Live Love Ministries

New T-Shirts

2012-03-02T13:12:00.001-08:00

We have new t-shirts for sale!!!

(These came as one attachement and I can't separate the pics!)

The first shirt is our adoption fundraising shirt. On the front are the words "147 Million Orphans" with a map of the world in the background. The back has Proverbs 24:12 written in black. We included this verse because we know that all people are not called to adopt, but we know that all people are called to do something, which could include helping families (like ours) with the expense of adopting!!! Thank you so much to all of you that have helped in this way!!!

The second shirt is our ministry shirt for 2012. On the front are the words "Arizona Missions 2012" with mountains and cactus in the background. On the back is Matthew 5:16 written in green, which is our theme verse for the year. This shirt would be great to have if you are coming on a mission trip this year or if you would just like to show your support for our ministry!!

Also, we are reordering our shirts that we made for last year.

Front

The back of the shirt. And yes, I am wearing it in this picture :)

These, as you can see, do not have a date. Also, they would be great to wear to remind you and others that our mission is all the time, not just a week for a mission trip.

ALL shirts shown above are $15. Please add $2 for sizes 2XL and up. Also, please add $3 for shipping (if needed).

Orders are being placed March 12 so please have your order to us by then!!

If you are interested in any of the shirts, please send an email to liveloveaz@gmail.com. You will need to specify which shirt you want (adoption, new 2012 ministry, or old ministry) as well as how many, sizes, etc.

Payment can be made by cash or check. Please make checks payable to Eric or Brittany Gibbs. If mailing, send to PO Box 2237, Sacaton, AZ 85147.

Thanks so much!!

Living Without Hope

2012-02-08T19:48:00.000-08:00

Since living in AZ working on the two reservations, I can honestly say that I have witnessed this almost every day. Somedays it seems the number of people living without hope is endless.

I would like to tell you about 2 examples that have happened in the last couple of weeks.

One day (a week or so ago) it was just a "me and Brayden" kind of day. Ella was in school and Eric was taking a trailer of pews to a church about an hour and a half south of us. Brayden and I were on our way to Wal-Mart to get some groceries.

I woke up expecting the day to be fairly "normal". I read my devotional (I have been reading Jesus Calling and I love it) that morning and spent some time in the Word. After my reading, I realized God was preparing me for something. I just didn't know what. This is what I read in my devotion:

"Approach this day with awareness of who is boss. As you make plans for the day, remember that it is I who orchestrate the events of your life. On days when things go smoothly, according to your plans, you may be unaware of My sovereign Presence. On days when your plans are thwarted, be on the lookout for Me! I may be doing something important in your life, something quite different from what you expected. It is essential at such times to stay in communication with Me, accepting My way as better than yours. Don't try to figure out what is happening. Simply trust Me and thank Me in advance for the good that will come out of it all."

Well, that day we were on our way to our nearest Wal-Mart in Casa Grande. We were at the point of fixing to cross the overpass over I-10 when I saw someone standing in the road. At first I wasn't really surprised because we see people walking on the side of the road all the time. But then I noticed that it was an elderly person and they were walking in my lane. They had no idea that any cars were coming at all. I noticed just as I was dodging them (thankful there were no cars coming in the other lane) that the person was carrying a blanket and it was completely dragging the ground. As I passed (very carefully) I looked in my rearview mirror and could see that it was an elderly lady (probably in her late 70s or early 80s) and she was carrying a 40 oz bottle of booze under the blanket. She was so out of it.

I immediatley pulled over on the exit ramp. I looked back and saw her trying to climb over the overpass! I thought to myself, "I'm fixing to see this lady die!" Of course, Brayden was with me and watching the whole thing and asking a million questions. I immediately started to pray and told Brayden to pray too. I got my phone out and called 911. I explained everything to the lady on the phone and she assured me help was coming.

But what really bothered me (other than the obvious) was that people were passing by her not doing anything. I was the only car that had pulled over and was trying to help. This is a busy exit ramp too. Literally, I bet hundred of cars passed and did absolutley nothing. I thought to myself, "Since when is another person's life not worth our time?"

I prayed for her the whole time until the police got there. I have thought about her and prayed for her everyday since. My heart just breaks. I know that she has no hope.

Another incident happened a little while back. Fortunately, I didn't actually see this one happen but heard about it from people that did.

One of the villages that we minister in has tons of people that gather together ~~regularly~~ daily to party and drink. They stay drunk most all the time. Each person has their own reason for doing so. We've talked with several of them before. Some of the reasons they give are family members being in jail/prison, not having to face the reality of living in poverty, nothing else to do, or having done it for so long that they can't stop even when they want to. They all boil down to living without hope.

One lady in particular got so drunk that she fell into the fire they had going. She didn't even realize that her skin was burning. She almost died, however God spared her life. She was in the hospital for a while. She had to have skin grafts. And then one day she was released to go home. Do you know what she did when she got there? She started drinking again.

It really breaks my heart!! I pray that God spared her life so that she would have the opportunity to hear the Gospel (the hope she needs) and hopefully we will get to be the ones to share it with her.

Will you join me in praying for these 2 women?

Many people ask us the question "What is the biggest need?" wanting to know what they can send or donate (which is good) but the biggest need is JESUS! It's a simple answer, but the truth. The thing about JESUS is that it doesn't cost money; just people willing to tell others.

Will you pray for people to be willing to tell others about Jesus?

Will you pray for the people here on the 2 reservations to find HOPE in Jesus?

Praying for the day when many people will say "guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long." (Psalms 25:5)

Love,

Brittany

Prayer Requests (Jan 29-Feb4)

2012-02-01T15:11:00.000-08:00

We are going to try to update weekly our prayer requests. We thank you, in advance, for praying for us individually and for our ministry.

Here is this weeks prayer requests:

1. Delphine Wilson- she lives in Cockleburr and was the first lady to receive Christ. She is in the hospital and is going to have to have her toe amputated.

2. Some of our other friends in Cockleburr are sick. Some have RSV.

3. Rogene (CB)- She is our friend in Chuichu. She is having a hard week with a variety of issues. (no hot water, backed up plumbing, flat tire, etc.) not to mention that she is the only believer in her village. She has five children that she takes care of by herself. This month is the 1 year anniversary that she lost her mom and sister in a car accident.

4. Doug- He has been living in KY for almost a month now. Continue to pray for him as he is getting adjusted to life there and going to school and working.

5. Pray for us- both for our spiritual health and physical health

6. Pray for our adoption and our daughter still in the Congo. Our case is supposed to be submitted to court. Pray for correct paperwork so there will be no delays. Pray that Emmalyn is getting the nourishment and love that she needs. Pray that we will continue to trust God and His timing.

7. Pray for a couple more churches/individuals that will commit to monthly financial support of our ministry.

8. Pray for local churches to commit to be involved with our ministry. (Helping on a weekly or monthly basis)

Thanks once again for praying! We have many days that we can tell we are being prayed for and it really helps to keep us going :)

In Christ,
Brittany

Ministry Wish List

2012-01-26T13:32:00.000-08:00

Ok, here goes! This post is kind of hard for me to write but I am going to give it a shot.

We are asked all the time, "What are some things that you need for your ministry?" We generally respond with the basic necessities, "First and foremost prayer" (which is by far the absolute most important thing) and then we continue with a few things that come to mind. We may list specific items that we are in current need of or we often just say, "Whatever you have will be great," and we honestly mean that. Our answer is generally followed by a few more questions which are generally trying to lead us to more specifics and some real concrete needs.

I love the heart of the people that support us and want to help! They truly are genuine, but sometimes it is humbling to say or admit that there are needs that you have. It is somewhat out of my character to ask for something or admit that it would be great to have a specific item, maybe it was the way I was raised. :)

Without exception, the concerned asker always says this statement, "Eric, we can't meet a need if we don't know about it."

The first few times I shrugged it off and went on about my business, but as this same conversation played out time and time again, God allowed me to truly see that His people want to be involved in reaching people with the Gospel and sometimes that means meeting tangible needs.

After many people encouraged me to make a "wish list" and make it known, I decided to take their advice and do it.

When you read this list you may think, "Wow, that's some big stuff" and some of it is, but when you are serving the One who owns it all, nothing is too big, right?

If you or your church/ministry are in the position to meet any of these needs, let us know.

So here it is: Our ministry wish list. (In no particular order)

1. A. 15 Passenger Van

We are constantly transporting mission teams and supplies all over the reservations that we minister to. First Pima Baptist Church has been very gracious to allow us to use their church van on a regular basis, however when our family of four, (soon to be 5) is in the van it only allows us to transport 10 or 11 more people and our mission teams are often 20 to 25 people.

It doesn't have to be this nice or new, but at least it gives you a visual.

2. Folding tables (life time brand) and metal folding chairs.

Most every place that we minister is outside in the desert with little supplies and materials. The people who come to the church services we have or the kids that come for VBS often have to sit and work on the ground or a blanket. It's not the easiest thing to do in the desert :)

Something like this. They can be six or eight feet.

Any amount of these would be great

3. Video Projector

We could and would use one of these in countless numbers of situations. From the youth ministry at First Pima, to our church plant in Cockelburr, and all of our summer missions teams.

Something like this, however it could be any brand or size

4. Portable sound system

The people to which we minister are an outdoor culture. Most events we do are outside (revivals, church services, VBS, crusades, etc.) Not having a portable sound system limits the outdoor events that we can do.

Something like this that would give us the ability to project sound over a large area and has the capacity for microphones, music sound, etc.

5. Box Trailer

Like I said earlier, we cover a large amount of ground in our ministry which requires a lot of driving. Many times we are transporting construction materials and tools to rural villages to work or taking everything to have a VBS in a village several miles into the desert. Having a trailer would allow us to easily transport all of the supplies we needed without having to unload each night and re-load each morning. It would also help to secure our belongings while traveling.

This size would be ideal. At least 8 foot long or longer, but not huge, I have a 1/2 ton V8 pickup truck.

6. Craft Projects

We are constantly in need of different kinds of craft projects to do. We do 1-2 craft projects a week on a consistent basis. Projects that already come together are ideal (like in Oriental Trading magazine or sometimes they have them at Walmart and Hobby Lobby). They are usually easier for the kids to do, and we always know that everything comes with it.

Here is just one example, but anything would be great!

7. Stand-up Shop lights.

Many times the things that we do during the school year have to be done after the kids get home from school and since everything is outside it doesn't give us much time to do alot before it gets dark. If we had 2 or 3 sets of these lights it would lengthen the time we could spend in the villages.

Here is an example of what I am talking about.

8. Generator

Many of the places that we work do not have a healthy supply of electricity, if any at all. If we had a generator it would give us the capability to have power when and wherever we needed. It wouldn't have to be huge just big enough to run tools, lights, etc.

Something like either one of these would be ok.

Thank you for taking the time to read our ministry wish list. As God provides we will use these items to help further the Gospel among the Native American people that He has called us to serve.

Even if you cannot personally donate one of these items, please pass this along to those who may be able to help.

In Christ,

Eric

The Latest Happenings

2012-01-11T13:26:00.000-08:00

We have now been back in AZ for almost a week after spending Christmas and New Years with our families and friends back in KY! We had an amazing couple of weeks there, but it does feel good to be back. We feel refreshed and ready to get back into doing ministry!!

Unfortunately for us, our first couple of days back were spent saying goodbye to our friend, Doug. Can I just say that I hate goodbyes? I really do. It's always hard to say bye to someone that you are close to and spend most everyday with. In the past year, I think I can count on one hand the number of days our family did not see Doug (with the exception of when we were out-of-town). He is more a part of our family than our friend. Our son, Brayden (age 3 at the time), was the one who pointed that out to us. We had only been in AZ a couple of months and we were talking about all the new things that we loved or liked. I said, "Brayden, aren't you glad that we were able to meet Doug and now he's our friend?" He answered back, "Mom, he's not our friend. He's our family!" And he was exactly right.

Doug at his first going away party!

We are really going to miss him terribly (who's kidding? we already miss him) but we are super excited for him and the new journey he is on. For those of you who don't already know, Doug moved to KY to go to Mid-Continent University to finish his degree in Missions and Evanglism. We know he's going to do well, and we know that God has big things in store for his life!

Eric and Doug

Doug and his dad, Joker

Here he is with his three kids- Honey, Casey, Levi

At the first going away party at the church, Eric was able to give a short "sending out" message. Doug was able to share from his heart also. He recapped the journey that God had him on and told of how God had totally transformed his life. He had many family and friends that were there that needed to hear this message. He told them that his desire was to see them going to church and following Christ. It was a great party/service.

Our friends, Ken and Thurleen, were able to come up from Hickiwan to the party too!

He arrived in KY Monday night. We want to thank those KY friends who were able to go meet him at his new house for his surprise welcoming party. We talked with him after everyone left, and he was truly appeciative and even a little overwhelmed at how many people came and brought groceries, gift cards, etc. He said, "I don't deserve all this."

Please continue to pray for him and us as we figure out how to minister without each other :)

On a ministry note, we went out to Cockelburr yesterday to check on everyone. Everything seemed to be going well. They said they were ready to start meeting again for church! So, next week Eric will lead the adults and I will teach the kiddos.

