Learning To Be The Light - Maria

Even as we plan our trip i'm not specifically sure what my activities will be in Kenya. I'm sure each person in my family has different expectations.  I am excited for the possibilities but there are some things that I would especially love to experience. I'd love to help Sheila Cassell cook Kenyan food! I want to meet and play with children. I would even love to just sit and listen to peoples' stories! No matter what, my ultimate desire is that Christ's light and joy shines through me! I want His presence to be evident in me!


I am reminded of a song by the group newworldson called Learning To Be The Light.  The song is about meeting God, discovering a brighter world with Christ, and wanting to share it with others. Recently this song has been an inspiration and encouragement to me!
In the chorus the lyrics say:

It's so much brighter living in your world

Savior what you did for me

You gave me something I want everyone to see

When we stumble and it all goes wrong

Only you can make it right

So I say

I'm learning to be the light

If you would like to hear the whole song click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqscBWjjic4)

I am constantly learning to be a reflection of the light of Christ. This is really what the Christian life is all about! Although I don't have to travel across the ocean to be a witness of Jesus, our time in Kenya is a unique opportunity, a time to step out of our comfort zone and to gain a new perspective on how to shine the light in a dark world!

Prayer Request:
That we will continue to learn and desire to show Christ's light in our lives!

Focusing on Grace - Mark

Wow, what a day.  Yesterday we picked up Jesse and headed to Connecticut to see the play, Amazing Grace, the Musical.  Jesse got to know the creator of the musical four years ago, and we have been following its progress.  This production is the first full-fledged play version, and we were truly blessed.

As I reflect on the play and our trip to Kenya, of course the central theme of grace comes to mind.  God's grace freely given to all of us who didn't deserve it.  His grace that can lead us home!  Of course, we believe it is leading us to Kenya.  So here we are planning to go to Africa, and we see a play that is all about a man who was bringing slaves from Africa to England and beyond.  Just as the play portrayed the Africans ultimately teaching Newton about what God intended for his life, so we believe he will use Kenyans to expand our horizons about how broad and wide and deep His grace is.

So our focus is His grace.  We must always remember in any endeavor that we enter into that it is only by His grace that we can hope to succeed.  He makes all things possible!  Praise the Lord!

Prayer Request:  That we grow in our ability to extend God's grace to others in our lives.

The Adventure Starts Now! - Maria

Hi! This is Maria here! I thought maybe I should post something since our whole family will be going to Kenya, not just my dad! 
Initially I thought I wouldn't write anything until the trip drew nearer. Right now it seems a little far away, but I realized that the adventure doesn't start when we land in Kenya, or even when we first board the plane. It starts now!  For any plan or event preparation is probably most important. In this situation I don't mean getting our passports or packing, although that is necessary, I mean heart preparation. This, I believe is essential.  


In 1 Corinthians13, Paul wrote, "...if I have faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I posses to the poor and surrender my body to the flames but have not love, I gain nothing."  
I can go on this trip and do good things, but if I don't have the right motives, if i'm not in tune with what God wants to teach me and how he wants to use me, I'm hindering my impact on others and my own growth.

My adventure starts now! I know God will work in and through me once I'm in Kenya, but He doesn't want me to wait till then, God wants to teach and use me now in the preparation stage.  

For me, this adventure is quite an experience because it will be my first time in another country! More than that though, I'm sure my eyes will be opened, I'll realize things I take for granted and I may be challenged emotionally and physically.  I pray that I will have a willing and open heart for God to do his beautiful work!

Prayer Request:
That I will have a willing and open heart starting now, and that I allow God to prepare me for Kenya.

Taking Baby Steps - Mark

As I shared in my previous post, I ran the Pgh. Marathon on May 6th.  I decided to take two weeks off from training and relax.  Wow!  It is amazing how quickly your body loses its fitness.  I went out this week to start to do some light running, and it seemed so difficult.  I heard the voices...."Take some more time for yourself.  You deserve it." 

