Dinner with Missionaries

Tyler, Kaelyn, Brenda, Preston, Chuck & Tania

Last Monday evening, our family had the opportunity to have Preston and Brenda West and Pablo Garcia over for dinner. Preston and Brenda are with the IMB (International Mission Board) serving in Nicaragua. They plant churches in areas where there is little or no Gospel access. Pablo is a native of Nicaragua. He is a Church Planter for the Centro Misionero Bautista (C.M.B.) Rio Blanco. His focus is to the Mestizo people group in Nicaragua. The C.M.B. is an extension of the Bethel Baptist Church in Managua, a member of the Nicaraguan Baptist Convention. He works with groups in evangelism house to house and in mass or special events.
Kaelyn, Tyler, Pablo, Chuck & Tania

It was an honor for our family to have them visit in our home. Preston was able to help Pablo get a Visa to come to the United States. Pablo was here for several weeks, going to different Churches and sharing what God is doing in his home country of Nicaragua. Preston and Brenda are here in the US until October, when they will return back to Nicaragua to continue to serve as foreign missionaries.

Chuck and I went to Nicaragua in February 2008 on a mission trip with several others from our Church. We were able to work with Pablo while in Rio Blanco. So needless to say it was a real treat for us to have him come visit here. He has a precious family, his wife Claudia and two sons, Pablito and Daniel. We look forward to going back to Nicaragua next year. Our children, Tyler & Kaelyn will be joining us on this trip. They are both excited about going on their first mission trip.

IMPACT 2009

I would like to invite you to join us at Fanning Springs Community Church for IMPACT 2009: March 29th-April 1st.

Our Mission:

To impact our community with the Gospel of Christ by building relationships within the community through serving, and equipping believers to grow in their relationship with Christ.

Featured Speaker

Zeb Cook

March 29th-31st

7-9 p.m.

Fanning Springs Community Church

Featured Music

Carl Cartee

April 1st

Fanning Springs State Park

7-9 p.m.

$5.00

Our youth will be sharing God's love through community ministry. Monday-Wednesday, the youth will be doing the following service projects: keeping the bathrooms clean at the fairgrounds, doing yard work for the senior adults in our community and having a Back Yard Bible Club.

"...through LOVE serve ONE ANOTHER"

Galatians 5:13

For more information call 352-463-2602

A Man to Remember

"Granddaddy" Bennie Shearouse

This past week has been a week of relishing in the memories we have of my husbands Granddaddy (Bennie Shearouse). He passed away on Monday. We had his funeral service on Saturday and I asked Chuck for permission to post the message he gave at Granddaddy's service. My husband so graciously told me yes and handed the notes he used to me. Several months ago Granddaddy sat Chuck down and asked him if he would preach his funeral. As a grandson, there was no greater honor than to share the message Granddaddy wanted Chuck to share with others at the time of his passing.

