Samaria was not the vacation destination of choice for the Jews. In fact, the Jews had “no dealings with the Samaritans.” (John 4:9) The disdain between the two peoples was longstanding and much of it truly was rooted in the sinful practices in which the Samaritans had engaged over the years. The Jews saw themselves …
Over the last two weeks, we’ve focused primarily on how God has called us to reach into our own community to reach the fatherless, but Acts 1:8 doesn’t stop at our doorstep. In fact, it reaches far beyond. Christ commanded His disciples to go not only to Jerusalem but also to Judea and Samaria: The …
Thanksgiving was just around the corner, and for the first time ever I was standing in line at the food bank. I wasn’t there for myself. I was just the driver. Beside me, stood a single mom and her four-year-old son. She had contacted me days earlier in a panic. “I’m wondering if your church …
I grew up in a missionary’s home, so it’s no surprise that the verses often referred to as the Great Commission are very familiar. I grew up hearing the importance of reaching our Jerusalem, our Judea, and yes, even the uttermost parts of the earth. But that is such an enormous task! How could we …
Over the years, I’ve had many people ask me, “Just what is the Green Bean Project?” To be honest, I know when I share about the project everything in my heart tends to well up and a TON of information pours out. To me, it seems simple and straight forward, but sometimes I leave people …
Today is the big day! Today launches this year’s Green Bean Project. Some of you may be very familiar with the GBP, while for others this is entirely new. For those of you who are just learning about the project, the GBP started as a result of one woman’s kindness in the midst of holiday …
October is quickly coming to an end, which means the Green Bean Project is just around the corner. We’re excited to be sharing a lot of new information with you this year, and to have an opportunity to introduce you to the international ministries in a way we’ve never been able to in the past. …
Fall is certainly here! In fact, I’ve already seen snow. How about you? The last three months of the year are some of my favorites. In our family, in addition to all of the usual holidays we also have multiple birthdays and anniversaries in October and November, and of course the Green Bean Project! Normally, …
“I will never buy those again!” I turned toward the voice and spotted a tall man, standing next to his wife and pointing at a brightly colored flower on the shelves at Lowe’s. I laughed inwardly at the immense effort it required of me NOT to shout out, “ME EITHER!!!!” The red and yellow flowers …
Exhausted. That was one of two words you could use to sum up how I felt. Exhausted—and completely happy. It happened this way every year. Ten days of Christmas programs, feeding people, helping elderly women with their coats, and helping them on and off of buses. Singing, laughing, working. Food and dishes and more dishes …
