Divine Appointment

I haven't shared a post in nearly a month, and part of that is because I want to spare you from the details of my current nomadic lifestyle...

Not necessarily because I don't think you'll find those details interesting... (There have truly been some interesting details!) but more importantly, because I don't want what I share to make you think that being a missionary is just a bunch of adventure.

True, I'm living what many people would consider an adventurous life, but adventure isn't why I'm doing what I'm doing...

I'm doing what I'm doing, because the King of the universe has given me a work to do, and He's made it unmistakably clear what that work is...

So although there's a certain amount of adventure to what I'm doing, that's not the reason I want to be here, and that's not the reason God has me here...

There are other, infinitely more important reasons...

Here's one of them...

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It was a simple prayer really... "Lord, I ask that you give Jonathan a divine appointment today as he travels."

It's not too often that I get to share with people around me as I travel, mostly because not many people speak english.

So I was curious to see what divine appointment God had arranged for me.

About halfway into my travels, a mother and her two boys sat next to me... I didn't think much of it.

But then the boy sitting next to me started asking me questions in english!

And I realized that this boy actually knew quite a bit of english, and that's when I realized that this was my divine appointment...

So I began praying about how to share with this boy...

And in a break between questions, I rather bluntly asked him a very simple question.

"Do you know about God?"

A puzzled look came over his face, then he shook his head and said, "no."

"Do you want to know?" I asked.

"Yes!" He smiled really big and nodded his head.

And so I began to outline to him, in simple language, the story of creation. His 11 year old brain didn't have a terribly long attention span, and I wondered if he was actually understanding...

So I finished by telling him that the same God who created this world, loves us all...

And later as he was getting out of the vehicle, he said this to me.

"I'll never forget."

I pray that Bura will indeed, not forget, but also that he will have a way to learn more about the One who loves Him so much, that He sent His only Son, to die on a cross, so that we all can have eternal life...

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Only after having an experience like that, can I fully realize how blessed I am, to have grown up with a knowledge of God...

There are so many millions of people that don't have that privilege, and trust me... it will do an amazing thing to your joy meter, when you get to tell them about God.

There's a bunch of people that don't know about God, and would probably want to, if someone like you were to ask them... 

Do you know about God?

Partial Solar Eclipse

I Saw

Certain people have asked for a blog post with stories from my time with Gayle.

And to be completely, brutally, honest...

Right now, there aren't a bunch of creative juices flowing
out of my brain.

There aren't eloquent, poetic, profound thoughts and concepts bubbling up just waiting to burst forth into cyberspace...

There aren't inspiring stories coming to mind from my time with Gayle.

Now, that certainly doesn't mean that there weren't inspiring stories that took place while I was there.

Sure, I don't have an amazing story of God's protection from a massive charging elephant... (Didn't even see an elephant at all, although we saw plenty of evidence.)

And there's no story of protection from a deadly snake...

The truck didn't almost fall off the road...

There are no incredible stories of visible protection...

But let me tell you what I did see.

I saw the Gospel in action.

I saw the Love of Jesus flowing forth from humans and affecting other humans.

I saw people who desperately need help, get the help they need.

I saw the pure joy on the faces of two people who recently were baptized.

I saw the even greater joy on the face of a dear missionary who has worked for nearly 6 years to see this fruit.

I experienced God leading me in the filming of this project.

And even though I don't have a bunch of inspiring stories, what I can say, is that I saw God work in amazing ways...

The Real Filmmaker

I was sitting on a small plane, for a short flight...

And I kept thinking through all the equipment that was in my backpack under the seat in front of me.

Mental checklist - Camera, lenses, cards, light, mics, computer... Etc. 

And then I was just overwhelmed by it all. 

God provided all this equipment, and every need was met... And then as I'm thinking about how good God is, and how amazingly he provides, I had a moment of doubt... 

"That brand new camera... How on earth am I going to use it effectively? I've hardly used it and in an hour, I will have to hit the ground running, and start capturing footage..." 

And then I remembered, I'm not the filmmaker here... God is the filmmaker! 

And with that fresh in my heart, I hit the ground running after more than 2 days of traveling, and God started pouring out the blessings. 

He is so good! 

Traveling

Perhaps I sound like a broken record, perhaps not.

But it becomes more real every day... 

God, is SO good! 

The fact that He is good, is an eternal truth... 

But how often do we really just sit back and take awhile to reflect on how good God is? 

And I'm not just talking about the blessings He gives to us on a daily basis... (Life, breath, air, food, etc. etc.) 

What about the greatest gift of all, the greatest sacrifice ever made. How often do we contemplate the love of God in sending His only son to die for you and me? 

I know for me in my own life, I get caught up in the hundred and one things that I think I need to do, when in reality, I need to spend more time in communion with the One who gives every breath that I breath. 

