7 Ways to Make Your Marriage Awesome!

Plan right away to attend our next marriage seminar at Tomoka Christian Church on March 23 & 24. This will be a Friday evening and Saturday morning event. Our seminar leaders are Clint and Penny Bragg, members here at Tomoka who travel the country as marriage missionaries. The date is set so mark your calendars for the good of your marriage and be watching the Email Express and Bulletin for more details..

Here are some motivating marriage tips that Perry Noble, pastor at NewSpring Church in South Carolina, posted on his blog this week:

#1 – Stop Fighting IN IT and Start Fighting For It – as long as you see your spouse as the enemy your home will always be a battlefield, and EVERYONE loses when you fight with each other and not for one another.

#2 – Stop Asking God To Fix Your Spouse And Ask Him To Fix You – no one in any marriage is perfect…and when we stop pointing out all of our spouse's perceived inadequacies it really does make us a much better person to be around. (Psalm 139:23-24 is a GREAT prayer to pray when asking God to show you your very own “opportunities for improvement.”)

#3 – Ask For Help – you are NOT the first married couple that has ever struggled, you WON’T be the last. The problem is that (especially in church) we are so obsessed with what people may say or think that we will allow our relationships to implode. We cannot allow our desire for appearance to distort the reality that we need help!

Click here for the rest of Perry's tips.

Ethiopia Newsletter

This newsletter came in from one of our missionary partners in Ethiopia. If you think you’re having a bad day, read this to get some perspective:

Team Cox September 2011 Newsletter

Yeshi's husband left her because of her HIV positive status. She has a son named Bereket who is five years old. They live in a tiny, one-room shack made of mud, sticks, and wood scraps. There is no indoor plumbing or running water, even within the vicinity of their home. During rainy season in Ethiopia, the cold rain seeps in through the cracks in the roof and walls, turning the dirt floor into mud; the atmosphere cold and damp.

To read the rest of Yeshi's story, click here.

Drought in Kenya

As you may know, Kenya is currently experiencing a severe drought in addition to temperatures nearing 104 degrees. As a result, parents are finding themselves in even more desperate situations than usual in this already poverty-stricken country. I encourage you to read this article and be in prayer for the individuals of Kenya as well as our faithful missionaries who are serving in this region.

Tomoka Christian will be sending funds to our missionaries in Kenya to help bring relief to this area in the next week. If you would like contribute, you may do so through Tomoka Christian Church and writing "Kenya Relief" in the memo line. Or, you may give directly to our missionaries in Kenya at New Mission Systems International via their website. Once there, you will need to choose one of our missionaries - Jordan and Leann Johnson or Elijah and Ellen Ombati and designate your giving for famine relief.

The Book of Acts is Still Alive

I received a report from a missionary, David Giles. He wrote about his time on the Ethiopian mission field and about the legacy established by his father, Ray. The elder Giles, a longtime Ethiopian missionary, is battling cancer but responding well to treatment.

Since I just got back from Ethiopia I thought I would add a note about that trip. The promise that Jesus made to the disciples that "whoever leaves home and family for my sake will receive 100 times in this life and the life to come" was proven true. Everywhere I went, whether among the Ethiopian believers or the missionary community, I heard of prayers lifted up for my Dad's health. I saw Ethiopian believers weep when they spoke of his illness and the impact that my parents have had on their lives. It was a blessing to be reminded again of the fruit of their ministry.

The seed sown continues to grow and multiply. While I was in Ethiopia I attended a meeting of the church leaders for both the Oromo and the Gumuz. I asked, “There are 35 churches among the Oromo, right?” based upon the last numbers I had received. “No,” they replied, “there are 54.” They shared about the churches and daughter churches.

On the way back into Addis Ababa from down country, I decided to pass through Nekemte, the regional capital, and attend our church there. I had heard that it was full to overflowing and our missionaries and church leaders have plans to expand our facilities there. Church went quite well, and as they said, it was full to overflowing with about 40-50 having to sit outside (about 200 total). There were many university students present as well, as Nekemte has a number of universities.

