to 4-all family members. Our cost per person rose at
this point. We continued planning. For some reason, the money wasn’t
available as usual. I’ve seen God work miracles before, so I waited.
I longed to be in Brazil, to see people I hadn’t seen since 2005, to
feel the heat, the rocking of the boat, see the eyes of the children,
to share the gospel with them and to meet physical needs.
But the “problems” continued. Flooding caused questions of whether or
not the fast boat from Manaus to Santarem would be available. Chicago
seemed to be very reluctant to issue visas, and so we were going to
try going through a Florida travel agency to the consulate in New
York, which would add to the cost. I didn’t feel joy at the idea of
going, just a heaviness not knowing how we would be able to do it. I
just prayed, “God, we’ve done everything humanly possible (support
letters, fundraisers, odd jobs, etc.), now you are going to have to
take over.” As if He needed my permission.
The trip we went on to Mexico last year was being planned for the same
time as our Brazil trip. We were told by a friend that if we couldn’t
get visas for Brazil, they had a spot open and Jacob could go with
them. Of course I knew the cost of this trip. The entire trip cost
was the same as our plane tickets to Brazil. Could they use all of us
on the trip? Last year we ended with a disagreement. Actually we
agreed to disagree on an issue. Would they even want us to go? It is
a construction trip, which Jacob would love. They speak Spanish in
Mexico, so I could interpret. And guess what? The ladies who usually
do their VBS aren’t going this year. They also were in charge of the
boarder runs for food and water for the group. Not only could my mom,
Maggie and I do that, but we already had plans and supplies for VBS
and a women’s Bible study. Coincidence?
I contacted the agency we used to get our tickets. No refunds. I
called the number about our trip insurance. No refunds if we couldn’t
get visas, only if they were lost or stolen. Also, the tickets to
Mexico, at this point had gone up, increasing that cost by $300 each.
We’re back to praying for a miracle.
I next received an email from the same agency saying that our flight
out from Manaus was no longer offered on the day we had booked it for,
so the airlines switched it. This caused us to miss our connecting
flight in Atlanta. Because of this they were going to refund our
money. We could get online and find new tickets (costing how much
now?) for the day before or the day after, or take a full refund. No
penalties because it was involuntary. I thought, “OK, God. If this
is how you choose to work it out...“
But there is more. Overnight the flights to Mexico had gone up $800
each! We were told to pray. I was busy and thought, “You know God, I
can’t do anything about this and I don’t even have time to worry.”
For once, I didn’t try to fix it. Within a couple of hours, I got a
call. Guess what? We’ve got tickets, at the original price, making
the entire trip cost, almost to the dollar, the same amount as the
refund for the plane tickets to Brazil. (Money that was raised for
special projects for Brazil will still be sent to Brazil.)
“Therefore the Lord will wait, that He might be gracious to you; and
therefore He may be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the
Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him. For
the people shall dwell in Zion in Jerusalem. You shall weep no more.
He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry. When He
hears it He will answer you. And though the Lord gives you the bread
of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your teachers will not
be moved into a corner anymore. But your eyes shall see your
teachers. Your ears shall hear a word behind you saying, “This is the
way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you
turn to the left.” Isaiah 30:18-21
When we are in the dry, dusty border town of Miguel Aleman, with its
drug cartels, as I purchase, cook and serve food to the people working
construction, a job which is not quite hands on enough for me, when we
do VBS for children hardened by the streets or Bible study with women
who don’t seem as open as the Brazilians, I will have no doubt in my
mind that this is where God sent me. No matter how I tried to arrange
my trip to Brazil, He wants me in this border town, at this time.
Please be praying for this trip.

Cara Ann Houser

2009-06-10T11:26:00.000-07:00

Cara Ann arrived at 10:19 PM, Monday, June 8th. She weighed 7 lbs. 3 oz. and was 20 1/2 inches long. Everyone is doing fine!!

Every Tribe

2009-05-29T06:49:00.000-07:00

Every Tribe

Revelation 5:9 says, And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.”

Our vision for Every Tribe is to increase awareness of, and prayer and financial assistance for, missions around the world. We desire to see Christians united, focusing on the great commission.

There are several ways we can do that. First we need to learn about what is going on in the world of missions. We need to be aware of the needs we can pray for. We hope to focus on one country each month. We will learn about the country and “meet” missionaries who are serving there. We will join together to pray for them.

We will enjoy coffee grown in the country we are focusing on. The same coffee will be available for you to order. The company we purchase the coffee from is Kerusso and here is a little information about them:

We are concerned for human beings to have true freedom. We believe people are of great value because they are uniquely created in the image of God. We think all human beings should be free to worship God. More than 40 countries around the world do not share our belief and, so, persecute people of faith. We say that is wrong, and we are trying to help. We originally became interested in coffee because we realized that coffee grows primarily in the areas where persecution flourishes. Join us in the battle to help our fellow human beings live freely.

By supporting Kerusso, we will be supporting people from every tribe who need our help. See www.kerussocoffee.com. Also a portion of the sales will go directly to support missions in Brazil.

We hope you will be a part of this ministry!!

First meeting is June 11th, at 6:30, at our house. RSVP to fields.jody@gmail.com

May 2009 Newsletter

2009-05-13T13:22:00.000-07:00

And so it was that while they conversed and reasoned that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him…Now it came to pass, He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished before their sight. And they said to one another “Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” Luke 24:15, 16, 30-32

How often do we talk and reason, blinded by our desires and disappointments, and miss the fact that Jesus is walking with us? Like the men on the road to Emmaus, things don’t turn out as we thought they would, so we can’t see God working out His will. We have to take time to fellowship with Him and look into His word so that we will remember that He is with us, He is working out His good and perfect will even when we don’t understand.
Pray for us as we wait on God and His perfect timing and will.

Jacob’s Russia trip update:
We flew into Moscow and then we got on a twenty hour train to Perm. When we got to Perm one of the missionaries there picked us up in a van and took us to the mission base where we would sleep and work. We worked on one of the many rooms they have. We put linoleum down and painted and we also helped with a kids’ club which they have once a week. Then we got back on the train to Moscow and walked to Red Square and saw St. Basil’s Cathedral and the Tomb of Lenin and the Kremlin Palace. The missionaries we worked with were there through Youth With a Mission. Our church hopes to go again next year and work in the orphanages, at the mission base and in an unreached village. Jacob

July 2009 Trip to Brazil
We are working on our plans for July 2-13. We plan to fly to Manaus and spend the day with our interpreter/friend, Nill, and then fly on to Santarem. Here we will stay at the house of our missionary friends, Jan and Scotty. If Amanda Smith has her visa renewed and is back in the country, she will travel on with us from there. We will go by boat to Obidos (the home of our hearts!) and do ministry in this area. We will save the details for when we return. Pray that the believers in the area will be encouraged, and many new souls will be added to the kingdom.
Nill at VBS in 2003.
Nill is studying and working in Manaus. We will be paying all of his travel costs while he interprets for us. He has volunteered to interpret without pay. (“It would be an honor for me to interpret for you.”) We know though that he supports his mom and younger brother, so we want to pay him at least $500.
We also hope to spend a day on the river with Pastor Expedito. We will cover the expenses for his boat, and would like to reimburse him for his time also. We have a vision to set up a fund for the upkeep of the boat and also for the fuel as he continues his ministry on the river. The boat was donated to him by a church that Jan and Scotty work with.

Pastor Expedito is in the black shirt, Nill is in the white.

MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU
If you feel led to help with the expenses, and to be a blessing to Nill and Pastor Expedito, we have several ways you can help.
We are selling coffee. (Please check out this ministry at www.kerussocoffee.com.) Contact me for an order form. We are planning to start a coffee club, “Every Tribe” which will meet once a month to discuss and pray for missions around the world. We will taste coffee from the featured area, and it will be available to purchase also. Proceeds will go to the boat fund. Our first meeting will be June 11 at 6:00 PM.

On May 22 and 23 will be having a yard sale, at our house. You can help by donating items to sale, or by purchasing items. Proceeds will go to pay Nill, our interpreter.

On June 2nd at 6:00PM we are having a Pampered Chef party, again, at our house. You may also order online at www.pamperedchef.biz/DitchenInTheKitchen.

If you have any questions, or would like to help, our contact info is included below.
Phone: 765-242-2684 Email: fields.jody@gmail.com
Mailing address: 1355 Burlington Ave.
Frankfort, IN 46041

Random thoughts...

2009-02-22T19:28:00.000-08:00

I've been hearing a lot lately about faith. Sermons, songs, conversations. Maggie and Brittani Howell wrote a song for Amanda Smith based on Jeremiah 29:11, her life verse. Amanda is in the States renewing her visa and support. It is so exciting to hear of how God is using her, but a little bittersweet thinking, what if...We do have faith that God is in control of our lives.

Jacob will be leaving for Russia March 17th, the day after his 15th birthday. He will return March 25th. Things are a bit unstable there with the economy as it is. He may actually go into the sewers to minister to the street children who go there to keep warm. We have faith that God will keep him safe on this trip.

Emily and Ben are having a girl! We believe already that God has a plan for her life.

Curt is hoping that the foot he hurt while moshing at a youth concert will heal quickly so he can continue playing basketball. We are hearing, unexpectedly from others that he has patience and that he has the "heart of a missionary." We have faith that soon, Curt will realize this.

