What would you do?

We received word this morning that the roof on the building at the carepoint we hold dear has been blown off by a wind storm. While we are very proud to have the building, it was in pretty rough shape. There were holes in the tin roof, holes in the walls and the mortar in between the blocks was beginning to erode away. I imagine it didn't take much to destroy what was there.



This building is critical to the ongoing efforts of Kriek and Jumbo Gerber and Children's HopeChest to develop relationships and disciple the people of that area. Food and supplies are kept in a small room in the building. When children come to the carepoint that are sick, the Go-Go's let them sleep on a mat in the building. When the weather is not conducive for being outside, they all pack into the building to seek shelter. Without a building to store food and the pots to cook in, there is no food for the children. We simply cannot and will not allow that to happen.

We need your help. If you feel led to help with this project, please contact me @ matthew25ministries@gmail.com right away. We are on a mission to gather funds by this weekend and begin repair immediately. In the meantime, please prayerfully consider what it is you can do and keep praying for the people of this area. Will you help?


It is so easy to see the good in this happening. Matthew 7:24-27 Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, and the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.

Our prayer is that in every deed, word, thought - in everything that is done, it will be to Glorify our ord and expand His Kingdom. Blessings -

Team is HOME!

We made the trek to Atlanta early this morning to pick-up the team. While they all are heartbroken, they all seem to be doing ok physically. Many of them slept this afternoon, which was to be expected. I will update with photos in the next couple of days.

Thank you, Team, for giving of yourselves this way!

Team in Nelspruit

Got a phone call from Nelspruit, South Africa! My Bride, Ashley, at a pace of 112 m.p.h., began telling me all she could in a short period of time! End result? The Team is doing really well. It was difficult for them to leave Thulwane this morning. They feel like they are leaving a huge part of their hearts there. And they are. They fostered and strengthened relationships that have transformed lives in Swaziland, as well as in the U.S. Everyone's heart is broken... and that is not a bad thing. In that brokenness is where we find Jesus.

They are now resting at the hotel and will get up in the morning and visit the market and maybe witness some of God's creation in and around Nelspruit. Please continue to pray for them and for the people of Swaziland. Blessings -

Tuesday Update

Heard from the team this morning! Every team member is doing really well. There have been no problems to speak of. The Holy Spirit is moving at the carepoint! The older kids are opening up - which is a big deal. Because of their culture, there has been an emotional wall with many of the older kids and some of the adults. Reports are that the prayers you have been offering are being answered! Please keep praying for this! We also received news that the land the carepoint is on has been purchased (in full)! This is yet another prayer answered! We could not do anything from a monetary investment stanpoint (facilities) until Kriek and Jumbo could acquire the land. Please pray for God's will to be very clear to those who will make the decisions on how to move forward. Keep pressing forward, Team! Do not take one hug, one prayer, one encouraging word or a single ounce of energy with you when you leave the carepoint today! Leave it all there!!! Blessings -

No News is Good News

We did not hear from the Team on Sunday or today. As always, this means things are going great! Please keep the Team in your hearts, minds and prayers! Blessings -

As For Me and My House...

Today, the team will be at Thulwane leading bible study along with the D-Team. Another project will be to paint the Home that Love built. Before the house is to be painted, scripture will be written on the walls. This home will be covered in the Word of God and has been dedicated to Him. We had dozens of people submit the scripture that will be written.

For the team today, please offer a prayer of thanksgiving for the people of Swaziland, for the AIM staff, for Childrne's HopeChest, for the sponsors of the children and for the partners in ministry. Our prayer is that God be magnified in all they do. Blessings -

Word up!

Got a brief word from the team today! Of course, everything is going well! Since our partnership with AIM and Children's HopeChest began at Thulwane in February, 2007, we have seen an incredible transformation with the people of that community. God has worked through Kriek and Jumbo Gerber, the "D" Team, the Go-Go's and even the older children. We are so priveleged to be a representative of our Savior! He has wrecked our hearts for the good and that is what calls us to action. Thank you, Jesus!

