God-incidences!

Let me describe to you some "coincidences" (which I personally don't believe in, as Pastor Ralph from New York would say, God-incidences) that have occurred over the past few weeks. It could go back years to when we were invited to Desert Breeze Community Church.

That same friend who invited us to church, let's call him Joe (ok that's really his name!) recently introduced us to his friend Gary. When Joe met Gary and his wife, Terry, she was being treated for cancer and they had purchased a home in Phoenix to live while she was getting treatment. Without getting into any details, Gary and Terry prayerfully decided to move back to Tennessee with hospice. They talked about using the home in Phoenix for cancer patients to stay at while undergoing treatment. Sadly Terry passed away about 7 1/2 months ago. Recently Gary has offered the home to a couple of ministries, but none of them have been lead to accept his offer. He was contemplating selling the home but felt the Lord was telling him to wait...

Now move back a couple of months and our daughter, Tarrin, was introduced to Pastor Zook from Morningside Evangelical Presbyterian Church. They had a brief lunch meeting and parted company. A few days ago Tarrin received an email from Pastor Zook asking for help. A woman (who is a cancer survivor) was walking across America in support of our troops. While in Phoenix her cancer returned and she needed a place to stay while going through treatment. A church came up with emergency lodging for a few days and we contacted Gary about his home. Gary and Pastor Zook are now in touch.

All these introductions, meetings, emails may seem like coincidences but God has the entire plan under control and had it in the works long before we were aware of the needs. He put people in position to help those who need help and everyone involved had a choice - they could have said no to the prompting of the Holy Spirit but thankfully they said yes!

Blessings...

Just a short post today - we've been traveling many miles and meeting many God-loving followers of Christ. It's been a wonderful trip thus far! You can go back through past blog posts to read up on some of our adventures.

Today we are leaving from Georgia and heading towards Missouri. I'm sure we'll see some beautiful country along the way.

If you are a new reader to our blog and/or would like to become a supporter check out our website - www.SavedByGodsGrace.org. You can contact us, donate, see our photo album, sign up for the newsletter etc.

You can also become a $12/month supporter through The Change Campaign, a way to use your pocket change for change in Kenya.

"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace." Numbers 6:24-26

More new friends!

We left Gary's this morning around 10:30, a bit late but still ok for the next leg of our journey. I know I've said it before and I'll say it again, several times I'm sure, but God has introduced us to some wonderful people the past few weeks.

Thanks Gary for the great coffee and even better conversations. You were a blessing to me and your faith during difficult times has encouraged me. Your faith is not only in your words but also in the way you live. May God continue to be your strength and show Himself to you.

It was about a four hour drive to Evansville, Indiana for our next stop at Greg and Joyce Donaldson's. Joyce was very gracious and invited us for a little walk to stretch our legs - and it felt so good! Tarrin was able to get veggies and herbs right from Joyce's garden for dinner, so now she's going to try her green thumb in Phoenix again! The poor girl has a tough road with the extreme heat but I know she'll give it a try.

Joyce made a fabulous meal and we had a wonderful conversation that went into the evening. Yes I'm saying it again - God has brought such fascinating people into our lives and I am so thankful for the opportunity to meet and talk with everyone on this trip.

We are so appreciative of everyone who has opened their home for us to stay and fed us to help keep the costs of this trip to a minimum. As we are traveling telling others about the kids in Kenya their needs continue. Last week we sent funds to Gideon (Nice View Academy) for food at Mercy Child Foundation and Nice View Academy. The cost of food is still high but we are trusting God to move people to support this ministry so we can continue meeting their basic needs. If you feel led to help please go to Saved By God's Grace or The Change Campaign and donate online.

New testimonies daily!

How do you thank someone for opening up their home, giving us a bed to sleep in and feeding us? Thank you just doesn't seem enough. Gary has done that for us and also allowed us to be a part of his life for a couple of days here in Chattanooga, TN.