".....Throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance..."
You can't give into that voice.  Maybe you want to lose 30 pounds.  Maybe you want to reduce your television viewing.  Maybe you have a big project around the house staring you in the face.  Maybe you've been saying you'll become more regular with your quiet time.  However, you hear the voice...."Take some more time for yourself.  You deserve it."

I take baby steps.  I start small to get to big results.  That first day out the door this week I ran two miles.  That should be nothing when you are used to hitting 50-55 miles in a week while training for the marathon.  But like I said, it seemed particularly difficult.  I didn't dwell on the fact that it felt hard.  I focused on the fact that I did it.  I draw on my experience, and I know that in three or four weeks I'll be back to 6-8 mile runs.  So in small increments I increase my level of training.  We can do the same with those areas staring us in the face that I mentioned above.  Remember, the Saints are cheering for you.

I imagine in Kenya that life is difficult.  Pastor Glaze, who is my Pastor, went to Kenya and spent time with the Cassell family a few years ago, and he shares that it was an eye opening experience being in the bush without any of the amenities that he is used to having here in the United States.  Getting drinking water, taking a shower, food preparation without refridgeration are all a challenge, and I'm sure I'll have my eyes opened too.  I imagine that I'll be shocked at how much I've taken for granted living in a developed country.

Pastor Glaze also shared that the believers in Kenya had a great joy, and thankful hearts, and that their fellowship with him lifted his spirit and deepened his faith.  I look forward to that becoming true for myself.  Didn't I say it kind of seems selfish to want to go?  I guess I need to see it as a launching pad.  I suppose if I kept all the lessons I learn there to myself, then it would be selfish.  I have to come home, ready to share and ready to serve with a renewed passion.

It's that way with my running too.  As I embark on getting ready for the Harrisburg Marathon, I have to recapture the passion.  I have to refocus myslef on the goal.   After I ran my first marathon in 2000 I set a goal to qualify for the Boston Marathon.  It is the only marathon in the world that you have to run a qualifying time to be able to enter it.  In my age group (55-59) I would have to run 3:44:59 to get a qualifying time.  The fastest marathon I have run is around 3 hours and 55 minutes, and that was eight years ago.  I haven't given up, but it does seem as though it is slipping away.  But today I met a fellow runner.  Her first name is Claudia. I have known her for several years now.  About three years ago she went through a two-year period where she fought one injury after another, and it was difficult for her to press on.  Well, she shared that she kicked it in Pittsburgh and ran a 4 hour marathon.  I believe she is my age or even a little older.  She doesn't look it though.  The Lord used it to encourage me.  Don't lose heart.  Refocus and rededicate yourself, and I suppose that is true for my spiritual walk as well.  I know the "race marked out" for me is to be an "Ambassador of Reconciliation."  (2 Corinthians 5:18-21)  I must keep my eyes "fixed on Jesus" and allow him to lead me, but more about that in my next post.

So if you are thinking about joining with us financially, I put in 8 miles this week.   That's only 8 cents, but I will build on that.  There will be 50 mile weeks to come.  Each week I'll update my total miles trained.  By the way, I walk 40-50 miles a week as well, but we aren't counting those miles.

Prayer Request:  That I will be passionate in my training for the marathon in my ministry of reconciliation, and that our family will grow closer together as we continue down this path toward Kenya.

Run with Perseverance! - Mark

So you've been invited to join us on this journey to Kenya.  You might be asking yourself, "So what are their goals?  What do they hope to accomplish?"  Those are great questions.  I (Mark) think we each have a little different take on how we would answer that question.  For myself, I realize that going on a mission trip to Kenya will benefit me more than my gift of service will benefit the Kenyans. In fact, I kind of feel selfish going on this mission trip.  However, I also know that by going God will change me.  He will help me to see things spiritually as a result of looking at life through the Kenyan perspective.  I'm particularly looking forward to experiencing Kenyan believers and learning how they relate to Jesus.  I also hope to meet a few Kenyan runners and learning some tips on training from them.

