August 18th, 2012
Greetings,
Greetings,
Hope all are well in the care of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. All my love and deepest wishes for your well-being go out
with this, understanding that the Lord Who watches out for you will also
provide for your every need through Christ Jesus.
Sorry have been so busy for weeks now since updating people about the serious problems we have encountered here, which was sent out in July - "Sign of the Times".
Sorry have been so busy for weeks now since updating people about the serious problems we have encountered here, which was sent out in July - "Sign of the Times".
We don't have internet service and have not been to the library for a
while. I slept so long last night, being so exhausted, and still
feel tired this morning.
Wonderful things have happened, which I will explain. To God be the glory. You will understand when i tell you. But first - some "housekeeping". Ever notice how people fail to tell you the most distinguishing and notable aspects that set a place or something apart from the rest? And you get there and ask, "How come no one ever told me?" Well, I don't want to do that. Since coming to Florida in March of this year, this is what has struck me. First, they have palm trees here! But also other different plants. Ever hear of the "palmetto", "Shalom philodendron", "podocarpus"? Not quite tropical enough here though apparently because I don't see many banana trees, papaya, and pineapple growing. Nurseries here are very big on orchids. There are quite a few of them, but looks like some have taken a hard hit by the economy. Even with the great weather, have been shocked by how many people do not even keep up their yards and property, and have nice gardens, etc... To me it looks like people up north do a better job with less favorable weather. In this area there are a lot of "red-necks", "bikers", and women who smoke and have tattoos. It is almost a waste of time to give a weather report during summer here unless there is a hurricane or something. Day in and day out it is almost the same with daytime temps of 91,92, or 93 with possible rain. Typically what happens is that the day starts out sunny and warms up. Then later, as the sea breezes move inland and probably collide with the warm air, thunderstorms ignite which can hit one area and skip another nearby. Have not seen any public swimming pools surprisingly, but people who can afford it have their own pool in the back yard. People also put up huge screened-in areas in their back yard - problaby to keep insects out (they also have flying roaches here), and the litter out of the pools.
Without going into all the details, our move to Florida has been very enlightening, perilous, and challenging. First we tried working with a fairly well-known ministry, but ended up in the house of a sexual predator who was also a "counselor" for that ministry whom the leaders there supported. When we found out and tried to move, they put our stuff outside. We almost spent the night outside, but ended up on another church property. There the people suddenly flipped on us after we had helped to clean up their property and rental units. The husband would scream at us, and even visited us in his van at around 2:30 in the morning in an attempt to get us to leave. We had been working for them without being paid, and according to my calculation we were still owed about $1200 towards future rent in July and August. They tried to take legal action against us. With no other job other than trying to raise funds for Africa, little money, I was gearing up to sleeping outside, and indeed we did one night seeing as to how dangerous the landlord was acting.
This all happened so that people may see that the Word of the Lord is true, though people may have a hard time dealing with it. He said that, "People treat their animals better than the church treats its missionaries!" How absolutely true. Think about it. We would not have had to go through these situations if it were not. Long ago the "institutional church" abdicated its responsibilities. The missions, Africa, the poor, etc., are far from their collective consciousness. And as i witnessed in the homeless environment, the "wolves" are quick to move in to exploit the situation when the "lambs" are left to fend for themselves. The government was never meant to care for the poor. They do a horrible job. It is the church's responsibility. AS a side note: Washington D.C. is littered with homeless all over, sleeping on the cold concrete just blocks from the White House - something a lot of people don't tell you! So don't people listen to any Democrat "dressed in sheep's clothing" talking about their concern for the poor as they drive by the homeless of D.C. in their limousines! Don't listen to BO as he drives by them in his motorcade, and lets them sleep outside his plush surroundings without even so much as a cup of coffee to warm the cold nights!!!
Thus, this has happened that people may have concrete evidence.
Wonderful things have happened, which I will explain. To God be the glory. You will understand when i tell you. But first - some "housekeeping". Ever notice how people fail to tell you the most distinguishing and notable aspects that set a place or something apart from the rest? And you get there and ask, "How come no one ever told me?" Well, I don't want to do that. Since coming to Florida in March of this year, this is what has struck me. First, they have palm trees here! But also other different plants. Ever hear of the "palmetto", "Shalom philodendron", "podocarpus"? Not quite tropical enough here though apparently because I don't see many banana trees, papaya, and pineapple growing. Nurseries here are very big on orchids. There are quite a few of them, but looks like some have taken a hard hit by the economy. Even with the great weather, have been shocked by how many people do not even keep up their yards and property, and have nice gardens, etc... To me it looks like people up north do a better job with less favorable weather. In this area there are a lot of "red-necks", "bikers", and women who smoke and have tattoos. It is almost a waste of time to give a weather report during summer here unless there is a hurricane or something. Day in and day out it is almost the same with daytime temps of 91,92, or 93 with possible rain. Typically what happens is that the day starts out sunny and warms up. Then later, as the sea breezes move inland and probably collide with the warm air, thunderstorms ignite which can hit one area and skip another nearby. Have not seen any public swimming pools surprisingly, but people who can afford it have their own pool in the back yard. People also put up huge screened-in areas in their back yard - problaby to keep insects out (they also have flying roaches here), and the litter out of the pools.