One thing that is really taking off in Ethiopia is that each church really wants to have a sound system with a loudspeaker and keyboard. No one really knows how to play it, but it is the center of attention, much like the Coke bottle in the movie, “The Gods Must Be Crazy.” On this particular Sunday the keyboard was blaring along with the rest of the sound system. Thanks be to Jesus that the power went out halfway through and the loudspeaker and keyboard would not work. A young man got up with a kerar (traditional Ethiopian guitar) and sang and led worship. It was beautiful. I think keyboards will win the day for a while, but I was sure glad to be able to experience the more traditional worship.

After the service, I was visiting with Negatu, the key leader of the church. I told him I was impressed with the service. He said, "It was your father’s vision to have a church in Nekemte. He helped us get this property and plant the church here. We have him to thank for what we see today."

Tacos, Anyone?

We received word from our missionaries in Mexico, Steve and Kay Carpenter. A team of nine from TCC are serving with them right now. Below is an excerpt of the letter.

It is great to have nine excited men ready to go to work. But first they will attend worship services at the Northside Church this morning and then, after tacos, we all head up to the Eagles Church for the afternoon service. They came armed with small wooden crosses to hand out and enough toys for over 100 children. That's a good thing because this last Thursday we had 85 children and adults in attendance with at least 65 of those being children. Looks like we're in for a good week.

The Northside Church is the main project for the team. They will be digging, doing plumbing and mixing concrete. They may also lay brick, put in some lights and do a small bit of painting. All the tasks they will accomplish will move the construction along its schedule and bless the church congregation in a big way.

The rain seems to be a big story right now in lots of places. We read about the flooding in the Southeast and pray for those people. There was a need for rain but now I think the need has passed. Hopefully we will have some clear days, at least during the hours that we are working at the church. As an update for those of you who read about the flooding near us due to a break in a huge drainage tube and a lot of runoff water, the city gave appliances and items to the victims of the flooding. Alejandra received a new refrigerator, her son received a new bed and they received new tile for their floors. Their house isn't back to normal yet, but it is getting there.

The community ministry known as Community Health Evangelism is set to begin with a Vision Conference with community leaders from the Eagles neighborhood this October. We have two nights set aside for the presentation to community leaders. It is our prayer that from this Vision Conference that momentum can be built for the ministry in the neighborhood. Please keep this conference and the community leaders in your prayers. We need to bathe this in prayer!

Thank you so much for your prayers and support. You are the ones who make this ministry possible and we praise our Lord for each of you.

A glimpse of the providence of God

One of our missionaries in the Arab World shared an inspiring story related to Bibles that Tomoka Christian donated. Our missionary’s account is here:

I was speaking at a lecture recently in Alexandria, Egypt. During one of the breaks, a Sudanese man came up and introduced himself. He expressed appreciation for the work of Christian Arabic Services, which I lead and which Tomoka Christian supports, then proceeded to share a story with me that is so unusual that it could only be the result of God’s hand.

The Sudanese man told me an unbelievable story that happened to the Bibles which Tomoka Christian donated and shipped to Sudan. The man chosen to deliver the books, Mongo, is a Sudanese evangelist trained by Christian Arabic Services years before. He planned to take them to the Nuba Mountain region and use them to begin mission work in that area of few Christians. But on one leg of the trip, which was by boat, he suddenly realized that two of the 13 boxes he was certain he had left with was missing or had been taken. The boxes held about 250 Bibles!

Mongo kept on with the boxes he still had, well aware that the area he was headed was full of extremists who had slaughtered (together with the government troops) thousands of Christians in the last 40 years. After a short visit with family living nearby, Mongo headed to the area where he had a vision and a plan to evangelize and start a church. Upon arrival, he stopped by to visit the Sultan of the area (like a president for the tribe) just for acquaintance — though he was strongly warned by friends not to go because the Sultan was very prejudiced.