We've shared testimonies, histories and funny stories. Another brother in Christ has been added to the family and we only met yesterday. I believe God brought us together for a purpose. We may not know the reason now, or ever, but we trust He knows why.

Who has come into your life recently? Are you open to the Holy Spirit leading you to meet someone/invite someone over/call a friend? Do people see Jesus in you when they talk with you in the grocery store or at work? Many times we are so wrapped up in our own daily grind that we miss those opportunities to fellowship with another believer or testify to an unbeliever of what God has done is our lives today.

God has blessed us on this trip with new testimonies every day. He has led us to speak on behalf of our kids in Kenya and He is our strength in spreading the news of His saving grace. What has God done for you today?

Oh the sights you see while traveling!

Amazing sights you see as you drive across the states! This giant guitar was across the road from the Tennessee Welcome Center.

You see so much beauty that even in the car I can appreciate the awesomeness of God's creation. The majestic mountains, deep forests and sparkling waters where we can enjoy them at any time. But we are also called to be good stewards of the resources He has given us. I think that's one reason why the trash in Kenya is so upsetting.

We stopped in Hershey, PA (Tuesday) hoping for some free samples, but they don't even have free tours anymore. You have to pay to get into the amusement park (Chocolate World) then you can go on the tour :( So we just visited the gift shop at the museum and Tarrin bought a chocolate bar!

On our way to Tennessee we ran into this dragon. I thought it was appropriate since Harry Potter came out today-don't know if there are any dragons in the movie but it made me think about it.

God has been showing Himself to us on this trip in so many different ways and places - the concrete jungle, busy sidewalks, quiet forests, small stores on main street and in the people we've met.

Our children in Kenya have been on our minds constantly and we are very thankful to all who invited us into their homes to stay and to those who set up presentations. God will continue to move people so Saved By God's Grace can continue to feed/clothe/educate the kids in Kenya.

Impromptu presentation

Sunday after services we had dinner with (from left) Shay, me, Chuck, Tarrin, Pastor's Ralph, Dawn and Jesus and Mark. Minister Guno was also with us but he had to leave early. It was a great time of fellowship and it gave us a chance to say goodbye. Mark and Shay left early Monday morning to return to their homes.

That evening Tarrin went out with her new friend Carmin. So this picture is Tarrin parallel parking in Times Square! She was pretty proud of herself.

Monday after going over our schedule for travel we decided to leave New York on Tuesday morning. That left us with an open evening Monday, so Pastor Ralph called a few friends from the church to set up a presentation.

We met at Iris' apartment (thanks Iris you have a great apartment and you are a wonderful hostess!) and had some food beforehand. Lots of questions and interest and I loved spending our last night here with good friends.

Leaving Tuesday morning was not easy - God brought such beautiful, wonderful, gifted people into our lives this week and I feel so blessed. We've had great conversations, opportunities to share our lives and get to know one another. We didn't say goodbye, but see you later. Pastor Ralph - fuhget about it - I'll miss hearing that!

Agape picnic and baptism

Agape had their annual church picnic/baptism today at Heckscher State Park. Food was everywhere and the fellowship was great. After eating we all walked down to the beach for the baptism.

Awesome to hear why people wanted to be baptised - leave their world of sin behind, be a new creation, be a new man in Jesus. During our time here we've met so many people with a strong testimony of how Jesus changed their lives. People who were verbally abusive, drug addicted, and one woman's testimony was that she was on the verge of double murder and suicide when she cried out to God and He delivered her from her addictions and changed her life forever.

Watching them come up out of the water with a joy on their faces was a blessing. They knew their lives would not be the same. They aren't told that things would be all rosy from here on out. But they are surrounded by people who love them and will guide them and teach them how to navigate the rough waters of life with Jesus in their lives.

