The Sermon Recognizing, Reconciling and Reaching by David M. McGee
Jan 01, 2012
Recognizing, Reconciling and Reaching (46:31)
Referenced Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 5:1-6; 2 Corinthians 5:16-21
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2 Corinthians 5:1-6
1) For we know that if the earthly house of our tent is dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens.
2) For most assuredly in this we groan, longing to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven;
3) if so be that being clothed we will not be found naked.
4) For indeed we who are in this tent do groan, being burdened; not that we desire to be unclothed, but that we desire to be clothed, that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.
5) Now he who made us for this very thing is God, who also gave to us the down payment of the Spirit.
6) Being therefore always of good courage, and knowing that, while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord;
2 Corinthians 5:16-21
16) Therefore we know no one after the flesh from now on. Even though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now we know him so no more.
17) Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, they have become new.
18) But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19) namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses, and having committed to us the word of reconciliation.
20) We are therefore ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us. We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
21) For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
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Here, and if you to be here and I can't believe the time is fast. I is not a basis is to and I definitely think that I the older we get the faster goes on and everybody out here, not those young obverse ethanol. All heard it, but it does seem like we live a life that gets momentum going, known as the momentum happening all around us, but we like it or not, and unless we cause and set course notes in a direction look ahead at where were going, it's pretty easy for a moment and just to take this world. Well, I and I think the new year is a good time to build to pause and be able to ponder on the direction that we should be doing and today I wanted to share a little bit quick update on what's been going on in El Salvador over the past year and I think you so many of the things that we've seen happen in El Salvador over these past now, most ten years since we went there two and two thousand two. The issue will be ten years since the first time we went there on and seeing it start from your organization nurse about seven or eight of us to retrieve us as missionary volunteers in a couple Salvadoran staff to now that picture was just in December that our pastors retreat like that from last year, we have that's okay. That's just the desktop picture was he like as part of his life to. That's what I have on my desktop is the picture of our pastors and church leaders, but we now have over forty staff and we're working with fifty two churches throughout the country. This year they did seventy different projects set represents seven. The different water systems and health clinics always different things, and there's momentum happening, that God has just been got behind it. You know, but there is there some elements that I feel like that have has happened on the ways that we've been able to respond to what God has wanted to do has been a lot of what has helped make this happen and where the three Arizona talking about today would be recognizing reconciling and reaching. Recognizing these kinds of the recognizing that God is in control and in the last as when an extremely important component for us to always recognize that God is the one who is who's in control. And that's the one who's doing it. We're all about reconciling relationships have to be about the ministry of of reconciling, restoring relationships that have to be at the center of everything we do, and then setting goals and reaching for those goals praying and having God clarify where we where we should go and reach those goals and networks for administering organization also works in our personal lives. I don't know how many of you have made New Year's resolutions. Amy has worked resolution. I will know how I want to tell me to say whether this, but the resolution site is a good time to have resolutions. It's good to have resolutions and achieve return your Bibles to second Corinthians five were in a reading from Paul's letter to the Corinthians is a great chapter on another builder. Though overall it, and I've been, but we need to get to the nitty-gritty details. Two of different things that second chances. Chapter five will first read from mom verses one through five new skip down to verse sixteen through twenty one all men. I got a King James version sixteen James Ashton is five that I find a skin at five one three one through five in sixteen to twenty one for we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens for in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be closed upon with our house which is from heaven, if so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do ground, being burdened for. Not that we would be unclosed, but clothed upon that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought. As for the selfsame for the self same thing is God who also hath given unto this the earnest of spirits, and then on sixteen to twenty one. Wherefore hence forth now is a hard time of King James and say method. Some illustrations sixteen to twenty one forests at an Ivy, yeah, actually nuts are looking for my that I've been studying off my fungal time of the numeric insanity. Thank you. Edit and it's it's it's kind of a close chapters of the Bible doesn't pop out at you. Even in an IV or in the message even right off the bat, let alone the nineteen James version. I would really him encourage you to study this. This chapter this week and read over a few times. Second Corinthians chapter five. Just a wealth of knowledge in there in the end, the verses one through six. There's this talk about Groening or desiring or having the burden for the first something that is to come for having that is to come right and and it didn't it get to this notion that is good, it's it's good for us to desire something more than we have. It's a God-given natural, God placed a thing for us to have desires to want to have resolutions every year to improve to get closer to God. But here talks about longing for heaven like having your eyes set on heaven and it may be think of Jenin. I have like to do these little slack lining things, which is basically tight rope walking, we will especially early, before we all a piece of wedding a piece of nylon in between two trees in you since it up and felt so tight that you won't touch the ground in the time walked on time balance on this thing. I and basis. It's that something fun to do something you fund balance, but you talk about walking the straight and narrow way it's. It's a straight. And if we are trying to walk on any of these things easy to guys that tightrope walkers with the little balance bars, no minors are they staring at their feet whenever their own. There are they looking left or right while her out there. We just stand on it on a highlight of this Lane find balance impossible. I love you means not impossible, but nearly impossible if you want to want something straight here. You walk a straight line. Where do you look, you look straight ahead. Look at where you're going to give you looking at your feet and expect to be balanced on on some unsung tether the same thing in our lives that we are to be focused towards heaven in this idea of recognizing that God is in control God has a plan for us draws her eyes to where we are going and where God would have us to go on the I love the concept donated verses one to six to talk about this. This desire and growing because we want it to be. Now were looking ahead we want to be there but were so focused on the things around us that we decided either and that we can actually get there on secondly, the second chunk of verses sixteen to twenty one. What's, what's the word, you heard most of their yacht reconciliations, what you said reconcile reconcile reconcile it does reconcile me come together restore vigorous restoration is a good is a good concept. The mean really, the whole gospel is about reconciliation is about restoring something that was broken restoring first of our relationship between us and God. And second of all between us and others, and so that the Bible is all about reconciling reconciling as we push into the to the new year. And as we have to make any plans in our lives and we always have to be focused on earth, everything being birthed out of reconciliation out of being reconciled. First of all of God, and everything restored relationships with an massé, we figured out that no system. No project no methodology, nothing that we can come up with the concoct a reminder. Follow ABCD is going to to to make a long-term lasting distant third difference in the community. The only thing that is going to to make long-term difference. A3 is starting with reconciliation with reconciling with with with restoring relationships if there is not restore a relationship happening. Then, then nothing will be a will to sustain itself. My dad never just listening to radio show this morning on on on the way to breakfast near talking dollars problem in Africa and him and it was as interesting because a local guidance. This summed it up in this African guy from the villages, said only reason what's happening here is that people are selfish, no it is not the problem everywhere that that if if were not about restoring relationships, we, we can