,

April Showers Bring May Flowers

There’s a popular phrase that encourages me to look forward to the month of April with excitement and enthusiasm, in spite of the depression that looms from the hard and long winter of the past several months and challenges in life:

“April showers bring May flowers.”
As families around the world gathered recently to celebrate the life, death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ at Easter, I was reminded of how His story parallels with the idea of sunshine following a season of gloom and sadness. Jesus’ suffering and death produced new life. Throughout scripture and throughout life we are faced with the reality of frailty and brokenness. “The grass withers, the flower fades.” But those of us who have trusted in Jesus know can cling to the hope in phrases like “joy comes in the morning,”

We all have experienced showers, or seasons of gloom and sadness. I have lived through many, with the passing of my father, my son being sick as a baby, trouble in my marriage, moving my mom, sibling rivalry, loss of grandparents, shut down of business, church heartbreak, brokenness, depression and anxiety, illnesses, cancer,  etc..etc.. Maybe you are even experiencing some right now. It can be easy to dwell on the negative things in our life. But Ezekiel 34:26 says:

“And I will make them and the places all around my hill a blessing, and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing…”

Just like this scripture, “April showers bring May flowers” is a reminder that even the most unpleasant of things, in this case the heavy rains of April, can bring about very enjoyable things indeed— even an abundance of flowers in May. 

The phrase is also a lesson in patience. Many of life’s greatest things come only to those who wait, and by patiently and happily enduring the clouds and damp of April, you can find yourself more easily able to take in the sights and smells of May if you change your outlook and keep your eyes and heart focused on Christ and His blessings. 

Even though my hardships brought brokenness and heartache, good came out of every situation. When my son was sick, fighting for his life in the hospital for seven years, I fought God. I wasn’t a Christian at the time, and I questioned if God was even real. I cried out day after day, “If there is a God you will heal my boy?”
In the waiting and the hurting, God pierced my heart. I gave my life to Christ and my husband Jonah confessed “I give you my son, like you gave your son to us.” In our newfound surrender, we had hope. The “may flowers” came when I surrendered my life to Jesus. There was healing in our own lives, and, thankfully, we also witnessed the miraculous healing of our son.


Surrendering your life means trusting God who gave us his one and only Son, Jesus, to die for us. I am so thankful that God healed my son, but I know that this isn’t always how God chooses to answer our prayers. Sometimes He has a different plan. The beauty is knowing there is a plan, a purpose, and a loving God who is orchestrating all things for “good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.” 
I pray your flowers come too. Be ready for the April showers by praying and surrendering your all and allow the flowers to come in May in every area of your life. Change your outlook and keep your eyes on the prize, Jesus! Leave a comment with your prayer request. I would love to pray for you during the month of April Showers! 

 

/by
,

Pray & Reflect With Us

Disaster Preparedness Month

September is Disaster Preparedness Month, and this year we are encountering two disasters in September: COVID-19 and Hurricane Laura. What an adventure we have been on and very grateful for the relationships we are building. Please pray with us, for us, those affected, and those who may be affected by this upcoming season.

“Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.” Psalm 130: 1-2

O Lord, you have surely heard the cry of those directly affected by these disasters. We also present to you our prayers for those wanting to assist, and those who are assisting in the relief. Lord, give them the strength to continue in adverse conditions.

Lord we pray for those who will provide clinical care and support to the wounded. Lord, give them the skills and fortitude to work long hours with limited resources.

For those who have and will bury the dead and comfort their loved ones. Lord, give them compassion and a heart for mercy.

For those who will organize acts to aide in relief. Lord, give them prudence and patience to understand needs. We also pray for those that have been invited to the journey to provide relief services, medical care, and hot meals. Give them all the gifts of compassion and charity in their coverage.

Hear us, merciful God that through this time of tragedy for those most affected, those who will be affected, and who have lost so much in previous disasters, that they will know of Your presence and learn of the Holy Spirit’s comfort. We ask that all Christians will remember their struggling brothers and sisters, and contribute the time to assist them in their continuing need. May our prayers rise up like incense for those affected by disaster, especially those who have lost their lives previously. For the families of the loved ones and for the lives who will be affected this season.

In Jesus Name we Pray, Amen.

/by
, , ,

Black Lives Matter

“Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:21

Feed the Need Missions has always strived to love unconditionally. Our ministry was started to serve ALL who come, no matter what. Our hearts want to echo 1 John 4:19, “We love because He first loved us.” In fact, this is not just a calling to us as a ministry, it is a calling to all Christians.

It is clear that evil is present. We can see it in the form of racial oppression, political divides, and using patriotism and religion as license to take action out of anger or personal gain. This is the chaos that Satan creates, thrives in, and conquers all who allow it to enter. This is not the time for the Church to be silent. This is the time to show the love of Jesus, not the judgement of men, to all people.

Do not confuse Black Lives Matter with putting one race over another. This isn’t the point. The point is that Black Americans are hurting and need support right now. If you have multiple children and one of them tells you “I love you,” you don’t respond with “well I love all my children, not just you!” Even though this is true, this is not what our brothers and sisters need to hear in this moment. They need to hear that we love them, and that we’re here to stand in the gap for them and be the voice that needs to be heard in solidarity alongside of them.