Tonight, our youth service starts back up at First Pima. We got to see most all the youth at church Sunday morning, but we are ready to see the rest tonight. Wednesday nights are always a fun time with our youth and we can't wait to get that going again!

Tomorrow we are heading out to the village of Chuichu to check on everyone and see how things are. We are going to be talking with the lady that lets us have events at her house to discuss future projects this year. This village is going to be our big focus for this year. We can't wait to see what God has in store!

We are also getting everything started for mission teams this spring and summer. We have 2 weeks that no one has officially signed up for. Let us know asap if you want to come out this spring or summer!

Last year was so awesome that it is hard to think about this year being any better, but our God is BIG and POWERFUL and does GREAT THINGS so we just wait with anticipation on what He is going to do this year!

Thanks for your prayers and support!

Love,
Brittany

Christmas in the Villages

2011-12-22T15:03:00.000-08:00

I seriously think this has been the best Christmas ever!! I cannot put into words how awesome it has been receiving the presents that many of you have sent to the kids that live in the villages of Cockleburr and Chuichu.

It took us the majority of a week to sort and wrap the presents that were sent. Many times I would look at the name of the child and then sort through the presents to see what they had received, and tears would come to my eyes knowing how much they were going to love the presents that they received.

It was just so awesome to know that the kids were receiving gifts that were specific to them. To know that someone knows their name and shopped specifically for them and prays for them daily; it just gives me goosebumps thinking about it.

We filled up two rooms and a hallway with the presents, and we enlisted some help from our youth to wrap some of them.

Doug and Becca wrapping presents

Michele helping sort and wrap

Some of the presents

We finally got all of the presents sorted and wrapped, and then it was time to load them up.

Eric's truck loaded and completely full!! We did this two nights in a row!!

The first night we went to the village of Cockleburr. It was actually pretty cold outside and we had to meet inside Cindy's house. First, we gathered all the kids and adults together and we read (more like talked through) the Christmas story and the birth of Jesus. Then, we had cookies and hot chocolate. Then, it was present time.

Y'all, I tried my very best to capture what it was like passing out the presents and the reaction on the faces of the kids, but it was so hard!! It was just Eric and me passing out the presents with about 50 excited kids that were practically crawling up our arms and legs, so I didn't get as many pictures as I would like to have gotten.

Eric giving Andre his presents

Bianca receiving some of her gifts

Jeramiah excited to get his presents. Notice how he doesn't have on a shirt or shoes. I just smiled at him knowing that in those boxes were shoes and clothes that he needed so much!!

David proud of the shoes he received!!

Tony proud of his shoes too!!

All of the kids, with the exception of one family (the 2 kids shown above), saved their presents to open on Christmas Day. For the majority, the presents that were sent are the only presents they will be getting for Christmas.

The next night we went to the village of Chuichu. It was amazing driving into the village that night. I (Brittany) was driving the church van with our 2 kids and Eric was behind me in his truck with all the presents. As soon as we rounded the corner to the road we needed to be on, the kids came running toward the van- almost in the middle of the road. I stopped in the middle of the road and they all started piling in the van. We filled it up right away. I had to go drop them off and then we went back and picked up more kids and filled the van up again!!

This is Eric taking the picture out of his truck of some of the kids running up to the church van.

We found out immediately as we were getting everything set up that there were more kids there than filled out papers. Actually, there were 20 kids there that we didn't have presents for. We had brought some extra, but after counting it still wasn't enough. So, we called our friend Doug and asked him to bring some more out.

It was a great night!! The kids were so well behaved and they listened so well. Many of the parents came too. They all sat down and I read/taught them about the birth of Christ and what the first Christmas was like. For many, it was the first time to hear. They thought I was going to tell them about Santa Claus, but as I talked their eyes stayed focused on me and they were excited to hear about the true meaning of Christmas.

We also had a time of eating cookies and drinking hot chocolate before passing out the presents. When we opened up the truck to start passing out the presents, their eyes lit up. They kept asking, "How did you buy these many presents?" And we answered, "We didn't buy them. People all over the country did. They sent them here just for you. They love you and are praying for you." They couldn't believe it!!

CB helping us see which present belonged to which kid!

This whole box went to his family!!!

Excited, but waiting patiently!!

When we left that night, I had so much joy!! The kids and parents were truly thankful. I went away excited to know that there was going to be 100 kids who would have something to open up for Christmas this year. But I was more excited thinking that 100 kids plus some parents knew the reason for Christmas- JESUS. And not only did they hear about him, they felt his love sent from around the United States! The seed was planted. I pray that we get to be apart of the harvest!!!!

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to those who made this year the best Christmas ever!!!!

We love and appreciate you! We thank you for your support and prayers as we finish up our first year in AZ!!

Love,
Brittany

P.S. We are blessed to be able to spend Christmas with our families this year in KY. So you probably won't hear from us for a couple of weeks as we relax and celebrate Christmas and the New Year with them. We'll be back in full swing after that!! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Give This Christmas Away

2011-12-12T13:15:00.000-08:00

If you have not heard Matthew West's song or watched this video, please do. Amazing song!!

I just wanted to take a minute to say "thank you so much" to all of you that are truly giving this Christmas away! So many of you have sent packages of presents or money to help us with our "adopt a child for Christmas" project (for lack of a better word).

Sometimes I wonder why God allows us (and by us I really mean me) to be apart of His work. I really lack faith sometimes. When we started to work on what God was leading us to do this Christmas, I thought to myself, "There are so many kids who need to be loved this Christmas. There is no way we will find enough people to sponsor them." I am sure when I had that thought God laughed out loud :)

Thankfully, I was so wrong. We got all 100 kids "adopted" for Christmas!!! Praise God!!

I have had so much fun doing this. I think I'm probably more excited than the kids are/will be. I love getting a knock on my door from the UPS man or FEDEX man. We have become friends :) I love going to the post office to get a card in our mail box that says there are too many packages to fit. One day last week, I had 18 HUGE boxes to pick up. They barely fit in my van!!!

Transporting the packages to where we are storing them!

Love opening a box to find this: presents!!

We have one room completely packed with presents everywhere!

We will be taking the presents at the end of this week to pass out. I will try my very best to capture the faces and smiles of each child (without being tacky and making them feel like a charity case) and will post an update.

Please pray for us as we go to two different villages to pass these out. We know the kids will be excited for the presents, but we are going to be sharing the story of the birth of Christ and the true meaning of Christmas with them first. For some of them, it may be the first time to ever hear. Pray for open ears and open hearts and for the chance that some may come to know Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. What a true Christmas gift that would be!!!

Once again, thank you to those who gave this Christmas away to the kiddos here. If you weren't able to give here, I pray that you give it away in your own towns and cities. Don't miss the blessing of giving!!!

"Give this Christmas away,

If there's love in your heart

Don't let it stay there.

Give this Christmas away,

and your life will be changed

by the gift you receive when you

give this Christmas away!"

Brittany

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-29T10:46:00.001-08:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We did here! It was very busy, but really good.

We had several things planned for the week of Thanksgiving. Thankfully, we had a family from California call a couple of weeks before to say that they wanted to come and help us!! Yay! ( I was beginning to wonder how we were going to pull this off- by that I mean cooking for at least 75 people- on our own.)

In that same week, we got an email from a church in Mississippi that said they were sending money to help cover the cost of buying the food!!! Thank You Jesus!!!

Getting organized and sorting everything out!

Yummy pumpkin pie!

Doesn't that turkey look good?

Getting everything set up in the village of Chuichu

It's almost time for everyone to arrive!!

Service with a smile :)

Some of the youth from First Pima also came with us to serve!

Dinner under the stars :)

We also passed out backpacks (donated from a church in KY) and some school supplies.

One awesome night down, but more to go....

More turkey

Ella and her new buddy, Charlotte, were such big help in setting up the tables.

Dinner at First Pima!

On Thanksgiving day, we visited the Caring House (kind of like a nursing home). What a blessed time we had spending Thanksgiving with people that would usually have spent the day alone!!

Ella and Charlotte (with the help of Kendall) passing out the fruit we brought.

Melissa talking with her new friend

The next day we went out to Cockleburr. It was a fun day just spending time with each other, playing with the kids, and praying for one another. We also were able to pass out some blankets (donated from a different church in KY).

The kids playing a game of red light green light

All smiles! Isn't he a cutie?

Saturday morning, Melissa and Meredith taught the girls from First Pima how to sew and make their own purses. It was a great time of learing, but most importantly of building relationships.

Meredith showing Jessie what to do

The finished product! They did an excellent job!

Thanks again to all the churches that sent donations to help us with Thanksgiving this year! A special thanks to the Cripes for spending your Thanksgiving serving with us! We really appreciate it!!

From our family to yours- Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

The Gibbs Family

Baptisms and a Baby Dedication

2011-11-07T11:27:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday night was an awesome service at First Pima Baptist Church!

We started the service off with a Baby Dedication that Eric was privileged and honored to conduct.

Here Eric is talking about the importance and significance of dedicating your child to the Lord. He is also giving the example from the Bible of Hannah dedicating her son Samuel.

Next, he brought Darien and baby Jace up to the front. He asked Darien a series of questions about raising up Jace in church and to love the Lord.

Isn't he a cutie?

Then he asked the church a series of questions about their role in helping to raise baby Jace. Eric and I were also honored that Darien asked us to play a key role in Jace's life (almost like the role of a godparent).

The whole family was called up to the front as we ended the service of dedicating Jace and closed in prayer.

What a big family, huh? Ever heard of the phrase"It takes a village..."? Seriously, one of my favorite things about the culture of Native Americans is the closeness of family. This family has been so good to us since we moved and welcomed us in like their family. They mean a lot to us!!

The next part of the service, Eric got the honor to baptize two new believers! One of which was Darien!! What a special service for her to follow the Lord in baptism and to dedicate her son with the whole family present!!

The second person to be baptized was a young man named Shawn. We met him a few months ago. He walked up to our house off the street and asked Eric if the church would give him a Bible. He shared with us that he just got out of jail, and while there someone had dropped off the booklets called Daily Bread. He said that he had been reading that but didn't have a Bible to go with it. Of course, we gave him one. Eric talked with him a great deal that night about his experience in jail, offered our assistance in whatever way we could him, and invited him to come to church the next night. Guess what? He came! We talked with him several times that week and he finally opened up that he had no where to go. (He is from a different tribe, but has to stay here until his probation is over.) He had been sleeping out in the desert. So, we talked with some church members about the situation, and thankfully someone has offered their home for him to stay in!! To make a long story short, he continued to come to church and he accepted Christ as his Savior about 3 weeks ago during a revival!!

Like the old hymn says, "to God be the glory, great things He hath done"!!! Praising Him for working in these two lives!!!

Brittany

Summer Mission Opportunities

2011-10-27T10:32:00.000-07:00

Recently, we have had several people/churches show interest and inquire about coming on a mission trip this summer. Of course, summer is our busiest time of the whole year, and we already have several weeks booked for 2012.

So, I thought I would post the weeks that we still have available for groups to come. Remember this is only for the summer. We welcome groups all year long.

May 26-June 1

July 14- July 20

July 28- August 3

If you have any questions about scheduling a trip or know for sure that you want to, please don't hesitate to call or send us an email liveloveaz@gmail.com

Brittany

P.S. We had 7 children "adopted" for Christmas yesterday! Please pass the word along to anyone you think might be interested!!

Would you like to make a difference in the life of a child?

2011-10-26T11:16:00.000-07:00

I hope your answer is "YES!"

After a couple of weeks of rest and relaxation, we are extremely busy preparing for the next couple of months. Of course, you know that two of the biggest holidays of the year are fast approaching- Thanksgiving and Christmas. For many people, these holidays are fun and anticipated for a great deal of the year. However, for others, it's a hard time especially here on the reservation. For many people living here, there is no hope or anything to look forward to. A great deal of people don't know Jesus and having nothing to celebrate. For them, it is also hard to be thankful when they don't have enough money to feed their family a Thanksgiving meal.

So, we are planning two really huge outreach events that we could really use some help with. These events are meant to meet physical needs, with the hope that we will be able to share Christ and the greatest need of all will be met.

The first event is going to be a Community Thanksgiving Meal. We literally plan to invite the entire community of Sacaton to this meal. We also plan to have a Thanksgiving meal in the village of Cockelburr as well.

Ways that you can be involved with this outreach
1. Pray that we will have the opportunity many times to share Christ with those that attend, that they will have receptive hearts, and their lives will be changed forever.
2. If you live locally, donate food items to be cooked or cook the food yourself and come join us!
3. Donate money for food to be purchased.

The other huge outreach that we are doing is for Christmas. We are asking that you prayerfully consider adopting a child or family for this Christmas season. We have identified several children/families that need assistance with Christmas this year. We have already begun to pass out forms to the families for them to fill out with all the necessary information. We know for sure that we have at least 50 children that need to be "adopted" this Christmas but more than likely there are close to 100 children that need "adopted".

