Steadfastness

Have you ever started something with great gusto and then lost steam somewhere in the middle? Maybe it’s too much work, there are too many setbacks and distractions, you lose sight of the goal, or you stop believing that it’s even possible to finish. You’re not alone; I’m right there with you.

Pastor Ben at Faith Alive reminds us that it’s an age-old problem. He says, “It is not just to start a thing or journey with God that matters but to stand firm and hold fast to the end. Many Israelites started with Moses from Egypt with songs of praise to God, but a majority could not hold fast to the faith and God that moved them out of Egypt, and so fell by the wayside in the wilderness.

“Steadfastness is the key factor to any kind of victory we would have in the Lord. It brings about endurance which in turn produces the character of Christ in us. It places the crown of glory on our head, for it is the only quality that will give birth to faithfulness in our calling and services. To wear the crown, we are expected to be faithful. To wear the crown we are expected to endure to the end. But without steadfastness, faithfulness and endurance become difficult to attain.”

Each month, Faith Alive focuses on one spiritual theme and bible verse that is preached daily with staff and patients. This month’s theme is steadfastness, based on 1 Corinthians 15:58. “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (NIV)

I don’t know about you, but the only way I can be steadfast for God is to stay close by His side by praying, reading the bible, participating in corporate worship, and singing His praises (literally and figuratively). When I start to lose steam for something that I feel He’s called me to do, I need to just put one foot in front of the other and trust in God’s strength for the power to continue.

Thanks, Pastor Ben, for the encouraging reminder that the destination is worth the long journey.

(Photo is of Pastor Ben with his wife and two children.)

Operation Little Chris Update

Wow! That's not very eloquent, but I am in awe of how God is at work on little Chris's behalf. On July 29 we officially started asking for donations to send this precious three-year-old to India for heart surgery. A number of you have already responded and on behalf of the Mwajims, I extend a heartfelt THANK YOU.

Yesterday I met someone who is a friend of a friend of a friend who received our fundraising letter; this person (who wants to remain anonymous) gave me a significant check that propelled us closer to our goal. This is truly God at work through an army of people, because none of us can claim credit.

While we're well on our way to realizing our fundraising goal, we aren't there yet. Let's work together to make this happen before it's too late. You can send your donations to:

Hope for West Africa Foundation, Inc.
1810 A York Road, Suite 122
Lutherville, MD 21093

Please make your checks payable to Hope for West Africa and write "FA Children's Fund" in the memo line.

Whether you support little Chris through prayers, a dollar, or thousands of dollars, you are part of God's plan. Daddy Daniel says, "May God richly reward you a thousand-fold for all that you are doing."

Global Leadership

This week I’m attending Willow Creek’s Global Leadership Summit (via satellite in Loveland). It’s a great opportunity to learn from Christian (and a few secular) leaders about leadership principles, how to coach a winning team, and listening to God’s promptings.

What I find most exciting is that the summit will be seen this year in over 70 countries, including my own beloved Nigeria. It’ll be broadcast in Jos on November 12 and 13. Nigerians will get to hear from Pastor Bill Hybels, Businessman Jim Collins, Coach Tony Dungy, and Pastor T.D. Jakes.

Jakes is going to talk this afternoon about Combustible Passion. He says, “"The challenge of the believer is to take the faith that you got in here and take it to the place out there." Because if we don’t put our faith into action in the world, what good is it, really?

(Photo of T.J. Jakes)

Vitamins and Luggage

Thanks to a church in Maryland, Faith Alive now has over 300 lbs. of vitamins and pain relievers to give to their patients. Each summer, Church of the Nativity sends two teams to Nigeria—one to a children’s home in Abuja and the other to the Faith Alive Hospital. The Abuja team had to travel alone this year because Dr. Chris has asked no visitors to come until after the 2011 presidential elections. But that didn’t stop the grounded team from collecting, packing, and sending boxes of vitamins with the Abuja team to give to Dr. Chris.

Last summer, I travelled to Jos with the Nativity:Nigeria teams. I watched as their Faith Alive team, most experiencing Nigeria for the first time, went from worrying about their lost luggage to realizing that it wasn’t a big deal in the scope of things. As each day unfolded, their self-centered thoughts turned outward as they met people whose worries were much bigger—food, clean water, education, health, etc.. When their suitcases finally arrived days later, they said something like, “We didn’t even need this stuff. What we brought in our carry-ons was enough.”

Sincere thanks to Nativity:Nigeria for their generous donation. Maybe next year we'll be on the same flight again.

President of Nigeria—from Colorado?

Imagine my surprise to open a local newspaper on Sunday and read that a Colorado man is running for President of Nigeria. 46-year-old Sam Wantings Nwanti actually has dual-citizenship (U.S. and Nigeria), and thinks that his background as a KGB and FBI-trained detective and business entrepreneur is a solid basis to lead his home country.

“Nigeria needs to change,” he said. “And I’m the only one who can effect that.” He added, “Criminals and corrupt politicians run my country now, and I feel I need to run now to make any kind of difference.”

I wonder if fellow Nigerians feel the same way, or if they will trust someone who only spends part of his time in their country. Either way, it’s kind of exciting to know that a man who lives 45 minutes away from me shares a passion for making a difference in Nigeria.

(Photo is from Nwanti’s website.)

Amanda

We’re about to welcome a new member to the Colorado Faith Alive family—baby boy Simmons! Mom-to-be Amanda has been a true answer to prayer for us. Two years ago she drove by our church and saw the sign advertising our involvement with Africa. Feeling called by God toward Africa, she came inside. Unbeknownst to her, we had just prayed that week for someone to help us redesign the Faith Alive website. We met her and learned that she owns her own graphic and website design business, Full Cup Creative. Since then, she traveled to Jos and is now also a Save-A-Life sponsor.

My husband took this photo last Saturday of me with Amanda and her first baby. Let’s see…what African names might we suggest?

Hope Feeds

Marian Rone and Nanci Sebeniecher work to feed malnourished people in Africa through Hope Feeds, so it was a real honor to feed these two women at my home this weekend. Marian (from Oakland) and Nanci (from Baltimore) came to Fort Collins for a few days to talk about manufacturing and distributing vitamin-laden peanut butter in Africa to severely malnourished people. Hope Feeds has projects in three locations, one of which is at Faith Alive. Another project (and the reason for this specific visit to Fort Collins) is in Liberia where other members of our church are involved.

Nanci is also a Save-A-Life sponsor to a wonderful man. She said that when she met him in Nigeria a few years ago, he held up a sign that read something like, “Thank you so much. You have saved my life.” We had the joy of calling him (yes, I do have a few phone numbers for SAL patients that I know really well) and greeting him and his family. Normally a quiet man, I could hear his ecstatic shouts of greeting to Nanci! I can only imagine that his family was singing and dancing after they hung up. Their conversation might’ve ended, but their relationship lives on.

Thank you, Marian and Nanci, for feeding people physically and emotionally.

(Photo taken on my front porch. Marian is in green, and Nanci is holding a cup of her java fuel.)