Monday December 7, 2009

    Well I must admit that it has been a long time since I blogged.  Between Twitter and Facebook, I find adequate ways to express myself, but I do enjoy sitting down and putting longer thoughts down on paper (virtual or otherwise).  So now it is time to do that.  I ask you to please take the time to read, consider, pray and respond.  Thanks!
    If you ask most of my close friends, family members or family in the Lord to describe me, I think you might hear two words.  You might hear faithful servant.  I’m blessed to hear this and challenged.  I feel service & helps are where the Jesus has gifted me.  It is a challenge to allow the Holy Spirit to minister through me with out me getting in the way. 
    I’m a member of a community built around a podcast network.  The last two years there have been two phrases that have been put out there.  The first is “pursuing your passion” and the second is “pursuing a balanced life”.  Both apply to the life in Christ.  We need to seek after Jesus with a passion and in doing that, I believe that, He will show us our gift/calling.  That way as we pursue Him we can pursue the passion He calls us to.   The second phrase of “pursuing a balanced life” is a call to walk out the balance of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health that can only be done in a right relationship with Christ.  Think of it as two see-saws attached at the mid-point.  Without the balance of Christ at the center, we will be wobbling and unbalanced.
    The Lord has been working those thoughts out in my heart, mind and spirit along with a lot of other good teaching from church.  The Lord is still working on me and I’m learning (too much of the time the hard way).  But one think He has made clear is that, He has called me to serve.  That is the passion He has called me to as I follow hard after Him.  I quickly learned that I’m not the most talented person in the areas where I serve.  But I desire to serve Him will all my heart, mind, strength, spirit, and skills (that He alone supplies).
    Since 1998, missions has been one of the areas where I have served.  I’ve been blessed to write about missions, produce mission videos, capture trips through photos, pray for missions, and I have been EXTREMELY blessed to go on mission trips.  I have been on 3 trips to Haiti, 1 to Kenya, and 2 to Colombia.  Lord willing I will be making my 3rd trip to Colombia in March of 2010.  The Lord has given me a heart to support the work of Proyecto Libertad (a YWAM mission located in the island community of Bocachica).  I support them in my prayers, through trips to serve and hopefully soon financially.  I enjoy serving there because of the wonderful staff the Lord has put in place there.  I also enjoy serving the people of the community.  The have such a joy in their hearts and are so appreciative to have the help.
   As I sat in the airport waiting to come back to the U.S. in March, I knew I wanted to go back.  It was my desire to save money up for the trip so I did not have to burden people 2 years in a row to help me go.  Well, I had the money set back but other circumstances took all but the deposit.  I think it was the Lord’s way of teaching me to trust Him.  If He wants me to go, He will provide whether that be through me saving up, others helping, or both.  It helps me not be prideful to have others help and it may allow others to develop a heart for missions.   It has been challenging not to worry or stress over the upcoming money deadlines.  But the Lord has been patiently teaching me to take my eyes off the waves of circumstances and to quote the hymn “look into His wonderful face.”  I pray that He keeps my spirit and mind so that He may mold them more and more into the likeness of Jesus.  I pray that He will use this unworthy vessel to bless, encourage, and equip others.  Pray for me on this.
   I also ask you to pray for Proyecto Libertad and the people of Bocachica.  Also if you feel lead to give to help me go please contact me geoffgentry(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)mac.com .
You can find out about Proyecto Libertad here:  http://www.ywamconnect.com/sites/ywampl/ and find photos from the 2009 trip here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ggentry11/sets/72157616465744562/ .