After the baptism we got in a circle and sang worship songs - praising God for all He's done in all our lives. To end the evening Mark and Jay played the guitar while "scripture rain" came down. If you felt the Lord laying a verse on your heart you could speak it out loud. How wonderful to hear the voices of His children singing praises with the Word.

World Trade Center, outreach and Alphabet City

Yesterday we took the day and went to the World Trade Center. Here we are waiting for our subway. (from left is Sharon, Tarrin, Chuck, Mark and Pastor Ralph) Mark joined us from Minnesota and Sharon joined us from New Orleans Wednesday night - it's been great roomies!

A lot of construction at ground zero and if you hadn't seen the Twin Towers you wouldn't know anything happened there. Amazing how short our memory is but also a testament to how life goes on.

Last nights street meeting was another great event. This church, and many others in the area, are living among the people they are trying to reach with the gospel. They are such a powerful witness because they have lived with them, gone through the same struggles and are able to tell them there is hope through Jesus Christ.

Today we visited Alphabet City - lots of very talented people which you can see in the street art. We visited Abounding Grace Ministries. Great group of people who are showing the love of Jesus to those living around them.

I can't seem to say it enough, but seeing people living what they believe is such a blessing. They aren't just saying what should happen - they are going out and doing it!

Another day of walking!

A day at the Bronx Zoo makes for a long day! But Wednesday's is free admission - yeah. We thought that was a good deal until we got inside and found out you have to pay an additional $3 to see the gorillas, $3 to see the butterflies, $3 to see the tigers, $3 to see the bears...it was crazy.So we're at the zoo and not seeing any of the big attractions - but we did see giraffes (but the ones in Kenya were much more majestic since they weren't behind fences). And we saw these little guys - makes me want to watch Madagascar real soon!

Love walking around with Pastor Ramos though. We are waiting for a couple from our group to catch up and he stands to the side of the path and starts preaching! Telling people what it takes to be saved and to repent. It was awesome! Who knows what seed was planted in those few minutes of him speaking.

We have service tonight at church so no outreach tonight in the parks. I did find out that last nights "street meeting" was in a park known for gang activity. The atmosphere beforehand was very dark and oppressive, people of all ages were scattered around the park. But after the last skit (the young adults did a skit to Carmen's The Champion song) people began to gather around and listen to the gospel. There were many who came forward during the alter call and many around the park who were ministered to by the congregants. Phone numbers are taken so the church can follow up with them, get them involved in a church and let them know they aren't alone. The emphasis is always on a personal relationship with Jesus - not getting involved in a "religion".

Agape Christian Center is raising disciples in their midst to go out and preach the Good News to the nations! God is using them to reach the hopeless and defeated in their 'hood. Telling them they can have love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

You have to be a walker in NY!

Long day of walking everywhere! We started the morning out by walking to the subway to get to downtown. Love the transit system here, you can get anywhere by bus/subway/train/taxi.



Our first stop was at Energy Kitchen. The owner, Anthony, is a friend of the family and is a supporter of Saved By God's Grace. He was kind enough to carve out a few minutes from his busy schedule to meet with us and offer to help in anyway he can. He's been spreading the word about the ministry by attaching our brochures to delivery orders. Love to see how people help in their own unique ways with their gifts and talents.

After a delicious lunch at Energy Kitchen, thanks Anthony, we walked around Central Park. We did get rained on a bit but what a great place-all that green in the middle of the concrete jungle! Then it was a walk through Times Square. Lots of people rushing about their lives.

I wonder if the people walking around have a connection to anyone? Are they feeling alone? The spiritual poverty here in the US is so prevalent and I'm thankful for the outreaches of churches like Agape. They are living here and reaching out to their neighbors with the living waters of Jesus Christ.

If God isn't leading you to support Saved By God's Grace please take that first step to find an organization near you to give your time to. Reaching out and letting others know they are not alone, there is hope for them and there is a purpose for their life - that's spreading the gospel! We'll be doing more of that tonight at another street meeting in the park!

Street ministry is awesome!