That brings me to the connection between my physical training to run a marathon and the spiritual training we must all go through to become strong in Christ.  I will start with Hebrews 12:1.  "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

Wow, all those Saints from Hebrews 11 are cheering us on.  Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, and Elijah are telling me, "Go, Mark, you can do it.  You can serve.  You can witness.  You can love.  You can suffer....."

Wait a second.  I don't know about that suffering thing.  I'll have to think about that.

It brings to mind how I felt at about mile 18 in the Pittsburgh Marathon on May 6th.  I was gassed.  I was running at a pace that would result in my slowest marathon.  While my physical suffering was nothing compared to the suffering mentioned in Hebrews 11, it was still testing me physically.  The temperature had gotten up to about 80 degrees, and the bright sun seemed to make it even hotter.  However, God's Spirit was with me, and I decided it was time to have fun; cheer the crowd that was cheering me.  Slap the little kids' hands that were waiting on the side of the road.  Run through every sprinkler being offered by folks in the Highland Park neighborhood.  Changing my focus from myself to others created within me a great joy, and while I still finished at a slow pace, I felt a great sense of fulfillment as I met my family at the finish line.

So now I have to look carefully at how I can improve for the Harrisburg Marathon in November.  What do I need to "throw off"?  How can I persevere in my training to run a more excellent race?  Also, I need to look more carefully at what I need to throw off to grow closer to Jesus and see my spiritual muscles increase as well.  In my next post I will be sharing a little more about that.

Prayer Request:  That I may show the love that Christ has poured into my heart with everyone who comes into my life throughout the day, particularly to those that are grouchy and demanding.

Come With Us to Kenya (1st post) - Mark

We are excited to have you join us in this journey of faith to Kenya that we believe God is leading us to enter into.  Several years ago God gave our family a vision to go to Kenya.  I (Mark) have to admit that I was the last one to join the "race.".  I guess I was a little to comfortable with the familiar.  At any rate, God has gotten hold of my heart too, and now the four of us, including Cynthia, Maria and Jesse, are set to go to Kenya for almost three weeks from the end of December, 2012 into January of 2013.

We believe the actual trip to Kenya will be the culmination of a larger experience of exercising our faith as we live through the next 30 weeks of preparation.  We hope the sharing of our thoughts will inspire and encourage you in your own faith walk with Jesus. 

We've created this blog:
~ So you can see into our hearts (our struggles, hopes, questions, etc.) as God prepares us for this great      adventure.
~ So that you know how to pray for us.  Our prayer requests will be listed at the bottom of each post!
~ So we can share the the ministry story of the Cassell family, who will be our host in Kenya.
~ So we can share pictures and stories to keep you updated during our Kenyan experience.
~ So we can invite you to prayerfully consider partnering with us by providing a financial gift.

The running theme is something God poured into my heart through my experience with running marathons and learning life lessons that connect the physical with the spiritual.  We need to raise money for the trip and for a special project, still to be chosen.  I will be training for my 13th marathon in Harrisburg in November, and would like to challenge you to consider donating a penny (or more) for every mile that I train.  I will be regularly posting my miles each week.  I anticipate they will total around 1,000 miles over the next 24 weeks.  One penny x 1,000 miles = a $10 donation!  We will be giving details in future posts on how you can make a tax-deductible donation through Bethany Baptist Church.

Upon our arrival, we will be hosted by Aundrae and Sheila Cassell, who are missionaries with Ambassadors Fellowship Kenya.  Aundrae was a member of Bethany Baptist Church, which is our home church, and went to Kenya in response to God's call on his life approximately 20 years ago.  He met Sheila there, they married, and now have eight children.  We will be sharing more about their story in future posts.

So look for my training posts once a week.  Cynthia, Maria and Jesse will also be occasionally sharing some of their thoughts over the coming weeks.  Please don't hesitate to contact us and let us know your thoughts!

Prayer Request:
That we will be able to throw off everything that might hinder us and run the race for Kenya with perseverance!