A Call From Bolivia

Karen called from Bolivia today and said they were tired, but arrived there safely. It was good to hear from her. May God bless them and their work to help those in need.

The Sheep and the Goats

As I pray for Anna, Celeste, Coleen, Jackie, Karen, Kristie, Nancy, Sara, Sherri, Tara, and Wendi, I think of how these women will be seen as sheep in the eyes of the Lord:
Matthew 25: 34-40 (NIV)
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
May God give them the strength and wisdom to help those in need.

Mission Day #1...The Journey

As you may know, if you've been watching for updates at the West Puget Sound Women of Purpose blog, the team is currently on the first leg of their flights to Santa Cruz, Bolivia. They left from Seattle this morning at 10:00, and will arrive in Santa Cruz tomorrow morning at 8:10, local time.

In my meditation today, I am focusing on what has become Wendi's favorite scripture. I'm so blessed by watching the joy and the life that Wendi is receiving through her growing love of the Lord. As she prepared for the trip, she came to this verse:

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.

Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

Phillipians 4:6, New Living Translation

There is much lying in wait for the team. In just the next day, there are opportunities for missed connections, lost luggage, air sickness, and certainly fatigue. And, as the mission progresses, there are many challenges and certainly there will be struggles.

Lord, I thank you for what you are doing in the life of Wendi, and in the lives of the people she will meet. I pray for the team's effectiveness. I pray that she will have open eyes and an open heart, to see the people who she meets as You do. And, I pray that these people will see You through her words and her hands. Protect the team from fatigue and illness. And protect the team from the work of the evil one. We know that you are the source of all that is good, and we thank you for World Concern and the West Puget Sound Women of Purpose as they seek to do your will.

Amen

Love and Compassion

As I review the agenda for the Women Of Purpose trip to Bolivia, I think of all the opportunities that God has placed in their paths to show love and compassion to those who are in pain. Having been married for almost 23 years, I know Karen has both love and compassion. I thank God for giving her the courage to step out and use her gifts to help those in need. May God bless these women and those He will put in their path during this trip.

So, why only Brothers?

I want to share some more of my thoughts about the idea behind the Brothers of Barnabas. Why the Brothers? Why only men?

I am a guy. Guys have certain characteristics. One of those common traits is that we like to fix things. Most of us do some sort of "fixing things" in our work, and come home ready to fix things there, too.

Several months ago, my wife told me that she was committing to follow a call to travel to Bolivia to meet women and children at risk. At first, I was surprised; for those who know her, you know she's a "five-star hotel" kind of woman! She is very concerned about schedule and organization. This clearly is going to be an adventure for her. But, she heeded the call -

Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?”
I said, “Here I am. Send me.

Isaiah 6:8

New Living Translation

And, I knew, I couldn't fix it all for her.

I couldn't be there to be sure she didn't miss her connecting flights, or get lost in the airport! I couldn't be there to see that she was safe and warm. I couldn't be there to order her food, even in my limited Spanish. I couldn't be there to encourage her.

As a guy, we get used to fixing it. She was going to have to grow in her reliance on the Lord to take care of the schedule. And I, the fix-it guy, was going to have to trust Him to take care of her.

Of course, we all know that the Lord is in control. We can all say that, and know that. But, I'm still a guy, and I still have an instinct to want to protect and fix it all.

So, the idea behind the Brothers of Barnabas was born. There are other guys staying behind as their "Women of Purpose" are traveling to a foreign land. And we can support each other, and encourage each other, and these women. Praise the Lord for the opportunity to share in the fellowship of these Brothers, and for the opportunity to grow in our reliance upon Him.

Who are the Brothers of Barnabas?

In Acts 4:36, we are introduced to a man named Joseph, but called by another name, a nickname earned by his gift, shared freely with those around him...


"...there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”).

- New Living Translation

This blog is created by and for those "men behind the women" of the West Puget Sound Chapter of Women of Purpose. - husbands, brothers, fathers, sons, friends. Women of Purpose is a ministry of World Concern, www.worldconcern.org, whose mission is to support women and children at risk.

Shortly, the women of West Puget Sound Chapter will be joining other Women of Purpose on a mission trip to Santa Cruz, Bolivia. This blog is intended to serve as a place of resource for the Brothers, those men who are staying behind, but support our Women of Purpose with prayer and encouragement. Just as Barnabas became known for his encouragement, it is my prayer that these Women of Purpose might know encouragement through our faithfulness. As we approach the time of the trip, I will be posting verses and thoughts that I hope will support you in your prayer and meditation.

If you would like to post a short article to the blog, you may request this by emailing me at DougFelts@hotmail.com.