Treyton is growing by leaps and bounds. He really is "a big boy." We have faith that God has plans for his life. He has done such miracles for him already.

Maggie, Jacob, my mom and I will be in Brazil from July 2 through the 13th. We will be traveling with Nill and Amanda. We have faith that God will use us to meet needs.

Jacob's update

2009-01-27T09:20:00.001-08:00

Dear friends and family,

I want to give you an update on the two mission trips I hope to go on this year.

In March I am planning on going to Russia with some men from my church. It looks like we might leave on my birthday, March 16th. We plan on flying into Moscow and then taking a train to Perm. I will need heavy winter clothes for this trip! We will minister in orphanages and take health care packages.

Also in July my family and I are planning on going to Brazil. Missionary Amanda Smith is back in the country working on renewing her visa and raising support. We are talking with her about ways to lower the coast of this trip. This trip will require summer clothes! We will minister on the river.

So far I have raised about $300 of the $3,000 (estimate) that I need. Please pray for me as I raise support. I am willing to do odd jobs (pet care, snow removal, minor repairs, lawn care as the weather improves, etc) to earn the money.

If you have information on work, fund raisers, or would like to contribute, please contact me at fields.jody@gmail.com, or 765-242-2684.

Serving Him,
Jacob Fields

update and thanks

2009-01-12T17:07:00.000-08:00

This is to update and thank everyone!!
The concert/coffee house to raise money for the summer missions trip went off very well. Over $500 was raised. This will be split among the 5 team members who worked. Many thanks to Rock Cry, Sense of Reverence, the McMains, Tim Thomas, Don Fields and anyone else who helped. Maggie stepped up to handle the details since I wasn't able to help.

I wasn't able to help because I really didn't have a good week! On Sunday I went to the emergency room, and on Monday I had surgery to repair and incisional hernia. My intestines were looped through the hernia. On Wednesday I came home for a few hours, had some complications and then went back to the hospital. I finally came home on Friday. Praise God things are feeling much better now. I get my staples out Thursday. Thanks to everyone who has prayed,called, sent cards, brought food, etc. We've been well taken care off!!!

Concert/coffee house

2009-01-03T17:40:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year!
Sense of Reverence will be doing a concert Friday, Jan. 9th at 8PM in the youth house at Faith Family Ministries. Rock Cry will be opening for them. Tickets are $5. A coffee shop will also be open. All proceeds go the the July 2009 South America mission trip. Hope to see you there!!

Fundraiser

2008-12-30T16:46:00.000-08:00

Dear Friend of LOVEM Ministries CASA1631:

I am writing to let you know about a very important and exciting funding partnership opportunity for LOVEM Ministries CASA1631 . We have joined Preferred Toner Solutions, LLC in a long-term funding program.

For every PrecisePrint™ laser cartridge purchased by our referral network, Preferred Toner Solutions will make a donation of $10 to LOVEM Ministries CASA1631. And not just for this year, but for the life of the account!

Plus, you or your company will save 30%-50% off name-brand retail prices when you make the switch to PrecisePrint. Shipping is FREE.

Currently, PrecisePrint laser compatibles are being used by clients like University of Michigan Hospital, Ohio State University, Michigan State University, SoftPro (Raleigh, NC), Dodge City Public Schools (KS), plus hundreds of law firms, school districts, hospitals, colleges, banks, automobile dealerships, and corporate offices across the country.

Please visit www.TonerFundraisers.org or call 734-751-4180 to find product information, company credentials, and discounted pricing.

Thank you for considering this business opportunity. You or your company can save money, and LOVEM Ministries CASA1631 will receive $10 per cartridge that you purchase.

Sincerely,

Don and Jody Fields

PLANNING TO GO, WILLING TO STAY!

Forgot to post before Christmas...

2008-12-27T18:25:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to you all! Jesus is the reason for the season.

We just want to thank you all, and give some updates. You are such an encouragement to us. Prayers, donations, emails...thank you. Never has anyone questioned whether we have made a mistake in our plans to go to Brazil. "In God's timing." There's always a reason." "Maybe you were just to be obedient no matter what." These are the things we hear. One day we'll know, right!!! I think of Jan and Scotty who tried for quite a while before they were able to go to Brazil permanently,and then they went as retirees. We also just heard from someone whose work visas were just authorized after 3 years! As my signature says, we are "planning to go, willing to stay."

In the meantime your support has made it possible for us to minister, literally to the ends of the earth. We would like to share what you have (whether you know it or not!) been involved in. In 2008 we personally have been to Brazil and Mexico on short term trips. That is possible because tourist visas are different than the volunteer visas we need to live in Brazil. We have helped with a mission camp-both with our time and by making it possible financially for others to attend. We have provided new believers with Bibles. Money was sent to help missionaries in Brazil. We helped send missionaries to Europe, and the Middle East. We helped a small church put on a VBS. We have given English lessons to Hispanics. All of these things were possible because of your prayers, encouragement and financial support. Praise God.

Our family has had quite a year. We have experienced many things for the first time. Some have been wonderful. Some, I hope we never experience again. Through it all, God has been faithful. He has been us through it all. More training for the ministry? Don has a job he enjoys. Jody is still translating. Maggie (20) is almost done with her associates degree and is considering working in a children's home. Emily (19) has a new husband, Ben Houser, and they will be having our first grandchild in June. Jacob (14) is interested in cars, a Mustang in particular. Curt (13) is still sports crazy. Treyton (4) is attending the developmental preschool 3 mornings a week and can't wait for Santa to bring him a big, red fire truck. We just had to say goodbye to Renan, our exchange student who was with us for 6 1/2 months. While I look out the window at the snow, he is in Brazil, in the 90 degree heat!

We're looking forward to what God has in store for us in 2009. We would like you to pray about a trip we are planning to Brazil in July. We hope to take a group ( 4 youth and 4 adults) on a river trip, working with missionaries Amanda Smith and Jan and Paul Scott. Prices for everything have gone up so much. We are praying and know that if God wants us to go on this trip, he will provide all we need. If he doesn't, we, as a group, are open to ministering in another area.

Have a blessed Christmas!

Emily and Ben's Wedding

2008-11-13T20:11:00.001-08:00

Wedding arrangements...

2008-11-10T16:19:00.001-08:00

Dear Friends and Family,
I plan on starting calls tomorrow, but I hope this will help keep everyone informed. Ben and Emily's wedding will now take place in the fellowship hall of Faith Family Ministries, 508 W. Green Street, Frankfort. They decided the weather wouldn't make it very enjoyable! That's 6 PM Thursday the 13th.

Last call...

2008-11-01T20:26:00.000-07:00

for the Brazil trip applications. If you have plans to go, I need the application by Wednesday.

Invitation

2008-10-22T18:50:00.000-07:00

Our daughter, Emily, is getting married November 13. All friends and family are welcome. You can find out the details, and RSVPif you would like to attend at http://cs02.ewedding.com/v30/main.php?a=emiben08.

Romans 8:28

2008-10-12T12:41:00.000-07:00

Wow! Pastor Russ's message today was just for us. Oh, I know it wasn't really, but it could have been. The message was "Everything Will Work Out"...the way God wants it to , ultimately, for my good.

I have to believe that God's Word is for me personally, if I am a believer. I may not always like how things are working out, but I have to receive God's working for me. Behind every promise of God there is the providence of God. things are all sifted through His fingers,for our good. And in the end, I will achieve God's will for my life...because it's for His purpose. God is more interested in my character than in changing my circumstances.

Pastor Russ says sometimes it seems like the wheels are falling off, the engines not running, etc. We might have a bad day, a bad month, or even a bad year. But in the end, it is for our good. I have to say that if I look at things through fleshly eyes, we've had a bad year. We are not (obviously) in Brazil, and don't know why. We've moved several times, Don has changed jobs 3, or is it 4 times? We've seen our children struggle. But through spiritual eyes, I see that God has met all of our needs, given us many opportunities to minister in spite of what we've gone through, and I've seen growth in our family that will only benefit us later.

We still hope to go to Brazil when God releases us. Until then, we will trust that He is making us into His image, and believe that He will meet our needs.

We are still planning a short term trip July 2009. I can email applications if you are interested, but I need to know in a week or 2.

New house

Ministry Opportunity

2008-09-26T09:40:00.000-07:00

Matthew 10:27 says, "What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops." If you are interested in ministering in Brazil this summer, you're invited to a meeting October 12, either at 12:15 in the left balcony room of Faith Family Ministries, or at 4:15 at 1355 Burlington Ave. Email fields.jody@gmail.com or call 242-2684, for more information.

August Newsletter

2008-08-20T12:51:00.000-07:00

I apologize if the pictures and captions are a little off center. I had trouble placing them.

“A man’s heart plans his ways, but the Lord directs his steps.” Proverbs 16:9

How true we are finding these words to be. We’ve shared before from Elisabeth Elliot’s writings on a quiet heart. She spoke of how Jesus was peaceful in the boat, crossing the water in a storm because he knew they were going to make it to the other side. The disciples panicked because they forgot that Jesus had told them that they were going to the other side. He didn’t say they were going to the middle to drown. Wow!! We thought we understood that when we began this journey, but our understanding now is so different.

We got to speak to a pastor friend today who reminded us that we go through things so that when we are teaching we won’t be doing it in theory. We will really be able to say we’ve learned to be content in any situation, that we know what it is to wait upon the Lord. Our hearts want to be in Brazil now. We still believe that desire to be from God. But His plans aren’t for us to be there yet.

