Why did you choose to serve in Appalachia/East Tennessee?

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At 7am, Lily is ready to go drive her car around the block with daddy.

Dear Friends and Prayer Warriors,

The answer to why did we chose Appalachia/East Tennessee is more of a story about how the Lord brought us here than a simple choice.  We love the mountains.  We always have.  We talked about living here someday even when we were dating.  However, it wasn't where we though we'd go straight out of seminary.  This is our story.

We met in Russia in 2004.  On the day we met, I, Daniel, had flown to Moscow to meet with Adam Richardson, the field director for Denton Bible Missions (Serve) Russia.  I had been serving in Russia with Campus Crusade for Christ for two years, and was about 2 months from completing my term.  Adam and I talked about my passion for training pastors and church leaders, my language progress and adaption to the Russian culture, and my desire to possibly return to Russia with Serve.  Adam was very encouraging, and my path started moving towards returning to Russia.

About 2 months after we first met, a friend captured this picture of us at Victory Park in Saratov, Russia.  The park sits high on a hilltop and from there, you can see most of the city.

A few hours later, I met the short-term mission team that was coming to serve with my STINT team in Saratov for the summer at the train station.  A beautiful young lady walked up to me and said, "I'm Meredith.  I know your brother.  Can you find me a pack-et (plastic tote bag)?"  A few months later we started dating.  Three years later, on May 19, 2007, we were married.  At that point, the desire to go back to Russia had not changed, the Lord just slowed us down long enough to bring us together.

Our wedding was one of the most joyful and memorable days in our lives!

In April of 2008, just before our first anniversary, we flew to Moscow together to meet with Adam and his wife Heather to talk about joining their team.  Their pastor and church leader training ministry had matured quite a bit in four years, but they were still excited about staying in Russia.  I was in my first semester of seminary, and hoping to graduate in May 2010.

In 2008, we made it back to Russia as a married couple on a vision trip.

 In October 2009 we flew out to Texas to meet with the mission's staff at Denton Bible and seek the approval of the elders to begin raising support to join the Richardsons in Moscow after my graduation.  We were approved, and in January 2010 we started the support raising process.
 
In April 2010, Adam called me from Moscow and indicated that he and Heather were considering leaving Russia after being there since the mid '90s.  The pastor training ministry that Adam had set out to launch was not only thriving but moving towards self-sufficiency with a group of Russian nationals leading the way.  So, the Lord might be closing the door for us to go to Russia.

Praise the Lord for seminary.  I was glad to be done!

In May 2010, just before my seminary graduation, we drove to Greeneville, TN to meet with Mike Scheer and Tim Ford, Denton Bible missions' staff who were here to visit Charlie and Earlene.  Mike and Tim (and Charlie) encouraged us to consider East Tennessee as another option if the Lord closed the door for Russia. 

In June 2010, Adam let us know that they felt like their time in Russia was coming to a close in another year or so.  With a successful transition to Russian leadership in the pastor training ministry, it would, for them, mean mission accomplished.  For us, it meant the Lord definitely closed the door for us to go to Russia.
Meredith and I talked about joining one of the other overseas Serve teams, either in France or Austria, but after a month of praying about it, we decided East Tennessee is where the Lord was calling us, for all the reasons outlined in our previous blog posts.

Meredith, ever the overachiever, also graduated from SEBTS with a diploma in Women's Ministry.

 In July 2010, we started raising support to move to East Tennessee/Appalachia.

On August 23, 2010, our precious Lily was born. 

Proud parents of a beautiful baby girl!

On June 10, 2011, our little family packed its bags and moved west to settle here in the mountains of East Tennessee.  At the same time, Adam and Heather relocated from Moscow to Cambridge, England, to pursue the Lord's calling in the next phase of their lives.  Meredith and I have had quite a journey these last 8 years.  We've often been reminded that the lamp the Lord uses to light our path only gives us enough light for today, so for tomorrow we just have to trust him.  He has always been faithful, and it's a joy to serve him here in East Tennessee.

