Dreams

A New Year

7 comments Written on January 27th, 2011 by Rusty
Categories: Dreams, Kenya, Life, Missions, Passion, Updates

Sweet Pea Tuckered Out From Christmas

Here it is and we already a month into 2011. It just seems like yesterday that our precious little one was born, and now she is almost 4 months old. She has grown so much and we are watching her experience new things each day. It is amazing to me how innocent a child is and how dependent they are on their mother or fathers. This really got me to thinking about how many times we try to do things on our own when we should know better. God (our heavenly Father) is always with us and is asking us to lean and depend upon him. As this new year is unfolding, I am learning more and more that to rely on God is something that not only should be done, but something that should be looked forward to. We should look forward to the times when we can’t accomplish something on our own and say God, please help me. Right now we are currently asking God to help us as we plan our return to Kenya, Africa this coming summer and we are looking forward to being at RVA for another year. We would ask that you continue to pray for us and for the finances that we need to come in so that this can happen. It is also with much excitement that I am in the process of forming a business to help churches and businesses with their technology needs. As many of you know, I have been providing for my family by fixing computers, building websites, and getting temporary jobs when possible. All of this has been an incredible blessing and I have enjoyed doing these jobs, but none of them have produced a steady income for my family. Recently, I was given the book “No More Mondays” by Dan Miller from my wife. In his book, Dan talks a lot about finding out what you are truly passionate about and your true calling from God. He then admonishes the reader to form their career around this. Currently, I am still in the beginning phases of forming my business and what it will entail, but I am very excited about all the opportunities that lie ahead. I plan on using my business to help as many churches and organizations learn how to spread the Word of God throughout the world. Please pray with me that as I brainstorm, talk with churches, and share my vision, that everything will be clear and concise. Thank you all for you prayers and may God Bless each and every one of you.

-Rusty

Posted in Dreams, Kenya, Life, Missions, Passion, Updates

When Reality Sets In…

9 comments Written on August 25th, 2010 by Rusty
Categories: Dreams, General, Life, Prayers, Updates

mela sogonoAs the alarm clock goes off and my wife tells me it’s time to get out of bed, I wonder, how can it be 6:00 in the morning already. It’s time to go get all the boys up and get them ready for school. In about two hours, I’ll walk down the hill in the cool fresh African morning air and go teach my computer classes… Then I open my eyes and reality hits me, I’m not in Africa. I’m not with the boys. It’s 7:00 a.m. and it’s time to get up and take my kids to public school here in the U.S. It only seems like yesterday that we were supposed to be on an airplane heading “home”, but we are here at home in the U.S. It’s days like this that I really miss Africa and long to be there with all my heart. I know that right now God has us where He wants us and that in order to return to Africa we have to be diligent with the tasks at hand. Many of you may not know that my wife and I are expecting our third child in October and we were advised to stay in the States until our precious baby is born. We know that our God is faithful and just and that He knows our hearts desire is to be in Africa. As I have been really missing Africa recently, I reread the scripture Jeremiah 29:11 in the Message Bible and really like what it says: “I’ll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.” We know that in everything we are right where we need to be at this time and moment and God will bring us back home. I would like to say a personal thank you to every who has prayed for us and continues to support us on a monthly basis. It is our goal to return to Africa as soon as possible after the baby is born, and we need all the support that we can get, both in prayer and financially.

Posted in Dreams, General, Life, Prayers, Updates

Living The Life

3 comments Written on May 21st, 2009 by Rusty
Categories: Dreams, Family, General, Life, Missions, Newsletters, Passion
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The last time that I wrote, I wrote about passion and excitement. Living passionately and pursuing fervently after God and what He has for me. I believe with all my heart that I am in the right place and that I am doing exactly what God wants me to. I believe that I am Living The Life! You may ask, how do I know this? Well, let me tell you.