Our message at church today was about running the race with perseverance. We were chosen to run this race. It is a contest and a conflict (internal). It is our unique race, and there are no timeouts. It is full of obstacles, and to run it to win requires great endurance. Thanks for the reminder, Lord!

We want to serve Him however he wants us to, and walk through doors, as he opens them. We don’t want to get ahead, and try to force things.

As for day to day life, Don is doing maintenance at Turtle Creek Apartments, Jody is interpreting for the hospital, and they both do youth, and serve on the mission team at Faith. Maggie is finishing her associates’ degree at Taylor, doing a paper route, and serving the youth and kids at Faith. Emily is working at NHK and starting classes at Ivy Tech. Jacob is a freshman through Penn Foster, while Curt has started 7th grade at Clinton Central. Treyton will attend developmental preschool at Southside.

Renan at mission camp

This has been a summer of opportunities. We have been blessed to be able to be the hands and feet of Jesus in many different ways.
We began in late May by picking up our exchange student, Renan Carneiro. He will be with us until December, and plays soccer for Frankfort. He fits right in with our family-poor guy!!

Maggie and Jacob were able to get tourist visas to Brazil. They went with Truth Project on a two week trip to the Amazon region. They were able to help minister in Santarem, Obidos and villages along the river. They got to work with our good friends Scotty and Amanda. A pastor in Obidos told Maggie that he’d had a dream,and in it we were in Brazil with them.

Jacob, Maggie and Brazilian friends

Immediately following this trip, Jody, Maggie, Renan, Jacob, and Curt spent a week participating in a mission camp. We stayed at Crown of Thorns Christian Camp. We traveled to Indy every day to do VBS type program at the Edna Martin Christian Center. Youth were also pulled out to go serve meals at the Wheeler Mission, paint and repair an elderly lady’s house, and paint cabinets at the Center. Every evening we would return to camp to find out what country would be featured. We ate food typical of the country, and heard from missionaries who served there. We also had wonderful special music!

Curt at the Edna Martin Christian Center

Jody with a Mexican cutie

We left this camp one day early so that Jody, Maggie and Jacob could fly out to Mexico with a group from our church and Volunteers of Hope. This was a very different experience for us, as we served in a border town, Miguel Aleman, which was full of drug lords. We, in one week, built two houses, worked on the church and dorm, did 2 days VBS, visited the prison, distributed food and hygiene kits, just to name a few things!

It doesn’t stop yet. We arrived home on a Saturday, and one week later we helped a local church put on a VBS. They had contacted us early in the spring and said they’d like to do a VBS, but didn’t have the resources or the manpower. We joined with them to plan, and rounded up volunteers from Faith and then went to work.

Don and Renan at VBS

VBS fun

We praise God for providing us with the opportunities, resources and strength for this ministry marathon! A taste of what fulltime ministry is like?

Future Opportunities
We’d like to share with you several ways you can get involved. First and foremost, you can pray. We know you have been praying. We can see the results. Some current requests are:
• Opportunities to minister locally
• Guidance and strength for our family. Planning, preparing, and then waiting (three years total now) is stressful for adults, but especially for teens and children. God is seeing us through it, but it is not easy.
Second, you can contribute financially. Third, you can join us in traveling to Brazil, or in ministering locally. Right now we are planning a trip to Brazil, hopefully in July of 2009. We will have an organizational meeting in late September.

Please contact us if you feel led to go, or if you know of any local needs we can help meet.

This could be you on a boat on the Amazon! If only it were all this easy!

Emily and Treyton enjoy the summer

On the Move Again
While we love the house we are renting, it is for sale. If it should sell, it would be difficult to locate another rental for a family of our size, on short notice. For this reason, when we were made aware of a suitable house that will soon be available to rent, we decided to move.

If you would like to help, we will be cleaning and painting the new house beginning September 3rd. We hope to move things on the 6th and then will need to clean the house we are in now.

We are also looking to purchase some used items:
• 2 dressers
• 4 desks
• Washer and dryer
• Refrigerator
• 2 BMX bikes (the boys’ were stolen)
Our new contact info, as of September 3rd, will be 1355 Burlington Avenue, Frankfort, IN 46041. Jody’s cell phone number is 765-242-2684, and Don’s is 765-242-3729. Our email is still fields.jody@gmail.com, and the blog is www.casa1631.blogspot.com.

Here we go again...

2008-07-04T10:31:00.000-07:00

Wow, are we busy! Praise the Lord! Brazil went well, with people accepting the Lord, Maggie being locked in a bathroom for 2 hours ...We spent the last week at mission camp with some wild and crazy youth, most of whom had never been to church camp, let alone do mission work. We traveled to the Edna Martin Christina Center for a little inner city ministry, with side trips to the Wheeler mission, and to paint and repair an elderly lady's house. With Christ's strength, everyone rose to the occasion! We leave in the morning for Mexico! When we return, the fair begins, and then we have the VBS with Harmony Baptist.

As soon as that is over, we will try to get out a newsletter with details and pictures! Have a wonderful 4th!

Truth Project update

2008-06-25T05:50:00.000-07:00

If you haven't checked out the truth project blog, you should. Here's how the latest entry starts out:
6/19
Second day in Obidos John and Junior crossed the Amazon in a Kayak this morning. We continue to see dolphins everywhere we go. We visited 4 churches and put on another Vacation Bible School. It started out looking like rain and 6 kids arrived God broke the clouds and we sent the six out to bring their friends and ended up with 35. Also had a soccer clinic in a well to do school.
http://truthprojectmissions.blogspot.com/

Jacob Fields mistaken for Harry Potter?

2008-06-22T16:57:00.000-07:00

I just got an email from Maggie. The team is in Santarem, staying in a hotel, and she says she misses the boat. She said in Obidos, when 1 of the pastors and his wife realized who she was, they came back with and interpreter, hugging her and crying. She said the pastor said to tell us he had a dream, and in it we were there in Brazil with them. :) I found out they have a blog they have been updating: www.truthprojectmissions.blogspot.com. You can look for yourself, but I will tell you on the 17th it says that Jacob Fields was mistaken for Harry Potter. I've never seen the movies, or read the books, but I have to admit that's pretty funny!

Hope you've had a great Lord's day!

Amazon trip update

2008-06-21T20:40:00.000-07:00

I haven't heard too much. I got a text, Jacob said they were having fun. Maggie said all was going well, Obidos (where we hope to go) was amazing and the pastors sent their love. Nill (from Brazil) emailed and said that he had talked to Scotty(missionary there) and they were going to Belterra today. That is a day trip from Santarem, where Amanda and Jan and Scotty live. That means they are off the river, and ministering in the city.

Brazil trip up dates

2008-06-15T14:24:00.001-07:00

One of the men on the trip with Maggie and Jacob has a way to text messages to an email for parents. I will post them as I get them.

Its 1300 on sunday, we just had lunch, and we're cruising up the tapajos river....

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." Isaiah 30:21

2008-06-14T19:18:00.000-07:00

Where do I begin? Today has been busy. Among other things, Maggie and Jacob left for Brazil. As I write, they are in the air, between Miami, and Manaus. I must say, I have mixed emotions. I am so happy that they are going. What an opportunity for them both. They will be ministering in different villages on the Amazon River, and then in Santarem, where Amanda and Jan and Scotty are. They will spend 2 days in Obidos, our "home." How exciting and wonderful. I also feel a loss. I wish it were our family making our move. I wish I could be with Maggie as she returns after 4 years. I wish I could be with Jacob on his first flight, boat trip, visit to a foreign country, mission trip, etc. I wish I could hug our friends in Obidos.

Emily drove them to the airport this morning. Don was here with Treyton, Renan and Curt. I had to be at the church early to go for our training for our Mexico trip. I sat in a really big chair. : ) (1st picture) We unloaded cinder blocks, mixed mortar (2nd picture)and practiced building a wall (3rd picture). When we go (Jacob, Maggie and I, July 5-12) we will build 2 houses, roof a church, do 3 days of VBS, door to door evangelism, and take medical supplies to a clinic. I'm so excited to go. I will get to interpret also. If you would like to "buy a block" (help with construction supplies) please contact me.

June 29 through July 5 we will be helping with a mission camp. Several local churches have planned it. Youth will be staying a Crown of Thorns camp and traveling to Indy every day to do VBS at one shelter, and serve meals at another. When we return in the evening, we will get to hear missionaries from all over the world speak, and there will be bands playing later. The cost is only $25! If you have a middle school/high school student who would like to attend, or would like to help in some way, contact me soon.

On July 19th we will be helping Harmony Baptist do a 1 day VBS sports camp. It will be from 10am-3pm, with lunch served. If you have a student, 1st-5th grade who would like to attend, or are interested in helping, again contact me.

We are going to be working with Truth Project, and Faith Family Ministries mission team in July and August on some more events. We will keep you informed!!!

It's exciting the doors God is opening for us. He isn't done with us just because we aren't in Brazil. That is good to know!!

You can email me at fields.jody@gmail.com, or call 765-242-2684.

Happy Fathers Day to you dads!!!

Prayers and praises, needs, silly and serious!

2008-05-17T22:04:00.000-07:00

Dear family and friends,
Just wanted to update you on a few things.
I called the consulate as instructed, and got the voice mail again. I've left 2 messages and no one has called me back. Maggie did get her tourist visa, and will be able to go for 2 weeks in June.