Our first home on the mission field!

Things you can be praying for this week.

1.  Please pray for the mission team coming in from Denton, Texas to serve alongside of us for the next week.  There's a total of 33 men, women, and children coming to do a number of renovation projects on our Storehouse, as well as ministering in the community.  Please pray that the Lord will use this trip mightily in the lives of our community, as well as in the lives of those participating.  Also please pray for traveling mercies and all the little things that need to come together for this trip to be a blessing to everyone involved.

2. Please pray for the U-Turn for Christ ministry here in town.  They serve a real need in our community, and they've had quite an unfortunate shakeup in their leadership in recent weeks.  I've had the privilege of teaching the men a couple of times this week, and it was great.  Some of the men serve as volunteers in our ministry almost every week, and I think the Lord may be moving us to serve them in a more regular and tangible way.  Please pray for wisdom and discernment about what that should look like. 

What are the Joys and Benefits of Raising Your Own Financial Support?

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                                     Pardon the singing.  Lily's super cute when she dances.

Dear Friends and Prayer Warriors,

This week I felt the need to follow up last week's post about the biblical foundations for support raising with a post explaining the joys and benefits of living as a faith-based missionary who raises their support.  For a lot of people, including some missionaries, support raising is a daunting and difficult task.  Why would anyone ever choose this lifestyle?  Here are few thoughts on that...


The Lord Calls You.  In one sense, when the Lord calls you to a particular ministry, you have two choices, go or don't go (ie. obey or disobey).   Sometimes the Lord's call involves raising the financial support to be able to do the work.  It's simply a matter of obedience.

The Lord Provides.  People don't call this lifestyle "faith-based" missions for nothing.  It has taken every fiber of our redeemed selves to trust the Lord to provide for all of our needs.  For us, raising support is a humbling, stretching, and often uncomfortable way that the Lord chooses to demonstrate his faithfulness to provide for the needs of his servants.

Awe for our Maker.  Since we began the process of raising support two years ago, the Lord has continually amazed us at His glorious provision.  When our efforts in a particular direction generated no new funds or partners, He has literally raised up partners we didn't seek, led partners to increase their gifts without our asking, and met every financial shortfall with incredible provision.  I won't kid you and say it's easy to trust the Lord, but it's been a sanctifying time in our lives as we watch Him meet our every need.

Incredible Partners.  We've been blessed with an amazing group of partners who give so faithfully it's incredible.  But it's not just that our partners give, we're blessed to have an incredible prayer chain that lifts us and our ministry up before the Lord on a regular basis.  The Lord is the one doing all the ministry work, and it is the prayers of our partners alongside us that moves His hand of favor and enables us to bless others.

New Friends.  Through the support raising process the Lord has given us many opportunities to meet incredible people that love Jesus who we otherwise would not have met.  It's a joy to be a part of the lives of so many godly men and women.

Being a Blessing.  A big part of the responsibility the Lord has given us is to be a blessing to those who bless us.  We work hard to make sure that our ministry isn't just in East Tennessee, but that everyone who is praying and giving and visiting here is being encouraged in their walk with the Lord.  We want our partners to be growing in their relationships with Jesus and know that their lives are making a difference for the kingdom.

So the next time you wonder why anyone would choose to raise their own financial support, know that it's got far more upsides than downsides!  Again, to all of you who give so faithfully to enable us to fulfill the Lord's call in our lives, THANK YOU!

Things you can be praying for this week.

1.  Meredith and I celebrated 5 years of marriage on Saturday.  You can join us in praising the Lord for an incredible 5 years and praying He'll allow us another 50!

2.  We're continuing to plan for the group from Denton Bible that arrives 5/31, so please pray all will go smoothly as we prepare.