never have any sort of lasting impact and thirty retirement, recognizing, reconciling and thirdly is reaching wheat. Wheat we set a goal of her going after it, when you looking at it at a slack line. Not only we, walking on on a tight rope. Not only is it hard makes it harder to look down or to the side, and also makes it harder to stop and analyze. We have momentum going. We need to keep taken steps and for not taking steps sooner later no-fault no and it's the same thing with with having a purpose in going after goal wheat. We need to be at the business of of going after these goals that debtor that are set forth for so the idea of recognizing the guys in control reconciling relationships and reaching after the goals that it better since promised and in order to think how to bring this and that to some sort of practicality of so how do we do this in our personal lives. We have these personal New Year's resolutions that that we may or may not have set him at the last day in two thousand and five was that the first time we went through a Tuesday strategic planning process, not thought it was absolutely phenomenal to have these big goals and dreams of working, going from six churches working with fifty churches but how you get there, you know, and you can set big goals living visions and realities, resolutions and ideas we wanted with the lives we don't actually set out a plan. It's about impossible to get there just to say I'm going to go climb that mountain was nice to think that it would be cool to be the top of that mountain. There's a route. There's a lot of training. There's a lot of things you do to get there. You can't just be ill beat me up Scotty and get to the top of Mt. we have to take steps and the same way that we climb the three thousand foot face of rock is the same wave client and eight foot ladder step by step by step and by a cyclone. I doubt about this personal planning process that I went through a few years ago there was extremely helpful for me. I wanted to just pass this information on to you may actually have some packets at the back. If you would if you would like these I would highly recommend it. If you've never done any kind of a personal planning process, especially based in in Christian values of that it's all based in this recognizing God. First of all and in all about reconciling relationships in reaching goals with all based and in what God has planned for us biblically. It makes all the world difference as opposed to whatever were just about trying to promote ourselves in an gain more wealth. Basically, artwork, you better just for ourselves but on a quick overview of what these are was different piece of information here, actually the first one is on values and convictions as an exercise that that's extremely valuable to go through in his actual list of of thirty or forty different words that you can you can enter prayerfully take through of what what are truly your values and convictions are encouraging is that good, though. And then there's another exercise told your story matters where you can literally go through your your own personal sorry in order to get the idea of what your personality is like your relationships, and you've been through your origin and formation, and basically just get what they were not acronym for your profile and the net is that personal mission statement is just as an organization needs to have a mission varies very as not very often that we as individuals set up an actual mission statement what it is that what the passion that God has placed within you and and what is it that they got is called to tuna. I think what my favorite quotes on this is that where your greatest passion is your vocation. Your mission in life is where your greatest passion meets one of the worlds greatest needs. The idea of your passions meeting the world 's needs in this exercise can help you go through. That's a personal mission statement and then. As these life planning worksheets which even if you don't do the deed. The first year, which actually on on here have gone the front page of this we have kind of an overview of all of him taking how to pick and choose which things you, you would potentially want to go through. But even if you don't do the deed. The first exercises which can be a little bit lengthier. I would highly recommend identifying areas in your life and dessert time. Just classic key areas in and in everyone's life identifying areas in your life that you want that you want to trade a vision for that you want to change one have a resolution for to have changed in this year and set out a small vision statement for this has has some kind of numerical change, even nor or an engine that gets translated into the next one in today's life plan worksheet for you actually will lay out just for five action plans of steps that you can do in each of these areas so they called life accounts in your Silverlight account number one euro to be faith and Chattanooga vision statement from where you want life to be this year, and state how you want to grow in Christ and how to get a bill to do that. This action plan might be no weekly prayer daily devotional, go to business retreat of that retreat or have three or four days to make an actual plan to make that happen in your life this year on the minute and then the most important part for me is that it actually gets translated into what I do tomorrow with and have all these resolutions and plans and you know it is in this is when you realize an organization as well. Like you can have these dreams of working work of fifty churches nor corporate fun. But then, what does that mean for me when and what does that mean for me tomorrow. What I need to do to get there and where the increments that I feel happy that I can measure whether or not I'm getting there. And so, without going into it too much. DTI will try to cram all assumes I'm remonstrating, but I wanted you, at least, please know that this tool is available for you as well and I would highly recommend you even if you don't go through all of the exercises which, if you can carve out a few hours this week or over the next two or three weeks to do it. I would highly recommend doing it and if not at least identify those areas where you have resolution are who you feel that God has been been targeted your heart to change whether whatever area you might be in your life of these different light life accounts and sit down and in job plan for what they'll look like this year and how you can get there and and and prayerfully ask God to help you get there now and always. I can understand that God recognizing that God is in control, but all, and it's always been about reconciling yourself daily to him and asking him to help you to be reconciled to those around you and then reaching after these goals daily. Every day, reaching after reaching after reaching after the smallest steps and that is a world of difference between just roaming through the woods and hoping you might find the top of the mountain someday while the difference between that and and actually setting out on a path even though it might be a rough path and a hard path to world of difference between slope not exceed letting the winds push you around wherever they would be an throwing up the sales and heading towards the direction. I love the ceiling analogy to some of the money to know about how ceiling works. But this thing called tacking and sailing were when the winds blown behind you. It is one straight behind you and you disrupt or sell you. You have to go wherever the wind flows blows you by contacting in the sailboat is Jackson put it you go it yet an angle with the wind so that you can get leveraging the work you will need to go mistakes and live for God would have you got the win 's wife, because all around you, but if you have your sales up in the right when you steer you in the right direction. You can use the wings in all challenges of life to push in the right direction and testing is when you actually have to turn it off because if I keep going away forever. I wanted over there. But in order for me to go over there and the windblown this or that what I have to make turns back and forth and back and forth, and so so often in life we had these big times. I know for us. You Jenny and I when we thought we were going this way in life and you get cancer, and you like was I not doing your will. God was going on. He only had a plan about. We agreed on this. I did the worksheet I had my mission and vision all laid out in my action plans discriminate up. No, it's just attack and let the sales balance readjusts C with a Windsor comment thrown back up and go. It doesn't look exactly like I thought it would, but it's greater things are ahead. Let's go as deep gone now. So, without all the analogies, the banker him to attend to consider joining these things and and and knowing that there are so many tools available in so to often we disallow life would allow the momentum of life as roll over us and push us around. Instead of using the tools and things that we have right in the palms of our hands right. We are now to be able to make a difference in the world are headed and will move on as when to quit rented this take me about ten minutes or so go at the time that but I wanted to give you an overview of the things the ring going on in terms of momentum in El Salvador and and and here I wanted to include that the mission and vision. Just because it is so to need to have a mission and vision, both as an organization as and as an individual to understand who you are on this. This defines who we are as an organization, so you know if it fits it of all the sudden it some business comes in and tells us that we could make a bunch of money and help all these people if we start your new clothing factory or something. Well, does it, we