So Close...

We have 85% of our support and giving God all the praise! 
We only started the support raising stage back in May/June 2013 and know it can only be God doing the providing. 
We have started selling our "stuff" and making plans to "bunk" with my Mom beginning in February.  Our prayer is that God will provide the remaining support soon.  Then in March step on that plane bound for Nicaragua.
Please pray for Mom as her quiet and solitude will be interrupted for a month or so when our loud family moves in.  ;)  She is being great through this whole process.  Please pray for God to prepare our hearts and minds for the big change ahead.  Please continue to pray for God to provide the remaining 15% of our support needed.  AND please help us pray for a good home for our cat, Spartan.  We never knew how attached we could become to a cat.  He thinks he is another Perry kid.  He literally walks around meowing, "Mama" sometimes. 

Much Love!
The Perry Gang

Elevation Changes

 

Raising support for our full time ministry in Nicaragua has seen a great deal of elevation change!  I love to hike, so this is my analogy.  :)  I know the trail was marked “strenuous” by many people that have blazed the path before us.  My optimistic personality was hoping we were “in shape” enough to make it a “moderate” hike though.  I should have known better.  God is working out our faith, so we can only boast in Him and not ourselves – and rightly so. 

We won’t and can’t complain about our distance in this hike!  We have around 50% of our monthly commitment pledged by many wonderful people and churches thus far.  We began this hike back in May, so we have travelled a good distance.    But my impatience can get the better of me at times!  (Let me clarify that Jeremy, thankfully, is calm and patient in this matter.  God knew I needed him to stabilize me!)  I can be like a 2 year old at times.  When we get to the difficult times of waiting on this hike I want to stamp my feet and beat my fists in the air and scream, “I’m ready to go NOW!  I want to go NOW!”  As you all might guess, after my fit I usually feel pretty silly about my display.  I’m so thankful that my Father is loving in His correction.  I’m sure He has wanted to “take a switch to me” many times. 

I wanted to share what God did for me on Saturday night.  This weekend was full of high and low elevations in my moods towards the support raising.  I’ve gotten pretty discouraged at times with the lack of response from others.  Hearing “no” from people is better than no response at all.  So…there I was happy one minute about our progress and down the next about not going farther.  Saturday night I was about to go to bed when I was checking my Facebook.  I got to a point and said, “God, should we not go?  Can we really make any difference in Nicaragua?”  I was at a low point in this hike.  Right before I turned off my computer to go to bed I checked our e-mail account.  We had one new message.  It was from the AWANA Director over Central America.  He was just emailing out of the blue to check up on us.  He wanted to tell us that he had spoken to a Pastor in Matagalpa that wants to start an AWANA club.  He said there was much to do in that area!  After reading the email I felt like doing a happy dance!  God was giving me encouragement right at the very moment I was questioning the hike.  God was reaffirming the call He has for us!     

Most that really know me know that I don’t sit still very easily, especially on a hike.  I like to keep moving towards my goal.  I want to see that beautiful waterfall at the top.  Sometimes that means I’ve been in too much of a hurry to miss the beauty of the journey there.  At the moment, I feel refreshed on this hike!  I know I will deal with more elevation changes throughout this entire hike, but I will choose to look around at the beauty that surrounds me as we walk…take in each step…each small victory.  I will feel God’s wonderful breeze blow over my face, spread my arms out wide, praise Him with every breath and with each step continue this climb.     

 

 

We Survived WCC Survivor Youth Trip!

Our second year of Survivor (church style) was another success!  We had the opportunity to join the youth again this year.  Like last year Jeremy was on the work crew.  He helped the other adult volunteers build the challenges.  (Evidently my quiet husband was also providing laughs through his witty remarks.)  Greyson and Avery were participants.  And I was able to be a tribal leader again!  I thoroughly enjoy this trip!!  We sleep on the ground with only a tarp over our heads, eat little food (unless we win a challenge and get a food reward), and compete in some awesome challenges.  These conditions can really stretch a person.    The toughest part for the teenagers was most likely being disconnected from their cell phones & computers.  :)  This disconnection would allow them to focus on the most important factor to this weekend:  God's Word.  We had morning & afternoon devotions and nightly tribal counsels.  The theme was Heroes vs. Villains.  Our study of some of the heroes and villains of the Bible brought us to an important question.  Which will we be?  It is so easy to be the villain...going along with the world.  But it is harder to be a hero and step out even when no one will follow.  I pray the 44 teenagers that attended will choose to be heroes for God!!  I pray the Perry Gang will be heroes for God.

Treasure in Jars of Clay

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us."           2 Corinthians 4:7

 

This past Sunday I had the privilege to work with our church middle school girls.  The other leaders and I wanted to pull together something special for the lovely young ladies.  Upon studying and praying, God lead me to the verse above.  We wanted the girls to feel special and beautiful - just how God created them.  BUT the most important lesson we wanted them to learn was that God gave them their beauty and talents so they could glorify HIM.  His power working through us.  We are just jars of clay...fragile easily broken and chipped...  Our true beauty and worth comes from the treasure within all those who trust and believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior.  This treasure is Jesus Christ!!  He is to shine through us.  We are to brighten up the darkened world by displaying His light and love.  Our purpose is to worship and glorify God.  Let us not waste our time on trivial things.  Let us allow the treasure within to shine so bright that no one can even recognize our jar of clay! 