We will be having a Brazilian exchange student stay with us this summer. His name is Renan. He's 17, and plays soccer. We pick him up from the airport on the 27th.

We do have a VBS we will be doing for Harmony Baptist Church in July.

Jacob is showing a llama named Poppins in 4-H. He needs to be tamed. Treyton's newest favorite is a View Master he got for his 4th birthday. Maggie and Emily will be sharing a room again when Renan moves in. It will be interesting since they have opposite schedules. (Emily works 2nd shift) Curt had a cool thing happen the other night. Long story short, the guy in charge of the umpires for Frankfort Little League had Curt ump with him 2 games. One on the field, and one behind the plate. He was teaching him the whole time. Then the umpire really praised him, said he was a natural, and that he could train him to be a National ump. He got our number so Curt could work with him this summer. Paid him too. This could develop into a career for him that he will really enjoy.

The house we are living in is for sale again. We'd love to stay here for as long as we are in the States, but don't want to buy. If it sales, we will be given a notice and look for somewhere else. If anyone knows of a rental that is suitable for a family of 7, with a limited budget, please let us know.

We have tried so hard not to buy furniture, in case we leave. We've gradually acquired a few things. We really need to get a few more, especially with Renan coming. If you have any of the following you could spare, we'd prefer to buy used. Here's the list:
3 dressers
2 desks
youth bed
2 bookshelves
toybox
mower
bicycle for a 17 year old
dining room table and chairs

Praise God for the rain and warmer weather!!!

Prayer Requests

2008-04-30T05:21:00.000-07:00

Please be in prayer for us. Maggie currently has an application in for a tourist visa to Brazil. If it's God's will for her to go short term this summer, we pray that it will be approved.

Of course, as things go for us, we've had a surprise. After months of calling the consulate and getting the answering machine and having no one call me back, I spoke to a live person yesterday. It was the lady who originally helped us. She said to call back in 15 days and she would see what she could find out. Why 15 days, after 11 months, I don't know. Please pray for us. After we've made steps to stay, it will be emotional to go if the visas are approved. There will be some things that will have to be worked out as far as supporters go, also, after all this time. Of course, it will still be emotional if we find that they are denied. And to be told to wait again...But we know that God is in control.

From the upcoming newlsetter

2008-04-05T21:29:00.000-07:00

“A man’s heart plans his ways, but the Lord directs his steps.” Proverbs 16:9

We want to let all of you know how much we appreciate your prayer, support and encouragement. As you know, it has been 11 months since we applied for our visas. We know that God called us to ministry, and we have a desire to serve in Brazil. We know He has worked in mighty ways throughout this entire journey. Because of God, we are debt free. We have sold our house. We’ve developed many wonderful relationships and raised a support base. We also know that when he wants to release us to Brazil, our visas will be authorized.

Habakkuk 2:3 says, “For the revelation awaits an appointed time: it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.”

Many times in scripture we find God’s plan taking what seems to us as humans to be an unreasonable amount of time. We see Abraham (Genesis 15) and Noah (Genesis 6 & 7) moving on in faith, waiting for God’s promise. We read of doors to service being closed to Paul (Acts 16:6-10). We feel that the doors to Brazil are being closed to us for the present. This is something that we don’t understand, but we do trust the One who is in control.

When God calls, we want to be prepared. We need to have some “roots” while we are here, but they need to be loose. We, God willing, will not accumulate any debt, or un-needed material items. We will rent, not buy, a house.

We also plan to be busy in the ministry. We believe we are commanded to do this, and that it will help to better prepare us for Brazil.

We had a few difficult months dealing with the idea that we may not go to Brazil next month, or even next year. However, we now are really excited at the opportunities to serve as we wait on God. We’d like to share a few of these with you. Please pray for us as we press on.

Truth Project

We are excited to begin working with Truth Project. This organization was started by our friend Junior (Juniclei) Miranda. Junior is a Brazilian from Santarem, where Amanda Smith is serving, and near Obidos, where we hope to serve.
Junior is now married to an American and living in Indiana. He is a soccer coach at Covenant Christian High School. His ministry uses sports evangelism and music to reach the lost. Junior began this ministry by taking short term trips to Brazil. Truth Project now is reaching out to the Hispanic population in Indiana. They have invitations to minister in other states, Mexico, and Guatemala. We hope to help with different sports clinics, VBS with a sports theme, and doing maintenance and repairs on churches among other things. Our background with Spanish and Portuguese will be helpful!!
Maggie will be trying to get a tourist visa to go to Brazil with Truth Project in June. Pray that this goes through for her. We are not all trying, because we believe this would raise red flags, since our volunteer visas are still being processed.

Faith Family Ministries

We are still active with our church. Different members of our family are involved with AWANA, youth, the nursery, Kids 4 Him, etc. We are hosting a group for the upcoming Mii.experience. Maggie, Jody and Jacob will be going on a short term trip to Mexico in July with a group from church. They will be doing construction.

Other Plans
We also hope to contact a Hispanic church in Frankfort to see how we might work with them. Jody’s speaking Spanish, and making contacts while interpreting for the hospital might be helpful.
We’d like to try to do an outreach in a park, similar to what we’d do in Brazil. We were thinking of an evening of games, puppets, snacks, crafts, and a presentation of the gospel geared towards children. We could then send information home about the second evening which would be for the entire family and would include food and a presentation of the “Jesus” film. We have plenty of supplies in trunks waiting to be used!

If you have any questions, or any ideas for us, please let us know. We want to be open to what God has in store.

CONTACT INFO
Phone: 765-659-1430, 765-242-2684
Mailing address: PO Box 506
Frankfort, IN 46041
online at: www.casa1631.blogspot.com
www.lovemministries.org
email: fields.jody@gmail.com

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-17T08:43:00.000-08:00

“Are You Still Here?”

You’ve seen that heading before, haven’t you? We applied for our visas 7 months ago. We still have no word on them.

We’d like to share a little of what we have been doing since the last newsletter. Don has been helping out with the youth at Faith Family Ministries on Wednesdays. He had a lock-in for some of the boys. Ask him if he stayed awake the whole time! He also had the privilege of baptizing another friend’s daughter. He’s about to start a new job at Brock.
Jody helps in AWANA occasionally, and continues homeschooling the boys. She still translates at the hospital, and has had some opportunities to witness in the neighborhood.
Maggie continues her schooling online through Taylor University. She helps with Kidmo on Sunday mornings, and has a part time job.
Emily is working at NHK, and has decided she will not be going with us on the mission field. She wants to see what God has in store for her here, and to continue her education. She works in the church nursery on Sunday mornings.
Jacob participates in youth and especially enjoys small group and helping out Pastor Stephen when he can. He is learning guitar.
Curt is also in youth and small group. He is playing basketball at the YMCA and is learning to play drums.
Treyton is growing in leaps and bounds! He loves his AWANA at church, and is taking tumbling at the Y. All 3 boys love sledding!

PRAISES

• Praise God for encouragement through His word.
• He’s provided a great house for us to stay in!
• He provided Don with a job with more hours. (more hours=more income)
• He put it on someone’s heart to send a check for the ministry in the amount of $1,500! Anonymously!
• He gives the kids strength and helps them make decisions.

PRAYERS

• Please pray for guidance.
• Pray for opportunities to minister while we wait.
• Pray for strength.
• Pray for God’s continued provision.

NOW IS THE DAY OF SALVATION!

God has been stretching our faith and refining us. It seems as if we have been waiting for ever to get to Brazil! We are honestly seeking God’s guidance daily. Did we mistake the call to missions for the call to Brazil? Is the door to Brazil closed, and if so, which door will He open? Should we wait longer? If we wait, will he continue to miraculously provide for us? Should we look into other areas in which we can minister? There’s a fine line between stepping out in faith, and getting ahead of God, between waiting on the Lord, and getting stuck in a rut. Making these kinds of life changing decisions is very uncomfortable! Having faith requires admitting that we are not in control. We don’t know what our future holds. But do any of us?

Because we don’t know what the future will bring, we must remember that 2 Corinthians 6:2 says, “…now is the day of salvation.” This is important for believers and non-believers. Romans 10:13-15 says, “For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!’”
Now is the day of salvation if you don’t know Jesus. Now is the day of salvation if you’re called to share the gospel. Now is the day of salvation if God is calling you to help send someone out to share the gospel.
We may not have tomorrow. Now is the day of salvation. After all, that is why Jesus came to earth as a baby, lived a sinless life, and took our sins upon Himself, dying on the cross in our place. He rose again, so that now could be the day of salvation to all who believe.
Please pray for God to show us all our role in His great plan!Revelations 7:9-10 says, “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
Please pray for God to show us all our role in His great plan!

Temporary

2007-12-07T09:07:00.000-08:00

We've been feeling like this waiting is unbearable. Look what was in my email today, the daily devotion I get from FFM.

Today’s Turning Point

Evidence of Hope

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. 2 Corinthians 4:17

If you have ever had to practice football twice a day in 100 degree heat, endure nine weeks of military basic training, or live with nausea for six weeks of chemotherapy, you were likely told, "Hang in there. You can do anything for a short period of time." The difference between "temporary" and "permanent" can seem like the difference between life and death.