might go to make millions on it. But does that fit within our vision is a fit with our mission of equipping local church is a transform to these not probably know in a BCL something, but it's always not have the vision and mission set aside an additional it's very important and as we talk about his life account things to have actual figures to have actual vision of how do we get there, how do we accomplish what the mission has been laid out for us and and actually put targets with the employee ends and the heroes are our strategic goals from the first for the next five years, which the concept of now, no impacting over two hundred fifty thousand people and raising four. Five million dollars and always different things to seem absurd to me sometimes you will you will you lay it out and realized what has happened in the past and been seated, step-by-step, they got CNN will provide you can actually begin to plan off these things and and and see them happening in front of you as I want to get a quick overview of what's going on, already with a hundred churches hundreds churches to fifty thousand people to God. And because over the past years, made from two thousand six just working with a handful of churches and it keeps scrolling through on that will have always churches popping up, which has been amazing to see how churches have just come on board, one after another, and an end. The replication that is happening, and in the different communities. This has been absolutely outstanding of me. Not high. I can't fathom that back in two thousand two is just a couple of churches, analysis, the entire country is, is coming on board with this thing were facing two thousand eleven with fifty two different churches with a new churches this year and keep gone through the legitimacy one testimony of what God is our church coaches with actually hired for the church coaches this year which are essential to our our process and that the church coaches actually that the people who insult right there. Second, the people who actually walk alongside with the local churches on a daily basis on a weekly basis throughout their. I continually and in the region of Saldana, there's just been amazing change happening. We've had more than a dozen churches come on over the past couple years and and. We've developed a church partnership where we had US churches that are then interested in time, accompanying and sponsoring the region of churches in El Salvador and sometimes been that been no area where that has been the biggest blessing we seem back. She connected with a few large churches here in the US that supported this. I wanted to see a quick profile video of the region of us on Tonawanda new churches that just came on this year or is is is is is is, and I be slow and selected me as I is so he and he is in. I will use this as true as it is in the win. Everyone is as far as I will go and work for our following is closer. He is in Antioch, Iraq, on school and children in his leadership is why he and he is only there is a zone or at all and is in the water as he is him him him to go on as it is. Is he and what people must lose the business house and so on. I see here is a video card is as is after I is in the conversation is in a relationship with God will will will is will is is is is is is is is is a in a and is this is is is is is is is almost in an is is is is is is only chair one in a little testimony from one of the newer churches that have come on in and that I just had a chance to to meet with Hammond Museum at the last pastors retreat the beginning of the month this year in December and one of the main things is that the conversations that came up among many of pastors was the way that they are dealing with gains on as many find El Salvador 's very dangerous country, not regarding this. She actually ended up being the highest murder rate in in in history for El Salvador. They just close out the numbers on that with over a fifteen murders a day for six million people since it's very violent area, but these churches are actually beginning to see the gang members as as people that the need blessing, not just the own, you know, they evacuated out of the community are kicked out of the community and it's interesting the conversation that happened among the pastors and Audi seal is one of the ones that was most vocal about the fact of how these gang members once they come to Christ. They are the most powerful apostles as he called it, you know, just as Paul was most powerful possible in the New Testament of the most powerful fossils we can have in our church and are treating yet experienced that recently and so he was very vocal about that, and there's multiple churches that are undertaking out on the DEB says that the only way that they will know where different anybody else is showing them love and so they've been actually incorporating gang members in all of these different projects that they've been doing in and they actually had nine-game leaders that ran in whole region. The whole neighborhood in the country of the community and no one could get in or out of this committee without the non- demonstrating and asked these gang members if they wanted to start home garden 's church concerts. It is dead simple train you and you can, and sure enough they did there come to church now and then pillage the verify lifestyle. He will do nothing to change zombies is crazy, then this does happening out these the types of projects are seventy Junior had the next and seventy two projects benefiting the most fifty thousand people this year the home garden projects if they cannot actually that guide down the left is a gang member who benefited from the from the home garden project and has been nominated by our home church and twenty Missouri is now partnering with regional South region in El Salvador and been taking two trips a year down, and they were working with and connect to the home garden projects have just taken off thirty seven block homes built this year where I on target for next year to ask about a hundred and fifty new homes that had yet affected news thirty seven not block and thirty one Adobe in different each community. They actually identify what type of home style that they would would prefer that the churches he actually get together and identify the families that are in most need sexy duets of a completely open and transparent census of the ball, the community and actually have a numerical system to identify what families are in the most need in the present that in from the whole community Association meetings were not announced. I identify which which home design that they will decide the latrines and sanitation facilities is of the apology 's notable job of forming hours since like sixty percent of the families in Reuters, still have access to do any sort of sanitation facilities and so the trains are always a great project, especially for the beginning churches that are just starting because they cannot. It's that easy to manage low income project they're able to manage on their own got tons of health projects. We are supporting three different clinics in to gun and at least three different water, water projects this year was in a October was enough you heard about the reins and we had that they were intense and they had over four feet of rain intended for feet and at the latter rain and in ten days, and all the young ten bridges have to happen this about his or affected thirty five thousand and shelters ahead. Next, but it was amazing to see that the way that the churches responded to it and and that's what that the most amazing thing for me, this is the way that the church is continued to respond. Once they are trained and understand that it is part of their mission and vision of who they are is a church body is to tend to serve and help those around them. They're an unstoppable force. I mean they they are doing amazing things middle ones and insight Donna, which was that on the. The previous slide. They actually the church members were the first ones to go and pull out all uncover by three different homes were families had just been much your covered by my side, and they are able to save three different families. They're like the first responders, and they could actually train themselves on these different disaster relief things is in a country gets a lot of earthquakes in a lot of traffic storms were not flooded areas that they are beginning to train themselves on as a church and so on the El Salvador side things are just going amazing and also on the above funding side in terms of the US. We seen a phenomenal things happen, especially through our church partnership program didn't go through, or if we have churches come and explore on vision trips US churches come down in an and explore different churches that they would want to partner with and they investing in our church partnership program, as well as these different initiatives that go on and actually usually started about ten thousand dollar year on communities, churches, we have we have three different churches that have gone up to as much as three thousand dollars a year. They supported in whole read country since this amazing man's like most things. No release was connections come from guys just been been doing phenomenal things in that regard and axis will send on mission teams as part of their there on their partnership, which is actually an amazing thing to see because the admission team service as a way of encouraging of encouragement for local church. The continuing on what they're done and then we help them. This was actually the Willow Creek. Their lobby. This is located three church this mega- church and near Chicago that his begin to part with us in the past years in the action felt good back a second. They build on the right side of retaining wall made out