Surprisingly, after a few minutes of getting acquainted, Mongo found a few of the missing Bibles in the Sultan’s office! He deduced from the number of questions the Sultan was asking him about Christianity that he had been reading the Bible, at least for a few weeks, and that he knew about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

To Mongo’s astonishment, the Sultan allowed him to evangelize in his area and allowed him also to start a church in the Nuba Mountain region — where there are no churches of any denomination at all!

Please pray for Mongo’s safety, because since that report no word has been received from him. Prayers also are needed for mission work in Sudan and the Arab World.

My "YES" Moment

The link below is to an inspiring post, My "YES" Moment, from the blog of Tomoka Christian’s lead missionary to Haiti, Melonnie Kelly. She lives in Ormond Beach but is training for a long-term position with Northwest Haiti Christian Mission.

Read about Melonnie’s "YES" moment here.

Mission Work in Virginia

The Equipping the Saints mission team just returned from a week of ministry in Virginia. Below is a report from the team’s leader, Gene McCullough.

We had a great trip to Virginia. We were blessed to work with such a wonderful staff. We started each day with a meeting and a devotional. Then we split into teams and went to work.

Equipping the Saints is housed in an over 90-year-old school building that needs lots of TLC. It is three stories of clothes and equipment that has been purchased at auction or donated. ETS serves as a resource and coordinating center for missions all over the world that is totally “all-denominational.” The way they love the Lord and the folks they minister to shows in their faces and in all they do. Our job each trip is to encourage them and we did that in many ways. A few of the tasks that the team accomplished:

• Removed old wooden frame windows and replaced them with new vinyl windows
• Sorted 200 boxes of clothing weighing 6,923 pounds.
• Repaired old electric Singer sewing machines for shipment. The vision for the machines is to ship them to parts of the world where one machine can provide a livelihood for one or more families.
• Refurbished computers that will be shipped to missions and missionaries around the world.
• Sorted and shelved medical supplies and equipment for doctors to use on missionary trips.
• Added three new electrical circuits to the building
• Repaired and replaced exit signs and lights
• Unloaded more than 100 bunk beds into a storage facility off campus that will be shipped immediately to fulfill an overseas request.

We were blessed to have participated in this trip and look forward to another one in October this year. We have some openings, especially for a plumber, carpenter and anyone who can paint or is willing to learn how.

Note: Gene may be e-mailed here.

Being a Missionary

It really is all I have ever wanted to be since I sold out to Jesus. I've finally figured out that our call is to be missionaries where ever we are on the planet. People need Jesus everywhere and in every language. Through our short-term trips, prayer, and giving we literally are serving Jesus all over the world. Right now we are planting churches in Russia, Ethiopia, Brazil, Egypt, United States, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Sudan, Syria, Mexico, and Kenya to name a few. I cannot imagine anything more exciting.

Decades ago Ruth and Bill Graham were standing atop a skyscraper in New York City. As they looked over the city Ruth surely was reflecting on having grown up as a missionary child in China when she said, "Billy this is our jungle." What does your mission field look like?

Matthew 9:35-37

Blown Away By The Book

While reading for an upcoming message, I stumbled over a passage I have read countless times. Every time you read James he just ticks you off because he is so practical and in your face. This one hit me like a ton of bricks.

James 2:5: Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?

It is a question, yet God expects that His listeners know the answer. Jesus did say, "When you've done something for the least of them, you've done it for me." (Matthew 25)

Perhaps this explains why our most effective church planting is taking place amongst the poorest of the poor. They are not in Paris, London, Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), or Tokyo. Instead they are in India, the Middle East, Ethiopia, Mexico, Guatemala, Kenya, and Indonesia.

I wonder if we've been glamorizing a lot of people that will spend an eternity in hell, while ignoring the saints of the High King of kings because the did not look or smell like King's kids.

See ya on the mission field.