The apostle Paul knew the difference between the two. There were many occasions in his Christian life where he felt terrible, but he never lost heart (2 Corinthians 4:16). In fact, his favorite phrase was "but not": Hard-pressed, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed (verses 8-9). Paul knew that every difficulty was temporary. Even if it lasted his whole life, he still saw it as temporary compared to the hope of eternity. If he ever lost hope, it was only for the moment. His permanent perspective was eternal hope in the goodness and purpose of God.

Have you learned to separate the temporary from the permanent in your life? That distinction is evidence that hope is alive and well.

The future is as bright as the promises of God.

Adoniram Judson

Recommended Reading

2 Corinthians 4:7-18

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T09:47:00.000-08:00

Maggie, age 19
Emily, age 18

Jacob, age 13

Curt, age 12

Treyton, age 3 1/2

Brethren pray for us.---1 Thess. 5:25

2007-11-17T07:36:00.000-08:00

Pray for us, for we are convinced that we have a clear conscience, wanting to conduct ourselves honorably in everything.----Hebrews 13:18

Paul, in his wisdom, knew he needed supernatural strength to withstand the enemy, and in his humility, he knew to ask his brothers and sisters to pray for him in this matter. Ephesians 6:10-20 ends with, "Pray for me also, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel...that I might be bold enough in Him to speak as I should" (vv.19-20) We want to be God's witnesses where ever we are. We don't want our self-interest (getting to Brazil NOW!) to interfere with God's divine schedule. Pray that Romans 12:2 will be true in our lives---And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Pastor Russ Noss (http://www.f-f-m.org/)shared in his message last Wednesday from Psalm 57:1-11. When we are "in a cave", as David was in 1 Samuel 24, we need to first pray for mercy. (vv.1-4) We need to take refuge under His wings until this passes. God is working it all together for our good and for His glory. He will fulfill his promises. We just have to wait. He is working.

We also must praise His majesty. (vv.5-8) David went from being downcast to feeling steadfast. God want our mouths more than our might. We need to praise Him, and He'll take care of the rest.

It is also our duty to proclaim His message among the nations-nations meaning people groups. (vv.9-11) Revelations 7:9-10 says, "...behold, a great multitude which no one could number, OF ALL NATIONS, TRIBES, PEOPLES AND TONGUES, standing before the throne and before the lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" Yes, the title of this message was "God's Global Glory" and it was a missionary message! I know Pastor Russ didn't have us in mind when he prepared it, but God did!! Again.

Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified...---2 Thessalonians 3:1a

The hands and feet of Jesus

2007-11-08T11:49:00.000-08:00

Maggie found this first picture on Jan and Scotty's blog (see link). A Frankfort church ministered in Obidos and took this picture in 2007. Maggie and I took the next 3 pictures in 2004. We believe this is the same little girl. We've prayed for her for 3 years, never knowing what happened to her. Praise God for the church in Obidos, Jan and Scotty, Amanda and the US groups who have continued to minister there!!!!

"It is the duty of every Christian to be Christ to his neighbor." Martin Luther

Matthew 25:35-36, 40 "...for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was in prison and you came to Me...Assuredly I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me."

Please let us be the hands and feet of Jesus, wherever we are.

None but Jesus--HillsongUnited

2007-11-05T08:31:00.000-08:00

In the quiet, in the stillness
I know that You are God
In the secret of Your presence
I know there I am restored

When You call I won’t refuse
Each new day again I’ll choose

There is no one else for me
None but Jesus
Crucified to set me free
Now I live to bring Him praise

In the chaos, in confusion
I know You’re Sovereign still
In the moment of my weakness
You give me grace to do Your will

So when You call I won’t delay
This my song through all my days

There is no one else for me
None but Jesus
Crucified to set me free
Now I live to bring Him praise

All my delight is in You Lord
All of my hope, all of my strength
All my delight is in You Lord Forevermore

Seasons

2007-10-31T13:57:00.000-07:00

God certainly works in amazing ways, doesn't he? Last Sunday, when I took Maggie to Ft.Wayne to leave for her mission trip to Omaha, He sent a pastor from Rwanda to speak to me. I know, there were other reasons for him coming to the States for the first time, but he came to speak to me. We attended the African Fellowship's worship service. This pastor shared from Ecclesiastes 3:1-15. He said that God has given us time for everything. We just have to know our seasons, and manage our time in a way that glorifies God. There was more to it than that, but it reminded me that God's timing is best, and that I need to make the most of this time of waiting.

Next, God used a stolen bike to show me that I can trust Him. Curt's bike, well, let's just say that it was dead. We'd been saying, "You can get a new bike when we get to Brazil." for so long now. Monday night Curt and I prayed that God would help us find a bike the next day. We were honestly going to go to a place that takes them and compresses them, just to see if there was a usable one. We had to make our almost daily trip to Walmart also, so I decided just to go and look at the bikes. To make a long story a little bit shorter, we bought a bike marked "$25-as is" which turned out to be a stolen bike, which we had to leave at the police station. Curt said, "I'm not worried. I'm certain I'm getting a bike today." We went back to Walmart to talk to them about it, and the manager we spoke to said, " I'm so sorry. Come on and let's pick you out a new bike." So Curt got a brand new bike for $25. God gave him a bike to say, "Look, you can trust me. I love you."

Prayer Request

2007-10-25T18:00:00.000-07:00

Please pray for safety and divine opportunities for my daughter, Maggie, and Renee as they drive to Omaha to share God’s salvation message with a refugee group. This is a wonderful opportunity for Maggie, but she will definitely be out of her comfort zone. They leave on Monday.

When we moved into this house, Brooke, who lived here before us, and had just left for Costa Rica, left 3 sticky notes on the bathroom mirror. One said, "I waited patiently for the Lord, and He turned to me and heard my cry for help." (Psalm40:1) Another said, "The one who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells in the shadow of the Almighty." (Psalm 91:1) The third said, "Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from Him. (Psalm 62:5) Those have become special verses to me. God is faithful and has provided for our every need as we have waited. "If the Lord had not been on our side-let Israel say-If the Lord had not been on our side when men attacked us, then they would have swallowed us alive in their burning anger against us. Then the waters would have engulfed us; the torrent would have swept over us; the raging waters would have swept over us. Praise the Lord, who has not let us be ripped apart by their teeth. We have escaped like a bird from the hunter's net; the net is torn, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." (Psalm 124:1-8)
Please pray that anything left to be accomplished will be accomplished, that any obstacles will be removed, and that God will release us to go.

Faith

2007-10-02T21:02:00.000-07:00

The following is something I wanted to post about a week ago, but never got to the library to do. I decided to go ahead and post it any way. More recently I read about how faith requires a certain amount of helplessness-something our carnal nature detests. BINGO! That is exactly why waiting is so hard-that feeling of helplessness!

Here's the post.
Oh, waiting is so hard! God is supplying all of our needs. He is providing opportunities to serve right here, but waiting is still so hard! Sometimes I am so tired, I just want it to be over. But I pray, and turn it over to God AGAIN and he is faithful. He gives me just what I need. Today the devotional in my Everyday With Jesus Bible was titled, “Keep Your Eyes on the Tide”. The scripture was Psalm 110:3, “Your people will volunteer on Your day of battle.” It started out with: “Has God something bigger than we are at present seeing?…How can we be open to receive it? It comes at the precise moment God appoints but is carried down from heaven on the wings of fervent, believing prayer.” I continued reading about how the daughter of General Booth (of the Salvation Army) asked his advice during a very discouraging time. General Booth said to her, “Take your eyes off the waves and fix them on the tide.” The author said to ask ourselves if the tide is rising. If we look with the eye of faith, we will see that it is. When it breaks we should pray that it will not find us unprepared, but that we shall be a people who are willing on the day of God’s power. I am willing!!

Scriptures to read: Ez. 37:1-4, 2 Kg. 3:16-17, and Isaiah 40:3-5.

Please pray for Don this week. He will be preaching Sunday at Emmanuel Baptist in North Salem. I will give an update on Brazil, the girls will sing, and the boys will videotape and take pictures.

Waiting Like Caleb

2007-08-30T13:24:00.000-07:00

The following, Waiting Like Caleb, was my daily email from the church. Last night's message was about Jacob wrestling with God for a blessing. The boys' reading this morning was about how God reminded the children of Israel of all he'd done for them. I'm hearing you, God! And we're hanging in there.

Today's Turning Point
Thursday, August 30
Waiting Like Caleb
And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as an inheritance.
Joshua 14:13
Do you know anyone who has had to wait a long time--a really long time--to do something he'd always dreamed of? Maybe that person is you. Maybe you saved money for ten years to take a vacation to Europe. Maybe you waited thirty whole minutes for your child to get off the computer. Or maybe it took you five years to get up the nerve to go bungee-jumping.
While waiting for anything in our hurry-up world is commendable, few people today wait as long as Caleb did. God had promised the children of Israel they would inherit Canaan, but they were too afraid to go up and take it--except for Joshua and Caleb. God made the rebellious generation wander in the wilderness for forty years until they died off (all except Joshua and Caleb). Then the new generation, along with Joshua and Caleb, got to go into their new Promised Land. Forty-five years after being ready to make a home in Canaan, Caleb finally got to do it (Joshua 14:10). He didn't complain, didn't give up, and didn't blame God. He just waited until God said, "Now is the time."
If you are waiting for something, do it like Caleb did. Good things come to those who wait on the Lord.
Where there is patience and humility, there is neither anger nor vexation.
Francis of Assisi
Recommended Reading
Numbers 13:1-33; 14:26-38

Fellowship

2007-08-25T09:57:00.000-07:00

“God is faithful, by Him you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:9

“And indeed our fellowship is with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.” 1 John 1:3

I’ve heard it explained before that we are all created with a spiritual vacuum that only God can fill. I also know the Bible says that when we have a relationship with Christ, we are called God’s sons. God adopts us!

