Gifts

And the King (Jesus) will answer them, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” Matthew 25:40

At Wonderful Wednesday Worship we are studying Journey to your Spiritual Gift. This was our first week with the new guides and we are to work through a lesson each week, filling in the blanks and answering the questions. Last night Jordan and I sat down to start our workbooks and Anne joined us. As we were working through we came to areas where we had to find answers in the bible; each of us with a different version, we shared the verses out loud to find the solutions. It was a great time of sharing and collaborative learning. Journey defines a spiritual gift as: a divine ability given by grace through the Holy Spirit to make each believer and the church more like Jesus. So far we have learned that each Christian has a spiritual gift, how we can improve and use our gift, and that exercising our spiritual gift brings immense joy. The book is really great, breaking down the 19 spiritual gifts given in the New Testament into three groups: Serving gifts (i.e. helps, giving, hospitality, faith…), Speaking gifts (knowledge, wisdom, prophecy, teacher…), and Sign gifts (miracles, healing, tongues…). All the gifts can be found in Romans 12:6-8, 1Corinthians 12:8-10,28, Ephesians 4:11, and 1Peter 4:9-10. The next ten lessons will describe the each of the gifts. Jordan and I recently read another book called Experiencing the Spirit which detailed the nine gifts mentioned in 1Corinthians so we are excited to do some comparing.

This is going to be really neat for us because I think it is easy to find plateaus in our relationship with the Lord. Thinking, “I am doing everything right, I am reading the bible and praying, etc.” but God always wants us to be challenged, growing, discovering new gifts, and bringing others into His family. And the reward is great. The above verse was brought up in talking about serving gifts. At that point Jesus is explaining his return and how he will split the people into two groups (sheep and goats). Turning to one He invites them into His kingdom; adding, when He was hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, sick, or in prison they cared for Him. They said “When did we do that?” And He replied, “As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” One day Jesus is going to invite us into His kingdom! So powerful, also powerful is the idea that each time we help someone we are helping Jesus. The homes we are working on are not “perfect” and no matter what we do they never will be, all we can do is try our best and never say, “it’s good enough for this place”; when we replace the homeowner’s names with Jesus only our best is good enough. Even when that means Jordan is going to take off all the door trim (which I JUST calked) because the door is a little crooked.

No PSA today just a challenge (I mean, it is Lent) :

Remember Jesus’ words and treat everyone as if they are Jesus.

Peace and Love,

Jess and Jordan

The pictures are a before and after of when we raised the ceiling in one of the houses. We have also added a list (and preview) of other blogs which we enjoy reading on the bottom of the column to your right.

Learn, Sow, Reap

“You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be happy, and it shall go well with you.” – Psalm 128:2

Last week we began working on a house which I began repairing last August when I was here with AmeriCorps. At that time it was literally falling down and Mary, the homeowner was living in her front room without any running water. Mary is in her 50’s or 60’s and I believe she is unemployed on disability. When we left last August her house was put on new foundation and her exterior walls were fixed up. We are now back and since then there haven’t been many volunteers or AmeriCorps teams to continue the work. We put mud on the drywall which was put up and sanded it as well. We are now ready to paint, put up base boards, frame out the windows and other various finishing work so that Mary can move back in.

When I was here back in July and August, we had a consistent gathering of men from around the neighborhood who would just watch the work we were doing. They seemed to be observing every action we were doing as if they were learning so they could do it themselves. Last week, while we were mudding the inside and sanding down the mud, the next door neighbor whose house is pictured above came over to observe what we were doing. I talked to him a bit and I think he remembered me from last August. The next day as we were working, he called us over and told us to check out the inside of his house. To our surprise he had learned from the work we did back in August and that other volunteers had done since then. He scrounged around and saved to gather supplies and had begun fixing the interior of his own house. As he showed us, he had a huge smile on his face and a sense of pride. He was asking me for my opinion on it as if I was some sort of judge and I told him he was doing some good work. He replied with a sincere “Thank You.” The average home buyer would never even stop to take a look at this house, and most contractors would probably tear it down and build a new one rather than repair it, but to this man it is more than a house. It is his security and means of living. I am sure he does not have the funds to build new. Although, this house to me is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. It is the embodiment of hard-work, determination and will to not only survive but rise above. This man could not have planned for his house to be destroyed during hurricane Katrina and obviously was not going to let it get him down.