If you choose to "adopt" a child or family for this Christmas season, you will receive information about the child or family such as name, gender, age, interest, etc. The most important thing that you can do for the child/family is to pray for them. We ask that you would commit to praying for them daily. We also ask that you would help their parents in buying a couple of presents for them. We are leaving the amount you spend and the number of presents up to you and what you feel comfortable with. If you live locally, you can buy the presents and drop them off at First Pima Baptist Church in Sacaton. If you do not live close, you can send the amount of money you would like to spend on the child/family and we will buy the presents for you. Another option is to buy the presents yourself and ship them to us. The deadline for presents and/or money to be received by is December 9.

We plan to have a Christmas service in each village that we work with so that the true meaning of Christmas is heard and taught. Please be in prayer for this as well.

Here are just a couple of the sweet faces that need to be "adopted" this Christmas:

If you feel that God is leading you to be involved with either of these outreach events, please send an email to liveloveaz@gmail.com and let us know.

If you would like to donate financially to these events, checks can be made to Live Love Ministries. Our address is PO Box 2237, Sacaton, AZ 85147. Please include a note specifying how you would like the funds to be used.

We want to thank you for your prayers and for partnering with us in ministering to the Native Americans of the Gila River and Tohono O'odham nations.

Brittany

P.S. If you could pray for my health it would greatly be appreciated. I'm having some issues with an ulcer that is bringing lots of discomfort. Thanks! :)

Great News to Share

2011-10-02T13:31:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends and Family! It's been quite a while since we have updated, but that doesn't mean that there hasn't been anything going on. Actually, we've had several things take place; it's just been hard to get to the computer to update.

First, one of the students in our youth group gave her life to the Lord last Sunday morning. She has been coming since we first started the youth group in February. When Eric and I first met Darien, we could tell that God was going to use her one day in a big way. We had been praying for her to accept Christ since that time. Praise God she did last Sunday! I think Eric and I were probably as excited as she was. In the next couple of weeks, Eric will hopefully have the opportunity to baptize her. Please continue to pray for Darien as she is starting her new life in Christ and also for her as she parents her sweet baby boy!

Darien is the one on the right. (I couldn't find a pic of just her.)

Also, Eric had the privilege of baptizing Darien's aunt, Terrie on Sunday night. This is also Doug's sister.

Sorry- this picture is hard to see, but it was truly a great night!

The last thing I'll share for today is that we received a Budget truck load of "goodness" from Kentucky on Friday. Edgewood Baptist Church from Hopkinsville brought a group out this summer on a mission trip. While they were here, they did a VBS in ChuiChu during the day and a revival at Casa Blanca at night. I believe that God really worked in their lives that week. We got a phone call from their associate pastor, Brad Hall, about a month ago saying that he had 27 pews, a pulpit, a communion table, etc. that he would like to get to Casa Blanca Baptist Church. Of course, we were thrilled, as was the church family. We would like to say a huge thank you to their church and a special thank you to the sweet couple that drove the truck out here. All the pews and accessories (if that's ok to say) went to Casa Blanca except 11 of the pews that went to First Pima Baptist Church to put under the ramada. They will use those for the revival they are having that starts tomorrow. Also, in the truck were tons of blankets that we will pass out this winter as it turns cooler to families that do not have heat. New Bethel Baptist Church in Eddyville also sent tons of backpacks that we will pass out to those children who are in need. Once again, thank you so much to all the churches and families that contributed to this project. We know there are probably lots that we don't even know about that contributed, but we want you to know that we truly thank you. Here are just a couple of pics:

This was donated to take to the kids at ChuiChu

Here are the pews set up in the ramada

Thanks again to everyone for praying for us and for the ministry that is going on here in AZ!

Brittany

Being Light in the Dark

2011-09-01T17:38:00.000-07:00

"This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." John 3:19-21

These are the verses that came to mind Tuesday afternoon as we arrived in Cockleburr for our church service. Immediately, as our van pulled up to the house, several members of the community that gather there started to disperse in all different directions. Who knows exactly what we had just pulled up to? But whatever it is was, it was evil. You can just feel "it" when you arrive. Doug noticed it as well. He said, "Look. They look like cockroaches scattering everywhere when you turn on the lights."

If you follow along at all, you probably know that Satan has had a stronghold in that village for many years. Well, I guess practically forever. The first Christians in the village are living there now and have only belonged to Christ for a couple of months. It is hard for them. They face trials and tough decisions on a daily basis. One of the ladies has a husband who is drunk every single day. From the time he wakes up until the time he goes to bed, he is constantly drinking. Most of her children are drug addicts. They sell and buy right there by her house. Darkness is present everywhere you look.

I say all that to say, please continue to pray for us and for the 4 Christians in the village. Although many great things are happening, it is still a struggle.

However, we know that the Light is changing things and making a difference. Even though it seems like we are just a candle in a dark forest- the Light is being seen. There is one man in particular that came to the church service Tuesday night that is right on the verge of giving his life to the Lord. There are a few others that will say that they know that they need Jesus, but they just can't give up their drinking just yet. But they still come and they hear the Truth of God's Word! Pray for these inviduals as well.

We can't forget to tell you about the kids. The kids are just amazing. They see and go through so much. They are constantly on my heart and mind. When we pulled up Tuesday night, they all came running out of the house ready to have church. They love it! They are the ones who go get their friends and tell them to come. The older ones listen so intently everytime it is time for the story. They just soak in everything that is said. They have learned what sin is and can give you examples. One little boy that is about 5 years old said, "I know that drinking and doing drugs is sin." They are getting it! Please continue to pray for them as well and also for me as I teach them. Also, pray that I get some help in teaching them. It seems that more and more children are coming every time we go out, which is a great thing. However, I am only one person and with 25-30 + kids that can be wild as guineas, it can be a little challenging. But I love it!!

Here are a couple of the precious kiddos that we love so much:

Thanks so much for your prayers as we continue to be light in the dark!!!

Brittany

Yee-Haw Cowboy (and some other ministry updates)

2011-08-18T12:57:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks have been eventful to say the least. We thought after the summer we would spend some time catching up on much needed rest and family time. (Just a side note, we had an amazing summer filled with mission teams from OK, GA, & KY, God used them in unbelievable ways!)

As many of you know, one of the biggest blessings that we have encountered while being on the mission field is the privilege of ministering with our new friend Doug. We met Doug the first day here and he has become a vital aspect of our ministry. Without his connections in the community, we would not be able to do many of the things that we do. Not only have we been able to minister with him, but we have seen God transform his heart each and every day.

This is Doug, continue to pray for him as God continues to use him!

Before God changed his life, Doug's past was a roller coaster of hard circumstances, bad decisions, and tough times(to say the least). He had seemingly had "everything" only to have lost it all due to certain lifestyle choices and events. However, nine months ago God stepped in and put a stop to the ups and downs of the roller coaster and began Doug on a upward climb toward Him. Brittany and I have been able to witness first hand the transformation that has taken place and we daily stand in awe of Gods working in his life.

I said all of that to say this- Doug has a passion to reach the people of his community and introduce them to the same God that transformed his life. One way that he has recently done this is by holding the first ever cowboy church service at a rodeo here on the reservation. This wasn't just any rodeo, this rodeo was held by his Dad, and most of the people participating only knew Doug from his former way of life. So it was a crowd of people that probably knew him better than anyone, and now he was standing before them explaining to them, first hand, about the power of God and the salvation that comes only through knowing Jesus Christ.

I was privileged enough to get to participate, in the church service not the rodeo :), and it truly was awesome. Here are a few pics of the church service and the rodeo.

Some of the singers during the service (Harold & Patricia)

My little cowboy and his rodeo buddy

This is his version of bull riding!

This is Doug's dad, Joker, getting ready to present the awards. I got to present the buckle for open bull riding champion!

Another story along these lines that I would like to share also has to do with Doug. When Brittany and I arrived on the mission field we began seeking out people and places to build relationships with. One of the places that we came across was a Teen Drug and Alcohol Abuse- Rehab Center. It is a 4 month residential program for Native American teenagers from all over the country. It is also very traditional and doesn't allow alot of outside influence from churches or ministries. But we (Brittany, Doug, and I) began to pray that God would allow us the opportunity to minster to these young people and He did. The teenagers from the rehab center have come to church several times but it was primarily for special events (VBS, Movie night, etc.) but never on a consistent basis. During this time God allowed us to build relationships with the kids and just fall in love with them. They are awesome. So we continued to pray that God would open the door wider for ministry there and he kicked it wide open.

A few weeks ago one of the counselors from the rehab center approached me and told me that there were job openings for male counselors and asked if I knew anyone who would be interested and/or qualified. So I immediately talked to Doug about it. He was very interested and we both saw it as God saying "here's your door, now go minister."

He went to the interview and they hired him on the spot! He started working there yesterday! Wow, God is Good! Please pray that God would use him in big ways as he shows and shares the love of Christ to the teenagers there.

--NEW ADDITION--

We have been able to meet some wonderful people since arriving in AZ, and many of them have become very dear to our hearts. One of the young ladies whom God has blessed us with just gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. We are so proud of her for choosing life and for standing strong in her faith when others in her situation would not. She is an amazing young woman and is already being a great mother!

Brittany and Brayden with Baby Jace

It is often hard to put into words what we see God do on a daily basis. So please continue to be in prayer for us we strive to glorify Him and reach people with the Gospel.

Look For these updates in the next Post:

Cockelburr Ministry

Casa Blanca Baptist Church

First Baptist Church Fredonia

2011-08-08T12:56:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a summer! Our last group of the summer just left on Friday. They were from First Baptist Church Fredonia Kentucky. Their team had 21 team members, and we had a great week!!

We first started the week by attending church at Casa Blanca Baptist Church on Sunday morning. Several ladies from the team taught Sunday School and Bro. Kyle Noffsinger brought the message. After church, we had a potluck dinner with lots of yummy food. We had a great time!

During the afternoon, we went to pass out flyers advertising the VBS we were going to do that week. We went to Districts 1 and 2 (we have never done anything in these districts before.) We spent several hours going door-to-door. Overall, it was a great time and experience. However, we did have a little bit of trouble at one house. One of the men from the team, Earl, went to take a flyer to a man standing outside a house. When he got up close to the man, several more men came outside. They had been drinking. The man from the house picked up the biggest 2 X 4 I have ever seen and started coming at Earl. He told him they didn't have any children at the house and we went quickly on to the next house. We finished passing out the flyers in the neighborhood and had to drive back by the house where all the partying was going on. But this time, the guy had a gun pointing it towards the vans as we drove by. It was quite the experience to say the least! No one ever felt really threatened; it was more like the guy was just trying to tell us not to come back. I, personally, think that this gave everyone a pretty good reality check. The reality is that not everyone wants to hear about/know Jesus. It shows just how big the mission field is. Lost people act like lost people! You can't expect differently!

Anyway, I think that made for a memorable experience. Later that night, we attended church at First Pima Baptist Church. The team was able to participate in the Singspiration (a night of singing songs and giving testimonies). Several team members sang specials. We had a great first day!

Tom, Pam, and Phillip all singing a special

All the men singing together. The ladies sang after this, but I didn't get a picture because I was up there with them.

Monday was our first day of VBS. We did this in District 2 (Hashan Kehk). We had no idea what to expect because we had never done anything in this district before. In fact, this was the first VBS to take place in 40 years!! So, we just drove around to see if any of the kids we passed out flyers to wanted to come. We had about 12-15 kids every day! We truly had an amazing experience with these kiddos. We were able to spend individualized attention with each one and really get to know them.

Singing songs

It was funny because at the beginning of the week none of the kids had even heard any of the songs and they were kind of stand-offish. But at the end of the week, they were singing the songs by themselves and begging to sing them!

Mrs. Beth and Caleb with their new friends

Mrs. Rena and Micayla with their new friends

Mrs. Pam helping one of her students with a craft

Brayden and his new friend, Alex

Mrs. Helen's class- pretty cute kiddos if I do say so myself :)

This was a letter that one of the girls wrote to everyone on the last day! It was so sweet! It says thank you for coming and teaching us about God and the Bible!

Please continue to pray for these kiddos and this District! Also, pray for us as we continue to try to serve this community.

On Monday night, we went to the village of Chuichu and passed out school supplies. Some of the guys from the mission team also were able to build CB (the lady that lives there) a pavillion so that we can continue to do things at her house since there is no church. She said that we are welcome to use her house anytime.

We also passed out clothes too!

Setting up the school supplies

The pavillion the guys built! CB was so excited!!!

Please continue to pray for this ministry as well. The village seems to be opening up to us/church being there. One of the boys even went to talk to CB about what it means to be saved!!!

On Tuesday night, we went out to Cockleburr to pass out school supplies and we also had our church service. It was great having so much help with all the kids!! The adults had a great service as well. Also, some of the men from the team were able to get Cindy's electric pole up and get everything hooked up so that she can have electricity for the first time!!!

Craft time!!

Sweet Tony

David giving Matt some love!

Ready for electricity

The team had a movie night Wednesday for the teens at First Pima and the girls at Desert Visions. We watched "To Save a Life" which is a fabulous movie that deals with most everything these girls are dealing with. A couple of the girls are graduating from Desert Visions and one of our youth is moving to CA to go to boarding school this year, so we had a going away party for them too!!