3.  Charlie and I have been asked to fill in a number of the teaching times at U-Turn for Christ, a local substance abuse rehab ministry, over the next 3 weeks while their pastor is out of town.  Please be praying for our time as we pour into a group of men and women who've walked a path quite different from our own, but are now seeking the Lord and living for Him.

4.  Praise the Lord Lily's rash is gone, and she appears to be completely recovered!

5.  If you would, please remember the family of Jacob Spain.  Jacob was a young man in the youth group at Central Baptist Church, and I taught his Sunday school class before moving here.  He passed away suddenly yesterday from a brain aneurism at age 16.  Our heart goes out to his family, as well as all of the other members of the youth group who were his close friends.

I have mommy's eyes.  And I like crackers!

We're still not sure what she reacted too, but the rash you see on her cheeks finally subsided.

Isn't she precious?

"I put the sand in the bucket."

I love my hat.

Hugs for mommy at bedtime!

She really wasn't sure about the pool at first.

But she warmed up to it pretty quickly.

She love to slide down!

Having a great time!

She was giving the giraffe kisses and spotted the camera.

Kisses!

Lily likes to grab daddy's hands and dance at random moments.  This was Sunday after church.

Should Missionaries Raise Their Own Financial Support?

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Dear Friends and Prayer Warriors,

Few things get people as riled up as conversations about money, which is probably why so many pastors are hesitant to preach on the subject.  However, Jesus taught often about money, so it we shouldn't shy away from it.

When it comes to missionaries in particular, many people ask the question "Should missionaries raise their own financial support?" 

First, the pragmatic answer.  To my knowledge, only the Southern Baptist's International Mission Board (IMB) funds its missionaries 100%, using funds given through the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.  Almost all other missionaries from the United States, including those serving with the North American Mission Board (NAMB), raise part or all of their own financial support.  So, practically speaking, nearly all missionaries already raise their own financial support to follow the call of King Jesus on their lives.  If they didn't raise support, they wouldn't be able to serve where the Lord has called them.

As a general rule, I avoid pragmatism for its own sake, so for a more thorough answer, let's consider the Scripture. 

Consider first the example of Jesus.  During the entirety of his three year earthly ministry, he was homeless and employed solely in the Father's business.  He depended entirely on the hospitality of his followers.  Consider Luke 8:1-3,

"Soon afterwards, He began going around from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God. The twelve were with Him, ² and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, ³ and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means."

Note that not only Jesus, but his disciples also were being financially supported by the private means of Jesus' followers.  Later, Jesus sent out his disciples with these instructions in Luke 10:4-7. 

 "⁴ Carry no money belt, no bag, no shoes; and greet no one on the way. ⁵ Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’ ⁶ If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. ⁷ Stay in that house, eating and drinking what they give you; for the laborer is worthy of his wages."

On more than one occasion Jesus taught that the laborer is worthy of his wages, and it's clear that the laborer specifically being referred to is the gospel messenger/vocational minister/missionary.

If the example and teaching of Jesus aren't sufficient, consider the example and teaching of the apostle Paul.  Though Paul was for a time a "tentmaker" who had a secular job while ministering in Corinth, it was not his preferred method of ministry, and he only did it because he wanted to avoid being and glimmer of a hindrance to the gospel to the corrupt Corinthian church.  In fact, when he wrote his first letter back to them, he gave possibly the clearest teaching in Scripture on supporting those in ministry.

9 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?... 4 Do we not have a right to eat and drink? ⁵ Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife... ⁶ Or do only Barnabas and I not have a right to refrain from working? ⁷ Who at any time serves as a soldier at his own expense? ... Or does not the Law also say these things? ⁹ For it is written in the Law of Moses, “ You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing.” God is not concerned about oxen, is He? ¹⁰ Or is He speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, for our sake it was written, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the crops. ¹¹  If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? ¹² If others share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ. ¹³  Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share from the altar? ¹⁴ So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel.
¹⁵ But I have used none of these things..."