Public Service Announcement: One thing we have recently learned about is the issue facing those who wish to fix their houses, but don’t have the funds and live in this particular area which has been deemed a flood zone. In order to legally do house repairs one must attain a building permit which cost according to the amount which will go into the repairs. They can range from $50 up to even around $250. On top of that fee there would be limitations on the amount of money you could put into the house, without it being rebuilt and put on stilts since it is in a flood zone. This would not be a problem if the homeowner has enough money to rebuild his house, or if they are able to get a non-profit to help them rebuild this house. The problem is most people in this area do not have the funds to rebuild their houses, their houses will cost more than the permit limitations to fix up (even to livable conditions) and the non-profits in the area are overloaded with work and/or don’t have the necessary funds to help everyone.
This puts the homeowner in a sticky situation. They either live in the condition which their house is left in, which could be like Mary (no running water and house falling down) or they do what this man is doing and little by little rebuild your house to a living condition without a permit and hope not to get caught by the city. I guess this is how people are forced out of their homes so cities can reclaim neighborhoods and bring in higher income residents who can afford to build new houses and thus pay more in taxes to the city. The problem is: what happens to the people who have originally been living there? Where do they go?

I leave you all with one quote: “He (Jesus) said to them, ‘Suppose one of you has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath; will you not lay hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a human being than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.’”

Perhaps it should be legal for a man to fix a house which is rightfully his to the best of his abilities and not be condemned because he doesn’t have enough funds to follow laws established by men.

Peace and Love,
Jordan and Jess

Rule #1

He (The Lord) said, “I hereby make a covenant. Before all your people I will perform marvels, such as have not been preformed in all the earth or in any nation; and all the people among whom you live shall see the work of the Lord; for it is an awesome thing that I will do with you.”
Exodus 34:10

Most people who have ever tried to read through the bible, front to back, quit in Exodus or Leviticus. Genesis and the beginning of Exodus are filled with exciting and well known bible stories. Then the end of Exodus and all of Leviticus have detailed descriptions of the new laws of the land and extensive information on the building of the temple. Not the most thrilling reading to be found in the book.
You all know how Jordan and I like to compare what we are currently reading to what we are currently doing. Well, we are hoping not to lose you here during our time of Leviticus. The crazy Genesis (hitchhiking) stories are over for awhile. We made it through some boring parts of Exodus (we cleaned the garage our first few days here; tools are accessible and ready to use) and now we are learning the Leviticus (Ray’s house) laws:

• Shower every night so the sheets stay clean (I know this doesn’t sound too bad but for those of you who really know me… well.)
• House shoes must be worn inside (Anne- Thank you for the new slippers!)
• Work clothes come off after work, lounge clothes are to be worn when lounging (I like this one, a good reason to be in my pajamas by 6pm)
• No lounging on top of the comforters, especially the one handmade in Iraq (Ray worked in Iraq and had a lovely duvet made and shipped home; Jordan likes to lay on it because it is fluffy)
• Help keep the house clean, i.e. clean up after yourself and vacuum (we like this one because we get to help out around the house and show our appreciation for letting us share their home)
• Make yourself at home (this is Anne’s favorite rule)

All joking aside we are really thankful for their hospitality and like God’s laws helped the Israelites stay on track and live in peace with Him, we know by following our simple rules our time here will be in peace with our new family in Christ.
Now to building the temple!
Well not exactly… we striped a few walls last week (old pine tongue and groove) and this week we preserved the wood in plastic wrapping for Ray to use elsewhere. It was time consuming and mundane but he reuses or recycles building materials; which is right up our alley. With that work done, today we moved on to another house. Jordan worked on this house while he was here in August. It had extensive hurricane Katrina damage; Jordan’s team put the house back on a firm foundation so the walls no longer slant. They also installed new floor joists and sub flooring. Since August another AmeriCorps team visited and put up the drywall. Now the home needs a fair amount of taping and mudding, sanding and painting, baseboard and trim… general finishing. We will most likely be working on it the next two weeks.
We are excited for ‘Wonderful Wednesday Worship’ tomorrow night at Ebenezer, and will hopefully learn something we can share with you on our next blog.

Thank you for all your prayers -- Peace and Love,
Jessie and Jordan

One Family in Christ

"For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a householder who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place; and to them he said, 'You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went."
- Matthew 20:1-4

For as in one body we have many members, and all the members do not have the same function, so we , though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; he who teaches, in his teaching; he who exhorts, in his exhortation, he who contributes, in liberality; he who gives aid, with zeal; he who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. - Romans 12:4-8

Today, while working Jess and I were discussing the stories which Pastor Wilson highlighted Wednesday night at "Wonderful Wednesday Worship". In his discussion, he was pointing out that Christ calls us to "go into the vineyard" and he will pay "whatever is right". He also highlighted that we all are blessed with spiritual gifts and as one family, we are to use them to help and grow the church.

Every now and again, Jess and I stop and think about our present circumstances. Sometimes it hits us at the same time and sometimes we have our own moments, but every time it ends up with us looking at each other, smiling and praising the Lord. Today, for me, it seemed too good to be true.