Please allow me to share a bit of scripture that reminds me of the mission of not only our team from the States, but our team in Swaziland:

Matthew 5: 13 "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness,how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men."

14 "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

Our prayer is that anything we do or say reflect the immense love of God.

In a flash...

In a flurry this morning, several of our team members updated their status on facebook.. They were in and out in a matter of minutes! While we would love to hear more from them, I am sure you will agree that we would rather have them in the field than in the office! I will summarize what was posted this morning.

In a brief email from Crystal Baltimore:

"Hey! Things here are GREAT!! You would not believe how big the kids are and how much they have changed! Love is walking and talking and gving everyone kisses... Tomorrow is BIG FUN day and we are having jump castle, cupcakes, hot dogs and who knows what else!

Our lodging has been great and we all have been getting settled in. We did medical clinic today and there were soooooo many new little one's. Everyone is doing good. Ashley made it through the flight, no problems... well, LOTS of questions but no major issues.

As for prayer needs, please continue to pray for the relationship with the older kids to be more open and easier..pray for the relationship with the Go-Go's and for safe travel and good health for the team. Kriek and Jumbo are great!!!"

Updates to facebook:

"Stephanie Sharpe Sirmons is in Swaziland having a tremendous time. I can't tell you what a blessing it is to be here, loving on these precious babies. Please tell Madalyn and MaryDee we love them and we hope to talk to them soon. I can't wait to tell ya'll how amazing this country is, and how much we love these children aready. It is absolutely unbelievable. Love ya'll!"

"Allison Sides Clyburn is in Swaziland having an AMAZING time! It can't get much better than this! Please tell Madeline and Emma that Mom and Dad miss them very much! We love you, but we are still doing God's work in Swaziland! Lulu, Sipho, and Gilligan are doing fantastic and all say 'Hello!' We hope we can talk to you soon! Love, Mom and Dad!"

"Steven Thomas Stone is at the AIM office in Swaziland!!!!! Love you guys! Keep praying."

"Ashley Shirley Vann is in Swaziland and loving it! We had an awesome experience today at the carepoint providing a medical clinic. Bud, it's everything you said it would be! You won't believe the transformation with Love! I have some very good video for you!!! I love everyone and keep praying!!"

"Amy McAdams - Hey everyone! We are here and safe. Having a wonderful time. Please tell my family we are missing them! We love you all....Pray for us!!!!"

The common denominator? Child-like faith and a vision of hope!

So there you have it. You know what I know. Blessings -

No word today...

No official word today - which means everything is going well! It is difficult for us to have patience or understand why we cannot get word from our team - things are different in Swaziland - especially from a technological perspective. Internet is an absolute luxury. So here we are. Waiting to hear and to share in the daily victories the team will experience. While waiting, we can continue to pray. And pray. And pray some more. Let's honor our team by lifiting them to our Father.



1 John 5: 15-15 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, he hears us. And if we know that He hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of Him.



The key is for us to seek His will. And if we ask for His will to be done and for us to clearly see His will, then our prayers will be answered. It's all about alignment!



Father, I come to You with a soft heart tonight. We miss the members of this team so much. While it would have been really good to hear form them, I know that You have annointed each of them and they are in Your will. Please continue to bless them and those they encounter. I know Your light is shining through them. Thank You for that. Thank You for using them to teach us. Thank You for giving us the opportunity to lift each one of them up to You. Thank You for giving us patience and a sense of calm while we eagerly wait to hear from them. Whatever Your will is for this team, I gladly ask You to reveal it to us. It is not about us. It's about You. We want to glorify You in all we do and all we say. Please use the team of people who are here supporting and praying for the team. Use us to glorify You with our words and actions when we tell other people about this campaign. I ask for these and all other blessings in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.

Team is resting....