Today I read that a person who doesn’t have fellowship with God can never know true fellowship with another person. The word “fellowship” comes from the Greek “koinonos,” meaning a sharer, i.e. associate: companion, partaker, partner.

Without being a partner with God, through a relationship with Jesus, we feel, consciously or unconsciously, as if we are cut off from our roots of being. We are spiritual orphans. Because of this, we don’t have the ability to truly fellowship with other humans.

Wow! I remember that feeling. Are you feeling cut off from everyone? You might need a relationship with Jesus. You can start by reading Acts 16:31 in the Bible. Email me at fields.jody@gmail.com if you’d like to talk about this.

Those of you who have a relationship with Jesus may find yourself drifting away. I’ve also found that when I’m not as close to Him as I should be, my relationships here aren’t the same.
Read Psalm 133. If we want to live in unity, as it’s described here, we first have to be right with God. Psalm 51a says, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation.” Then Nehemiah 8:10b says, “…for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Only by God’s strength can we live right here on earth. This includes having right relationships with other people. I you’re struggling in your daily life, and are not sure why, try spending a little more time with God. Get quiet. Read your Bible. See how He speaks to you. Take what you learn and do it. Watch what happens.

Hi! :)

2007-08-07T06:09:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone this is Maggie, making a quick post for my mom while she's busy packing. As you all may have heard we have been blessed with the opportunity to stay in a house in Frankfort! The house that we're staying does not have Internet access so please be patient with us. We'll try to make it to the library as much as possible and respond to your emails as soon as we can. If there are any emergencies you can contact us by calling my mom's cell phone (765-242-2137).
Mom also wanted me to thank everyone for the response that we got from our request for furniture. We have plenty to choose from! Thanks again! Deus te abencoe, Maggie

God's Plans :)

2007-08-03T16:44:00.000-07:00

Oh, my! I am overwhelmed by God's provisions. The consulate still has no news on our visas, as of this afternoon. That could be very disappointing by itself, but we have had several blessings this week.

Don was called to come back to work for the plumbing business he has recently worked for. He hadn't worked for about 3 weeks. He also got a call from the bus garage asking if he wanted to do an afternoon bus route for a while. These things are great, but the drive to Frankfort from my mom's gets costly. Also, as school starts back up (we homeschool, so that isn't an issue), the kids start thinking of fall sports. It would be nice for them to do something while we wait, but again, the drive to Frankfort...

This may not be flowing together, but, stay with me a little longer.

We have been hearing for a few months that we need to meet the McClain family, a family going to Costa Rica as missionaries. No one ever told me how to get ahold of them though. To make a long story short, we finally touched bases this week. Turns out they are leaving the 7th for the mission field (Pray for them!) The house they've been living in would be sitting empty until sold. The owners of the house, Mike and Katrina Jenkins, are Christians, obviously interested in missions, and their daughter used to dance with our daughter...and they'd love to have us live in the house until it sells, or we leave!! It has appliances and some furniture! It's bigger than our house we previously owned. And God bless the people who have opened up their homes to us, and you know we love you all, but a house all to ourselves! No packing up and moving in a week!!! No driving from Noblesville to Frankfort!!!

God always provides what we need, when we need it. Not getting the visas yet AND still living in other's homes and moving around may have been more than we could take right now. Not getting the visas, and seeing God provide for us in this way is perfect.

God's plans

2007-07-31T13:09:00.000-07:00

Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

The consulate says that they have no new information on our visas.

Thanks for your prayers.

Prayer

2007-07-26T11:16:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,
I recently shared with some of you that a friend in Brazil felt led to share Revelation 3:8 with us. We know God has opened the door for us to serve in Brazil. It just has to be in His timing. Monday I will be calling the consulate to check on the visas. If it is time, we are praying for the doors to be opened. If it isn't time, we are praying for the doors to be opened for service here as we wait. Please pray with us!

Jody

Revelation 3:8

2007-07-05T13:31:00.000-07:00

:) I pray that God has been blessing you all, and that you have been a blessing to someone!
We went to Chicago Tuesday and took the name of the 2nd Brazilian church off of the visa applications. We decided that was the way to go, rather than trying to get the necessary letter from them in Brazil. Now, the people at the consulate said everything will be sent to Brazil, and we can check back in 4 weeks to see if we've been authorized.

A friend in Brazil emailed and said God had touched his heart to share Rev. 3:8 with us: "I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name." Praise God.

2007-06-26T15:51:00.000-07:00

Boa tarde everyone. Good afternoon. Just thought we'd let everyone know that we are just waiting on the visas. We applied about 4 weeks ago and they said to check back in 6-8 weeks. They've called once asking for another paper from Brazil, which we are working on. The house is sold, we're debt free and packed. Please pray for God's will to be done in this situation.
We are living with my mom in Noblesville, but for the last week and a half, we've been staying with our friends the Colemans, in Frankfort. We had ballgames, doctor's appointments and VBS. Driving back and forth to Noblesville would cost a fortune. Don does it every day for work any way. We still have a couple of offers of places to stay here, and we may be calling those people and taking them up on the offer!
God is working on us, preparing us for what's to come. We are anxiously waiting! Maybe I should say, expectantly, not anxiously.
We'll let you know when we have a comissioning date, departure date, etc.

Father's Day

2007-06-17T10:55:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone! This is Maggie. Happy Father's day to all you Father out there. I just wanted to take a few minutes to say how blessed I am to have the Christian father that I have. We have had our rough times, but my mom says that it is because we are so much alike(scary right…just kidding). I really take that as a complement. My aunt was joking around the other day and said that my dad and uncle can talk to anyone for five minutes and know their blood type. I think that this is a gift that my dad has. There is just something about him that makes people feel so comfortable and relaxed around him.

I just wanted to thank him for all that he does for our family. I want to thank him for all the times that he dressed up in a wedding outfit or a hula skirt to dance at Emily's and my dance recitals. I want to thank him for being the arms that comforted me when I would fall and hurt myself when I was younger. I want to thank him for patiently teaching me how to drive even when I would drive about 50 miles per hour over railroad tracks, even after he told me to slow down about a thousand times. I want to thank him for being a Daddy to all of us kids even though he didn't have one to learn from when he was younger. You are an honorable man Daddy and I love you sooooo much. Happy Father's Day.

Treyton

2007-05-31T08:08:00.000-07:00

Today Treyton got his Botox injections. He had to have general anesthesia, but it only took about 5 minutes. The injections were in the Achilles and the hamstring. The doctor thought it went very well. We have to follow up in 3 weeks. If it hasn't helped quite as much as the doctor thinks it should, then there is a muscle relaxer that he can prescribe. If it really doesn't help, then Treyton would need to have surgery. The doctor would rather wait until he is 6. That way he would probably only have to have 1 more surgery. If we do the surgery too young, then he would have to have several as he grows. He has to do stretches 2 times a day, and wear the brace at least 10 hours a day, and all night if possible until we go for the follow up. The goal is to have him walking correctly until he is about 15, and then he will always walk correctly.

Praise God that Chris, who does his orthotics, recommended this!!

Staying Strong

2007-05-26T11:24:00.000-07:00

We did it! We applied. It was a difficult trip, and we did need two days to do it. They said to check back in 6-8 weeks. Please pray that the visas are authorized! It isn't guaranteed.

I was just thinking about how tired I am of this process. Then I read this:

Staying Strong
They returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith.Acts 14:21b-22In addition to some scientific definitions of "entropy," The American Heritage Dictionary also lists these: "a measure of the disorder or randomness in a closed system; inevitable and steady deterioration of a system or society." If you think of your life as a "closed system," you can easily see entropy at work: If left alone, does your life get increasingly more organized or increasingly more disorganized?In short, things just naturally run downhill. A large part of our life is spent maintaining things: our health, our property, our finances, and our relationships. Without injections of energy from us, they will deteriorate rapidly. And so will our spiritual life. Shortly after establishing new believers in the faith in towns in Asia Minor, Paul and Barnabas made a return trip to strengthen their faith, exhorting them to continue.Implication? They would naturally grow weak and discontinue their faith without efforts to the contrary. And so will we.Don't resent the work it takes to stay strong in the faith. The alternative is a faith so weak as to be unattractive and undesirable.All growth that is not towards God is growing to decay.
George MacDonald
Recommended Reading: Hebrews 10:24-25

Pray for us to stay strong!

Jesus promised His disciples three things: they would be completely fearless, absurdly happy, and in constant trouble.
G. K. Chesterton

Here we go...

2007-05-24T02:35:00.000-07:00

It's 5:35 am, and we are about to leave for Chicago. Yesterday I made 154 copies to take with us. They need the originals, plus 2 copies of everything, and I made 1 copy for us to keep. Please be praying!

PTL

2007-05-22T14:15:00.000-07:00

Praise the Lord! The papers have arrived. Tomorrow we will have them certified, and Thursday we will be on our way to Chicago.

