Pull Up a Seat: How Buying a Chair Can Change the World

Pull up a seat, I need to tell you something. Or rather, I need to tell you that I haven't been telling you everything. Here's the truth: There is so much good going on in Mozambique that I couldn't possibly write enough newsletters or blog posts to contain it all.

Matt's attempt at an artistic pic of our living room. :)

Our apartment is a reflection of all that good: It's full. There just isn't enough space in our home to hold the growth that is happening on the college campuses of Maputo, Mozambique. 

We are still looking for land to buy, but in the meantime we found the perfect place to rent. It's kinda industrial (read: "needs a little TLC") with tall windows and a HUGE open area perfect for worship nights (which currently meet outside), leadership meetings, Bible studies. We can even sleep teams or interns there...the possibilities are endless!

My favorite part about this space will be having it available for students to come pray! (Maybe not a 24 hour prayer room for safety reasons, but like a 10 and a half hour prayer room...kidding, we'll come up with a good non-time based name.)

As well as being a space for our current students, we are starting an internship next year for Americans and Mozambicans (really anybody) with the sole purpose of sending missionaries out to plant campus movements all over Africa. See, I'm finally getting to the change-the-world part.

CAN YOU IMAGINE?! That space will be a training center for campus ministries all over Africa!

But we need your help.

If you are not already on our team, would you consider giving $60 a month to help cover rental costs of the training center? Matt and I are committing to the first $60 a month ourselves.

If you are on our team, THANK YOU!

Can you believe that in just a couple of years your investment has helped begin ministry on 28 campuses??? Each student that fills our house every week has a unique story of how they met Jesus or were changed because of what we do here, and you make that happen!

And one more request: We will need cash to renovate and furnish our new space.

Would you please consider buying a chair for $10? I am giddy just imagining this new training center full of college students studying the word in all the chairs that you guys purchased.  

FYI: I love interior design. That place is going to be beautiful--the space, the people filling it, and the people who made it possible. 

Thank you, friends! I can't wait to show you pictures of the space and to update you as things progress. And thank you for taking the time to read this and to pray for us. It's encouraging to know we aren't here alone. 

Oh, and P.S. this was kind of a teaser post. I will be sharing some of our students stories over the next couple of weeks...they are the ones you are helping to change the world. 

Happy Father's Day to All The Dads That Suck

Happy Father’s Day to the absent dad, the abusive dad, the present but not really there dad. Basically, if you are terrible at the whole dad thing, I want to wish you a Happy and Belated (I’m so behind on life right now) Father’s Day. 

This isn’t sarcasm, I really mean it. 

Happy Father’s Day; you’re a good dad. (You’re confused since I just said that you were a terrible dad, but hold on and I’ll explain.)

You have the potential to be a good dad. 

You can change. 

You can try. 

I know what you must be feeling and thinking, but it’s NOT too late. 

If my dad was still alive, I would have him write his side of this post. I know what he would tell you: “Call ‘em. What could it hurt? Well, it’ll probably hurt your pride, but if you’d look in the mirror, you’d see how ugly you are and then you’d know there is nothing to be proud of.” (Then he’d laugh too hard at his own joke, bringing his fat-fingered hand to his mouth to take a swig of beer.)

He would tell you that he messed up. He would say that he was selfish. He would sob. And through those sobs you would hear him say he missed out on everything. 

I know he would say all that because he said those things to me. 

By the grace of God, I ended up going to college in the same city where Dad lived. Through a long and difficult process that I won’t write about here, God healed my relationship with my father. It wasn’t easy and it wasn't instant, but I chose love. 

Had he hurt me? Yes, in many, many ways. But with bitterness and un-forgiveness, my pain only increased. 

You may suck at being a dad. You may feel you have done the worst, most detestable thing, and maybe you have. BUT there is always, always hope. Take one step in the right direction. If you can’t forgive yourself, ask God to. 

He’s ready to pardon you, even if your kid isn’t. 

If you are that kid reading this, I know you are hurting. 

You scanned the bleachers 100 times even though you knew he wouldn’t show. 

You watched kids run to their dad’s after school and wondered what that felt like. 

You shrank in fear when your dad came home from work at night. 

You checked the mail everyday for a month after your birthday in hopes that the card came late. 

The phrase, “Daddy’s girl” made you squirm. 

Every time the phone rang on Christmas, you hoped it was for you.

You laid in bed at night and tried to imagine why he didn't want you.

If you have felt any of those feelings, I am so, so sorry. But, please, choose healing. Choose to forgive. Choose love. 

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 1 Corinthians 13:4-5

Ask God to help you. 

And then, imagine your father as a child. There is something about visualizing him in a state of innocence. What was he like? What was his childhood like? And his father? Maybe, you can’t forgive the grown man that hurt you, but can you forgive the four-year-old boy? Start with him and then work from there.

I’m praying for you, the dads who missed out and messed up, and the kids who are broken and bitter. All of us. We can all choose to change. Do you want to try? 

Happy Father’s Day. God is love, and love really does win. 

p.s. My dad passed away unexpectedly 2 weeks after we moved to Mozambique. I am so glad I allowed God to heal my heart when I did. I can honestly say that I love him and miss him dearly. THAT is Jesus.