These young people at Agape Christian Center blow me away! They are getting out of their comfort zones and reaching people in their neighborhood with the Good News.

Every church should have youngsters like these. Now I know we are here visiting during their evangelism week, but does your church have a week that you concentrate on reaching the people in your 'hood? Is your church's youth group mainly focused on getting together to have pizza and discuss the latest movie? Or are they learning skits, talking to neighbors, handing out tracts and guiding people in asking Jesus into their hearts?

For my friends who know me this may come as a surprise - I was asked to give the closing prayer. Yes I had to stand up in front of the crowd with a microphone and pray. The Lord is stretching me during this visit and what a rush! Thank you Father for your love and encouragement.

This gentleman got up at the beginning of the service and started dancing with his umbrella. Reminded me of Fred Astaire and Singing in the Rain! He stuck around, I actually think he sleeps in the park, but listened and enjoyed hearing the worship and praise.

New York is a place of so many different nationalities, languages and religions all living together. People were coming into the park to dance and worship God while others stood outside the fence. Lord may your peace and comfort reach all those around who are hurting and in need of your love.

What a day!!!

God is so good, God is awesome and He is so merciful to give us a glimpse of what He wants for our lives. This morning we walked to a small restaurant for breakfast with Pastor Ramos before service at the Agape Christian Center. Service starts at 11 with about an hour of praise and worship. Then they have a few minutes of announcements and today we had the honor of being here for communion. Pastor Lopez spoke on getting the church prepared to go out for street ministry. He said that we are being prepared everyday for ministry. We aren’t called to just sit at the well and continually drink and be fed, we are called to go out and make disciples of all people. He encouraged people to love one another and show them that the hope we have is a hope they can have too. “Stop being a mission field and become the missionary God has mandated!” (Pastor Lopez) No matter your circumstances, and the testimonies we have heard have been incredible, Jesus will meet you where you are.

After service he asked people to come up for prayer and Pastor Lopez spoke words over Tarrin and I. He has never met me or Tarrin but his words were spot on and it was a blessing to know that the God of the universe loves me so much that He would put that burden on Pastor’s heart to speak those words to us. It was encouragement and affirmation and focus for me. Thank you Father!!

Then around 2 (which was right after church service!) we walked to Wendy’s for lunch. I was at first a bit bummed-we’re in New York City and we are eating at Wendy’s?! Then we walked into a “railroad apartment” and met Wendy from Trinidad! She had prepared an authentic Trinidad lunch which was extremely yummy! Thanks Wendy for your hospitality and opening your home up and cooking for all of us-you are a beautiful servant of God.

That took us to about 4 when we walked a couple of blocks to where the young adults from the church set up their equipment. That’s when the music began and God’s presence was in the ‘hood, or maybe I should say borough?! The youth presented three skits to music and they were very good for their first “live” performance. I think I need to give Dondi (from DBCC) the video so the youth can see what others are doing to reach people for Christ. Chuck was asked to present the alter call and hearts were led to the Lord. Pastor Ramos asked people to come up for prayer and said “don’t be embarrassed, you aren’t embarrassed to buy drugs/alcohol/sex why should you be embarrassed to accept the free gift of salvation?” Praise God people accepted! My prayer is that those individuals will continue to seek Him and be encouraged to grow in their new life.

The people we’ve met have been from all walks of life with all sorts of backgrounds, but because of our familial tie of Jesus Christ we are one big family all serving the One who sustains us.

New York, New York

We left Michigan this morning at 2am! Chuck took a nap beforehand and I actually stayed up until around 12:30 then tried to sleep, but that was ok since I slept in the truck. I took over driving around 8am but only drove for a couple of hours, I was just really tired. Then Chuck took over driving the rest of the way. We stopped just before getting into New York at a scenic overlook – our last look at trees for about a week. Unless of course we make it into Central Park during the week.