I just received an email to let us know the team made it to the hotel. Kriek and Jumbo had snacks waiting for them! Everyone is doing well and "very excited!" Ashley said everyone did fine on the flight. They leave early in the morning for Swaziland! Lodging plans have changed a little. The team is no longer staying at Emifini. I am not sure where they are staying but I have been assured they do not have internet access.. Jumbo has already stepped up and told the team he would make arrangements for them to get us a message when he can. Please join in covering the team in prayer - also please pray for Kriek and Jumbo, the D team and that every move that is made, every word that is spoken, will show the love of Jesus. Blessings -

Team landed safely in Johannesburg!

According to Delta, Team Swaziland has landed in Johannesburg, South Africa. Praise the Lord! Lets all join in to continuously cover them in prayer! We will update just as soon as we have made contact. More than likely it will be late tonight. Blessings -

Boarding Call at 8:35 pm, cst.

After a delay of little over an hour, our Team is boarding! I spoke to several of them and they are all in high spirits and very excited to be on their way! Crystal and Ashley will email me when they can and I will update the blog just as soon as I receive the information. Speaking from experience, please take the time to reply to these posts... they will all huddle around a laptop to read the messages!!!

Thank all of you for your prayers, support, supplies, encouragement and wisdom you all have shared in recent months with our team! We are all so blessed because of you! We hope to have an update tomorrow night.

God is so very good! Please feel free to join us in giving thanks and praise to our Lord!

THE House that Love Built

The one-year anniversary to our team’s first campaign in Swaziland is next week. There will be a team of 19 people going back to share the love of Jesus. While there, the team has the opportunity to paint a new home. Because of some very generous people, Love, Mandisa, Mugelo and Blue now have a new home! A floor that isn’t dirt, a roof that doesn’t leak, doors that lock, windows to see thru…. no more bugs crawling through the cracks in the walls of the hut. No more sleeping in the mud. No more unwanted visitors who will harm them. No more of that. A home. A real home.

We want to thank those who selflessly gave money toward this project. In particular, the McAdams family. We want to thank Kriek and Jumbo Gerber, Dennis and Zwakele Brock, Children’s HopeChest, Adventures in Missions, the “D” Team and the people of Thulwane for looking out for these four little Angels.

I mentioned our team painting the house when they are there in mid-June. Before the painting begins, we plan to cover the house in Scripture. Scripture will be actually written on the walls – a blanket of protection – and then the final coat of paint. So this is where we need your help. Please take part in this project by submitting your favorite scripture to us. It can be any number of verses. How cool is it that we all can play a part in covering this home with the Word and with Love? Please pray that this home will be a springboard for a healthier, happier life for these children. Now bring it!

The Visit To The Homestead

What did we learn from Love? We learned patience. We learned understanding. We learned compassion. We learned hope. We learned, well.. we learned to love.

A few of us were able to go to the homestead of these four little girls. Picture the reality that four precious little girls, the oldest of which is five years old, living at this homestead alone. All alone. Caring for themselves – the most vulnerable of the weak. As we were talking to a neighbor, the girls came from their stick and mud hut to sit with us. They treated us like we were somebody special. Love went back and forth into the hut. She wanted to show off her “dress clothes.” She only had to change shirts once. That’s all she had. But she was proud of that. Looking back at pictures, the girls wore different clothes a couple of days – but they simply exchanged clothes with one another to have something different to wear. Four little girls sharing clothes. How proud these little girls are of their shared skirt!

Imagine what is was like to not have a mom or a dad there to make certain they brushed their teeth or washed behind their ears. How hard is it to fathom the emptiness they feel? Imagine the sounds of the night. Imagine the cold – the dampness – the darkness.

The visit to the homestead forever wrecked Natalie Mays, Alexis Vann and me. Almost a year later and we still find it difficult to revisit those raw emotions. But we are thankful to have experienced the things we did that fall afternoon. We looked into the eyes of Jesus that day – and I pray we remain broken and humbled with a spirit of compassionate action for the vulnerable and poor. God is good. He is faithful. He is love.

The House that Love Built - Part 2

Our first introduction to the children of Thulwane was through this video shared by Tom Davis with Children’s HopeChest. Please take two minutes to watch this video. Very moving.