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On a side note, I'm traveling! 

I'm in San Fransisco, about ready to fly to Beijing and then on to Bangkok. 

I will try to post updates as often as I can.

Please keep me in prayer! 

God Bless! 

God is Amazing!

Mans extremity, is God’s opportunity. ~ J. B. Phillips

— 

Extreme is probably an accurate word to describe my situation, at least when compared with mainstream Christianity in North America. 

Having a plane ticket to Asia but not having the equipment necessary to fulfill the purpose of the trip, is somewhat of a precarious situation. If you look at it from a human perspective that is… 

But that’s just it, what you and I see, really doesn’t matter! Because this is God’s mission, and He has promised: 

Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you. ~ 2 Chronicles 20:17 

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God has been working very visibly this week… 

He has provided more than $7,000 for the much needed video equipment that will allow me to effectively and efficiently show the work of God in Asia. 

Can you say Praise the Lord? 

I'm so excited about how God has led, and how he will continue to lead. 

When God is in charge, we have nothing to fear...

Because God is able, and God is faithful… 

Be Stretched - Be Still

I wasn’t entirely comfortable with the idea… 

But the least I could do was look… 

—

Jon (The president of Jesus for Asia.) had just said that I needed to get a plane ticket, today! (If you're wondering why I need a plane ticket, read this first.)

So I began looking at flight prices… 

$1400…

$1200…

$1049…

$1300… 

$895… - That looks more workable, I thought.

I checked another website, and found it at $855… 

When I told Jon, the first words out of his mouth were. “Get it!” 

So, I got it! Even though I didn’t have the money. 

I felt stretched… 

Now I had a plane ticket without any of the equipment that I need, and without any money to get the equipment! 

—

The next morning, the Lord woke me up earlier than usual, so I went downstairs to pray… 

I prayed for an hour, but I didn’t hear anything, I didn’t feel anything, or even sense His presence… 

But praise the Lord, feelings are not the foundation of our faith! 

As I opened my bible it sort of fell open to Psalm 46. 

So I started reading, and when I got to verse 10, it sort of jumped off the page at me. 

“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Wow… 

I don’t need to worry about the equipment, I don’t need to worry about the money, I need to be still, and trust… 

—

God has since provided someone to pay for my airfare, and even though I don’t know where the money will come from for the equipment, I need not be concerned, because, “…My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in Glory by Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:19) 

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From my last trip to India. 

My flights are booked! I fly out of Atlanta on Feb 7! 

For those of you tech gurus who are wondering what equipment I’m needing, Here’s a short list. (Sony A7s II, 15 inch Macbook pro, Shotgun mic, wireless lav mics, backpack, light, Zoom H5, etc. etc.) 

If the Lord impresses you to support this project, please click here.

Foreign Correspondent!

Has it really been 10 months since I posted last?

Time flies!

To be extremely brief…

Last march I was in India for a month shooting videos for some Jesus for Asia projects. (Here is one of them.)

In June I decided to run a marathon and started a project called Run for the Orphans to raise funds to help build a new dorm building for the orphanage we visited in India. So I ran my first marathon in October and so far we’ve raised over $12,000! Praise the Lord! (Run4theOrphans.com)

And before I tell you the most exciting news… A little background.

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Ever since I was about 10, I wanted to be a missionary, so throughout the years since then I’ve had my long-term sights on the foreign field.

But when I was in Thailand in 2014, my perspective changed slightly.

After I first got there, whenever a trial would come, or a difficult time, I would remind myself that I was leaving in 5 months. I had a ticket out! I could endure anything for 5 months.

But as my departure date got closer, I realized that something was changing.

I didn’t want to leave.

I really didn’t want to leave.

I really really didn’t want to leave.

And it was then that I realized that even though for 10 years I’d wanted to live overseas, this was the first time that I didn’t want to live in America.

But I was so conflicted!

I wanted to go right back to work with Travis in the jungle. But I didn’t feel like I could do that, because God has given me a talent in media for a reason, and I don’t want to bury it…

So I began praying that somehow, someway, I could live overseas and still use the talent that God has given me for media.

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Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. Psalm 37:4-5

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The door has opened, and I’m super excited about the potential!

Jesus for Asia has asked me to be a foreign correspondent/filmmaker!

Ultimately, the goal is to create videos and share stories that connect mission projects and the needs in Asia, with people in North America. Because I believe there are a lot of people who would be willing to help if they saw and understood the need.

I will be living in Asia travelling to the different JFA projects and getting stories and shooting films to send back to share the vision and the needs and the joys of service to the King of Kings.

This is like a dream for me, because I get to live overseas and use the talent God has given me for the furtherance of His work. I’m hoping to launch the second week of February.

Please join me in praying that God will provide the equipment and funds needed for this project to go forward.

If the Lord impresses you to help, click here.