What can I do? This is often the first question we ask. Many times we don’t get the answer we want or it is too hard to find out, it’s easier to try to ignore it and sit idle and return to things that feel comfortable.

But when you are comfortable there is no progress, there is no fight, there is no battle. The only thing defeated in comfort is the spirit of love that lives inside you. It’s time for that spirit to stay alive. Not just for a short time, but until Jesus comes back.

Start getting uncomfortable. Here are two things you can begin to do today.

    1. PRAY. Time and time again, Jesus shows up when we ask. Pray for our Black friends and neighbors. Pray our eyes would be open to the injustices happening, big and small. Pray that your heart would be empathetic and broken for the pain that people have experienced. Pray for direction in what steps you can take to make a difference.
    2. LEARN. There are so many great resources out there – books, voices, etc. Here is a great place to start. Listen to your Black friends. Talk with others about what you are learning. Have uncomfortable conversations. Read books that make you rethink about what you were taught about race. Try to truly understand what the changes and policies people are fighting for, not just what you hear from sensational news headlines. And approach all of this with a humble heart. It is okay if you were wrong, and it is okay to change.

When you start diving in and really focus on these two things, the actions you need to take will come to light. Don’t be idle, this is important.

In this time of racial injustice, we need to let God’s love show through and guide all of us to unity. The worst thing that can happen is that when the uproar has quieted, we go right back into the comfortable lives we were living before. Don’t let that happen, love is difficult, love is often awkward, love is uncomfortable. Do the hard thing. Love.

To our Black brothers and sisters, we love you and we want to support you. We want to learn and listen. We ask for your forgiveness in places we have failed, and we are willing to do the work to make things better.

There is nothing special about Feed the Need Missions. We just try to instill doing small things well again and again. God doesn’t need superstars, he needs ordinary people that He can do extraordinary acts through.

We hope you join us in praying and learning. We can’t wait to see where God leads us to love others.

/by

Prayer News: Ukraine

In the past few years, the Ukrainian evangelical church has become much more passionate about sending its own cross-cultural workers to reach the lost. With feet on the ground from a local Bastrop Church Pastor in the Ukraine, Feed the Need Missions was asked to come and speak to the Ukrainians to share the hope of Jesus Christ, and to see if our model can be replicated in the Ukraine; to feed people physically and spiritually.

We ask that you pray for our team that will be leaving on October 19th, 2019. Please Pray for safety and for the local churches and their missionaries to further equip Ukrainians as well as making disciples. Pray that missionaries and other believers, including our team, will have many opportunities to explain to their neighbors and friends the reason for the hope within them.

Missionaries can often feel as though they’ve sown much with a little harvest. We ask that you join together with us in praying for their strength and endurance to run the race — that the Lord would remind them He is working deep in hearts even when it seems like nothing is happening. “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” – Isaiah 40:31

/by
,

SCHOOL IS IN SESSION – PRAYERS APPRECIATED

As parents and children were standing around at the sites talking about going back to school, I overheard a conversation of a mother who was nervous about sending their kids off to school this year. “There’s so much going on in this world, you never know when our schools will be next” she said. She has three girls and two boys who will be attending school this year.

Most parents I’m sure feel the same way. As August draws to a close, the minds of parents turn to all-things back-to-school. This time of year can definitely be filled with anxieties but it can also be an exciting time too. In honor of back to school, we asked a few families to share how they feel about going back:

“Life always brings its challenges whether your in school or out of school”– Mike

“My boys are strong enough to make it a good year and I believe they will. I am very involved in their schooling and I do believe that plays a big part in it.”– Philip

“I’ve been teaching for 18 years and each year brings it’s own challenges, but I have faith in God to get us through.”– Miss Garcia

“I’ve never had any issues with the schools here. I think our school system does its best with what it has to work with. Of course we can fear the unknowns, but that takes up to much brain power. So I just keep moving forward and hope for the best.”– Annette

“I love my school and all my teachers. Sometimes kids can be mean but it’s a part of life.”– Pablo

As a community we need to serve our schools. There are countless opportunities available to get more involved. Visit your locals schools webpage to find out how you can stay involved and make a difference in the lives of our educators and students.

And pray. Every single day. Pray.

/by
,

PRAY & REFLECT WITH US: A NEW SCHOOL YEAR

The beginning of a new school year can elicit many different emotions. Parents have the pressures and stress of having to spend lots of money on new school clothes; children are often eager to meet new teachers, make new friends and share their stories of their summer adventures. Honestly, this preparation for a new start can cause students to feel sick with apprehension. For teachers, there may be anxieties surrounding the desire to ensure that all resources are in place for the first day of school.

Therefore, it is important to start the new school year in prayer, petitioning and thanksgiving to God; counteracting all worries. By doing so, you will experience the peace of God, thus guarding hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

Pray with us for this years school year!