Jess and I were alone and working on a house. We had just the tools we needed, it was a cold brisk morning. The street which the house was located on was empty and the only noises being made in the neighborhood were our hammers banging on the nails and wood. Occasionally, the sound of power-tools was heard. For the most part, it was quiet and peacefull. The neighbor across the street, Mr. Hallaway, would come over every now and again to check the progress, joke around, and give us any tips that came to mind. Mainly he came over just to start up conversation. Mr. Hallaway is 77. Short man about 5'5, gray hair with a round face. Every time I see him he has a big smile and his eyes shine. When he laughs, he seems to do a short hop and slaps his knee, like you would see in a broadway production. When I asked him about the purpose of the house wrapping paper we were putting up he said "I don't know, we didn't have that in my day". Today we also enjoyed a conversation about his garden. It is too cold yet to plant anything, but the first things he will plant are his potatoes. "You used to plant them in early January, but since the weather has changed, you just have to wait till it gets warmer".

It was about mid-day that I was reflecting on our work, our living situation, Pastor Wilsons sermon, Mr. Hallaway, Jess and the kindness of Ray and Annie. I was overwhelmed with disbelief and praise that Jess and my plans were able to come to fruition and we were actually out "working in the vineyard" and serving the Lord by serving his people. As you all know, this has been in the planning since around August of last year, when we started saving our money so that we could provide for our food while we were working. However, the Lord seems to have had this in his plans long before. He has told us that if we just go out and use our gifts which we were given and went to work, he would provide for our living. Once again, He has gone above and beyond with His compensation. Jess and I are sleeping like Kings and Queens in our comfortable beds, we are able to share food with Ray and Annie at their generosity, and most importantly we are able to work hard to lighten the burden on the shoulders of others.

As we are realizing, we are meant to live as one family in Christ. When we come together with our diverse gifts and put our pride, selfishness and worries away; we are able to accomplish great things. By helping others, we help ourselves and together we grow stronger in unity. Of course, without Christ this would not be possible. He has laid the foundation for our family. Hope all is well with everyone. You are all in our prayers.

Jess' Bedroom. My Bedroom

Peace and Love,
Jordan and Jess

Sacrifice, Save, Serve

“One day Elisha was passing through Shunem, where a wealthy woman lived, who urged him to have a meal. So whenever he passed that way, he would stop there for a meal. She said to her husband, ‘Look, I am sure that this man who regularly passes our way is a holy man of God. Let us make a small roof chamber with walls, and put there for him a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp, so that he can stay there whenever he comes to us.’ ”
2 Kings 4:8-10

Jordan and I have arrived in Hattiesburg (no more sleeping on bathroom floors – for awhile – so everyone can stop worrying, hehe). We made our destination in seven days. Ray put us right to work on Saturday morning working on a house he hopes to finish. We are staying with him and his wife Anne, it makes work a lot easier knowing I have a nice feather top mattress to sleep on each night, no more ‘roughing it’ for awhile.

Sunday I had my first experience at Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church. I went to women’s Sunday school with Anne, where they were discussing the above passage. The reading was perfect, just as Elisha was grateful to the woman, we are so thankful to Ray and Anne for opening their home to us. Also the story came as confirmation for Ray that he was doing the right thing. The woman was not seeking anything in return but later in the chapter she is rewarded with a son, in the same way we hope we can reward Ray by helping him catch up in the ministry he has, the R3SM non-profit.

After Sunday school I enjoyed the morning worship and Pastor Wilson’s message: Sacrifice, Save, Serve- Freedom ain’t free, but I shall be. He touched on how we can have financial freedom and true freedom through sacrificing what we really do not need, saving some every week, and serving others. Jordan and I took his message as confirmation that we are doing the right thing. We sacrificed our things to get our possessions down to one backpack full, then saved everything we could in AmeriCorps (which was not much), and now we are ready to serve without worry. A really great feeling of true freedom, believe me.

After church we helped Anne prepare the house for an all women’s super bowl party. About 30 women showed up and just had a ball eating delicious food, fellowshipping, yelling at the TV and each other. It was an even split between Cardinals and Steelers fans which made for a good laugh at every touchdown.

Today, unfortunately, we have a rain delay so we will be cleaning up from the party and resting up for a week of work. We will keep everyone posted.

Finally we would like to make another public service announcement. We would like to thank all the churches who knowingly and unknowingly provided a place for us to camp out each night. It was outside their buildings (or in their bathrooms like the picture above) that we felt safe, warm and protected by God. Thank you for all the prayers of a safe arrival, our God is an Awesome God.

Peace and Love,
Jess and Jordan