Called
Called
For those that do not know, Brad Jenkins and his family will move to the orphanage in 2 weeks. Brad has been here for the last 2 weeks, to prepare for his family’s arrival. Brad and Brooke have 3 children, ages 5-9. Two boys and a girl. They came down here for the first time last summer with a team, then stayed on for a few weeks. They have since returned many times.
They will be part of Globeworks International. Pastor Joel had the vision for the orphanage, and has overseen it until they could get someone down here fulltime to live here. At first it was thought empty nesters, or a young couple without children, would be what God provided. But as Dale Cutlip and Brad talked, Brad and Brooke felt the call. They prayed and sought the Lord. I know Brad can share more, as this is what he shared with me on the way to the baseball stadium. Imagine moving your family to a third world country, out of the comfort and control of Birmingham. No Publix or WalMart (well at least LaSerina is here). Heat and mosquitoes, although the last couple of days were not hot at all and God covered us with mosquito spray so only a few were bitten. . Using bottled water to brush your teeth. No Diet Sunkist or Cheddar Chex Mix. That is selfishly where my heart goes. To worship at the idols of comfort, convenience, selfishness, stuff. Distracted from loving the Lord more fully by all the stuff that I do to control our lives, providing an orchestrated and managed life. There is nothing wrong with providing for our family, celebrating what God has given. But what I see in my heart is the worship of it, making sacrafices for it, seeing it as a false savior. Such as …. If our kids have good grades and get into a good college, and have a good job,then everything will be OK. There is nothing wrong with equipping our children with education. It is a gift. But I distort that gift and worship it as an idol. As if that will save them, from what I do not know. God has really shown my heart my idolatry, placing other things before Him.
For those that do not know, Brad Jenkins and his family will move to the orphanage in 2 weeks. Brad has been here for the last 2 weeks, to prepare for his family’s arrival. Brad and Brooke have 3 children, ages 5-9. Two boys and a girl. They came down here for the first time last summer with a team, then stayed on for a few weeks. They have since returned many times.
They will be part of Globeworks International. Pastor Joel had the vision for the orphanage, and has overseen it until they could get someone down here fulltime to live here. At first it was thought empty nesters, or a young couple without children, would be what God provided. But as Dale Cutlip and Brad talked, Brad and Brooke felt the call. They prayed and sought the Lord. I know Brad can share more, as this is what he shared with me on the way to the baseball stadium. Imagine moving your family to a third world country, out of the comfort and control of Birmingham. No Publix or WalMart (well at least LaSerina is here). Heat and mosquitoes, although the last couple of days were not hot at all and God covered us with mosquito spray so only a few were bitten. . Using bottled water to brush your teeth. No Diet Sunkist or Cheddar Chex Mix. That is selfishly where my heart goes. To worship at the idols of comfort, convenience, selfishness, stuff. Distracted from loving the Lord more fully by all the stuff that I do to control our lives, providing an orchestrated and managed life. There is nothing wrong with providing for our family, celebrating what God has given. But what I see in my heart is the worship of it, making sacrafices for it, seeing it as a false savior. Such as …. If our kids have good grades and get into a good college, and have a good job,then everything will be OK. There is nothing wrong with equipping our children with education. It is a gift. But I distort that gift and worship it as an idol. As if that will save them, from what I do not know. God has really shown my heart my idolatry, placing other things before Him.
But Brad and Brooke have earnestly sought the Lord and will arrive in 2 weeks as a family. After being here a week, I can see why they are here. What a joy to raise your family here. I almost feel our kids would be safer here from certain things. From the holy huddle, from the soul slumber of excessive overindulgence, from the isolation of our big yards and fences and ginormous homes. Every day as we leave the neighborhood, it is crawling with life ( an dnaked babay!) . People everywhere. They sit out on the porch as it is too bloomin hot to sit inside. They talk. When your neighbors awaken, so do you. There is a sense of community that is not present in our communities. Brad knew most of the children that came, and he has not spent but weeks here. But they have been called here to serve the Lord. I can understand the intial anxiety, but cannot imagine that you could respond in disobedience when the Lord sends you somewhere. There are no words to express how much each of us wanted to stay. So Brad, we look forward to visiting your family!
Here is the response of my own 13-yr-old daughter, that she could live there, that she can’t wait to go back. That she can’t wait to take Spanish this year so she can talk to everyone unimpeded. Look at Brad’s pictures, and you will see the same thing in his kids, in his wife Brooke. The joy of communing with the saints can never be replaced by my calculated efforts and planning. I am sure that people may have thought it would be crazy to move your family there, but God has called people to do crazier things. Think of Abraham. “So, Abram, where ya goin?” “Well, gonna stop when IAM tells me to. Don’t really know.” I bet his neighbors thought he was loco!
Pray for Brad and Brooke and their children as they become part of a church home. As they plant a Bible-believing church at the orphanage, that God will raise up leaders from the community to disciple the saints there. That godly young men will pursue Him. As they adjust to life here. As they deepen relationships they have formed. That the girls’ orphanage will be built soon. That more will be called there to serve. I am envious that they will live there. I know AM is. I have no question of the wisdom of their family going. Nor do 31 others!
I can't stop myself here so bear with me. I cannot tell you how Brad ministered to our entire team. Seeing him with the kids, yours and theirs, he is so natural. You can see the Holy Spirit in him living these children. This trip came about because Tricia learned about the orphanage, and Brad's family moving there. Antone who knows Tricia knows her heart, her burden for orphans, and her gifts that the Lord has equipped her with. She, like Brad, is a utility player. If we lived there, we call her Pastor Tricia because of the heart the Lord has given her. This is not to glorify her but Jesus. It had been a prayer of the youth leaders and the Session to take the youth on a mission trip. She told me about it several months and I knew AM and I were in as I had been praying about that specifically for a while. I know others have their story. So God worked all these specific stories out for each person who went, and it started with Brad's family. I am so thankful that the Lord kept the vision so squarely in front of Brad and Brooke, that they earnestly sought His ways, that Brad obeyed and was there with us. That Brad and Harry arranged each of the translators for us. As Harry would say, we each are specifically placed here for God, this day, this place. We each have something to teach him (how humbling!). I am so thankful the Spirit was not quenched by the doubts I am sure Brad and Brooke felt in the decision-making and praying, the temptation to remain here in comfort and predictability. Who wouldn't? Thank you Lord!!!!
(The top photo is Brad and Tricia overlooking the city. You can see the burden for the city in Tricia's eyes)
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