On Thursday night, the women from the mission team had a Women's Bible Study. We ate really good food, played some games, got to know each other, and studied the Word together. It was a great night!!

The men from the mission team finished building the bunk beds for the dorm!!! YAY! No more cots!!! Justin was also able to fix the lights so that each room has it's own switch!!

Just the beginning- I can't find a finished picture right now, but I promise they are!!

The mattresses!!

Thanks once again First Baptist Fredonia!!! We had a great week and really appreciate all your hard work!!!

By the way, we dropped them off at the airport just in time because on the way back home we got a flat tire in the church van :( We were right in the middle of I-10 and everyone just drove by and watched. Thankfully, we got it fixed in time to pick Ella up from school. Then we got a call from a friend that also had a flat tire and needed help. She was also on I-10. It was not a good day for tires.

This week, we hope to rest a little. Thank you to eveyone that has prayed for us this summer. It's been an amazing one. But, please don't stop. We still need them!!!

Brittany

Donnie and Carla plus a MAJOR update @ Cockelburr

2011-07-26T21:24:00.000-07:00

Our good friends, Donnie and Carla Houston, came all the way from Murray, KY last week to serve with us. We were so excited to get to see them! They have a passionate love to minister to and serve the Native Americans here in AZ just like we do. In fact, Donnie, Carla, and Eric all came on a mission trip together in March of 2009 and shared many amazing experiences together. (That is the trip where Eric felt God calling us to missions!)

Isn't that a good pic?

When we had talked with Carla over the phone she said, "Donnie and I are here to do whatever you need us to do." So, we put them to work. They actually arrived the last day of Edgewood Baptist's mission team so they got to participate in the teacher training. Carla got to lead the youth workers in a Sunday School training. She did a great job teaching and answering questions and really gave some great advice. (I can say all this because I was in her class!)

Brayden sat in on our class too!

Sunday was a busy day for us. We started the day by going to church in Casa Blanca. Carla taught Sunday School class.

This was actually taken before class started. We ended up having 15 kids, which is really great for Sunday School!

After chuch, we traveled to Hickiwan on the Tohono O'odham Reservation. It is about a 2 hour drive from Casa Blanca. We were going to help some more missionary friends do a kick-off for the VBS that was going to take place that week. This was also the location that Donnie, Carla, and Eric first went to on their mission trip so it holds a very special place in their hearts. It was great to see friends from previous years/times! The teenage girls begged Carla to have class that night after the kick-off was over. It didn't take very much to twist her arm. :)

What's a VBS kick-off without hamburgers and hotdogs?

Pastor Pete starting the service

Hickiwan is so beautiful at sunset. It's so nice and quiet, which is a nice change from Sacaton!

We got in late Sunday night (or should I say Monday morning?). Monday was a brand new day, though, full of lots of excitement. Donnie, Eric, and Doug went to work on building bunk beds to go in the dorm.

The beginning

Trying out the first bed

The finshed product!! They built 5 of these!!

Monday night, we went out to Cockelburr to have our church service. We could tell when we pulled up that Satan was trying to destroy the night. However, he did not succeed. Melissa really started to open up. She started sharing some things from her past and basically said that she didn't believe that she could give her life to Christ because of what had happened in the past. Cindy also came to the church service. Eric lead the devotion and then questions started to be asked. Donnie and Doug took the kids to do "class" and play games so the adults wouldn't be distracted. I was holding the brand new baby trying to keep him content so he wouldn't be a distraction. To make a long story short, at the end of the night, Melissa, Cindy, and their uncle Clinton, all gave their lives to Christ!!!!!!! ALL 3 WERE SAVED!!!! I can not tell you how excited we were and are!!! Praise the Lord!! This was our prayer from the first time we went out there almost 8 months ago!!!

Here are some pics from the night:

The kids loved Donnie!! I think he kinda liked them too :)

Here I am holding the baby. Isn't he sweet?

Here's Melissa and some of the kids right after she gave her life to Christ!!

Eric, Clinton, Doug, and some more kids

Tuesday and Wednesday night we had planned a "Girls Night Out" for any teenage girl that wanted to come. We had the girls from our youth group at First Pima come out, as well as the girls from Desert Visions. We had a great 2 nights! The girls were so much fun!! The last night we had a couple of girls that also gave their life to Christ!! What an amazing week!! (I'm not really supposed to post pics of this, but I have to do one so you guys can see these awesome girls.)

Here's Darien and Stacy from our youth group at First Pima!

Sweet Ava- one of the girls' baby

It was seriously a really awesome week!!! Thanks Donnie and Carla for all your hard work and for everything you guys did for us!! We can't wait until you come and visit again!!

Thanks to everyone for your prayers throughout this summer! It's been an amazing 9 weeks, but it's not over yet. We have one more team to arrive at the end of this week so don't forget to pray!!!

Brittany

Edgewood Baptist Church

2011-07-23T11:16:00.000-07:00

Edgewood Baptist Church, from Hopkinsville, KY, came to minister the week of July 11-17. We had a really awesome week! They were a great team that worked really hard and showed Christ love to everyone they met!

They started the week by going to Casa Blanca Baptist Church and praying for the week, as well as passed flyers out telling about the Revival that was going to take place. A couple of the men from the team worked at Casa Blanca most of the week. They finished out a wall in the back so that we can really have 2 Sunday School rooms. They also got air conditioners to go in both rooms so that we can teach and the kids can listen without sweating to death!! We are very excited about this!!

During the morning hours of the week, the group had a VBS/Backyard Bible Club in the village of Chui Chu. This is a village that we had never done anything in before. There is no evangelical church in the village, just a Catholic church. So, we had built a relationship with a lady that lived in the village that was a Christian. To our knowledge, she is the only Christian that lives there. She was willing to open up her yard to us so that we could have a VBS with the kids. She said that she knew that she could get a hard time from the others in the village for doing this, but she believed that she needed to do it anyway. What a wonderful week we had!!! About 40 kids attended each day!!! Many of the kids said that they would come to something every week if it were available!! Although we did get opposition from a couple of people, most everyone seemed interested/excited that we were there. Please pray for this and the future of our ministry in the village of Chui Chu!!

At night, the group held a Revival at Casa Blanca Baptist Church! Children's Church was offered for the children and they loved it! There were about 25-30 kids in attendance every night. Many visitors came thoughout the week. One lady came during the week because her grandchildren had came to the different events we had had during the summer and she wanted to know what they loved about it so much. The last night of the revival she was saved!!!! So awesome!!!

The last day, the team held a Sunday School Teacher Training for anyone interested in learing more about teaching Sunday School. It was the first time we had ever done something like this and we had a great turnout for the first time. The people that came really learned a lot and were very appreciative to the team for coming. Some of the ladies even came back and brought presents to the team.

We ended the week by taking the team to the Apache Trail and visiting Canyon Lake. It was a great time to take in the beauty of God's creation and process what had happened during the week.

Here are some pics of the week:

Passing out flyers to the community

VBS kickoff event

Sweet Roger

Face Painting!!!

Tanner sharing his faith with this sweet man!

Little cowboy meets big cowboy!

Making Melodies in My Heart!! (I am still singing this song!)

Brayden was too cute singing and doing the motions!

Fixing to learn the Bible story

Hiding from the dust devil that just came through :)

Special Singers at the Revival- they were excellent!!

Eric and Gabriella

Tanner received these as a gift from the man he shared his faith with!!

Isn't he cute??

Ella and Brayden and their new friend, Austin

Bro Brad leading the teacher training

The whole crew at Canyone Lake!

Thanks again Edgewood Team!! We look forward to partnering with you all again!!!

Salt and Light Community Church

2011-07-02T10:09:00.000-07:00

This past week we had our 4th mission team of the summer from Salt and Light Community Church in Paducah, KY! They worked all week at Casa Blanca Baptist Church cleaning and organizing during the day and having VBS at night. I think Eric took off a total of 9 trailer loads full of trash, so they did a lot of work!!

Here are some pics from the week:

Here's the group of 9

Working hard

I believe she had to empty the vacuum 6 times!

Ella found another new friend, Haley

Making the new SS room beautiful

Almost complete

Crafts

Snack

Games

Bible Story

Sweet Kids!

Love her!

Look what we made!

How many kids can fit on one van? 22 on this ride!

Gorgeous sunset

They had fun tackling Jeff for the last pic!

We had a fun week!! Keep this team in your prayers as they are still traveling to get back to KY. They should be back around midnight tonight, I think.

As for our family, we are going to rest this week before another mission team gets here July 11. We are going to spend time together and do some fun stuff with our kiddos. I think Cars 2 might be in our near future!!!

Thanks for continuing to think about us and remember us in your prayers!! We so appreciate it!!

Brittany

Haven Fellowship

2011-06-25T22:45:00.000-07:00

This week has been another amazing week! We had our 3rd mission team of the summer! They came from the Atlanta, GA area. Their team was supposed to have 6 members, but 2 of the members were unable to make it because of an illness. However, it was still an amazing week!

This team worked their tails off!! Seriously, they were up at 4:30 every morning ready to work and they didn't go to bed until about 11 every night.

They worked out at Cockelburr all week long helping Cindy finish getting her new home set up. They did lots of plumbing and sewer type work. Long story short, Cindy has running water in her house for the first time ever!!! She was so excited that she cried when it started working!

The most exciting announcement is that we had our church service in Cockleburr on Tuesday night and one of the ladies that has been coming pretty much the whole time accepted Christ!!!! She is 79 years old and a very respected member of the community. We pray that God works through her to reach the community members we cannot. She is the first Christian from that village ever! We are making arrangements to get things set up so that she can be baptized there. I cannot tell you how excited we are!!

Here are some pics from the week:

Here are the "fantastic four" at the Grand Canyon

Of course, I have to include one of us at the Grand Canyon. I just think this is a neat spot!

How many kids can one person hold? I bet they would like for us to find out :)

Working hard

Making progress

Rest for the weary :)

Ella and her new buddy, Molly

Cooling off in the canal after a long days work! Did I mention it was 114 degrees?

WATER!!!!

I love this picture! It's just awesome that Cindy and her boys have a new house with actual furniture and, now, running water!!! BTW, her boys call it their "Jesus house"!!

All I can say is "what an awesome week"!! We are sad to see our friends from Atlanta go home tomorrow, but happy to make new friends this week. As I am typing this, our 4th mission team of the summer has just arrived from Paducah, KY. We look forward to what God has in store for this week! Please continue to remember us in prayer. We are a little on the tired side, but we can rest next week, right? :)

Brittany

First Missionary Baptist Church

2011-06-19T19:43:00.000-07:00

We just finished our 2nd week of having mission teams this summer. First Missionary Baptist Church from Benton, KY just left last night. We had such an amazing week! Although we knew many of the team members before (since we are from the same town), we now know them even better. We have formed some amazing friendships!!

The team this past week had a sports camp at Casa Blanca Baptist Church in the morning. We had about 40 kids in attendance each day, which is awesome!! Then, at night, we had VBS at First Pima Baptist Church! We had 83 different kids in attendance! One youth accepted Christ this week!!!!

Overall, it was just an amazing week!!

Building Relationships

A packed house!!

Mrs. Lindsey teaching the little guys the Bible story

Hard at work :)

Red Rover, Red Rover

Water games were a huge success!!

They got drenched!!

No trip is complete without riding a bull, right? Doug is teaching Braxton the tricks of the trade!

Do you know how incredibly nervous this made me?

These are just a couple of pics from the week! I wish I could include them all! If you know someone that came on the trip, ask them about their experience. I believe, for many, it was eye-opening and life-changing!

Please continue to pray for us, specifically for our summer. We have another team that will be here tomorrow morning!!! Pray for strength, guidance, wisdom, and perseverance!!

Brittany

Out with the old, in with the new

2011-06-06T22:06:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, we having been working for months to help Cindy and her family get a new home. Some of you helped make it possible by praying and sending financial support. Well, I am happy to announce that Cindy and her three boys received their new home on Saturday!!

It was an amazing day! But it was also an emotional one for Cindy and her boys. She wept as she watched her old home being demolished. Although it was beyond repair and it was unsafe and literally falling down around them, it was still their home and had been for years. Cindy was actually the third generation to raise her family in that home, so I'm sure there were floods of memories coming to her mind as she watched it fall; from watching her grandmother prepare lunch, to her mother helping her with homework when she was a child, to as an adult teaching her children to walk and talk.

We took one last picture of Cindy and the boys in front of their old home before it was torn down.

As the house was being demolished, I couldn't help but think about how it reminded me of what God does for us when we put our faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. He literally tears down the walls that we have formed in our life, takes out all the garbage and the junk that we are clinging to, demolishes it, and removes it from our life. But it doesn't end there. As I watched the new home being place in the exact same spot as the old one, it also reminded me of the fact that when Christ comes into our life, we are made new.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

2 Cor. 5:17

Beginning the Demo

The walls are coming down

Almost finished

Once the initial shock was over, the excitement set in. They were pumped to get their new home. We chose to get them a nice mobile home so that they could move in immediately. And that is exactly what they did. Tons of kids from the community came around to see the new house and "help" Cindy and the boys move in.