Update

2007-05-22T12:12:00.000-07:00

How beautiful is it out? We are enjoying the weather-longing for Brazil, but enjoying the weather.
We had a great vacation, and are now staying with my mom in Westfield. Our insurance paper was sent by Fed Ex yesterday. We'll see how Fed Ex does this time!! We did finally get the long awaited paper from Brazil, I don't' remember if I posted that. We hope to get the inusrance paper, have everything certified, and go to Chicago Thursday, God willing!
I have gotten 2 emails from Brazil in the last week or so. One is from the Brazilian evangelist, and one is from the young lady we hope will teach us Portuguese. This is exciting, because they don't go to the Internet cafe very often.
We close on the house house on Tuesday. Praise God!
We have some final paperwork and book keeping and paper work to be doing while we wait. Yuck. Not my favorite thing to do.
We hope to have a get-together before we go and would love to see you then. We'll let you know!

Mother's Day

2007-05-12T06:02:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! This is Maggie. I just wanted to share something about my Mommy for Mother's Day.

I have so many memories of my mommy growing up. One of my favorites and probably one of the earliest memories that I have of my mommy is waiting for her to come sometimes in the evening for what seemed like hours, just so I could hug her. One thing that I will never forget is how she smelled…I always thought that she smelled wonderful. I think that this is my first clear memory of looking at her and thinking this is my mommy, and she is beautiful.

When I started writing about what my mom meant to me, I immediately thought, what can I say? How do I even begin to describe someone so amazing, so beautiful, someone so important in my life? Someone that taught me how to read and write? Someone who has shown me God’s love since I was very young?

I could only try to describe her. My mommy is very short. So short that I think that I was taller than her by the time I was 12. She has the prettiest blue eyes and the brightest smile. She has the type of beauty that can only come from years of service to God and selfless love to her husband and children. She has the type of radiant beauty that comes from the inside out.

When my sister and I were about 2 and 3 she started going to a small Wesleyan church in Frankfort, because she wanted my sister and I to grow up in a church. It was in this church that my mom dedicated her life to Christ. It wasn’t always easy for her because my Daddy wasn’t a Christian. He said that it was OK for her to take my sister and I to church but she would have to do it on her own, because he had no interest in going to church or in God. Every Sunday she would lug my sister and I and later my brothers to church by herself, while my dad slept in or went golfing. I think that most women would have given up, but not my mom. She clung to the verse Acts 16:31, “ Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” My mom clung to this promise and prayed that my dad would someday find Christ.

I don’t think that I ever really appreciated or realized what a strong Christian my mom was when I was little. It wasn’t until I was a few years older that I realized how much my mom prayed for my family. She has this bible and inside on almost every page are the names of my Daddy, my brothers, my sister and I. She would find verses and promises in the Bible and claim them for each of us throughout the years.

After years and years of praying for my Dad he finally came to Christ and slowly one at a time after him each of us kids also came to Christ. That verse that my mom claimed and prayed about for years was finally fulfilled.

This journey has eventually brought us to where we are today. My whole family will soon be leaving to go to Brazil as missionaries. My dad who said he wanted nothing to do with God became an ordained Minster last weekend. The verse that we have claimed for our ministry is that same verse that my mom once claimed for our family. We hope and pray that we will be able to reach Obidos, Para, Brazil one family at a time.

My Mommy has faced many trials and at times I was the source of those trials. But despite these trials, my mother as remained firm in Christ. With each trial I have watched my Mommy grow stronger and more beautiful. The one thing that all this really comes down to is that I thank God for a wonderful mother. She is my hero. I am so blessed to have her as my mom and my friend. I doubt that I will ever became the women that she is, but I will never stop trying.

Lots of years have passed since I would stay up late, waiting to give her a hug. But those years have only increased my love and appreciation for her. In closing I would like to share some scripture that I have claimed for my mommy. Proverbs 31:28-29 says, “Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.”

Brazil papers

2007-05-11T13:51:00.000-07:00

We have the long awaited papers from Brazil! There is a long and crazy Fed Ex story complete with a mad dash to Lafayette before closing time, and a mix up with 502 Main Ave., and 502 Main Street...but we have them. Now we just need the insurance papers.

We are staying with Jody's mom in Noblesville now. Tomorrow we leave for vacation. We are gong to Florida, and will be back on Friday. Hopefully the insurance paper will be here, and we'll be ready to close on the house. They were to appraise it today.

Seems like we're moving on!

2007-05-07T17:31:00.000-07:00

Boa noite! Hope you are all doing well. We have had a whirlwind of activity lately. Last week we signed the purchase agreement for the house and ordered the title work. I hope we will be able to close this week. It would be wonderful to check that off the list!

Saturday Don went before the ordination council. He read his doctrinal statement and the pastors asked him questions for 2 hours. In the end, they recommended he be ordained. Sunday at North Salem with friends and family Don was ordained. We had a nice celebration afterward!

Our letters from Brazil and from the insurance company haven't come yet, so we had to cancel the trip to Chicago to apply for the visas. We hope to go next week. Believe me we will go a soon as possible! We may need to reschedule our vacation we had planned. We don't want to be gone when the papers come in!

Tomorrow Treyton turns 3!! We are having a little party for him. Cupcakes with candles.

We'll keep you updated. Thanks for your prayers.

Faith

2007-04-27T19:05:00.000-07:00

God is not a man, that he should lie,

nor a son of man, that he should change his mind.

Does he speak and then not act?

Does he promise and not fulfill?

Numbers 23:19

Trust in him at all times, O people;

pour out your hearts to him,

for God is our refuge.

Selah

Psalm 62:8

from our newsletter

2007-04-26T10:50:00.000-07:00

God Is Good!!
We are so excited to tell you that Amanda has the papers that we need in order to apply for our visas.
A pastor who is in Brazil on a mission trip will be coming back on May the 4th. He will overnight the papers to us. The day after we receive them, probably the 7th, we will be in Chicago applying for the visas and celebrating!!!

We are currently staying with the Smiths. When we leave here we will be going to stay with Jody’s mom for a couple of weeks.
We praise God for His people, and for the offers we had of places to stay. Believe it or not, we had more offers than we needed! We pray God will richly bless all those who were willing.

Retreat!
As in relax and reflect, not as in run away! On April 20th and 21st, Don and Jody had the privilege of going to the SBC pastors/ wives retreat. (Missionary couples were included.) We went to Nashville, Indiana for a wonderful time.
House
We have a buyer for the house!! Once we close, we will be completely debt free and ready to go, with no strings attached!!! We’re so glad we stepped out in faith and were able to see God work!!
Don’s Ordination
Don has been studying for his ordination council. On May 5th, he will go before the council. On May 6th, you are all invited to his ordination at Emmanuel Baptist Church, in North Salem. For the sake of space, please email or call us if you would like directions.

Contact Information
While we are in the States, we can be reached at 765-242-2137 (Jody), or 765-242-2364 (Don).
All correspondences, including support, should go to PO Box 506, Frankfort, IN 46041. Support checks should be made out to LOVEM Ministries, with Casa1631 Brazil Missions in the memo line. This is the permanent address for support. Once we get settled in Brazil, we will let you know of our Brazilian address. Our email is fields.jody@gmail.com or daddydonf@yahoo.com. Our blog is www.casa1631.blogspot.com.

Prayer Requests
Please pray for our spiritual preparation during the visa processing time.

Pray for us to continue to draw closer as a family.

Pray for us to find the right Portuguese teacher, and the right house to live in.

Pray for God to prepare Obidos for the harvest!

Pray for quick visa processing and safe travel. All right, pray for the visas to be processed in God’s perfect timing!

We Are Saved By Hope
(From Living Under Hope By Toby Mac and Michael Tait)

We are saved by hope. Romans 8:24
“In January 1922 Ida Well-Barnett (1862-1931) took up the cause of twelve black prisoners sentenced to death in Little Rock Arkansas…In our darkest time we need to look to our hope. The men on death row who were interviewed by Ida Well-Barnett set their hope on heaven, but Ida convinced them that they could still hope for something closer to home and not leave their families fatherless yet…Paul and Silas, who also hoped in heaven, set their eyes to continue the work they had been called to do in Philippi despite their circumstances…Too often we overlook the simple power of hope. We struggle to have faith for God to act on our behalf, or struggle to love in situation that seem unsolvable, but we fail to realize that before we can do either, we must first have the hope that things can change for the better. Hope is the raising of a head sunk in despair to look upward for an answer…It is the first posturing of the spirit to have faith or be able to love. Hope gives faith its substance and tangibility; hopelessness drains our strength to do anything…What do you place your hope in today? Are you generally hopeful about your future, or do you feel that only bad and more bad is headed your way? If we don’t have hope, do we really know God?…Is there a situation in you community of which you know about that seems hopeless, yet you still feel compassion for it?…You might be just the very light someone needs to pull thorough…How are you helping your church spread God’s hope to others? Are you more concerned with convincing others that God is real than letting them experience Him thorough your own attitude and optimism? Or are you self-consciously trying to get others to accept you rather than reaching out with the acceptance of Jesus that live in you heart?”

We are learning many lessons while we wait!!!

Praise and prayer request

2007-04-20T09:33:00.000-07:00

Praise God again for his people. Don, Jody, Jacob, Curt and Treyton are currently staying with the Smiths, and Maggie and Emily are still with the Marcum's. What a blessing these people have been to us!
Don and Jody are about to leave to go to a pastor/wife retreat in Nashville, Indiana, with Pastor Rick and Carol Williams, from Emmanuel Baptist Church. We qualify to go as missionaries, and also, Don is about to be ordained.
His ordination will be May 6, during the 10:30 service, at Emmanuel Baptist Church, in North Salem. We invite all of you to come. We will get directions at later.
Please pray for us as we make some decisions about visas applications! We'll keep you updated. Still no paper from Brazil.