tires in the church lobby, which I thought was comical because that's when the projects they were supporting in El Salvador. Many of these youth always mudslides and everything. Many studies have been building retaining walls to prevent mudslides in Actium. The two liturgies were refer started where there were mudslides all time with eight and a built in nineteen strengths is that it has to be dealt. They build over a dozen of these retaining lost in October with his last rains that they had had no landslides whatsoever. All the retaining walls health and these are all just minimal middle, investment, bad love it that the day built a retaining wall in their no multimillion dollar facility in Chicago as part of their engaging their church in the U.S. Senate to continue supporting what's going on El Salvador and these men up to fourteen different church partners this year since just a matter of celebrating that. But God 's doing through all that so you had and done as one death. I don't want a little bit long. I try to cram in the will, but two more too much how I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I fitted in raisin bread. The food is I got. I was able to apologize as well and I might him. If anyone has any any questions or comments him him him. I just wanted to be alone to present a little bit of overdue nights and more than anything thank you offer for your prayers and three support, no some may view all of you then you know heard about our our our our personal difficulties over the past two years and been praying for us, and in support for us for many many years and were so so thankful I know Jenny is finished her cancer treatments this year in two thousand eleven. There is much to celebrate and and she's extremely healthy and weird British so thankful for the life that they got is given us and were really thankful for you. You all is well and really appreciate all that you done for us and them, but never any questions or comments about El Salvador about this personal planning a Vegas than twelve hours this week personal glass. The yet the people that receive these homes are a mean have been in many of these homes learn deplorable conditions on me give you one example of this lady named Olga, who lived in an absolute basement in plastic, plastic house. We literally had a black plastic and whatever tarps and was not that she could find sticks with and she was a widow with eight kids and some of her older daughters and had already had kids and you know she has no form of income except for washing close in the river whenever she can to get yummy literally living on cents a day and trying to get by. She's your someday I could just your notebook access to running water. She lives in the mountains about the means of three three half hour locked nurse, but with people like that art doesn't types of conditions that most newspaper in the house recipients enough visitors enough that so those those the ones the Deuteronomy sink it to the top of the list and then, what ends up happening is they are able to identify your animal studies to be over hundred P four hundred families that are in such conditions, and they can't have houses for all of them and so they have to be out of time. Identify the worst-case scenarios, and they do that is it is in it, and as transparent a way as possible, but certainly actually that the church members. It's very rare that a church member waxing in-house. It's much more common for the church members to put themselves follow down the list in part on the list because oftentimes inside the church. They would take care of them so they think of themselves a little bit more than for the outside in this whole vision is to help those were outside of the church to show them the love of God if they would would would potential human Bob. Some adjacent action identified and Adobe is what they would prefer another trees they wanted block on houses is what they would prefer the Adobe itself is actually& to compress dirt, but it that they did the typical way of doing Adobe houses must actually go all walls with it, and they were roof supporting walls so on. These mud walls, they would put huge beams and then the terra-cotta tile on top of it literally groups away tons literally tons on dirt walls in an earthquake prone areas that the way that we get Adobe is actually that the adobe walls and an axiom of and a freestanding metal structure on the outsides of ACC channel post on the outside and a freestanding roof structure, but they prefer the building because it's much cooler as you nicely like in Arizona, different places, which would hotly so some of them identify the no BS as what they would prefer, news and other areas actually older that one playlist mentioning their lives way with the nouns they taxi is a corrugated steel version from them because the transportation is so hard to get block or any other materials up to them, so use a foundation of of cinderblock and an action bill, can record HD on the outside. It's like a double layered so spotting extreme hotness in the and that the sun, but there's a few different designs that they identified our engineer, and I think I has the Church at unity staff to help with the churches help with all church coaching and have another half of our staff are engineers, doctors, lawyers, and that actually help people with the designing of these different projects. We are mentioning on staff that helps design we hired unskilled labor to oversee the construction of the news well and church puts in all manual labor for his the unskilled labor. Further projects as yet. Typically, people are in rural areas are small-scale farmers that grow corn being your sustenance farmers going beyond on when they see small scale in El Salvador twenty two acres ounces on oftentimes very steep hillsides that they farmed by hand, you know, just with machete and ends in stick and whatnot about seventy percent of the being crop was lost in October with his rain, so you can imagine your people that live on on these porn means like that when they get a big storm like this, they lose so much of it. Reasons lies home garden projects have been so successful is because they're actually able to to to grow young diversified across and when they get a moment on this project. We actually have an agronomist, it visits them weekly for the first year visits each of these families Waco. They do they come to get a niche communities and trains them on on the gardens and walks them through the whole old learning process and so those gardens are able to provide sustenance, but also been identify crops they can sell locally. Mark maybe I like Francis, ladies please raise households will start with just a few rows of Lance not met, not least a dozen different people that now have hundreds of tomato plants and pepper plants, radishes, they start your experiment with all her stuff and they put in sloppy upon suspended the new cash crop in El Salvador 's been talking me put in these little talking on the brother on floppy, and they can sell for on two dollars a pound on the market and so there and making you eat fish in the me to do chicken, poultry, which is fairly common, but variable to even increase that is also the home guards been extremely successful for for helping with what the prison than in rural areas. It's like sixty or seventy percent of the children are malnourished and in so it's it's a rough situation overall with it with the typically, I really proceed to guess taking the time to hear about it some thought and it's a joy for me to go to continue to work work with with these churches and newscasters. There is definitely an inspiration and I hope is going to two thousand twelve at Yahoo. It's like it might have a say in it could be a three-day seminar to go through each of these personal planning things, but I would encourage you know it. We have a few copies there in the back and we can just literally run downstairs and make runoff more copies of of of any of these and banal bits. It's just the seasons for resolutions and allow God to guide us and it's it's a good thing God. God gave us gives us these groanings and desires fruit for that which he has for our lives. The dreams of heaven to be realized now so thank you for asking to go to those three were vacant. There were three recognize reconcile enraged and how that works. How that is where I small incorporation small missions program and has taken off from five or six churches, now it's over fifty with plans of going to two hundred and fifty ad job and all their budget. Ten years ago was two hundred thousand dollars and now lay this year was was three million. So it's been one of those things that God has enabled them to through this planning being and again you. We have momentum. Everyone is in motion, every one of us are in motion is just a matter of word study guide us. Is it forward or backward isn't it all were going to go somewhere and were going to do something and ended challenges what is it they were going to do and is a go to make a difference in our life and the lives of the people that we serve, and in the church is about breach in the community and one of the things David said that men want to receive an offering of four four for David for all for the mission is not a blessing, but it's for David for his missions. One of the things it. His son, healthcare, since Jenny when they were in El Salvador and she came back and had cancer and had to go through all that her health insurance is over eighteen thousand dollars year and plus there with the kids based their initial bill for health insurance is over twenty thousand dollars just to start with health insurance without any other expense their initial expenses over twenty thousand twenty two thousand dollars for health insurance and so, lets you that's a major budget