We met Pastor Ramos and I love how when God brings people together they just get along! He is such a wonderful man of God and I am really excited to see what God has in store for all of us working together this week. We were introduced to NY by making sure to bring in all our stuff from the truck so as not to tempt anyone to break into it! So we brought everything in and got our room organized then we walked a couple of blocks to a pizza place and had a slice of pie. Ahhhh New York pizza!

Pastor Ramos gave us his testimony and I would love to have it on video. Maybe I’ll ask him to do that for me later. I love hearing testimonies and seeing how God has and continues to work in lives. Pastor kept saying “what are you guys doing here and what is God bringing us together for?” Great question and one I know God will show us as the week progresses.

Tomorrow is church service at 11 then the week begins with "street ministry". I don't have any idea what exactly that means, but God is in control and I praise His holy name for being here right here and now!

PS-Happy 4th of July. Tarrin would love to get into the crowds and see the fireworks but I think we'll just explore the neighborhood tonight.

Sparklers and VBS

Had a family cookout the other night and my kids (on the ends) got to have a bonfire and sparklers with their cousins (in the middle). Being in the Arizona dry heat we don't like anything with flames around the house!

It was a fun night with family and we are so thankful for the good times.

Then last night we had a dinner get-together with a supporter of Saved By God's Grace. Carol and her daughter have been wonderful in telling others about the kids in Kenya. Her church is having VBS and focusing on missions around the world. They will be collecting change for The Change Campaign. During the week of VBS she will be calling Chuck on speakerphone and letting the kids ask questions about being a missionary, Kenya and what ever question they come up with! They'll use a photo like this one just like they use on the news - "On the phone is Chuck McDonald..."

They'll also discuss the spiritual poverty of those living in the US. We were able to give them some insight into this with our recent trip to Skid Row.

We leave tomorrow night/Saturday morning at midnight for New York. We are scheduled to be there between noon and 4 pm on Saturday.

Thank you for all your prayers and support - I love watching God working in different people, different situations and different ways. His grace is sufficient for what ever it is He calls you to!

A place to rest our heads!

How many times have we driven pass this "artwork" and never stopped? But today was the day. Tarrin just started driving when Chuck pointed it out, so we turned around and decided to take some pictures. The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. I drove in the morning (Friday) and Tarrin drove the rest of the day. This was written while we were driving through Oklahoma, because really what else is there in Oklahoma?!



And now that I've finally gotten on the Internet at my mom's I can update the blog.

The drive was good, hard to sleep in the truck though. But last night we slept in a real bed and slept in! Felt good and also thankful for having a place to lay our heads at night.

We will be here in Midland until Friday then we are off to New York. So the blog this week will be basically updates from Midland (Chuck and my hometown).

If you know of anyone who would like to host a presentation please have them contact Chuck.

By the way, on my last post I didn't have the link for The Jonah Project but now I do. We've had people tell us they didn't want to help outside the US - this project is right here.

Homeless but not hopeless

We visited The Jonah Project. Here Patrick, Mary, Jeremiah and Sara have been blessed with over 35,000 sq. ft. of building for The Project. They are currently getting the inside ready for a church, dorm area for women and children, computer area etc. We heard story after story from them of God's faithfulness and we were able to see first hand how much they love the Lord and love working with the homeless on Skid Row. (Patrick is on the far left with the dreads!)

Then we visited Set Free Church also located on Skid Row. Pastor Ron and his wife (pictured here in the chapel) had a beautiful service. Pastor Ron is familiar with the struggles these people go through because he was once a drug-addicted, homeless person just like them.

At the beginning of service he said he wasn't feeling well and maybe he would get everyone out of there early, but then his wife sang Mercy Said No and he was then filled with the Holy Spirit and began preaching about God's goodness and mercy for all of us! He asked everyone if it was alright if he just preached on that instead of finishing the sermon from Sunday! It was an uplifting and encouraging sermon and you can tell he loves the Lord and means every word he preaches!