When you are living a life that is full of passion and you are constantly pursuing God and what He has in store, Satan does not particularly like it. For the past few months Satan has been attacking our family physically. It all started when Brooks got sick and has continued to have a cough and achy body. She has been to the doctor here and they have given her antibiotics, but it only seems to help for a while, then the cough and aches come back. Secondly, for the past few day our little girl has been running an extremely high temperature. The medicine that she has been given helps bring her fever down and she is a bundle of energy for a while, but then after it wears off she is lethargic and just wants to cuddle under a blanket. And last but not least, for the past 2 days, I have had a huge splitting headache, runny nose, fever, and chills. Just writing this post is making me feel better because I know that my God is a healer and that He will see us through this.

God has always been faithful to us and He continues to answer our prayers when we come to Him with open hearts. Thank you all so much for your continued prayer for everyone here in Kenya. May God bless you richly for your prayers.

On a lighter note, during the past few days God has given me a lot of new ideas about how to network missionaries, missionary kids, supporters, and churches all together. I am currently in the process of developing a plan to make this happen and hopefully very soon, we will begin to see the fruits of the vision that God has given me. I believe that in order for missions to be successful, everyone must be involved. I know that in the U.S. right now with the looming economic crisis it is easy to just put missions to the side and not send any money because it is needed elsewhere. The one thing that I would challenge everyone to think about is how you can give just a little, because every little bit helps. Rather than going out and buying a meal at a fast food restaurant one day, why not take lunch to work with you. Set that $6 – $10 dollars aside and send it to missions. I am not even suggesting that you send it our way (unless you feel led to). Send it to the missionaries that your church supports, write them an encouraging note, mail a care package, send an e-mail that tells them that you are thinking about them. You woudn’t believe what a pick-me-up it is to many missionaries to just know that people are thinking about them.

Let us continue to strive after God and seek Him with our whole heart. Let us truly live the life that God has for us. Let us walk on the path that God has set before us and not try to forge our own.

LIVE LIFE WITH PASSION AND PURPOSE!!!

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Posted in Dreams, Family, General, Life, Missions, Newsletters, Passion

Passionate Pursuit…

No Comments » Written on May 7th, 2009 by Rusty & Brooks
Categories: Dreams, Life, Missions, Passion, Pursuit
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Lately I have really been thinking about the word Passion a lot. I have thought to myself, What am I truly passionate about? Am I passionate about life? Am I passionate about making money? Am I passionate about my relationship with God? Am I absolutely living a life that is passion filled?

The dictionary defines the word passion as a “strong and barely controllable emotion” or “an intense desire or enthusiasm for something”.

What comes to your mind when you read that. I know that for me there are many times when I get stuck in the daily routine of life that I forget to make sure that I am doing something that I am passionate about, something that I love to do, and something that will glorify God in the end. One of the the things that I enjoy doing more than anything is just tinkering with websites. Many times it helps me calm down and it helps relax my soul. It’s almost like therapy. I know to many this may sound really wierd, but to those of us who are computer minded individuals, doing something that we absolute love to do (even when it is sitting in front of a computer) helps us calm down and be at peace.

I have also learned that when I get stuck in a rut, if I will just dig into the Word of God and seek out the hidden treasures that lie within, that I will become filled with passion and awe for what God has done and will do in my life. One of my main goals from now on is to start doing everything I do with a passion for the Kingdom of Heaven. I want to seek after God with everything I am and all that is within me. I want to please Him and do my part on this earth. One of the ways that I know that I can do this is by looking inside myself and seeing what passions God has birthed inside me. Then, I want to strive after those things with all I am. So, if I’m not on my computer as much in the days, months, and years to come, it’s not because I don’t want to be, but it’s because I might just be outside enjoying nature, helping Internal Displaced People in Kenya, or maybe even just teaching 7th & 8th graders about computers.

For now though, you can take a look at this picture and see that I have spent some time revising this website which again is somthing I’m passionate about. If you are reading this via e-mail or rss I would encourage you to come visit our new home on the web.

Thanks for reading!! – Rusty

newsite

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Posted in Dreams, Life, Missions, Passion, Pursuit