Without going into all the details, our move to Florida has been very enlightening, perilous, and challenging. First we tried working with a fairly well-known ministry, but ended up in the house of a sexual predator who was also a "counselor" for that ministry whom the leaders there supported. When we found out and tried to move, they put our stuff outside. We almost spent the night outside, but ended up on another church property. There the people suddenly flipped on us after we had helped to clean up their property and rental units. The husband would scream at us, and even visited us in his van at around 2:30 in the morning in an attempt to get us to leave. We had been working for them without being paid, and according to my calculation we were still owed about $1200 towards future rent in July and August. They tried to take legal action against us. With no other job other than trying to raise funds for Africa, little money, I was gearing up to sleeping outside, and indeed we did one night seeing as to how dangerous the landlord was acting.
This all happened so that people may see that the Word of the Lord is true, though people may have a hard time dealing with it. He said that, "People treat their animals better than the church treats its missionaries!" How absolutely true. Think about it. We would not have had to go through these situations if it were not. Long ago the "institutional church" abdicated its responsibilities. The missions, Africa, the poor, etc., are far from their collective consciousness. And as i witnessed in the homeless environment, the "wolves" are quick to move in to exploit the situation when the "lambs" are left to fend for themselves. The government was never meant to care for the poor. They do a horrible job. It is the church's responsibility. AS a side note: Washington D.C. is littered with homeless all over, sleeping on the cold concrete just blocks from the White House - something a lot of people don't tell you! So don't people listen to any Democrat "dressed in sheep's clothing" talking about their concern for the poor as they drive by the homeless of D.C. in their limousines! Don't listen to BO as he drives by them in his motorcade, and lets them sleep outside his plush surroundings without even so much as a cup of coffee to warm the cold nights!!!
Thus, this has happened that people may have concrete evidence.
Facing all these challenges, one day I am waiting outside for the library to open, and a Korean lady comes up whom i don't know. We begin talking. She asks if i can do some work around her house and drives me to her house to show me. We go back to the library, and one thing leads to another. That same day she helps the both of us to get haircuts, and takes us to a party where we meet her husband and daughter who has the same nickname as my mother - VIRGIE! The first time i ever met another VIRGIE! This Korean lady then later took us to an Hispanic family who was renting a trailer to set up an arrangement whereby we could rent one of the rooms there. The room needed some fixing, but she helped us to buy some paint and even a carpet remnant so that I could paint the room and take out the old carpet and fix up the floor. Because we did not have room for our belongings, she allowed us to clean up a corner of one of her brother's greenhouses (i think without telling him!) to store our stuff for free. She even allowed Evelyn to use her van so that we could move our stuff, including to "storage"! This was someone I had just met! In a short period of time she did more than any church "leader" to their shame. And what is the "kicker"? She is a foreigner!!! So are the people we moved in with!! "WHERE ARE THE AMERICANS?" Funny I should ask that, because that is basically what the people in Africa are also asking!!! And I will add, "Where are the church "leaders"? Ever notice something?, that when the "light" is turned on, the "rats" all run for cover to hide??! Just saying that, they do. Try it. And ever notice how the Lord will use an earthly example to teach a spiritual truth? So often church "leaders" "take a step back from us" when they find out we are missionaries. We are the visible expression of their responsibility.
Things have not changed much. Remember that the prophet Elijah was sent to a widow in Zarephath. There he received help! Why Zarephath?!? As Jesus explained in Luke 4:24-26, a prophet is not accepted in his own country. Were there not many widows in Israel, and yet God sent Elijah to Sidon! To a widow who was going to die! Over and over again, I have seen that it is those with the least who have the most compassion. The size of one's wallet often does not indicate the size of one's heart.
Thus, with Henny's help (the Korean lady), we were able to move and put our things into storage. It was a lot of work, cleaning, paiinting, moving, etc.. At about the same time the Lord found me a job at the Country Club of Orlando - a 101 year old private club outside Orlando with a golf course, swimming pool, and tennis courts. The interview went great, even though I had not operated some of their machines. So on August 7th I began working in their grounds department. On August 8th we had a court hearing. An attorney decided to take our case for free after the "church landlords" filed against us. And we won!!!
So much happened so fast, and I am exhausted to the point that the wind knocks me off balance. And I know this is all the Lord's hand. He did it. These kind of things just don't happen. The situation was so difficult, and multiple doors opened up one after another. This Korean lady whom we did not even know has been so helpful, completely refuting all the myriad of excuses people typically give for not getting involved.
So ironically, she is the picture of what the church is supposed to look like.
Pleased to finally be able to update people on what has transpired and how God so marvellously intervened. For me, this is God's powerful hand. To God be the glory. I wish i could share this with a lot of people, but God has shown me how a lot of people would not be pleased. Because it is "me" to whom this has happened, there are those who will not share in the joy and the happiness He has shown me. Simply put, they will neither be happy, nor impressed with what has happened because it has happened to "me". Sad, but again, this is reality, this is a "sign of the times". Thus they still will not be motivated to support us in our mission to reach out the poor and the needy in Africa with God's love! Our friend from Kenya - Rosemary - just called. She wants so much to see us. I'll have to write her to explain that we cannot now because the church here is not supporting us. And after these last 2 episodes in just a period of months, a church "leader" here is just about the last person i sadly want to talk to. After 3 moves in 5 months I feel that AMERICA REALLY NEEDS REVIVAL.
Please continue to pray. There is still much work to do. And don't forget to give THANKS TO GOD FOR THE MIGHTY THINGS HE HAS DONE!!! God bless.
All our love to you,
paul
No comments:
Post a Comment