This little girl hadn’t always been in a wheelchair. Before her traumatic experience, she walked around and played like most children her age. During her recovery period, her Gogo would place her in a wheelbarrow to get her to the carepoint so she could eat. Kriek and Jumbo Gerber, Missionaries in Swaziland, purchased the wheelchair for Love and this is where her life began to change… for the better.

We had absolutely no idea we would actually get to meet the little girl in the wheelchair. But we did. She is such an Angel!

The next blog will detail our first encounter with Love and what we learned from this little girl and the other children at Thulwane.

The House That Love Built

I am going to attempt to paint a picture of life around Thulwane, which is near Manzini, Swaziland. Telling the story of Love and how God is transforming lives will also be my intent.

Excerpt from my journal entry on June 9, 2008: "The children of Thulwane - it is so difficult to comprehend surviving that life as an orphan. We walked to three different homesteads to do visits and we were scared to death - and it was during the day. I imagine the nights are very lonely. No electricity. No streetlights. Better yet, no streets. Other than at the carepoint, there is no place to provide very basic care. A simple runny nose can turn into flu. Flu can turn into death. In Africa, its about survival. The strong make it. The weak don't. The orphans stand very little chance of making it to 15. The average age expectancy is something like 35. In America, we stand a better chance of dying in a plane-to-plane collision than to die of starvation or neglect. It's just a different world here. God, help them. And please give us the heart to help them. We need revival. "

"This particular campaign was quite redemptive for me. Of all the death, despair and dead-end roads from the campaign last fall, this one was just the opposite. Even in extreme poverty, there is hope for a more rewarding life - especially from a spiritual standpoint. I see hope for Swaziland. Jumbo Gerber told us, "remember that healing must take place from the inside-out and Swaziland is the pulpit of Africa." It can happen. One person at a time. God is alive and well!"

Over the next week, I will be sharing the story of redemptive love, a stick and mud hut and the House that Love built.

My name is Larry and I am a Pole Vaulter..

I, obviously, am a fan of Facebook. When used with the right intent, this social network can be a great tool to reconnect with people, make new friends, share ideas, faith and resources. A users’ ‘status’ allows us to share, in a sentence or two, what we are doing or thinking at any given time.
I typically don’t have very interesting status updates and on this particular day, I shared that I had a dream about being a champion pole-vaulter. That was a strange dream. But a friend of mine, Amber Wheeler, had an answer to this dream… I asked her if I could share her thoughts with you and she agreed.

“Hi, Larry. I believe this to be from the Lord for you, but as I usually tell people, pray about it and see if it comes into alignment with what others are thinking. The Lord woke me this morning saying, “remember what Larry wrote on his status about pole vaulting?” “Tell him that he can fulfill his goals, but I need him to fulfill My goals. And My goals are higher and beyond his reach. He needs to set the bar higher so that he can only accomplish the goals with my help. I AM the Champion who will get him over that bar!”
Have a great day!”
Amber

Wow. Thank you, Amber! You hit the mark with your interpretation and I appreciate your courage to share. I think we all can take a dose of courage from her example to be bold and share with others!

A Miracle on First Street North

A couple of weeks ago I went to the ER because of what I thought was me giving birth to something. Diagnosis? Kidney stone. One too large to pass. A few days later, I returned home minus the mountain-of-a-stone and an addition to my body – a stent from my kidney to my bladder. After a couple of days at home, I went back to the ER for an overnighter because of infection and extreme pain. Two days after that I went back to my doc to have the stent removed. That was a bad deal. Complications and I was back in the hospital the same day. Another stent was put in the next day (Valentine’s Day) – and that is where this story gets intriguing.

After returning from surgery I became incredibly sick and began to get violently ill. Vomiting, the chills, fever spiked to 103.something, my chest began killing me, I was talking out of my head.. I only know this because Ashley, my wife, has recounted it to me. I was out of it. I do not remember a thing about this. Ashley just told me last night that I even had a word with satan. “You think you are a bad-a** but you’re not. You have been defeated.” I got chills when she told me about that. There was some type of battle going on. I don’t have my arms all the way around this yet – but I was on satans bad list. Once the symptoms of a problem with my heart intensified, I was rushed to ICU at around 6 pm on Valentine’s Day.