There is so much that could be said about the fullness of his life. He was a man who loved. He loved his wife, his family, his friends and his work. He loved to get outdoors and hunt and fish.
He was a man who cared about people, a man who didn't meet a stranger, and would help out even the strangest of strangers. But most importantly, he was a man who knew Jesus.
He told Chuck not to talk about how good he was or what he had or hadn't done. He wanted the gospel of Jesus Christ shared. He gave Chuck some passages from the Bible that he wanted Chuck to use and with those passages Chuck shared the victory that his Granddaddy has over this grave, and the hope that is only found in Jesus Christ.
In Chuck's ministry as a youth pastor, he is constantly confronted with today's changing culture. One of the aspects of today's culture is a way of thinking, that unfortunately for many people, has become a way of life. It's called post-modernism. It's not only in our youth today, but it has crept it's way into every generation.
Josh McDowell offers the following definition of postmodernism: "A worldview characterized by the belief that truth doesn't exist in any objective sense but is created by the specific culture and exists only in that culture. Therefore, any system or statement that tries to communicate truth is a power play, an effort to dominate other cultures."
In other words, truth is relative. What may be true for you, may not be true for me and so therefore there is no real truth.
In 1994, the then-President of the Czech Republic and renowned playwright Vaclav Havel said postmodernism is an era: "where everything is possible and almost nothing is certain".
Today, we are reminded of the fact that there is certainty in this life, and that is the certainty of death. The grave is a reminder that with life comes death. To some it is an object of fear, a symbol of the unknown, and unanswered question about eternity.
Even godly people in the Bible have pondered these things. Job asked..."When a man dies, will he come back to life?" (Job 14:14)
The only certainty concerning life after death comes from God's word. The only real assurance of a heavenly life after death rests in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because He lives, we can live also.
In John's gospel account Jesus said "In My Father's house are many mansions; if not, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come back and receive you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also. You know the way where I am going....I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
Granddaddy read that passage to Chuck and said, "That's where I'm going, and Jesus is how I'm getting there." Granddaddy believed there was eternal life after death, not only because Jesus said there is, but because Jesus showed us that there is.
In John 11:25-26 Jesus said "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live. Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die."
Grandaddy knew that the grave what not an end, but a beginning, a doorway to eternity. Jesus has overcome the grave through His resurrection, and Jesus' victory is our victory.
In his letter to the church in Corinth, the Apostle Paul said..."Now when this corruptible is clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal is clothed with immortality, then the saying that is written will take place:
Death has been swallowed up in victory.
O Death, where is your victory?
O Death, where is your sting?
Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory, through our Lord, Jesus Christ!
(1 Corinthians 15:54-57)
There is a poem entitled "God's Promise" it says:

God hath not promised, skies always blue,

Flower-strewn pathways, all our lives through;

God hath not promised, sun without rain,

Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.

But God hath promised, strength for the day,

Rest for the labor, Light for the way,

Grace for the trials, help from above,

Unfailing sympathy, Undying love.

Author Unknown

Granddaddy knew this undying love. It is the love of God, the love of Jesus Christ. The love that is seen in the cross of Jesus Christ.

John 3:16 says: For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.

Granddaddy believes in Him. Grandaddy has physically died, but he has not perished. Today he has eternal life with Jesus Christ.

The Bible says: This is the victory that has conquered the world: our faith. And who is the one who conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 5:4-5)

Chuck's Granddaddy's faith is real, his faith has conquered the things of this world, and his faith has given him victory over the grave.

That's his Granddaddy's message. That's what he wanted Chuck to say.

For the rest of this life, we will miss his Granddaddy. But we know this world is only temporary, and we will be able to share eternity together, with our Lord, Jesus Christ.

One day the grave will have you. Do you have Jesus today?

"Girls afternoon/evening out"

After Church today, I went on a "Girls afternoon/evening out" with my mom and my sister. Let me tell you, I don't know when the last time was that it was just mom, Crystal and myself out together without any of the kids. We went looking for a dress for Crystal (didn't find what she was looking for), we ended up buying stuff for our kids instead. I cherish the times that the three of us get together, we can actually talk without having to stop and do something for one of the kids. Please don't think that I don't enjoy being with the kids and doing stuff with them, because I do. It's just that I think that sometimes you need time without them to appreciate the time that you are with them. Wouldn't trade them for anything. We laughed so hard that I think if I was to laugh anymore I would have been sick. My mom and my sister are so much fun to be around. Can't wait for our next "Girls time out".

Week of Prayer

If you are familiar with the North American Missions you know that today starts the Week of Prayer for North American Missions and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering. For more information on the Week of Prayer, their are a couple of websites that you can visit to get the prayer concerns of different missionaries, they are:

www.namb.net
http://www.anniearmstrong.com/
http://www.onmission.com/

I encourage you to visit these sites and learn how you can pray for these missionaries. My family and I have committed to join in with others around North America to pray daily for each family listed on the Week of Prayer for North American Missions.