Greetings and Blessings in the Name of Jesus,

Two mission events have come and gone since the last Pastor’s letter. A letter in which Pastor Loren encouraged us to pray for both events: the Yakima Mission Trip and our local VBS. I am thrilled to announce that God has answered prayers and these two outreach ministries were blessed and successful!! Thank-you for praying and thank-you for investing in many ways to make these events happen. God is good!!

I would like to share my personal thoughts after being involved in these mission efforts. To the point, let me say that my heart has been drawn closer to my Heavenly Father. Setting out to have an impact on the children has in fact pressed me toward reviving and renewing my own walk with Jesus. The message of Jesus’ love is very basic, yet extraordinary! A child that desperately needs hope is eager to hear words that are sincere, gentle, and kind. Breaking through a tough self-protecting exterior will take some effort, but the Good News is exactly what he or she needs. I have been reminded of the power of the Gospel (the Good News); it is here righteousness can come into open view. (Romans 1:8-17; 3:21-26)

Throughout VBS and the Yakima trip a succinct message came to my mind – Each one, young or old, matters!! Each one, possibly rude and maybe hateful but definitely broken (a common trait for all of us) are of tremendous value to our Creator!! Each one, is the reason that Jesus endured the cross!! I thought about the shepherd who for the life of one little lost lamb would leave the ninety-nine and search until that lamb was found and saved! Conviction came that I must halt my analysis and evaluation of whom I may share Jesus with...the answer is simply...Each One!! (Matthew 18:10-14)

Jesus talked about acknowledging Him to others if we hope to be acknowledged to our Heavenly Father. And He went on to say that if we deny Him before men then He, Jesus, will deny us before the Father. What greater motivation do we need to share Jesus with others? (Matthew 10:32,33) And I have had to reconsider this; it is not always words that need to be spoken to “acknowledge Jesus”. Our character, our heart, they are quite visible to those around us. Live like Jesus, talk like Jesus, love like Jesus...you get the point, these are the ways we acknowledge Jesus to the world around us. In his first letter to Timothy, Paul basically said that we should consider our words and actions that they exist together in harmony. When our words and actions mesh together salvation is real for us and for those that will see and hear. (1 Timothy 4:6-16)

Brothers and sisters, the mission field is all around us. Thank-you for the role you played in these two missions – Yakima Mission and VBS. You have prayed, financially blessed, and around 80 of us ministered through these events. All these categories of involvement had to work together to afford success, being the hands and feet of Jesus. Again, I say Thank-you Church!

What will be next? Engage the Mission...God’s Mission. It is the greatest work we will ever do!!

Sincerely,