All roads with my health led to either one of two things: a heart-attack or a condition called aortic dissection. Neither of these prospects was good, wouldn’t you agree? I was put on oxygen, given nitroglycerin on two occasions, had every monitor known to man hooked to me, iv’s in every possible place. Once I was told what they thought was happening to me, I became hysterical and inconsolable. I repeatedly begged for my family – I suppose I felt the need to tell them some things. Can you imagine this? Can you imagine being Ashley when the physician came to her in the ICU waiting area and told her what he thought the possibilities were? He said to her, “we are also checking on an aortic dissection and those are usually fatal.” Then he walked away. Thank God there were dear friends from our small-group there with her. I can’t fathom that news.

Rewind with me for a minute. There have been so many people praying for me. Praying with me, praying over me, praying for me when I didn’t even know. People in Africa, Germany, India, the Dominican Republic, Asia and the U.S. People I know and people I am becoming friends with. They had been praying for my recovery from the kidney stone issues and for our family to be protected. Saturday night, the prayers changed. They were praying for my heart. They were praying that if it not be His will to call me home then to heal me. To mend me.

As I was being wheeled to the CT scan area, my wife was informed that a surgery team was in place. This was getting pretty serious. Ashley had even started to think about what she would do if something really bad happened. I cannot imagine.

If we don’t believe in miracles and His ability to heal, why do we pray for that? If we don’t have the faith that He can heal, then we will be proven right. God loves for His children to pray. God loves to heal. God loves to love.

Have you ever heard anyone say, “It’s God’s will,” or “just leave it up to God” when faced with a serious illness or some type of tragedy? We cannot fall into that trap. God wants us to pray to Him for help. In Luke 18:1 Jesus told His disciples that they “should always pray and not give up” and then Jesus asked “…will not God bring about justice for His chosen one’s, who cry out to Him day and night?” We should pray to God from deep within our hearts and with all that we are – we should pray for healing. Expect it. Don’t give up. God wants us to ask Him for help. He loves us!

Just this morning I received an email form a dear friend that lists 40 verses of scripture related to healing. After further research, it is believed that over 20% of the Gospel is about the healing ministry of Jesus. Jesus taught His disciples how to pray and to heal. He sent them out to carry-out His work. Our church, www.wwbc.org , began House of Prayer during this past fall. A church that does not teach healing is like an elementary school that doesn’t teach math. Wouldn’t Jesus want His followers to pray for healing today?

At some point during the chaos, God healed me! Do you comprehend what I just said to you? I was miraculously healed by the King of Kings this past Saturday night! When I tell you that we will give Him the glory and credit for this, I am not joking! Thank God for those who earnestly prayed for my healing. Thank God for those who believed I would be healed. Thank God for faith the size of a mustard seed. Thank God. In the name of Jesus, I claim my body is healed and I believe with all of my healed heart God was pleased with those who diligently prayed.

By midnight this past Saturday night, I was settled in to ICU room 16 at Shelby Baptist Hospital in Alabaster, Alabama. No sign of a challenge with my heart. No ‘reasonable’ explanation as to what was going on the past 10 hours. I am sure there will be people who will doubt all of this. There are too many times that we have discounted miracles as, ‘unexplained’ events. But today, I know better. I know I was healed!

God receives glory in healing and good health, not in sickness and death. For God is Jehova - Rapha, the God of healing and of life, not a god of sickness and death.

Today, as I sit at home with no problems with the kidney stone and no issues with my heart, I am so thankful to those friends, family and even strangers who prayed for my healing and who prayed for my family. God is good. He is so good.

We All Have a Platform

This is a blog I first posted on July 24, 2008. I am not at all a Florida fan (Alabama), but I cannot help but support someone who stands for what is good. Tim Tebow is a good man. Now he is the MVP of the BCS National Championship game.