The girls took pictures displaying their hobby/talent and a picture in their favorite outfit.  Through this activity we wanted to remind them to use their talents for God and their beauty is founded only in Him. 

God and Rock Wall Climbing

This afternoon, Jeremy and I went rock wall climbing (indoors).  As I replay the fun date through my mind I keep thinking of trust and teamwork.  Jeremy and I had to trust each other, communicate, and work together for this activity.  I would not have allowed him to be my "belayer" if I felt He couldn't take care of me and I know Jeremy felt the same way.  (I think he faced the biggest risk - especially when I had my giggling fits. HeHe!!)  Thankfully, we came away from this event still walking with smiles on our faces.  What a good "check-up" date for our marriage.  I know we will need all the skills we worked on today - trust, communication, and working together - for our marriage to stay strong.

But how does rock wall climbing relate to God?
God has been dealing with me in the area of trust.  I know God gave me this activity today so I could have a visual.  As I was climbing and trusting Jeremy to get me safely back down (belaying) God reminded me that I needed to do the same and even more so with Him.  God is my anchor.  He is steady and faithful.  I need to trust - completely - that He will do what He said He will do! 

I also need to continue to communicate with Him daily.  The more I am quiet and still the more He will speak.  Oh boy, do I find it hard to be quiet and still!  But when I am...OH BOY, do I learn so much from God!  There is no better place then to sit at His feet.  All the cares of this world seem so insignificant when I am seeking His presence.

Finally, I learned I need to work with God.  After trusting and communicating, I need to work together with Him.  I need to do what He has asked and planned...not what I think should be done or what I have planned.  He actually doesn't need me at all...but thankfully, He loves and wants to use me for His Glory.  He wants to use us all...  
          "...let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works
          and give glory to your Father who is in Heaven."  Matthew 5:16
     

Harvest Community Church Outreach

This past Friday was our last meeting for the summer with the Harvest Community outreach. 
The children and I thoroughly enjoyed our time working with Carolyn Harrell & her children with an outreach to a Hispanic community near their church.  While the Moms were learning "English as a Second Language" we had the opportunity to work with their children.  For about 8 Fridays this summer we had the blessing to play games, make crafts, eat a snack, and teach a Bible story to a wonderful group of children.  Their smiles and eagerness to learn really touched our hearts.

Amy, Carolyn's daughter, taught the kids' the Gospel message through helping them make a bracelet.  Mike, Carolyn's oldest son, and Greyson gave their testimonies.

           The children were great listeners and enjoyed making the bracelets.

                                     I'm going to miss these smiles!

Black is to represent our sins.  Red is to represent Jesus' blood shed to wash away our sins.  White represents us after we trust and believe in Jesus' sacrifice for us.  He has washed us white as snow.  Yellow represents Heaven.  Once we die on this earth we will then spend eternity with our Savior in Heaven!  Green represents growth.  Once we become "saved" we need to read His Word, talk with Him (prayer), and tell others about Jesus' love.

Each week the children received points for checking out books, reading them, and bringing them back.  They also received points for memorizing and saying their Bible verse to us.  At our last meeting, the children were able to spend the points at the store.  They had a great time shopping! :)

This is what it is all about!

It has been a whirlwind July and now we are in August!  What?!  I have enjoyed every minute of the ministry opportunities that God has provided for us.  I've noticed life seems so much sweeter when you are busy serving others.  Now if I could only remember that when I get caught up in my own selfishness...

 

At the end of July our church (West Cabarrus) youth had their annual "I Love Cabarrus" camp week.  During the week the youth served out in our county.  I'm so thankful for a church that encourages its church members to get outside of our building and reach out to others.  This is what "it" - the Great Commission - is all about.  Our youth were able to serve in many different capacities - cleaning, witnessing, yard work, praying at an abortion clinic, leading/working VBS, road clean up, rest homes, writing and sending cards to those in prison, etc.  This service is not only helping the people in Cabarrus county but providing a means for God's love to be shown and taught.  Also, this week is giving our youth an opportunity to grow in Christ by "doing" and not just hearing only.  They have been learning and training under Biblical teaching, but, like us all, we need to use the training.  I'm happy to say our youth were given the opportunity to use their training and they preformed well! 

 

One ministry opportunity that I was blessed to be apart of was providing a Vacation Bible School for a local Hispanic church.  They are still a fairly new church and have not had their own VBS yet...until this summer!  Our youth helped this church provide a three day VBS from 9:30 to 12:00.  By Thursday, we had 76 children in attendance!  Praise God!  Our youth provided the music, lesson, game, craft, and snack times.  It was with great joy to see them in action and even greater joy to see the children having so much fun!

Avery and her friend, Kara, lead the music and taught the fun dance motions.  I'm proud of Avery for doing something that was not in her usual area of ministry.



 

 



God provided lots of children to hear His Truth!

 

  

 

 

        Three of West Cabarrus' teenagers taught the Bible lesson each day.  One of them was Greyson.   This Mama was proud!  :)

 



 

 

One of our snack time treats.  Jesus was the perfect sacrifice that completely paid our debt on the cross. 

 

Praise God...three days later He arose!!!

 

Once we trust and believe in Jesus Christ we are then to be "Fishers of Men".

 

I so pray that the waters will be filled with "Fishers"!!