/by
,

Prayer Request: A New Place to Live

A few years ago Mission U-Too helped a local guy, Allen, get into a trailer. You might have heard his story before, but we wanted to give you a little update on his current needs.

Allen was homeless living on the streets of Bastrop. His story is a bit unique because Allen doesn’t have a drug or alcohol issue. He was on the streets because his adopted mother and father had passed away, and Allen wasn’t able to inherit the house that was left for him. Allen was taken care of by his adopted parents because of his disabilities. He was left to fend for himself and made a bed wherever he could find a place to rest his head.

He came to Mission U-Too hungry and angry. As we started building a relationship with him, we taught him how to budget, helped him find his identity, and did much research on finding him a trailer. Allen was able to buy his own trailer with his saved money. The trailer was an old FEMA trailer that is now no longer livable. Recently he’s been staying in a motel or at a friend’s house. We are currently looking into resources and other places/trailers that he can afford and get the help and assistance he needs for long term.

If you could be so kind and pray with us for a new place for Allen to live, and that we as a community can come together with resources that would get him the help that he needs. As we pray for Allen remember this verse: “Greater love has no one that this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friend.” (John 15:13) Help us get the help that Allen needs!

/by

Pray With Us: Living Water

Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
‭‭~ John 4:13-14‬

It’s mid-July and summer is in full force. And it’s hot.  Like stay inside in the a/c all day and drink lots of water and eat lots of popsicles kind of hot. I imagine that’s the kind of day we find in the story about Jesus and the woman and the well. It was mid-day and hot, and Jesus was thirsty. Seems simple enough that he would ask the woman who was fetching some water to give him some as well. But what we might not realize is that a Jewish leader asking a Samaritan, let alone a woman who was by herself, for this favor was a big fat cultural blunder. But Jesus set rules aside, he wanted her to know who He was.

The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” (John 4:9-10)

They continue their conversation, the woman skeptical as to who Jesus is. But in the end Jesus reveals who he really is to her. The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.” (John 4:25-26)

All the woman was doing that day was minding her own business and getting herself some water. But unexpectedly, Jesus showed up, and I am pretty sure her life was never the same again. One of the things I like best about this story is that Jesus continually reveals himself to people that society would deem ordinary, or even more, outcasts.

Mission U-Too is there to serve food and water to anyone who needs it…ordinary, outcast, or even extraordinary. But our heart’s passion is to share the love of Christ. We want people to be fed a meal, but ultimately we want them to know Jesus, to be changed by Jesus. No matter who they are.

We hope you will join us in praying for those that come to Mission U-Too are changed by the truth and love of Jesus Christ. That He is revealed to them.

/by

Pray With Us: Seeking Comfort

I must admit, I am a creature of comfort. From my thermostat to my shoes I like to be comfortable. I spend my money on objects which I believe will bring comfort and spend ample time in the comfort of Nexflix-landia, mindlessly “resting.” I’ve made my faith easy, dangerously so. I’ve found myself denying the prompting of the Holy Spirit because it was outside of my comfort zone. My time with Jesus takes second to my rest.

I was recently convicted when I came across this verse:

“And a scribe came up and said to him, ‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’”
~ Matthew 8:19-20 (ESV)

The saving grace found only in Jesus is absolutely free, but it is not cheap! It even costs us comfort.

Do you find yourself seeking comfort at the expense of obedience in Christ? Has your faith become comfortable? Please join me in prayer.

Lord God,
Thank you for the peace and comfort found in you! Thank you Jesus that you sacrificed your comfort for me. Lord, help me to surrender my comfort for the sake of absolute obedience. Show me where I can find comfort in your presence, and not earthly distractions. May my life be used to your glory. Amen.

/by

Pray With Us: Staying Diligent

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
‭‭~ Colossians 3:17‬

As school is coming to an end and summer begins, I am rejoicing! This is the first year I’ve homeschooled two children with the third at Bastrop High School, and taught a homeschool co-op class while working. I am more than excited that summer is here. My thoughts have immediately gone to… it’s time to relax, there’s no required homework, and no required teaching. Where’s the beach, the river, and when can I go camping? But in that same moment, I am reminded that it’s not time to lag behind in diligence, but to be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. (Romans 12:11)

Summer is a great time to relax and rejuvenate! However, it is equally important to remember to stay diligent in whatever the activity in which you engage, and do it with all your ability (Ecclesiastes 9:10). “Do not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another.” (Hebrews 10:25) “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.” (Ephesians 6:7-8)

I would like to encourage you this summer to relax and refresh your mind body, and soul, but do so by:

  • Getting into God’s word and building your relationship with Jesus Christ.
  • Pray about how you and your family can serve the Lord this summer, and feel free to join us at one of our sites.
  • Plug into your local church serving and encouraging one another.

As you devote yourself to prayer, please continuously pray for Mission U-Too’s staff, leadership, and volunteer’s that God will give them many opportunities to speak about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

/by

Subscribe to Our Emails

Stay up to date with the latest at Feed the Need Missions, delivered right to your inbox. Sign up below to subscribe to our newsletter and email updates.

ABOUT US

GET INVOVLED