We were also able to get the boys some new bunk beds so that they could sleep in their own beds for the first time in their life. They loved them!

For us, it was a huge sense of satisfaction and relief. It was one of those times when God really confirmed that we were doing and being exactly where HE wanted us to be. We were also able to sleep well that night knowing that the boys were safe in their new home. There is no longer the threat of rattlesnakes in the house with them. They are able to move about freely without fear of what is under their feet. (Just a side note: there was a HUGE rattlesnake that the workers found in the old house while they were tearing it down)!

Thanks so much to all of you who have prayed for Cindy and her new home! It has been almost six months since we began ministering in her village. God is Good!

Please continue to pray for her, her boys, and the entire village. We know that this is just the beginning of what God is going to do there!

-- Eric

Home

2011-06-03T19:34:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, we had the opportunity to come back to our first "home" last week. By first "home" I mean Kentucky. It was really a wonderful week and much needed I might add. It was great to see our family and friends. We have been gone 6 months now, and it was the first time since leaving that we got to see everyone (with the exception of my mom and dad and Eric's mom). It was great to see my Granny and Michael, as well as Eric's brothers and sister (and Aiden). We also took a whole day to drive to Golconda, IL to see Eric's dad and grandparents.

Another great thing about coming "home" was getting to go to our church- Hardin Baptist. It's hard to explain but when we walk in the doors of our church we just get this peace that comes over us. It's home. It's where we grew up and experienced so many things. It's where we were saved, where we were married, and where we surrendered our life to what God calls us to. We just LOVE our church!

We also had the privilege of visiting some other churches that support us! It is good to see friends and fellow supporters who want to know how things are going, who care about us and our family, and talk about wanting to come visit us. Of course, we didn't get the chance to visit every church that supports us. But we do look forward to visiting those that we didn't get to see this time on our next visit "home", which will be around Christmas time.

We also got to meet with two mission teams that are coming this summer. We are pumped about them coming and about the work that God has in store for them. We know it's gonna be awesome!

And what surprises me (which I guess that I shouldn't be) is that God continues to blow us away! We met several people over the week that we did not even know (and some who didn't even know us) that gave to our ministry financially. One lady said, "I love what you are doing and I wanna give something to be apart of it" after only talking with us for about 5 minutes. What she (and the others) didn't know is that Eric and I had been talking earlier in the day about how we needed X amount of dollars to finish a couple of projects in the dorm for the teams coming this summer. After the individuals gave their money to the ministry, we now have enough money to finish the projects! Wow! God's timing is perfect!!

I will say that, in some ways, it was hard to leave. It is always hard to leave family and friends when you know it is going to be awhile before you see them again. It was especially hard for our kiddos. So, we have spent the last couple of days getting them adjusted back to being away from everyone and talking about the next visit to look forward to. I think they are counting down the days already :) Ella even told Eric's mom (Memaw) last night on the phone that "if you are our family and you really love us then you will come and see us in AZ." Talk about a guilt trip, huh?

But, even though it was hard to leave, it is also good to be back "home". We have discovered that we now have two "homes" because AZ also feels like "home". It is the place where God has called us at this point in our lives and the place where we carry out ministry. We have new friends here that we missed. It was honestly hard to be away for a week knowing of the things that we should be partaking in and the things that we needed to be working on. It was great to see Doug come to our door and hug on us and say that he truly missed us while we were gone. It was great to go to church Wednesday night and everyone tell us how much they had missed us and were glad for us to be "home".

After being "home" for 2 days, we are back into full swing! We have had church, we have been to Cockelburr (and there is a new baby now!) we are moving Cindy's new house tomorrow (look for a new post and pics to come soon), and Eric is going to be an interim pastor at Casa Blanca Baptist Church. We also have got a little more work to do to the dorms before the first team arrives NEXT WEEK! Not to mention, that we are getting everything in order for VBS that same week.

So, whether in KY or AZ, it feels like "home" and "home" is a good place to be! Enjoy some pics from our week!

So, we ate at Belew's 3 times while we were home! But it is gonna be a year before we eat there again so that makes it ok!

Fun at the park with Aiden!

Daddy and Brayden at Pepaw's in IL

Memorial Day at Memaw's House

This girl loves her some watermelon! I lost count of how many pieces she had!

Please continue to pray for us as we start our summer. We have 6 teams coming!

Brittany

The Children

2011-05-19T20:56:00.000-07:00

Precious...

Fun....

Happy...

Rambunctious...

Hungry for food....

But also hungry for God's Word!!!

Apart of our family...

He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."

Tonight, my heart is burdened for the children of Cockleburr. They are so precious to me and our family, but most importantly to God. Their lives are not easy, yet they are happy. Their lives do not consist of many material possessions, but they don't seem to care. They are just beginning to learn about God, about His Son Jesus, the Bible, etc. They are eager to hear and learn more.

Will you join me in praying for these children?

They hear and see so many things that many adults have not. Many of them watch their parents get drunk or high or both. Many of them have the responsibility of taking care of the house. Many watch members of their family go to jail. Many of them have been in foster care too many times to count. Many have seen death.

One grandmother told Eric last week, "Please keep coming and having church! We need you here. My grandchildren need to see something different in their lives. They need to know that they can grow up and do more with their life than be addicted to drugs and alcohol."

So while my heart is burdened, I am thankful that God hears my prayers! I am also thankful that we have many friends and family who will see this request and also pray!

Brittany

What have we been up to?

2011-05-11T14:18:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. It's been a while since we've posted something. So I'm going to try to let you guys in on some of the things we have been up to lately.

First, we are continuing the ministry at Cockelburr. Some of you know this and some of you don't, but we were asked by the tribe to stop having church services. The district representative told us that elders in the community did not like us being there and disrupting the community. However, we meet at Melissa's house (the trailer that recently got moved). We have not went door-to-door asking anyone to come and we are not loud. After explaining these things to the district representative, she eventually said that the real reason that they didn't want us there was because they liked the way they lived (drinking, drugs, basically just living in sin) and didn't want to change their lifestyle. So, we explained that we were having the church on personal property and that Melissa had freedom to worship how she would like. She accused us of "making" them have church. The district rep. then said that Melissa didn't have that freedom. She said the tribe had to approve anything that was taking place. Long story short, Melissa and Cindy and a few others went to her and said that they wanted to have the church. They have called a meeting to bring this up and discuss with the community. So, technically, the tribe could shut this down. However, Melissa and Cindy said that they still want to continue to meet. So we are going undercover style. We've changed the day we were going and time. We've changed the route we take to get there. We've changed the amount of people going to help with the church to very few. We've changed up the vehicles we take to get there. Please be in prayer for this, especially for Melissa and Cindy. No one has ever stood up for having church in this village.

Second, we have picked out a nice, but used mobile home for Cindy's house. We made the decision that this was the best option. Because her house now has to be torn down before another can be on the lot, this made the most sense. It is way bigger than what she has now and much nicer. She really does like it. Now we just have to get it moved out there!

Third, I have made a contact with a lady in another village that has no presence of the gospel. To my knowledge and hers, she is the only Christian in the entire village. We talked about doing a Bible school at her house this summer and possibly a Ladie's Bible Study in the fall. Please be in prayer about this as it is in the very beginning stages.

Fourth, our youth group is still going. We meet every Wednesday night for youth service and every Sunday morning for Sunday School. We try to plan an event for each month as well. This month we are doing some mission work at another church on the reservation.

Fifth, Eric has finished his seminary class for this semester :) He has signed up for his classes for next fall. As of now, he is taking 9 hours. He has also applied for a scholarship that would be very beneficial in helping pay for his classes. We find out whether he got it in June.

May 1 was our anniversary. To celebrate, we went to San Diego for 2 days! It is only about a 4.5 hour drive to get there. We stayed at a cheap hotel that had a pool so we went swimming both days. It was also only 2 miles from the beach and about 5 miles to the zoo. So we had a fun, but cheap 2 day get-a-way! It was nice to relax (if you call keeping up with 2 kiddos at the beach relaxing) haha

After we got back from our trip, Eric got a phone call from one of the pastors that we work with. Some things are going on in his life, and after much discussion, he has decided to take a sabbatical for a couple months and get things figured out. Eric will be preaching for the next several Sundays at this church and Dr. Cecil will be some as well. Please keep this situation in your prayers.

Brayden is having surgery this Friday, May 13 at 7:30 am. He is having tubes put in his ears. Although this is a simple procedure, he does have to be put to sleep. So we would also appreciate prayers for this! It is also an extra expense that we did not expect so please be in prayer for that as well.

We are also making preparations to come home to KY for a visit. We will arrive on May 23 and leave on June 1. We are excited to get to see all our family and friends! It will be almost 6 months since we have seen everyone. We have a couple of speaking engagements, but mostly we just want to visit and see everyone. We especially want to thank our supporters in person for praying and giving. We also have a couple of places we want to go to like Belew's and Los Portales. Isn't it funny the things you miss that you think you wouldn't?

I've lost count as to what number I'm on. Anyway, we are making final preparations for this summer. We have 5 (possibly 6) mission teams coming! We are so excited, but at some points it seems a little overwhelming. So we are putting the finishing touches on the dorm, finalizing all the projects, designing shirts, getting necessary supplies, etc. etc. We're gonna have a busy summer, but hopefully one where God moves and works and lives are changed!!!

The dorm before

The dorm almost finished

Ella and Brayden have been involved with sports for the past 11 weeks. Next week is the last week of spring sports. We are taking a break from sports for the summer! Brayden has played soccer. Ella has been a cheerleader for a football team. I am the cheerleading coach which has been an experience. I have learned how much of a mission field that this can be!!! They each have practice once a week and both have games on Saturdays. It's been lots of fun and they have really enjoyed it, but it will be nice for a break.

Last, this week we have been working at Casa Blanca Baptist Church. There is a couple that came this week from KY. We did a women's conference Monday morning and a shorter version of Bible school at night. Some of the men have been trying to clean up the grounds. Eric and Doug fixed a water line that had burst. A church from KY donated money for paint so that the church could be repainted. It has been covered in graffiti and needs painting really bad. So, the paint was purchased this week. This is the project that the youth are going to help out with. We hope to get this done Saturday!

This is what Doug and Eric found when they were cleaning up! Thankfully the snakes were asleep when they first found them so they killed them quickly!!!

So, that's been our last couple of weeks. I'm tired just telling you guys about everything!! I think I need to take a nap :) Yeah right! We still have to finish getting things together for class tonight, I have laundry to do, and dishes to wash.

Please keep the things I mentioned in your prayers! We appreciate it so much!!!

Brittany

Jiosh Wechij O'Ohana

2011-04-29T08:31:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share with you a passage of scripture that is written in the Native Language of the Pima and Tohono O'odham people. They have only a new testament translated in their Native tongue so the passage I am giving you is:

Romans 12: 1-2

1. Pegih neh, ni-wepneg, si o s-t-ho'ige'ith g Jiosh.T t heg hekaj wehs am wo i t-thagito wui matt am wehhejed d wo thothakamk ch am hab wo junihith g tatchuij. Batt masma s-wohom ab has wo elithath g Jiosh. 2. Pi g am hu ha oithch hab wo masmak hegam mo pi ab hu ihm g Jiosh ch wabshaba ab wo ie thagito Jiosh wui. T heg am gawul wo juh g emchegitoithag. T hab wehs wo ie wechijith g em-thoakag. Bamt wa'i masma wo s-mahchk mo haschu d Jiosh tatchui. K heg d wa"i si hekia s-ap' ekam.

Recognize anything? Hint: Jiosh means God

Wow isn't it complex. It took 18 years to translate the new testament alone and work on the Old testament has never begun!

There are people think that God only hears those who speak English or have a King James Version of the Bible but I can tell you first hand that God hears his people from every tribe, tongue, and nation.

We are humbled to be Gods messengers!!

Compassion Tour 2011

2011-04-26T23:19:00.000-07:00

Our very first mission team since living in AZ came last week! They drove 14 hours from Modesto, CA and some team members were from Tracey, CA. They were such an awesome group of students and adults! We had an amazing time and formed many friendships!

I will give a detailed account of the week really soon, but for now watch this video that Team Leader, Michael Saldivar made. It's awesome!

California Mission Team- click on this to watch the video

An update of the last couple of weeks

2011-04-12T21:09:00.000-07:00

Once again, we have been super busy! It seems that some days we just go non stop! But, we absolutley love what we do and we love to see God work!

On Sunday, April 3 Eric had the wonderful privilege of baptizing 3 of our youth girls. Everyone was so excited, especially the family of the girls. We had a meal afterwards and had just an amazing time of celebrating! Many family members came that day that do not usually come, so we pray that they were impacted in some way and that they will come back in the future.

Also, at the end of the service, a lady that had been attending church for a couple of weeks was saved!! She was then baptized on April 10th!