just to start off with and down, but one of things that wait, we look at with the the church in a rural community was always seen as a leech the is here. You are very poor community and you have a pastor of the congregation and what is it wasn't has to do. He receives offering so therefore he's pulling money from the resources in the community, but in reality, the church is about meeting needs in the community and now with housing, et al., leases, water projects in healthcare is the church now recognizing what the needs are the community then going out in the community and touching those individuals and creating places where they can be housing the church becomes a place of putting things into the community rather than taking away the plastic giving them the message of Jesus Christ, and of hope in this life and want to comeHere, and if you to be here and I can't believe the time is fast. I is not a basis is to and I definitely think that I the older we get the faster goes on and everybody out here, not those young obverse ethanol. All heard it, but it does seem like we live a life that gets momentum going, known as the momentum happening all around us, but we like it or not, and unless we cause and set course notes in a direction look ahead at where were going, it's pretty easy for a moment and just to take this world. Well, I and I think the new year is a good time to build to pause and be able to ponder on the direction that we should be doing and today I wanted to share a little bit quick update on what's been going on in El Salvador over the past year and I think you so many of the things that we've seen happen in El Salvador over these past now, most ten years since we went there two and two thousand two. The issue will be ten years since the first time we went there on and seeing it start from your organization nurse about seven or eight of us to retrieve us as missionary volunteers in a couple Salvadoran staff to now that picture was just in December that our pastors retreat like that from last year, we have that's okay. That's just the desktop picture was he like as part of his life to. That's what I have on my desktop is the picture of our pastors and church leaders, but we now have over forty staff and we're working with fifty two churches throughout the country. This year they did seventy different projects set represents seven. The different water systems and health clinics always different things, and there's momentum happening, that God has just been got behind it. You know, but there is there some elements that I feel like that have has happened on the ways that we've been able to respond to what God has wanted to do has been a lot of what has helped make this happen and where the three Arizona talking about today would be recognizing reconciling and reaching. Recognizing these kinds of the recognizing that God is in control and in the last as when an extremely important component for us to always recognize that God is the one who is who's in control. And that's the one who's doing it. We're all about reconciling relationships have to be about the ministry of of reconciling, restoring relationships that have to be at the center of everything we do, and then setting goals and reaching for those goals praying and having God clarify where we where we should go and reach those goals and networks for administering organization also works in our personal lives. I don't know how many of you have made New Year's resolutions. Amy has worked resolution. I will know how I want to tell me to say whether this, but the resolution site is a good time to have resolutions. It's good to have resolutions and achieve return your Bibles to second Corinthians five were in a reading from Paul's letter to the Corinthians is a great chapter on another builder. Though overall it, and I've been, but we need to get to the nitty-gritty details. Two of different things that second chances. Chapter five will first read from mom verses one through five new skip down to verse sixteen through twenty one all men. I got a King James version sixteen James Ashton is five that I find a skin at five one three one through five in sixteen to twenty one for we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens for in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be closed upon with our house which is from heaven, if so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do ground, being burdened for. Not that we would be unclosed, but clothed upon that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought. As for the selfsame for the self same thing is God who also hath given unto this the earnest of spirits, and then on sixteen to twenty one. Wherefore hence forth now is a hard time of King James and say method. Some illustrations sixteen to twenty one forests at an Ivy, yeah, actually nuts are looking for my that I've been studying off my fungal time of the numeric insanity. Thank you. Edit and it's it's it's kind of a close chapters of the Bible doesn't pop out at you. Even in an IV or in the message even right off the bat, let alone the nineteen James version. I would really him encourage you to study this. This chapter this week and read over a few times. Second Corinthians chapter five. Just a wealth of knowledge in there in the end, the verses one through six. There's this talk about Groening or desiring or having the burden for the first something that is to come for having that is to come right and and it didn't it get to this notion that is good, it's it's good for us to desire something more than we have. It's a God-given natural, God placed a thing for us to have desires to want to have resolutions every year to improve to get closer to God. But here talks about longing for heaven like having your eyes set on heaven and it may be think of Jenin. I have like to do these little slack lining things, which is basically tight rope walking, we will especially early, before we all a piece of wedding a piece of nylon in between two trees in you since it up and felt so tight that you won't touch the ground in the time walked on time balance on this thing. I and basis. It's that something fun to do something you fund balance, but you talk about walking the straight and narrow way it's. It's a straight. And if we are trying to walk on any of these things easy to guys that tightrope walkers with the little balance bars, no minors are they staring at their feet whenever their own. There are they looking left or right while her out there. We just stand on it on a highlight of this Lane find balance impossible. I love you means not impossible, but nearly impossible if you want to want something straight here. You walk a straight line. Where do you look, you look straight ahead. Look at where you're going to give you looking at your feet and expect to be balanced on on some unsung tether the same thing in our lives that we are to be focused towards heaven in this idea of recognizing that God is in control God has a plan for us draws her eyes to where we are going and where God would have us to go on the I love the concept donated verses one to six to talk about this. This desire and growing because we want it to be. Now were looking ahead we want to be there but were so focused on the things around us that we decided either and that we can actually get there on secondly, the second chunk of verses sixteen to twenty one. What's, what's the word, you heard most of their yacht reconciliations, what you said reconcile reconcile reconcile it does reconcile me come together restore vigorous restoration is a good is a good concept. The mean really, the whole gospel is about reconciliation is about restoring something that was broken restoring first of our relationship between us and God. And second of all between us and others, and so that the Bible is all about reconciling reconciling as we push into the to the new year. And as we have to make any plans in our lives and we always have to be focused on earth, everything being birthed out of reconciliation out of being reconciled. First of all of God, and everything restored relationships with an massé, we figured out that no system. No project no methodology, nothing that we can come up with the concoct a reminder. Follow ABCD is going to to to make a long-term lasting distant third difference in the community. The only thing that is going to to make long-term difference. A3 is starting with reconciliation with reconciling with with with restoring relationships if there is not restore a relationship happening. Then, then nothing will be a will to sustain itself. My dad never just listening to radio show this morning on on on the way to breakfast near talking dollars problem in Africa and him and it was as interesting because a local guidance. This summed it up in this African guy from the villages, said only reason what's happening here is that people are selfish, no it is not the problem everywhere that that if if were not about restoring relationships, we, we can never have any sort of lasting impact and thirty retirement, recognizing, reconciling and thirdly is reaching wheat. Wheat we set a goal of her going after it, when you looking at it at a slack line. Not only we, walking on on a tight rope. Not only is it hard makes it harder to look down or to the side, and also makes it harder to stop and analyze. We have momentum going. We need to keep taken steps and for not taking steps sooner later no-fault no and it's the same thing with with having a purpose in going after goal wheat. We need to be at the business of of going after these goals that debtor that are set forth for so the idea of recognizing the guys in control reconciling relationships and reaching after the goals that it better since promised and in order to think how to bring this and that to some sort of practicality