Blessed to Be a Blessing

We have had an incredible transition from Atlanta back to Tennessee. We are blessed to have a house provided by local folks who own a second home specifically to house missionaries on stateside assignment. The ministry they are involved with is Shepherd's Rest Ministries, Inc.

Last week, I was blessed by being ordained by my home church's ordination council. On the heels of 5 months of intensive missionary/dicipleship training in Atlanta through Global Frontier Missions, and the power and wisdom from the Holy Spirit, the answers to tough theological and doctrinal questions seemed to come naturally, even being asked by much of the church staff and older and wiser leaders within the church. I feel really honored to be ordained by my home church.

Sunday, we and the rest of Team Bangkok were commissioned in front of our entire church body, LifePoint Church Smyrna, in all 3 services. Again, we are humbled by being sent out by our body, and the pastor telling the body of Christ that we are their missionaries- we are to be representatives of LifePoint Church to the nations for Christ. We have been set apart, much like Barnabas and Saul in Acts 13, and the Holy Spirit will empower us to do God's will among the nations of those Jesus died and rose again to provide salvation for. Today, our team leaders boarded a plane and headed to Bangkok- the rest of the team will follow in the next month, with us bringing up the rear. It was a treat to be with our team for the last time on American soil together, but we know that our home and our task is elsewhere, and we will come together later this year as a team to carry out that task.

We are extremely blessed to be a blessing to those who need to hear the Gospel. We do not take that lightly- we have a responsibility not to waste the blessing we have been given.

Our team going to Bangkok is 16 physically, but spiritually we are much bigger, and we have a big God on our side. If God is for us, who can stand against us?