Jessi

Savannah

Dominga

Also, we have been very busy helping the family at Cockelburr with the new trailer that got moved out there (see previous post). There is lots of work that still needs to be done to the trailer, so Eric called some fellow missionaries of the rez to come help us figure out what needs to be done first. While we were there that day, Eric and Ken also got to put together some bunk beds. After we were done, the family had cooked a meal for us to eat. It had taken them most of the day to make, and we were so honored to be their guests!

The beginning stages

Almost finished

Some of the kids gathered around to watch a movie

Some other BIG news is that we had our first church service/Bible study in Cockelburr on April 10th. We had it at 2:30 in the afternoon. We took a pop up canopy, a table, and folding chairs and had service right in the backyard of the new trailer. A church from Phoenix, First Indian Baptist Church, is partnering with us to plant this new church. We had 6 adults from the village to attend and 25 children! FIBC brought some workers to play games and teach a Bible story to the children so the adults could worship without distraction! It was an amazing service! There really are no words to describe it. There were many times that Eric and I could not hold back tears because God was there and He was at work. It was seriously one of the best experiences we have ever been apart of!!!

Some of the kids playing games

A time of prayer for one of the adults dealing with alcohol addiction

Worshipping Together

Doug brought the message and shared his testimony

Precious Kiddos

Please pray for us as we continue to go back each week for our church services! They were so excited to know that we were coming back each week (They thought it was going to be every now and then.) We can't wait to have Easter service and celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord with them!

Also, please pray for our very first mission team coming this Saturday, April 16. They are driving from Modesto, California and doing contruction work during the day and having a youth rally/crusade at night. We'll definitely try to update lots next week while they are here.

Brittany

Our Exciting News!!

2011-04-04T15:31:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to officially announce that we are adding to our family through adoption!!!

Adoption is something that Eric and I have talked about since before we were married. Over the past couple of years, we have prayed that God would show us how to be involved and what to do. We always kept saying, "One day we will adopt. When we have more money and are settled." But God has different plans.

You see, the thing is, when we surrendered our life to God and to do whatever He called us to do, that meant we surrendered ALL of our life. Not just some of it. So, we made a commitment to Him that we would do whatever He calls us to.

So, number 1 was move to AZ to be missionaries. Check!
Number 2- adopt a child now- no more waiting or putting it off
Number 3, 4, 5, etc- We have no idea. Only God does, but we commit to be obedient!

We knew that when God called our family to missions, there could be no more "putting it off". Because our reasoning was "when we have enough money" and "are settled". Well, as missionaries we are obviously not loaded down with money and who knows if we will ever be settled. God kept telling us "This is my timing, not yours."

The number 1 reason that couples do not adopt is for financial reasons. It is very expensive. We know many people are going to wonder how in the world we are going to pay for it. Our answer is: God is going to provide. He does not call us to do things that He will not provide for. We have experienced this first hand already. So, we are putting it in His hands. People, mostly those who have adopted, have come up with ways and ideas to help raise some of the money. There are grants that you can apply for. We have applied for 2 already. There are also fundraisers that we will participate in. But we believe that one of the main reasons that God has chosen our family to do this, is so that only He can get all the honor, and praise, and glory for it. Everyone knows that we can not do it by ourself. So, when we officially have this child in our arms, only God can be praised for it! What a wonderful day that will be!

So, in a nutshell, that is where we are.

We have decided that God is calling us to adopt from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (or just Congo or DRC). It is a country in Africa with 5 million orphans.

There are lots of details that go along with adoption, as well as details about the Congo that I will talk lots about along the way. I have made a new blog for adoption news and updates, as well as family news. It is http://www.lovesrippleeffect.blogspot.com/

All ministry news, updates, prayer requests, etc will stay right here on this blog- liveloveaz. We hope you will continue to follow along!

We appreciate all your prayers and trust that you will continue to pray to for our family!

Brittany

Memory Verse Monday

2011-04-04T14:58:00.000-07:00

This week's memory verse is:

"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and Redeemer." Psalm 19:14

Memory Verse Monday (even though it's Tuesday)

2011-03-29T14:50:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'm a day late, but we had very exciting news to post yesterday.

While we were at our training a couple of days before the commissioning, we talked about spiritual disciplines. We took time to examine our own lives to see the spirtual disciplines that we do often and also the ones that we need to improve. God really showed me that one of the spiritual disciplines I don't do as often as I should is scripture memorization. I'm really good at knowing what a verse says but not so much as to where it is found. I was really convicted about this, so I have made a commitment to memorize one verse a week. I'm going to post the verse I'm learning on here every Monday as a way to hold myself accountable and also so that you can memorize scripture with me if you would like. Here is this weeks verse:

"Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble." 1 Peter 3:8

Brittany

Great day to be a servant- update with some pics

2011-03-28T20:26:00.000-07:00

Today was truly a great day! Simply put, God provided a home for a family and we were able to be the bearers of that good news. At about 11:00 a 14x70 mobile home pulled into the village of Cockelburr and landed on a lot of a family in dire need. It was awesome!!

(This is not the new home that we have been talking about for Cindy, hers is coming soon. This is one that just fell in our laps so God put it to good use.)

Here it comes!

As the mobile home was pulling into the village it had everyone wondering what was going on, so they came to see. There were tons of adults and children from all over the village there, we were able to talk and pray with many of them. It was a great opportunity to tell them how God had provided this home as well as the one He is providing for Cindy and her children.

Here is some of the family the that will be living in the trailer,
they were so excited to have this home as their own!

All this talking and praying led to the most exciting news of the day! We have scheduled our first Church service/Bible Study. We will begin meeting on Sunday, April 10th at 2:30 in the afternoon! Its hard to believe that just a short time ago there was no presence of the Gospel and now people will be coming together to hear the Good News and worship God!! Please be in prayer for this service and the ones to follow.

Above are some of the men who have helped to make this possible. The one on the top is Shaun Whitey, Pastor of First Indian Baptist Church in Phoenix. He and his church have played a HUGE role in the work in Cockelburr. Their obediance and faithfulness has been amazing.

The one on the bottom is Doug Jones, he has connected with the people of the village faster than anyone I have ever seen, He will continue to be very important to this mission!

Oh by the way, they got bored waiting on the trailer and decided to climb the windmill in the desert.

We will be going back to the village later this week to fix a few things and help the family move into their new (to them) home.

What a great couple of weeks & A Special Prayer request!!

2011-03-27T16:57:00.000-07:00

I know it has been forever since we have posted, and it seems like a million great things have happened since our last post. We have been to Tampa for training and commissioning with the North American Mission Board. We met some amazing people who are invloved in ministry all over North America; from Canada to South Florida. God is doing some amazing things throughout our continent! We will update with more details later.

I really wanted to take a minute to share something that God has done and ask you to be in prayer for it. We have been telling you about the village that God has placed in our path and the family that He has allowed us to connect with. You know from our former post that God has provided the finances for Cindy and her family to have a new home, and this will also be the home that we will begin our house church/Bible study in. God has truly been amazing and we daily stand in awe at His hand at work in this situation.

Step one of the process will begin tomorrow. God has not only provided a home for Cindy and her family, but He has also made it possible for another family in the village to have a home as well. It is actually a used mobile home, but it is substantially greater than their current living conditions.

We are asking you to pray for this family and this situation because we will be delivereing the mobile home to them tomorrow!! WOW! Just a few months ago we had little connection into the closed village but God has moved in and set up shop there! How awesome!

Pray that God get all the glory for providing this need for the family and that this only opens the door farther for the Gospel to penerate the lostness found there!!

Thank you so much for your prayers! God is using them in powerful ways!

To God Be the Glory!!!

2011-03-07T12:10:00.000-08:00

I am so excited that as I am typing this I am shaking.

WE HAVE THE FUNDS FOR CINDY'S HOUSE!!!!!

God is so awesome!!! That's all I know to say!

We have had several individuals send money. Then, this morning Eric had a meeting with an area church. The church voted to cover the remainder of the cost last night!!

How awesome it is to see God perform miracles!!!

Thank you to those who sent encouraging words, money, and most of all for your prayers!!!

Please join us in praising Him!!

Opportunities to Serve "The Least of These"

2011-03-02T14:38:00.000-08:00

I'm being truly transparent and honest. Today has been a disappointing day. We got a phone call this morning telling us that a mission team that was supposed to be coming next month cancelled. This team was supposed to start the ground work to the house in the remote village we have been talking about and posting pics of so much. (See previous posts) We have been so excited for this, but most importantly Cindy and her family could not wait. I can't express how heart broken we were when we found out they were no longer going to come.

When we first met Cindy and her family, they had this sense of hopelessness that life could not be better and would not get better for them. They didn't smile much and didn't talk much. But as our relationship has grown, we have seen a different side. They now understand that we love and care for them. We come see them and check on them weekly. They know that we desperately want to help them. When we told her the team was coming to start the work, she was so excited. Her face lit up. She had hope. Everytime we pull up to her house, the kids run out screaming, "It's Eric and Brittany! It's Eric and Brittany!"

So, this morning we get the call. The call that says, "we are no longer coming." It's not because they don't have the money or something drastic has happened. They just changed their mind. Other things more appealing were offered. People decided they would rather spend the money towards their vacation or something more fun. I wanted to say, "Seriously? This must be a joke." Unfortunatley, it's not. They really did call a month before they were supposed to be here and cancel. They must not realize that their actions and decisions do not just affect them.

But, they are not the ones who have to face this family and tell them that no one is coming to help them now. Nope, that would be our family that has to do that. We are the ones who have to say, "We know we told you these people wanted to come out and help, but now they can't (actually don't want to) come anymore." Yep, we are the ones that look like liars. So, after we say all this, why would she want to hear anything we have to say about a relationship with Jesus?

That could possibly be the scenario, but we are not giving up. We believe that God will send other people to do this work. Perhaps you are reading this now and God is calling you to be apart of this ministry.

We have the following dates available for mission teams to come and work on this project. (The work needing to be done will mostly be construction work so experienced people are needed, however do not count yourself out if you are not experienced.)

April 9-16

April 23-30

May 7-14

May 14-21

May 21-28

We are going to try our best to make this mission trip the cheapest way possible. If you are seriously interested in coming any of these weeks, please email us at liveloveaz@gmail.com or if you have our phone number please call. You don't have to form a group to be able to come.

You could be reading this and know that you can't come on a trip but you could give some money towards this project. The estimated cost to finish this project completely is between $15,000-$20,000. You may not be able to give much but every little bit helps. Even if it's $5 or $10. It adds up. You can send a check to our address specifying what it is for: PO Box 2237, Sacaton, AZ 85147. I'm going to try to set it up also so that you can make payments online. (It may take me a day or two.)

If you can't do either of these, then please pray. We know that God hears our prayers!!!

These verses have been on my mind all day today: Matthew 25:31-46

Jesus says in verse 40, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

In verse 45, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me."

Which response would Jesus say to you?

Will you choose to serve Jesus by serving the least of these?

The truth of the matter is...

2011-02-27T21:05:00.000-08:00

As the days continue to go by, we often stand in amazement at the power and provision of God in our lives and the life of His ministry to the Native Americans that He has called us to serve. But we are also reminded daily of the growing needs of the people that we are called to reach. Everytime we turn around God is showing us or introducing us to people who need Him in a huge way. Many times the circumstances and situations that we encounter are unexplainable through words; it is truly something you would have to experience to understand.

We get to share these needs with different people and churches a great deal and many times when we do we get asked the question..."why are they like that?" or many people will say.."you know they are like that because...." and they'll have a hundred reasons for the needs that are present and the circumstances that come from them. The first question I often want to ask them is ... "what is that??" they are like what?? I want to say if it was that simple don't you think that someone would have "fixed" the problems already. Don't get me wrong- the question of why is a legitimate question and the asker is often asking the question from a pure heart, but to try and answer it completely would be nearly impossible. The truth of the matter is... the only answer I can come up with is one that comes straight from scripture and it comes from John 9:2-3.

His disciples asked Him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents,

that he was born blind?" "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus,

"But this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life."

I'm not at all saying that the people here are without sin, but what I am saying is that when the situations, circumstances, and people (whom many have deemed hopeless) are changed with the power of the Gospel, God's work is displayed in an all the more unbelievable way. When we see God changing a culture by changing lives it is no doubt that it is only by HIS power, and praise God that we get to be along for the ride!!

I say all of that to say this: Please continue to pray for the work that God is doing here on the reservations, especially in the village of Cockleburr. This village is so close to our heart. There is so much need and work to be done that, at times, it is overwhelming. We desperately want to help Cindy and her family as much as we possibly can. Just this week, we went back to put tarps on the roof of her house so that when it rained this weekend hopefully they would get a little less wet.

Eric even had a little helper from the village

Of course, this is temporary. Please pray about how we can help long term. We have groups that have volunteered to come in and help build this family a very small (one room), but new house with plumbing. However, this will cost several thousand dollars. Another option is to find a mobile home and move it out to the reservation. The moving cost alone is $3,000. While we know that we don't have the money to do this, we know that God will provide a way. God still performs miracles everyday, and we truly believe that He will perform a miracle in this village so that He gets all the honor and praise. We also know that God chooses to use his followers to help serve and minister. If you, a group you are involved in, a Sunday School class, church, etc. would like to financially give and get involved in this work please contact us and let us know. You may send donations to our address: PO Box 2237, Sacaton, AZ 85147 and include a note specifying the work you are giving to. If you would like more information, feel free to call or email and ask questions. Feel free to also pass this along to anyone that you think would love to be involved in ministering to this village.