of so how do we do this in our personal lives. We have these personal New Year's resolutions that that we may or may not have set him at the last day in two thousand and five was that the first time we went through a Tuesday strategic planning process, not thought it was absolutely phenomenal to have these big goals and dreams of working, going from six churches working with fifty churches but how you get there, you know, and you can set big goals living visions and realities, resolutions and ideas we wanted with the lives we don't actually set out a plan. It's about impossible to get there just to say I'm going to go climb that mountain was nice to think that it would be cool to be the top of that mountain. There's a route. There's a lot of training. There's a lot of things you do to get there. You can't just be ill beat me up Scotty and get to the top of Mt. we have to take steps and the same way that we climb the three thousand foot face of rock is the same wave client and eight foot ladder step by step by step and by a cyclone. I doubt about this personal planning process that I went through a few years ago there was extremely helpful for me. I wanted to just pass this information on to you may actually have some packets at the back. If you would if you would like these I would highly recommend it. If you've never done any kind of a personal planning process, especially based in in Christian values of that it's all based in this recognizing God. First of all and in all about reconciling relationships in reaching goals with all based and in what God has planned for us biblically. It makes all the world difference as opposed to whatever were just about trying to promote ourselves in an gain more wealth. Basically, artwork, you better just for ourselves but on a quick overview of what these are was different piece of information here, actually the first one is on values and convictions as an exercise that that's extremely valuable to go through in his actual list of of thirty or forty different words that you can you can enter prayerfully take through of what what are truly your values and convictions are encouraging is that good, though. And then there's another exercise told your story matters where you can literally go through your your own personal sorry in order to get the idea of what your personality is like your relationships, and you've been through your origin and formation, and basically just get what they were not acronym for your profile and the net is that personal mission statement is just as an organization needs to have a mission varies very as not very often that we as individuals set up an actual mission statement what it is that what the passion that God has placed within you and and what is it that they got is called to tuna. I think what my favorite quotes on this is that where your greatest passion is your vocation. Your mission in life is where your greatest passion meets one of the worlds greatest needs. The idea of your passions meeting the world 's needs in this exercise can help you go through. That's a personal mission statement and then. As these life planning worksheets which even if you don't do the deed. The first year, which actually on on here have gone the front page of this we have kind of an overview of all of him taking how to pick and choose which things you, you would potentially want to go through. But even if you don't do the deed. The first exercises which can be a little bit lengthier. I would highly recommend identifying areas in your life and dessert time. Just classic key areas in and in everyone's life identifying areas in your life that you want that you want to trade a vision for that you want to change one have a resolution for to have changed in this year and set out a small vision statement for this has has some kind of numerical change, even nor or an engine that gets translated into the next one in today's life plan worksheet for you actually will lay out just for five action plans of steps that you can do in each of these areas so they called life accounts in your Silverlight account number one euro to be faith and Chattanooga vision statement from where you want life to be this year, and state how you want to grow in Christ and how to get a bill to do that. This action plan might be no weekly prayer daily devotional, go to business retreat of that retreat or have three or four days to make an actual plan to make that happen in your life this year on the minute and then the most important part for me is that it actually gets translated into what I do tomorrow with and have all these resolutions and plans and you know it is in this is when you realize an organization as well. Like you can have these dreams of working work of fifty churches nor corporate fun. But then, what does that mean for me when and what does that mean for me tomorrow. What I need to do to get there and where the increments that I feel happy that I can measure whether or not I'm getting there. And so, without going into it too much. DTI will try to cram all assumes I'm remonstrating, but I wanted you, at least, please know that this tool is available for you as well and I would highly recommend you even if you don't go through all of the exercises which, if you can carve out a few hours this week or over the next two or three weeks to do it. I would highly recommend doing it and if not at least identify those areas where you have resolution are who you feel that God has been been targeted your heart to change whether whatever area you might be in your life of these different light life accounts and sit down and in job plan for what they'll look like this year and how you can get there and and and prayerfully ask God to help you get there now and always. I can understand that God recognizing that God is in control, but all, and it's always been about reconciling yourself daily to him and asking him to help you to be reconciled to those around you and then reaching after these goals daily. Every day, reaching after reaching after reaching after the smallest steps and that is a world of difference between just roaming through the woods and hoping you might find the top of the mountain someday while the difference between that and and actually setting out on a path even though it might be a rough path and a hard path to world of difference between slope not exceed letting the winds push you around wherever they would be an throwing up the sales and heading towards the direction. I love the ceiling analogy to some of the money to know about how ceiling works. But this thing called tacking and sailing were when the winds blown behind you. It is one straight behind you and you disrupt or sell you. You have to go wherever the wind flows blows you by contacting in the sailboat is Jackson put it you go it yet an angle with the wind so that you can get leveraging the work you will need to go mistakes and live for God would have you got the win 's wife, because all around you, but if you have your sales up in the right when you steer you in the right direction. You can use the wings in all challenges of life to push in the right direction and testing is when you actually have to turn it off because if I keep going away forever. I wanted over there. But in order for me to go over there and the windblown this or that what I have to make turns back and forth and back and forth, and so so often in life we had these big times. I know for us. You Jenny and I when we thought we were going this way in life and you get cancer, and you like was I not doing your will. God was going on. He only had a plan about. We agreed on this. I did the worksheet I had my mission and vision all laid out in my action plans discriminate up. No, it's just attack and let the sales balance readjusts C with a Windsor comment thrown back up and go. It doesn't look exactly like I thought it would, but it's greater things are ahead. Let's go as deep gone now. So, without all the analogies, the banker him to attend to consider joining these things and and and knowing that there are so many tools available in so to often we disallow life would allow the momentum of life as roll over us and push us around. Instead of using the tools and things that we have right in the palms of our hands right. We are now to be able to make a difference in the world are headed and will move on as when to quit rented this take me about ten minutes or so go at the time that but I wanted to give you an overview of the things the ring going on in terms of momentum in El Salvador and and and here I wanted to include that the mission and vision. Just because it is so to need to have a mission and vision, both as an organization as and as an individual to understand who you are on this. This defines who we are as an organization, so you know if it fits it of all the sudden it some business comes in and tells us that we could make a bunch of money and help all these people if we start your new clothing factory or something. Well, does it, we might go to make millions on it. But does that fit within our vision is a fit with our mission of equipping local church is a transform to these not probably know in a BCL something, but it's always not have the vision and mission set aside an additional it's very important and as we talk about his life account things to have actual figures to have actual vision of how do we get there, how do we accomplish what the mission has been laid out for us and and actually put targets with the employee ends and the heroes are our strategic goals from the first for the next five years, which the concept of now, no impacting over two hundred fifty thousand people and raising four. Five million dollars and always different things to seem absurd to me sometimes you will you will you lay it out and realized what has happened in the past