In this part of the country, late-summer means one thing… it’s time for football! Seriously, football is a big deal for many, many people – including me. I’ve played it, watched it, dreamed about it, obsessed over it and am now even coaching the game. I would have to classify myself as a person who loves football.This past week, the SEC held media day for their member schools at the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Alabama, which is about 8 miles from where we live. My family is huge Alabama fans and I typically follow this media spectacle to see what the outlook is for other SEC schools. One team that keeps my interest is the Florida Gators. I suppose I keep an eye on them because they always are in the hunt for a national title, especially now.

Florida has a very special player that is the center of their team. He is the heart of Florida football. At the end of the 2007 season, this guy was showered with awards, recognition and accolades. Look at this list of awards and accomplishments: The Heisman Trophy; Maxwell Award; Davey O’Brien Award; AP Player of the Year; Consensus All-American. One would think this post would be all about football. But it’s not. It is about a young man named Tim Tebow - who some would call the best all-around quarterback in the history of college football.The following are some quotes from Tebow while he was in Hoover this past week:“If I can change a kid’s life for the better, that’s much more important to me than going out there and beating Georgia or Florida State or whatever team it is.”

Tim Tebow has been mission- minded his entire life. It is second nature to him. His parents were missionaries. Tim was actually born in the Philippines. Actually, Tim has been on three different mission campaigns since winning the Heisman Trophy.
“We had three breaks. For those three breaks I went to the Philippines, Croatia and Thailand on three mission trips,” Tebow said. “All three of those places I got to do a lot of very neat things, preaching in prisons, in schools, in hospitals, in marketplaces.”

Why does Tebow spend time sharing his faith and working with the poor? After all, Tebow is a superstar. His fans shower him with enough praise to last most of us a lifetime. “The reason I do it is because it’s more important than football to me,” Tebow said. “Doing those things, taking my platform as a football player and using it for good, using it to be an influence and change people’s lives, that’s more important than football to me.”

“I can take what I do in playing football as a game and change people’s lives with it. That’s why football is such a great game. That’s kind of why I do the things, preaching in prisons, doing those different things, trying to take advantage of that platform that God has blessed me with.”
God has blessed Tim Tebow with the physical skills and mental toughness that will make him a football legend. But this 20 year old gets it. He is trying to take advantage of the platform God has blessed him with.

“I want to do everything in my power that football gives me to influence as many people as I can for the good because that’s gonna mean so much more when it’s all said and done than just playing football and winning championships,” Tebow said. We all can learn a lesson from this guy. We have all been blessed with a different platform. Each of us can take full advantage of what God has given us to stand tall for the Kingdom of God. That will mean so much more when it’s all said and done.

A Shoebox

There are so many organizations who do some very meaningful things throughout the year, especially at Christmas. Operation Christmas Child is a project spearheaded by Samaritan's Purse. When I first saw the advertisements for this program, I kind of shrugged it off as yet another project - there are just so many. A dear friend of mine, Bobby Culpepper, convinced me to ride to Atlanta for the day with him and members of Westwood Baptist Church. Atlanta is a regional distribution center for Operation Christmas Child.

Once there, I must say that I was moved in a way that is difficult to put into words. 700,000 shoe boxes (with gifts inside) will be processed in Atlanta - a small percentage of the 8 million that will be processed throughout the world. 8 million. I want you to know that this project is one that I believe in. We will continue to be involved and look forward to stepping it up a level in 2009.

My job was to inspect the box to make certain that there weren't items in the box that was related to war, any play snakes, liquid, etc. While inspecting the boxes, may times there was a note in the top of the box that was left by the person who put the gifts together. Those notes were very special. But, by far the most moving thing to happen was a corporate prayer. Occasionally, a worker would stop the hundreds of volunteers and say an encouraging word. Part of this time would involve a prayer for each child who would receive a box. She made a great point - she would ask us to hold the box close to us and imagine the child who would receive it. She said that while we didn't know the child's name, God does. He knows the name of each of the 8 million children who will receive a shoe box.

What a big God we serve.