There is tremendous biblical precedence for ministers of the gospel being supported financially by the body of Christ.  The most obvious form of this is churches paying their pastor's salary.  But the kingdom of God has far more full-time workers than just pastors.  The apostle Paul was never a pastor in a conventional sense.  He was an evangelist, a church planter, and most of his later ministry focused on strengthening the existing churches.  Though churches certainly supported Paul, both Jesus and Paul were supported by individuals whom the Lord raised up to supply their needs. 

Our ministry in that sense is very much in the tradition of the Apostle Paul.  We strive every day to strengthen the churches, helping local churches be the Church.  And the Lord raises up churches and individuals who give financially to make our ministry possible.  To all of you who give to make this ministry possible, we are sincerely thankful.  You enable us to fulfill the Lord's call on our lives on a daily basis.  We couldn't be here without you.

Things you can be praying for this week.
1.  Praise the Lord we all made it safely back to TN this week.
2.  Lily is definitely feeling better since last week.  She's all smiles a joy to be around.  But she's still got a lingering very fine rash that we think might be an allergy to something.  Please pray we'll be able to discern what it is quickly.
3.  Please pray for guidance as we prep and plan for summer trips.  Summer is right around the corner, and our first group will be here in just a couple of weeks. 

Lily helping out at our first Thursday food distribution.  She entertains our guests while they wait to be served!

Walking with Mema and Papa.

Looking super cute in my new playhouse at Mema's.

She's already a mommy taking her baby for a ride in the wagon.

I love my mommy!

Playing dress up with my friend Anabelle!

Mother's Day 2012.

Riding the choo-choo train at Pullen Park.

Having a great time riding with mommy!

I love to ride the horsey!

With the grandparents at Pullen Park.

She rode the carousel all by herself!

How are Serve and Mountain Vision Ministries related?

Hi Friends and Prayer Warriors,

I apologize for not having any photos this week.  We're on the road, and I left the camera cord at home.  I promise pictures next week.

Sometimes the fact that our ministry has two names causes confusion, and I get asked "How are DBC/Serve and Mountain Vision Ministries related?"

Charlie and Earlene Cornett and Meredith and I are all on staff with DBC/Serve, who handles all the monies that are given to enable us to minister in East Tennessee.  DBC/Serve also provides guidance and strategic support.

Mountain Vision Ministries is the local expression of our ministry in East Tennessee.  In order to be 100% compliant with all the government's requirements, particularly tax requirements, Mountain Vision is locally a ministry of Calvary Chapel Greeneville, whose 501(c)(3) extends over us. 

Translation: when someone wants to make a tax-deductible donation of furniture or anything else to our ministry in East Tennessee, it is donated to a local, as opposed to foreign, non-profit 501(c)(3).


It also helps to have a local ministry name that people, pastors, and churches in the community recognize as folks who are here to help and to serve.

In Ministry news,

I (Daniel) had the privilege of worshiping with Mount Moriah Baptist Church in Garner, NC on Sunday morning.  It was a joy to get to see some old friends and to hear pastor Michael Tolar preach a powerful sermon on marriage.  Sunday evening, I had the privilege of worshiping with Grace Church in Greenville, NC where I grew up.  It's always good to be home, and it was great to visit with Pastor Mike Meshaw and hear a convicting message on prayer.

Meredith and Lily are here of course, but Lily's been sick the whole trip so far.  We took her to the doctor this morning and found out she's got an ear infection and some type of viral rash.  Please pray she's able to get some rest, since the doctor told us the rash is probably going to get worse for a few more days before it starts getting better.

I'll be meeting with a couple of pastors of partner churches Tuesday and Wednesday before heading home to East Tennessee.  Meredith and Lily were planning to stay a bit longer, but we re-evaluate that based on Lily's health.  Please pray that the remainder of our time in NC is fruitful.

Thanks for all your prayers and support.
Daniel, Meredith, and Lily