Magnify

2007-04-13T11:45:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone this is Maggie. Just wanted to share something.

I will bless the LORD at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul will make its boast in the LORD;
The humble will hear it and rejoice.
O magnify the LORD with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
Psalm 34:1-3

Point a telescope at any star in the night sky. It's amazing how the instrument will magnify the star for you, even though that distant ball of gas is actually millions of times larger than the image your eye sees. Believers are like a telescope for Christ. He is far more radiant than we could ever communicate, but the purpose of our life is to magnify Him.--Charles Stanley

Waiting...

2007-04-12T11:26:00.000-07:00

Waiting...we should get better at it the more we do it, but I'm not sure it happens that way! We are waiting on our letter from Brazil so we can apply for the visas. That's it. We have received Don's retirement money and as soon as we are told the pay-off amount for the 2nd mortgage, we will be debt free, other than the 1st mortgage on the house. We will be able to lower the price, and list it with a realtor. We have money to make the mortgage payments and take care of utilities for about 1 1/2 years. All we need are the visas to be able to go!!!

Sunday we will start over at the Smith's house! We can't thank the Marcums enough for their hospitality. I'm sure it hasn't been easy, being invaded like this, but they have never made us feel anything but welcome. As a matter of fact, they've invited Maggie and Emily to stay here as we go to the Smith's, so that they (the girls) can have a little quiet time!

Please pray for us to use this time wisely, and for God to prepare our hearts for what we are about to do. Even though we see his hand, and know he is in control, it is stressful, when a whole family is waiting, giving things away, moving around, etc. Praise God for his new mercies every day.

God is good!!

2007-04-05T16:29:00.000-07:00

Well, we're about to wrap up our first week here at the Marcum's. I want you to know that God is in it. There have been just the 2 of them here for years, and now the 7 of us invade the house, and it has been great. We feel so at home and welcome here, and they tell us that they hardly know we are here! That's a miracle, because I've never thought of us as a quiet family. Bob said that the best part of the day is in the evening when we all sit around the dinner table together! What a blessing they have been to us.

We are still waiting on the papers from Brazil in order to be able to go and apply for the visas. Pray for them to arrive soon, please, and for our house to sell. Even though we will go even if it doesn't, it would be awesome if it would sell before we go!!!

2007-03-29T19:06:00.000-07:00

Oi, everyone! I'm (Jody) really tired, so I hope this makes sense!! We are moving out of the apartment tomorrow, and will be staying with the Marcums for 2 weeks. After that we go to the Smiths for 2 weeks, and then if we need more time, we have several options. I've been packing all day. I thought we had gotten rid of everything we wouldn't take with us, but...We had a huge load for the trash and a load for the storage unit, and we are still pushing it with 3 checked pieces (that's 7 extras) and 2 carry ons each! Shwew! Tomorrow we will spend the day cleaning here.

All of that to tell you about our new contact info, in case you don't know. All mail needs to go to PO Box 506, Frankfort, IN 46041. Don's cell phone is 765-242-2364 and mine is 765-242-2137. Email is fields.jody@gmail.com, or daddydonf@yahoo.com. Sorry if I've already told you this. Also, if you would like pre-addressed envelopes for support, please let us know.

Amanda says she should have the letter we need any day now! Pray for it to come soon, so we can apply for the visas!!

2007-03-24T20:28:00.000-07:00

Boa noite! We have been keeping busy-seems as if we're busy waiting, but we are making progress. We are still waiting for our re-worded letter from Brazil. We have applied for the insurance. We're about to get international drivers licenses. Don has completed his sessions for ordination, and now will write his paper and prepare for his ordination council. We will post the date as soon as we are sure. He will be ordained soon after Easter.
We've been attending Emmanuel Baptist on Sunday mornings and Faith Family Ministries on Wednesday evenings. We met with Jan and Scotty (missionaries to Brazil) before they left, and got to ask lots of banking questions. We have set up our LOVEM bank account and have met with our accountant and the couple who will help handle our finances, mail, etc. while we are gone.
Friday we will move out of the apartment and begin staying with friends and family, about 2 weeks at each place, until we leave. You can reach Don, by phone, at 242-2364, and Jody and the family at 242-2137. All mail should go to PO Box 506, Frankfort, IN 46041.
Jacob and Curt finished up their basketball season at the YMCA. Jacob will continue his paper routes until this Friday. He just turned 13!!! Jacob recently purchased a puppet to use in ministry in Brazil. He used to be part of a puppet ministry at our church. Curt has plans for a basketball camp, with devotions, to do in villages we visit. Emily had her wisdom teeth taken out, turned 18, and is busy working at Wesley Manor. Maggie has about 3 weeks left of this semester of school. Treyton is growing like crazy. His former developmental therapist saw him last week, and said that his speech (as far as putting sentences together and such) was above age level, and his clarity was normal for his age!! Yea!!
Jody met with Junior Miranda last week to discuss plans for doing a soccer tournament here in Frankfort, through his Truth Project. This is a sports evangelism ministry that started in Brazil, and is now targeting the Hispanics in Indiana.
Jody, Jacob and Curt had the opportunity to help fill, move and place sandbags this past week. Yes, there was flooding in Frankfort and the director of the Red Cross is a former homeschooler. Her mom called around to find some strong young men who might be available immediately (which happened to be during public school hours) to help out.
Don is enjoying his temporary job, but says his knees hurt. He's the one who has to go get tools and things for the jobs, so he is walking back and forth, up and down stairs, all day long.
Just thought we'd update you a little! Love to hear from you!

Order Our Steps...

2007-03-09T18:44:00.000-08:00

This has been our prayer, "Order our steps..." Things seem to be falling into place. Don left his job of 21 years, so that we could access his retirement money. We are going to use it to pay off the 2nd mortgage, lower the price of the house and list it with a realtor. We will have enough money left to make mortgage payments for a year, if need be. We're trusting God to sell the house in His time.

When Don planned to quit his job at the schools, he started looking for a temporary job. He wondered how likely it was that he would find one that paid enough for us, that was temporary. A couple of days after he began looking, he had a job!! A plumbing business needed to replace someone who was having surgery for 2-3 months! How perfect. Don turned in his notice, and when he quit on a Friday, he began the new job on Monday.

We need to have 1 paper redone in Brazil. I (Jody) was at the computer, ready to contact our friend, Amanda, in Brazil to ask her help in getting the paper. When I signed in, I saw that I had a new message...from Amanda. Pastor Expedito, from Obidos, was actually in her city until morning visiting! I quickly called her and gave her the information we need. She gave it to Pastor E to take to the other pastors in Obidos. We pray we will have this letter in 2 weeks and will be able to apply for the visas.

God is putting people around us to advise us. We have an accountant, and a few people to care for finances and mailings while we are gone. Don is working with a pastor, studying for his ordination. We are so blessed to be surrounded by these people, and our prayer and financial supporters. All of this time of waiting has not been wasted. It's been a time of growth and development.

After meeting with our accountant, we were following some suggestions he made concerning our budget, and taxes. We were able to lower our monthly budget by almost $400 per month, and not only did we not eliminate anything, we added some ministry categories!

We would like to share some good news with you! Not only do we have enough money in our account to cover all of our ministry launching fund, plus 1 1/2 months support in advance, but we also have enough to purchase some kind of transportation when we are settled in Brazil!! Our God supplies all of our needs.

Experience

2007-02-21T16:01:00.000-08:00

Experience

Our family has been involved in many different types of ministry. Here are a few.

Don has been an usher, youth leader, children’s ministry worker, VBS teacher, small group leader, and elder. He has been on mission trips to Indianapolis and Georgia, and has always considered his mission fields to be “right outside his door”. He has been to Brazil once.

Jody has volunteered for Youth for Christ, and taught Sunday school for all ages of children and special adult classes. She has also been church treasurer, custodian, VBS teacher, and a youth leader. She works in the nursery. She has been to Brazil 4 times.

Maggie, 19, has served in the church children’s ministry as worship host. She has helped with VBS and the middle school youth, and does special music. She has been on mission trips to Indianapolis and Georgia, and to Brazil twice. She is in her second year of college online through Taylor University, and is majoring in intercultural Christian ministries.

Emily, 18, has taught a children’s class, helped with VBS, and middle school youth. She also has been on mission trips to Indianapolis and Georgia. She has been to Brazil 3 times. This past summer she spent 10 weeks there doing an internship with missionaries. She graduated from high school in December of 2005. She works at Wesley Manor Retirement Community.

Jacob, 13, is in the 7th grade and is home schooled. He has been in church Christmas productions and enjoys being involved in his family’s ministries. He attends middle school youth group and wants our family to be a blessing to the Brazilians. He also wants to use his sling shot to shoot fruit out of the trees! He currently has 2 paper routes.

Curt, 11, is currently in the 5th grade at Fields Home School. He also has participated in the Christmas productions. He attends Kidmo and AWANA. He wants to be one of the youngest missionaries ever, and to have a pet monkey.

Treyton, the youngest family member, is 2 1/2 years old. He is always cheerful and people can’t resist touching his hair! He is beginning to talk so much more. We will wait to see what his place in the ministry will be!