Thank you so much for your prayers and remembering us as we love and minister to these villages and people!

This and That

2011-02-23T11:26:00.000-08:00

We have been very busy these past couple of weeks (actually since we arrived in AZ). It seems that everywhere we look there is a need to be met, everytime we turn around someone is at our door, and Eric's phone is the most used phone in the entire world (probably not but it seems that way) :) But we love it! It is the best "job" that we could possibly have. We get to see God work miracles every day! We get to see God change the lives of people!! There is no way to describe it- just awesome!

Last week was our first Wednesday night youth service. We had 10 students that attended, which is really good. (You have to realize that AZ is not in the Bible Belt. There are youth groups in surrounding cities that don't have 10 students on a regular basis.) We had an awesome time hanging out with them. When it was time to start the lesson, there was absolute silence. The students were very attentive and hung on every word that Eric said. It was just amazing. It was the first time many of them had ever heard the Gospel. Several of them admitted at the end that they knew they did not have a relationship with Christ. Please continue to pray for these students and the new youth ministry.

Eric teaching under the ramada

Also, last week we went to look at a camp facility to take the students to either for a retreat or a camp this summer. It was up in the mountains and really beautiful. When we left our house it was about 75-80 degrees and by the time we got to the top of the mountain it was about 55 degrees. There was even snow, which the kids were really excited to see! Please keep this in your prayers as well. We really would like to take the students here. Most of them have never experienced anything like this before so we know that they would love it. However, the church is not able to pay for them to go and the students can not pay for themselves to go. So, we pray that God will provide a way.

They picked out the bed they wanted to sleep in!

I have a lot more that I want to share, but the kiddos are needing me. I hope to post again soon! But before I go, I want to leave you with a verse that I have been meditating on this week.

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ..." Colossians 4:2-3

Brittany

Cocklebur at OneTrueMedia.com

2011-02-16T15:56:00.001-08:00

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Just Jesus

2011-02-13T14:17:00.000-08:00

This morning we had the opportunity and privilege to go to another church on the reservation. Our purpose in going was to teach Sunday School to the kids or teens or whoever showed up. The Sunday School program has dwindled to almost nothing, especially for the kids/students. However, the pastor said that he was going to announce that we were coming and he was hopeful that kids/students would come.

We were told that Sunday School started at 10 am. Of course, here on the reservation, that could mean 10 or 10:15 or 10:30 or whatever time anyone wants to start, but we got there right at 10. We were the second car in the parking lot. There was one man and two teen boys. We found out that we were doing Sunday School outside under the ramada, which was great because it was and is such a beautiful day-like 80 degrees.

So we started out to the ramada with the boys and started talking. Before we knew it, more kids had arrived. We looked up again and we could see kids walking to the church. Eric started the lesson and as he taught more kids came. Before class was over, there were about 20-25 kids!!

After Sunday School was over, we got the chance to talk with the pastor for a while. He was telling us the reason that we had class outside was because the electricty had been shut off. People that live nearby had been stealing the electricity from the church and ran the bill up so high that the church couldn't pay it. Also, the water had been shut off as well because a pipe had burst.

So, this morning we had a "Just Jesus" (as Eric and I like to call it) service. There were no lights, no water, no heat/air, no music or piano, etc. just the presence of God. It was an amazing service. The members of the church were genuine. They stood up and gave testimonies. They asked for prayer for family members that were not Christians. One younger woman asked prayer for a family member that had been missing since Thursday. And do you know what happened? We prayed right then for that family and for the person. It wasn't in the program to happen or in the "order of service" so many times that churches think they have to stick to. It was a time that was led by the Spirit of God.

As I sat and listened to the sermon, the preacher was giving accounts of some things that had happened in his life. He is a very transparent man. He used to be involved with drug trafficking and was even the driver for a drug cartel which landed him in jail/prison several times. By God's grace and nothing else, he is a radically changed man. His congregation loves him because he is able to relate to them and the issues that they face in their lives.

It was just a neat service. It was a service that focused on Christ. The only distractions were the whispering of small children and the cries of a baby. No one was worried about the lights or the instruments or if a song got left out. God was glorifed in so many ways! I think maybe there needs to be more "Just Jesus" services!

Day After Day

2011-02-09T21:14:00.000-08:00

We love this song! You need to listen to it if you've never heard it. It's by Kristian Stanfill.

Men will try to rule the world You made
But we know power is Yours alone to give and take
A day will come when every knee will bow
And every tongue confess that You are Lord both now and forever

Day after day our God is reigning
He's never shaken
My hope is in the Lord
Time after time our God is faithful
Trustworthy Savior
My hope is in the Lord

The fear of man and what they plan will fade
When we know you alone are God of everyday
Like the flowers man will rise and fall
But you are everlasting never-ending God eternal

Let the songs of adoration rise
Our God is reigning up on high
He's worthy to receive the praise and the glory

Update in Pictures

2011-02-07T20:33:00.000-08:00

Wow! We have been really busy the past couple of weeks. Here are some pictures so you can see what we have been up to.

We went back to the village mentioned in a previous post several times. We took toys, food, blankets, clothes, shoes, etc. We are going to help this family in any way possible. We look forward to starting a Bible study soon!

My little darlings sang "Jesus Loves Me" in front of the church!

We had a Super Bowl party for the youth in the area. We had about 8 girls come and had an awesome time! They planned how they were going to invite more youth to come to church and decided they wanted to have a youth worship service on Wednesday nights! We are all going door-to-door this Wednesday night!

We found a really cool park today in Chandler. It has a playground, dog park, and archery range (which Eric was really excited about)!

Hot Stuff Baby with spaghetti mouth and all

Thanks for keeping up with us and especially thanks for your prayers. We have seen God answer prayers so many times in the last couple of weeks! We hope to update again soon!

Brittany

Broken Hearted

2011-01-22T13:45:00.000-08:00

That is the only word that I can think of after we left the village we went to yesterday. I haven't been able to stop thinking about everything that I saw (neither has Eric for that matter). I couldn't sleep last night. I don't even really know how to describe it. Just poverty and oppression.

We went to the village to meet with a lady about starting a Bible study/church in her home. She is open to this. At this time, there is no church in the area. It would be considered an unreached village. Exciting, right? The only thing is that it is not possible to meet in her home. It is falling down. Part of the roof is missing. There is no electricity and no water. Not to mention rattlesnakes.

This was their shower and bathroom-when they had water.

The precious little ones that live there too

This is the stove she made herself

We prayed with her and the kids, and told her that we would try to help her in any way that we can. Most importantly we tried to share Christ and that, through a relationship with Him, there is hope. Please pray for this family and community-as this is just one of many houses like this there. Pray also for us as we minister to them. Pray that we meet their physical needs the best we can. Pray that they see Jesus in us. Pray for a church to be started, that lives will be given to Christ, and a community be changed for His glory!!

"Jesus replied, 'What is impossible with men is possible with God." -Luke 18:27

Prayer Requests

2011-01-20T21:28:00.000-08:00

As we have began the ministry God has called us to here in AZ, it seems the conversation that has been talked about the most is spiritual warfare. Here are the verses we read and discussed last night during church:
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:10-12
We know that Satan has a stronghold in this community, with the children and teens especially. We have been gearing up for battle since we knew we were moving here, but now, we know that we are heading to the frontlines. We ask that you please continue to pray for us!
"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep praying for all the saints." Ephesians 6:18

Here are some specific requests:

1. When we arrived, we met a man named Doug. He is a church member and has a very willing and eager heart to serve his community. He was so excited that we were here. What we didn't know in the beginning was that he had been away from church for some time (years). He had struggled with lots of stuff. It wasn't until October that he started coming back to church again and getting involved. He saw that people were working on our house here and came to see what it was all about. Then he started coming every day and helping too. God has truly transformed his life, and he is on fire and ready to serve,teach, help,etc. Please pray for him as he battles his "old" life and shows his family and friends his "new" self. Pray for Eric as he starts to disciple him and teach him how to teach a Sunday School class.

Eric and Doug

2. We are going out into the community on Saturday inviting kids/teens/families to church. There was one 8th grade student that came to church last week. As Eric and Doug started talking with her in Sunday School, they asked her who would she want to come to church with her. She started listing off names of other teens and they had 15 before they knew it! So, we are going on Saturday to try to find these kids. We asked other church members last night if anyone would want to go with us. We know for sure of one other lady that said she would go. This is a big deal. Outreach events don't happen very much here. Please pray for us as we go. Pray for the students/families we will come in contact with.

3. We got the opportunity yesterday to meet another missionary family that moved to the Tohono O'odham reservation. They moved one week before we did. They will be working in Sells, which is the capital of that reservation. It's funny because they are just like our family but a few years older. He was a youth pastor, they have 2 children, and they are focusing primarily on children/teenagers/and young adults. They also live right next to the church they are working with. It was a neat time of sharing what Christ had done in our lives, of how we had gotten to where we were, and the visions we had for our ministries. Did I mention that they are from Tennessee? It was nice to hear someone else with a southern accent :) Seriously though, I think we will become good friends and ministry partners. Please pray for their family: The Ware's-Eddie, Candy, Dakota, and Caleb

Ken and Thurleen Bain, Eric and Brittany Gibbs, and Eddie and Candy Ware

4. Please pray for these spiritual leaders here on the Gila River Indian Community.

Eric, Dr. James Cecil, and Aaron Johns-pastor of First Pima Baptist Church

We'll keep you posted on how things are going and give you more prayer requests. Thanks for going to the throne of God with us and for us!

Brittany

The first week

2011-01-15T19:53:00.000-08:00

Well, it has been a little over a week since we have became residents of AZ. It's been a great, busy, and a little overwhelming week. We've had the opportunity to meet many new people and experience lots of new things.

The day before it was time to take my family to the airport, we decided to do something fun. We drove along the Apache Trail. It was absolutley beautiful!! There were many places to stop along the way. Here are some pics of our fun day:

Superstition Mountain

Canyon Lake- absolutley beautiful!!

Goldfield Ghost Town

We were also able to make many significant connections this week with the help of a new friend, Doug. The first connection was with a youth center for drug and alcohol abuse. This center is really close to our house. There were about 5 youth that came to the church on Sunday from this center, however, everyone at the church said they were very inconsistent about coming. So, we went to find out why. The clinical director explained that there were not enough staff on the weekends to really allow them to come very much. We asked if would be a possibility for us to come there and have church/ Bible study with them. He said that it would be great for us to come! He told us that no one had ever done anything like this before! We are super excited about this because the youth are in the center for a minimum of 12 weeks; so we know for sure that is how long we will have to minister to them and share Christ with them!

Two other connections were made this week. One with a group home that houses 24 children ages infant-17. We intend to go back this week and talk some more. Another with the local Boys and Girls Club of Sacaton. We have to fill out volunteer applications, and we have had our fingerprints done and sent off. We would be able to volunteer at the center everyday if we wanted to. It is open in the summer as well. The director said they have about 150 kids during the summer and some stay from 8 am-8 pm. Wow! What a ministry! Although we can't do Bible studies with them (yet) we can still minister and share Christ with them on a personal level.

Speaking of children, Ella and Brayden met their first friend this week. She is a granddaughter of a church member, but she nor the rest of her family come. She played at our house for about 4 hours one afternoon. All the kids had a great time. Ella said, "I hope she will start to come to church!" This just goes to show that our children are just as much missionaries as Eric and I are.

On a different note, Eric and I went and got a new driver's license. It was quite the experience! We thought we would just walk in and get a new one just like we were still in Benton, KY. However, we pulled in the parking lot and there were a jillion cars in the parking lot with twice that many people inside waiting. We had to wait in line for information, then fill out a paper, then get back in line to turn in the paper, then get a number, and sit and wait for a complete hour to be called. Exhausting!

Eric and Brayden also needed haircuts. This was quite the ordeal because only one person, maybe two have ever cut their hair before. It was hard to know who to choose, so we just picked one off the street and crossed our fingers. It ended up being fine. Their new haircuts look good!

So, that's about enough for one post. Please continue to pray for our family and the Gila River and Tohono O'odham Communites, as well as the San Carlos Apache tribe.

Much love,

Brittany

Packing, Traveling, Moving, & Settling

2011-01-09T16:08:00.000-08:00

Wow these last couple of weeks have been wild! But we are now officially on the mission field! It is hard to believe that what we planned for and anticipated for the last 15 months is finally here. It has been a great journey so far and it has only just begun.

We began packing our belongings last Friday, (thanks to the help of several family members and friends) and continued packing all day Saturday. You really dont realize how much stuff you have until you try packing it all into a moving truck. We rented the biggest moving truck that Penske had and it took the entire thing and then some, but we got it all!