Set Free also has an outreach where men can come and stay to get back on their feet. This is Thomas, Tarrin met him on her last trip to Skid Row. He cooks for the outreach and does a mean spaghetti! He is so passionate about his love for Jesus and what He has done in his life. You can see the Lord shining through him every time you talk with him.

While walking around you felt a heaviness on the people. Such hurting individuals, yet with The Jonah Project and Set Free Church those individuals are being told of the truth of Jesus Christ and His hope for them. What a blessing it was for me to see the Lord working everywhere in peoples lives. He loves every single one of us and wants us to be near Him and that is the message being told on the streets of Skid Row - Praise God!

It's chilly here!

Our road trip to LA was uneventful - thank you God for a beautiful and safe trip.

Tarrin took some photos of the scenery but mostly slept all the way here. I can't really say much because so did I. Tomorrow we are planning on visiting Skid Row, Tarrin has a couple of contacts we'll be meeting and working with for the day.

When we arrived at my sister's home I got out of the truck and actually shivered! It's quite chilly here compared to over 100 degrees in Phoenix! Makes me realize that the homeless in every area has some of the same issues to contend with - heat during the day and cold at night.

Please pray for our homeless brothers and sisters that they may get involved with an organization who can help them.

The call is being made...

Ok everyone we have a better idea of our schedule for our tour of The Change Campaign and we are asking for your help.

As you can see from our Calendar of Events we will be in Los Angeles, CA June 24, 25, 26 and 27. If you or someone you know would like us to present Saved By God's Grace along with The Change Campaign please contact our Executive Director, Chuck.

We will then be in Michigan for a couple of days before heading to New York City where we will be staying from July 4th - July 12th. Again, we will be happy to speak to any size group or if you'd like to have a fundraiser while we are in the area please contact Chuck and he will be happy to work with you on arranging the schedule.

After our stay in New York we will be traveling back to Arizona with possible stops in Georgia, Oklahoma and Florida. We would love to meet some of you in our travels and answer any questions you may have about this ministry.

Please help us spread the news of The Change Campaign so we can bring change to our Kenyan kids.

A dream come true...

There was a huge agricultural show in Nairobi while we were in Kenya last year (2008). It's something that occurs every year and many schools try to attend. It reminded me of the 4H fairs I would attend when I was younger.

For many of our students at Nice View and Mercy it was literally a dream come true to attend!

Even the bus ride there was an adventure. Most of the kids had never been outside their village, let alone, seen a big city like Nairobi. So they got to walk around and learn about the agriculture of Kenya, ask questions of government officials at the "show" and of course ride some carnival like rides.

They had such a good time and before going home they all got to eat at an outside restaurant - which again was a first for many of them.

The one thing that touched me as I look through my pictures was this last one of students from Mercy sitting next to students from Nice View Academy.

One of my prayers is that the Lord will continue to provide providence and guidance for Saved By God's Grace so we will know how to move each day in helping the kids at Mercy, Nice View and Eldama Ravine.

Please consider becoming a part of "The Change Campaign". Your spare change can be multiplied by God to help these kids.

"...what is impossible with man is possible with God." (Luke 18:27)

A big thank you!

Thanks Chris and Diane for a wonderful evening. You opened your home, fed us (along with several others) and invited us to tell your friends and family about our kids in Kenya.

These opportunities are always a blessing to Chuck and I - not only for the people we meet but for their support, prayers, connections and hearing how God is working in their lives. We appreciate you telling your friends about us and directing them to the website. It always reminds me of that old shampoo commercial - you'll tell two friends and they'll tell two friends and so on and so on!

God spoke to us early on in this ministry that we just needed to tell people what we are doing and He would speak to those He wants involved. We love being the hands and feet of the gospel for our supporters.

If you have a group you would like us to bring our presentation to please contact us. We are working out details for our next "presentation tour" which begins the last week of June in Los Angeles, California. We would love to partner with you.