and been seated, step-by-step, they got CNN will provide you can actually begin to plan off these things and and and see them happening in front of you as I want to get a quick overview of what's going on, already with a hundred churches hundreds churches to fifty thousand people to God. And because over the past years, made from two thousand six just working with a handful of churches and it keeps scrolling through on that will have always churches popping up, which has been amazing to see how churches have just come on board, one after another, and an end. The replication that is happening, and in the different communities. This has been absolutely outstanding of me. Not high. I can't fathom that back in two thousand two is just a couple of churches, analysis, the entire country is, is coming on board with this thing were facing two thousand eleven with fifty two different churches with a new churches this year and keep gone through the legitimacy one testimony of what God is our church coaches with actually hired for the church coaches this year which are essential to our our process and that the church coaches actually that the people who insult right there. Second, the people who actually walk alongside with the local churches on a daily basis on a weekly basis throughout their. I continually and in the region of Saldana, there's just been amazing change happening. We've had more than a dozen churches come on over the past couple years and and. We've developed a church partnership where we had US churches that are then interested in time, accompanying and sponsoring the region of churches in El Salvador and sometimes been that been no area where that has been the biggest blessing we seem back. She connected with a few large churches here in the US that supported this. I wanted to see a quick profile video of the region of us on Tonawanda new churches that just came on this year or is is is is is is, and I be slow and selected me as I is so he and he is in. I will use this as true as it is in the win. Everyone is as far as I will go and work for our following is closer. He is in Antioch, Iraq, on school and children in his leadership is why he and he is only there is a zone or at all and is in the water as he is him him him to go on as it is. Is he and what people must lose the business house and so on. I see here is a video card is as is after I is in the conversation is in a relationship with God will will will is will is is is is is is is is is a in a and is this is is is is is is is almost in an is is is is is is only chair one in a little testimony from one of the newer churches that have come on in and that I just had a chance to to meet with Hammond Museum at the last pastors retreat the beginning of the month this year in December and one of the main things is that the conversations that came up among many of pastors was the way that they are dealing with gains on as many find El Salvador 's very dangerous country, not regarding this. She actually ended up being the highest murder rate in in in history for El Salvador. They just close out the numbers on that with over a fifteen murders a day for six million people since it's very violent area, but these churches are actually beginning to see the gang members as as people that the need blessing, not just the own, you know, they evacuated out of the community are kicked out of the community and it's interesting the conversation that happened among the pastors and Audi seal is one of the ones that was most vocal about the fact of how these gang members once they come to Christ. They are the most powerful apostles as he called it, you know, just as Paul was most powerful possible in the New Testament of the most powerful fossils we can have in our church and are treating yet experienced that recently and so he was very vocal about that, and there's multiple churches that are undertaking out on the DEB says that the only way that they will know where different anybody else is showing them love and so they've been actually incorporating gang members in all of these different projects that they've been doing in and they actually had nine-game leaders that ran in whole region. The whole neighborhood in the country of the community and no one could get in or out of this committee without the non- demonstrating and asked these gang members if they wanted to start home garden 's church concerts. It is dead simple train you and you can, and sure enough they did there come to church now and then pillage the verify lifestyle. He will do nothing to change zombies is crazy, then this does happening out these the types of projects are seventy Junior had the next and seventy two projects benefiting the most fifty thousand people this year the home garden projects if they cannot actually that guide down the left is a gang member who benefited from the from the home garden project and has been nominated by our home church and twenty Missouri is now partnering with regional South region in El Salvador and been taking two trips a year down, and they were working with and connect to the home garden projects have just taken off thirty seven block homes built this year where I on target for next year to ask about a hundred and fifty new homes that had yet affected news thirty seven not block and thirty one Adobe in different each community. They actually identify what type of home style that they would would prefer that the churches he actually get together and identify the families that are in most need sexy duets of a completely open and transparent census of the ball, the community and actually have a numerical system to identify what families are in the most need in the present that in from the whole community Association meetings were not announced. I identify which which home design that they will decide the latrines and sanitation facilities is of the apology 's notable job of forming hours since like sixty percent of the families in Reuters, still have access to do any sort of sanitation facilities and so the trains are always a great project, especially for the beginning churches that are just starting because they cannot. It's that easy to manage low income project they're able to manage on their own got tons of health projects. We are supporting three different clinics in to gun and at least three different water, water projects this year was in a October was enough you heard about the reins and we had that they were intense and they had over four feet of rain intended for feet and at the latter rain and in ten days, and all the young ten bridges have to happen this about his or affected thirty five thousand and shelters ahead. Next, but it was amazing to see that the way that the churches responded to it and and that's what that the most amazing thing for me, this is the way that the church is continued to respond. Once they are trained and understand that it is part of their mission and vision of who they are is a church body is to tend to serve and help those around them. They're an unstoppable force. I mean they they are doing amazing things middle ones and insight Donna, which was that on the. The previous slide. They actually the church members were the first ones to go and pull out all uncover by three different homes were families had just been much your covered by my side, and they are able to save three different families. They're like the first responders, and they could actually train themselves on these different disaster relief things is in a country gets a lot of earthquakes in a lot of traffic storms were not flooded areas that they are beginning to train themselves on as a church and so on the El Salvador side things are just going amazing and also on the above funding side in terms of the US. We seen a phenomenal things happen, especially through our church partnership program didn't go through, or if we have churches come and explore on vision trips US churches come down in an and explore different churches that they would want to partner with and they investing in our church partnership program, as well as these different initiatives that go on and actually usually started about ten thousand dollar year on communities, churches, we have we have three different churches that have gone up to as much as three thousand dollars a year. They supported in whole read country since this amazing man's like most things. No release was connections come from guys just been been doing phenomenal things in that regard and axis will send on mission teams as part of their there on their partnership, which is actually an amazing thing to see because the admission team service as a way of encouraging of encouragement for local church. The continuing on what they're done and then we help them. This was actually the Willow Creek. Their lobby. This is located three church this mega- church and near Chicago that his begin to part with us in the past years in the action felt good back a second. They build on the right side of retaining wall made out tires in the church lobby, which I thought was comical because that's when the projects they were supporting in El Salvador. Many of these youth always mudslides and everything. Many studies have been building retaining walls to prevent mudslides in Actium. The two liturgies were refer started where there were mudslides all time with eight and a built in nineteen strengths is that it has to be dealt. They build over a dozen of these retaining lost in October with his last rains that they had had no landslides whatsoever. All the retaining walls health and these are all just minimal middle, investment, bad love it that the day built a retaining wall in their no multimillion dollar facility in Chicago as part of their engaging their church in the U.S. Senate to continue supporting what's going on El Salvador and these men up