We started our 1700 mile journey early Monday morning. We drove for about ten hours or so and ended up in town about an hour east of Dallas. It was our first experience driving in Texas and I now know one thing for sure, Texas is a HUGE state! We continued this task of driving for hours on end for three days, but we were able to see some neat stuff along the way . We saw wind turbines for the first time, it was awesome to watch hundreds of them turn as they seemed to go on for miles. On our third and final day of traveling we got caught in an interesting situation while we were eating lunch. A ladies car burst into flames in the Pizza Hut parking lot. No one was hurt but it did make for some interesting pictures while we were blocked in by the fire trucks. Although the drive was VERY long, praise God it was smooth and relatively uneventful.

As we have said before, the way God has orchestrated this entire process has been absolutely mind blowing and when we arrived on the reservation on Wednesday we were again blown away at his amazing hand at work.

We're Here!

When we arrived, we were greeted by several people who were anxiously awaiting our arrival. They were eager to show us and tell us how God had been working on their end and in their lives throughout this entire process as well. We stepped out of the moving truck and the blessings began to pour out. The men and woman who had worked tirelessly preparing the home we would be living in are amazing and the work they did on the house was just as amazing as they were. They walked us through a house that has had a total face-lift, (again it was all through Gods guidance and the obediance of His saints that this remodeling could have taken place). We were truly in awe.

Once the tour was over it was unloading time. Many people jumped in to help and it was quite a bit less painful than the packing was. It has been four days now and each day we are settling in more and finding our way around the community and meeting its wonderful people. We have been able to experience alot of things in just four days. We have now had two wonderful services with the people of First Pima Baptist Church, attended a rodeo on the reservation, eaten the local cuisine, and seen many people who need Christ. Continue to pray for us as we serve with these wonderful people to which God has called us.

YEE HAW!

Indian Taco-- Delicious!

Thank you all so much for your prayers and support, we are expecting great things from God as we begin to minster to and with the people of the Gila River Indian Community!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-12T12:56:00.000-08:00

We are in the final days of preparing for our official move to the reservation, 21 days to be exact! The last few months have flown by, but it seems as if these final days are passing dreadfully slow. We are so excited and overwhelmed at the thought that we will be beginning this ministry in just a matter of days. Pray for us as we are closing out things here, saying goodbye to friends and family, and packing our belongings. We will be loading the moving truck January 1 & 2 and we will be heading to Arizona the morning of the 3rd. The trip should take us 3 days, so we should arrive at our new home on the evening of the 5th. Pray for us as we will have a 3 vehicle caravan; a moving truck, pickup truck, and our van (which will have our 3 and 5 year old riding in them). The trip is approximately 1750 miles!

God has truly been amazing throughout this whole process, daily we stand in awe of Him and things He has done and how He has done them. I can never remember a time in our life where the provision of God was so evident. We can't wait to see how He is glorified even more over the course of His ministry on the reservation.

An update on things happening on the reservation even as we speak: First Pima Baptist Church, in Sacaton (the church where we will primarily based) is gearing up to help families throughout their village and across the reservation by providing Christmas gifts for Children. They are expecting a great turnout so pray that God use them as they meet this physical need in hopes to open the door to meet the ultimate spiritual need.

As for the house we will be living in; The awesome people who have worked tirelessly over the last couple months to make it possible are putting the finishing touches on the floor and other odds and ends things. They keep telling us how blessed they are to have been a part of what God is doing. Without their faithfulness and willingness to be used by God, it would have set us back by several months. Thank God for them!

Thank you all for the prayers, support, and encouragement!!

Merry Christmas!

...and how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard?

2010-12-04T07:59:00.000-08:00

This week has been the week of prayer for international missions throughout Southern Baptist life. It is a week where we as Southern Baptist recognize, highlight, and pray for those that are serving Christ throughout foreign lands all over the globe. I wanted to take a moment to recognize a family that is doing exactly this; a family that I have known for many years and has an intense desire to make the Gospel of Christ known to the people to which God has called them.

Josh and Stacy Leigh Hutchens along with their young son Jude are missionaries to the people of Moldova

In their own words:

"God has chosen to make us partakers of privilege in taking the Gospel of the Kingdom to the enitre world. He does not need us, but He has chosen us in His infinite wisdom to use us to accomplish the great mission of history- all peoples worshipping God in Christ."

"Many people in Moldova and across the former Soviet Union cannot worship God because there is no one to proclaim the Gospel of Christ where they live. There are no missionaries. There are no churches. There are no Christians."

With a desire to see all nations worshipping God in Christ and with the understanding that many of the people of Moldova have never heard the Gospel, Josh and Stacy Leigh moved to the small Eastern European country of Moldova to literally be the hands and feet that would carry this Gospel of Christ to its people.

God has used their ministry in amazing ways since arriving in Moldova. It seems as if we are always receiving updates telling of the amazing power of God and how He is proving Himself over and over as Josh and Stacy Leigh are being obediant to the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

This is just a small glimpse into the lives of a real family serving a very real God. They are truly living out the Great Commission on a daily basis!

To learn more about the Hutchens' Ministry or to partner with them financially or through prayer visit their website: http://gospellife.org/

Last Chance for Shirt Order-- Plus slight changes to design

2010-11-29T11:39:00.000-08:00

Thanks again to everyone for the support during the last few weeks as we have been trying to come up with creative ways to meet needs on the reservation. Several people have ordered shirts and the money that is profited from the sales will literally be used to share the love of Christ with several families and individuals. We cannot wait to get there and begin our ministry!!

We are placing the actual shirt order on Friday of this week (December 3rd). So if you are interested in getting one let us know asap. We will place different orders throughout the year but this will be the last one for a few months, so don't forget to place your order today!

We also wanted to let everyone know that there have been some slight changes to the shirt as well. The design overall is exactly the same, however the color of the shirt will actually be charcoal gray and the the writing that is black will now be white. It looks great!

Our Shirts have a Lower Price!!

2010-11-15T08:37:00.000-08:00

Thank you all for the great response you have given toward our New Shirt Design. We are now able to lower the price to $15. So hopefully this will allow for more people to purchase them and in turn more needs will be met on the reservation. If you are interested in purchasing one, comment with your shirt size or send us an email: liveloveaz@gmail.com

Anyone who has already ordered or will be ordering a shirt will get them at the new lower price of $15.

Check out our new shirt design!

2010-11-12T08:01:00.000-08:00

Isn't it awesome? We think so. But what's even more awesome is that we are selling them to meet needs on the reservation.

The price for the shirt is $18 and 100% of the proceeds will benefit the Native Americans in AZ!!! The shirts come in youth sizes XS-L and adult sizes S-XXXL.

If you would like to order one or more, please let us know by commenting below or sending us an email at liveloveaz@gmail.com.

Don't miss out on the opportunity to partner with us as we carry the Gospel of Christ to the Native Americans in Southern AZ!!

Thanks for your support!

God is good all the time!!!

2010-10-26T16:20:00.000-07:00

Wow! It's been a while since our last post. We've had an adventurous last couple of weeks to say the least. To be honest, some of those weeks have been very trying, but God is sovereign and in control. When we don't understand, He knows why and how things happen. He is good all the time!!!

We have several new updates. First, our house in AZ is getting the work and repair done to it as I type this! This is only one example of how awesome God is! We were having trouble getting a team together to be able to go do the work, and we weren't sure how it was going to get done before we were to move in. However, God knew all along. One of the churches that is partnering with us told Eric that they would like to pay for the cost of the renovaions to be done and pay for someone to do it!! Little did we know, two missionaries in AZ already were willing and ready to start the work on the house!! It truly is amazing to see how God works.

Also, we have had many of you ask how things are coming along with raising our support. At this point, we have about 15% raised. We also have had several one time donations. We are scheduled to speak at several different churches in the next upcoming weeks as well. We also have mailed cards to several individuals in which we are still receiving them on a weekly basis. (Side note- if you have forgotten to mail back in your card it's ok for you to still send it in.) When we say this figure to some, we get the reaction of "Aren't you worried your not gonna raise your support?" Truthfully, every now and then that thought crosses our mind. But we know, without a doubt, that God has called us to AZ and He will take care of us. He is Jehovah Jireh- Our Provider!! We have learned that not everyone is supportive of us going. Some individuals that we never would have imagined. There are some that are very supportive. Some we would have never imagined. That's when we step back and see once again that God is sovereign over this. It will happen in His time and with those He chooses to partner with us.

Another thing going on is that we are having another yard sale this Thursday- October 28. It will be at my parent's house (2611 Brewers Hwy.) We did have a yard sale last week that was very successful!! However, we still have things to get rid of and we have added some new stuff this week. We just keep finding stuff!! This is helping us with the cost of moving, which we have figured will be at least $3000. Please come out and see if you need anything.

Last, tomorrow is our commissioning service at Mid-Continent University. Many of you already know about this, however, if you haven't heard you are invited to come on out. It starts at 9:30 am and will last about one hour. We would love for you to be there if possible.

We want to once again say thank you to everyone for praying for us, encouraging us, giving financially, etc. Many of you have been such blessings to us during this time of transition.

-Brittany-

Full Speed Ahead

2010-09-28T11:19:00.000-07:00

We want to start by saying a BIG thank you to the churches and people who have allowed us to come and share what God is doing in our life! The response has been great so far. Your support through prayer is amazing and for those of you who have taken the step to partner with us financially, you'll never know how greatful we are! If you would like us to come and share with your church or group we would love to have the opportunity to do so.

We also wanted to let you know of a another way that you can partner with us. The house we will be living in and conducting most of the mission work out of is in need of a little TLC. Nothing too major but there are some things that really need to be done before we can move our family in. We wanted to present you with the opportunity to help make this a reality. We are in need of about ten people who would be willing to travel with us to the reservation in November to help make the necessary repairs and updates. We will be painting, installing flooring, minor electrical work, and several other light construction projects. If you are inerested at all or would like more information please let us know. You can email us at liveloveaz@gmail.com.

We're officially official!!!

2010-09-15T10:01:00.000-07:00

Yay!! We are so excited! We received an email this morning to let us know that the Board of Trustees at the NAMB approved us to be Mission Service Corps Missionaries. Although we knew this was just a formality, it feels good to know for sure.

Please continue to pray for us as we begin this process. We know that when we are doing God's will and are following Him with our life that satan loves to attack. Indeed, he has this week. Everyday so far.

However, just a couple of hours ago we got an email from a wonderful friend telling us that her and her husband were planning a mission trip to AZ during the spring. How exciting! Just thinking about this makes us so excited! Although we will miss so many of our family, friends, students at church, etc, it makes us realize that our heart longs to be there doing the work that God has set out for us to do. We long to be there telling others about Jesus and meeting needs! We long to be there to do work that really matters to the Kingdom of God!

A line from a song that we really love states, "All of life comes down to just one thing- that's to know you Jesus and to make you known." That's the prayer we have for our life. Everything else doesn't really matter.

Thank you guys so much for your support and prayers!

Wherever He Leads I'll Go

2010-09-07T12:25:00.000-07:00

We have sang that song for many years, not really thinking much about it. It is a song that is sang often in most Baptist churches, and many times we sing it more out of repetition rather than as a commitment to God. However, our family has been learning over this past year what it really means to follow God- no matter where He leads us to go.

We have always (at least from the time we came to Christ) loved missions. We always thought that we would take mission trips with our churches and lead mission trips with youth, but never thought much about being "missionaries". Over this past year and a half, though, God has really been showing us what He has been preparing us for.

It all started with Eric taking a mission trip to Southern Arizona to the Tohono O'odham Indian Reservation with Mid-Continent University. It was a trip that he hadn't really planned much for or thought much about. However, the moment he stepped onto the reservation he knew that God had something great in store. He immediatley had this love for the Native Americans of that reservation. To make a long story short, he was able to lead a young man to Christ and overcome extreme cultural barriers. It was a trip that was truly life-changing in many ways.

Three months later, Brittany went on a mission trip with Starfish Orphan Ministry to El Salvador. She was so excited to go and it had been something that she had desired to do for quite some time. She has always had this burden and love for orphans. Although she had an idea of what to expect, she didn't realize how the trip would change her life. She came back from this trip and could not think about anything else.

God started impressing upon our hearts what He wanted us to do. Although we both knew that God was calling us to mission, we didn't discuss it with each other because we didn't know how the other would react. Finally, the first Sunday in September of 2009 we were alone in the car and neither one of us could hold it in any longer. We both told the other that we knew that God was calling us to missions but we didn't know where or when. We discussed it for several hours that night and decided that we would just keep praying about it. We thought that it would be at least a couple of years away.

Just four days later, we were presented with the opportunity to be missionaries in Southern Arizona! We quickly realized that God's timing is not our timing.

We started praying about this opportunity to make sure that this was God's will and not our own. Over and over again, He has made it known that this is His will. And so, that it what we have chosen to do- to follow God where He leads us to go.

We are getting our things in order. We have sold our house! We are in the last stages of being approved by the North American Mission Board. We are in the process of raising our support. We are speaking at churches, men's groups, women's groups, Sunday School classes, etc.

We plan on being there in January to begin our journey as missionaries! Please pray for us as we end one phase of our life and start another.

If you would like more information or would like to contact us to speak at your church or other group, please send an email to liveloveaz@gmail.com