to fourteen different church partners this year since just a matter of celebrating that. But God 's doing through all that so you had and done as one death. I don't want a little bit long. I try to cram in the will, but two more too much how I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I fitted in raisin bread. The food is I got. I was able to apologize as well and I might him. If anyone has any any questions or comments him him him. I just wanted to be alone to present a little bit of overdue nights and more than anything thank you offer for your prayers and three support, no some may view all of you then you know heard about our our our our personal difficulties over the past two years and been praying for us, and in support for us for many many years and were so so thankful I know Jenny is finished her cancer treatments this year in two thousand eleven. There is much to celebrate and and she's extremely healthy and weird British so thankful for the life that they got is given us and were really thankful for you. You all is well and really appreciate all that you done for us and them, but never any questions or comments about El Salvador about this personal planning a Vegas than twelve hours this week personal glass. The yet the people that receive these homes are a mean have been in many of these homes learn deplorable conditions on me give you one example of this lady named Olga, who lived in an absolute basement in plastic, plastic house. We literally had a black plastic and whatever tarps and was not that she could find sticks with and she was a widow with eight kids and some of her older daughters and had already had kids and you know she has no form of income except for washing close in the river whenever she can to get yummy literally living on cents a day and trying to get by. She's your someday I could just your notebook access to running water. She lives in the mountains about the means of three three half hour locked nurse, but with people like that art doesn't types of conditions that most newspaper in the house recipients enough visitors enough that so those those the ones the Deuteronomy sink it to the top of the list and then, what ends up happening is they are able to identify your animal studies to be over hundred P four hundred families that are in such conditions, and they can't have houses for all of them and so they have to be out of time. Identify the worst-case scenarios, and they do that is it is in it, and as transparent a way as possible, but certainly actually that the church members. It's very rare that a church member waxing in-house. It's much more common for the church members to put themselves follow down the list in part on the list because oftentimes inside the church. They would take care of them so they think of themselves a little bit more than for the outside in this whole vision is to help those were outside of the church to show them the love of God if they would would would potential human Bob. Some adjacent action identified and Adobe is what they would prefer another trees they wanted block on houses is what they would prefer the Adobe itself is actually& to compress dirt, but it that they did the typical way of doing Adobe houses must actually go all walls with it, and they were roof supporting walls so on. These mud walls, they would put huge beams and then the terra-cotta tile on top of it literally groups away tons literally tons on dirt walls in an earthquake prone areas that the way that we get Adobe is actually that the adobe walls and an axiom of and a freestanding metal structure on the outsides of ACC channel post on the outside and a freestanding roof structure, but they prefer the building because it's much cooler as you nicely like in Arizona, different places, which would hotly so some of them identify the no BS as what they would prefer, news and other areas actually older that one playlist mentioning their lives way with the nouns they taxi is a corrugated steel version from them because the transportation is so hard to get block or any other materials up to them, so use a foundation of of cinderblock and an action bill, can record HD on the outside. It's like a double layered so spotting extreme hotness in the and that the sun, but there's a few different designs that they identified our engineer, and I think I has the Church at unity staff to help with the churches help with all church coaching and have another half of our staff are engineers, doctors, lawyers, and that actually help people with the designing of these different projects. We are mentioning on staff that helps design we hired unskilled labor to oversee the construction of the news well and church puts in all manual labor for his the unskilled labor. Further projects as yet. Typically, people are in rural areas are small-scale farmers that grow corn being your sustenance farmers going beyond on when they see small scale in El Salvador twenty two acres ounces on oftentimes very steep hillsides that they farmed by hand, you know, just with machete and ends in stick and whatnot about seventy percent of the being crop was lost in October with his rain, so you can imagine your people that live on on these porn means like that when they get a big storm like this, they lose so much of it. Reasons lies home garden projects have been so successful is because they're actually able to to to grow young diversified across and when they get a moment on this project. We actually have an agronomist, it visits them weekly for the first year visits each of these families Waco. They do they come to get a niche communities and trains them on on the gardens and walks them through the whole old learning process and so those gardens are able to provide sustenance, but also been identify crops they can sell locally. Mark maybe I like Francis, ladies please raise households will start with just a few rows of Lance not met, not least a dozen different people that now have hundreds of tomato plants and pepper plants, radishes, they start your experiment with all her stuff and they put in sloppy upon suspended the new cash crop in El Salvador 's been talking me put in these little talking on the brother on floppy, and they can sell for on two dollars a pound on the market and so there and making you eat fish in the me to do chicken, poultry, which is fairly common, but variable to even increase that is also the home guards been extremely successful for for helping with what the prison than in rural areas. It's like sixty or seventy percent of the children are malnourished and in so it's it's a rough situation overall with it with the typically, I really proceed to guess taking the time to hear about it some thought and it's a joy for me to go to continue to work work with with these churches and newscasters. There is definitely an inspiration and I hope is going to two thousand twelve at Yahoo. It's like it might have a say in it could be a three-day seminar to go through each of these personal planning things, but I would encourage you know it. We have a few copies there in the back and we can just literally run downstairs and make runoff more copies of of of any of these and banal bits. It's just the seasons for resolutions and allow God to guide us and it's it's a good thing God. God gave us gives us these groanings and desires fruit for that which he has for our lives. The dreams of heaven to be realized now so thank you for asking to go to those three were vacant. There were three recognize reconcile enraged and how that works. How that is where I small incorporation small missions program and has taken off from five or six churches, now it's over fifty with plans of going to two hundred and fifty ad job and all their budget. Ten years ago was two hundred thousand dollars and now lay this year was was three million. So it's been one of those things that God has enabled them to through this planning being and again you. We have momentum. Everyone is in motion, every one of us are in motion is just a matter of word study guide us. Is it forward or backward isn't it all were going to go somewhere and were going to do something and ended challenges what is it they were going to do and is a go to make a difference in our life and the lives of the people that we serve, and in the church is about breach in the community and one of the things David said that men want to receive an offering of four four for David for all for the mission is not a blessing, but it's for David for his missions. One of the things it. His son, healthcare, since Jenny when they were in El Salvador and she came back and had cancer and had to go through all that her health insurance is over eighteen thousand dollars year and plus there with the kids based their initial bill for health insurance is over twenty thousand dollars just to start with health insurance without any other expense their initial expenses over twenty thousand twenty two thousand dollars for health insurance and so, lets you that's a major budget just to start off with and down, but one of things that wait, we look at with the the church in a rural community was always seen as a leech the is here. You are very poor community and you have a pastor of the congregation and what is it wasn't has to do. He receives offering so therefore he's pulling money from the resources in the community, but in reality, the church is about meeting needs in the community and now with housing, et al., leases, water projects in healthcare is the church now recognizing what the needs are the community then going out in the community and touching those individuals and creating places where they can be housing the church becomes a place of putting things into the community rather than taking away the plastic giving them the message of Jesus Christ, and of hope in this life and want to come