"Bob, meet me halfway"

There was a man named Bob who wanted to desperately win the lottery. With the economic times that we are in, he had just lost his job and was reaching the last of dollars. He had no choice left but rely on the lottery in order to survive. So every night Bob would go to the TV and pray "God, please let tonight be the night i win the lottery..." and for three weeks, he did not win. Finally, with only a few dollars in his account and no food on the shelfs Bob cries out to God, "Why God??? Why will not allow me to win the lottery" and to his surprise he the voice of God came to him and said "Bob, meet me halfway...buy a ticket"

"Pray as if everything depends on God, Act as if everything depends on you." 

This genius quote really puts me in a position to trust God while meeting him half way. Knowing Africa is fast approaching- 1 month 3 days! woot woot- it is important to give everything up to God. This has been a struggle for me to completely understand because you hear stories of people "completely trusting God" and doing things such as not going to the doctor. Then people die and one asks oneself why God didn't step in. At the same time, we find people who think it is completely dependent upon themselves to make everything better. Both of these are bad ways of looking at life, and until i found this quote, i didn't know if a healthy balance was even possible out there. This quote definitely spoke into my life and has showed me exactly how i am supposed to act. (don't you love those moments were the light finally flicks on) 

Anyhow, i am hoping that i learn to live this way completely. Let's face it, we cannot do anything alone, but we are instruments of God and therefore must use the gifts God has given us in order to honor God in a way that is pleasing to Him.  

faith to move mountains--mountains of money....?

Sometimes i get stuck. Stuck thinking that i actually have the faith that i do not have. As Jason Ostrander spoke at chapel this week at CROWN college, i couldn't help but begin to think of how his message related to Africa. My heart was pulled in so many different directions, it was hard to actually latch on to what i believe, and even now, i am still taking the time to process that all out.

Jasen began to expand on healing, and huge things happening through revival. Coming from a more conservative church and background, i had a little bit more trouble following then some around me. I believe in healing, and Jesus said i could move mountains just by telling them to "get up." This, to me, is sound doctrine--nothing wrong with that.

The thing that i found was hard was the faith. If i can move mountains by faith of a mustard seed, why is Mt. Hood still in the same place? And if i try to heal and God does not show up and heal, what am i to say? I know that if i am going to do anything, i just have to believe it is going to happen, but still i feel that there are some difficult issues that no one seems to be willing to talk about.

I feel as though there is more to healing than just believing and walking up to some random kid with a broken leg and praying. Maybe i am wrong, maybe it just takes simple belief but i sometimes it seems that there is more at work than just that. I seem to wonder about when Jesus heals. Why at that very moment? Some of the guys have been sick for like 38 years, and Jesus comes along at that moment and decides at that time to heal that individual. And we see that a man's faith can heal him, his friend's faith can heal him, Jesus can heal long distance, or can heal you by just touching the cloche. That is crazy to me that there are so many options, yet there seems to be sketchy healings done on TV and around.

I don't want to be a skeptic of God's power, and i don't want to deny the power that God gave his people... i just want to know what is true. In our world, with our society, it is so hard to find truth--even in Christians and that makes it hard to hold onto a belief. really hard.

Now, how all this relates to Africa for me. Right now money has come in, and i am soooo thankful for that support. But i still have a ways to go. So then, what do i do? Do i only pray for the money and sit around? Do i make money for it, or does that show unbelief in God's ability? So i don't know what to do, but pray.

But it is bigger than just that. It is the whole deal of faith. The entire meal deal of healing and prayer, and stopping the sun from going down, and moving Mt. Hood out to Minnesota when i may come to CROWN if the Lord allows (and if i pray hard enough....right?) So I am hoping and praying, and i really do believe that God will show up and show me. I just hope i am open to getting the message that God wants me to get.

Cause hey, at least i have faith in that...right?

Africa Support Letter

 

Hello dear friends and family,

    

I have recently been invited to travel with eight other students and three team leaders to the second least-developed country in the world: Burkina Faso, Africa. I find myself longing to learn from and serve the Burkinabe people in this country known for its extreme poverty and its high illiteracy percentage (25.3). As much as this trip is focused on the people in Africa, it will probably impact me more than anyone. You might be thinking that the money it will take to send me there and back could be spent in better ways to serve these people. However, I believe that this is an investment in the next sixty years of my life and ministry and trust that God will dramatically broaden my view of Him and the world through this experience.

    My team is planning on going to Burkina Faso, Africa (located in the northwest) during this upcoming spring break. Entering a land that is dominated by men and women who are Muslim and others with indigenous beliefs, with only 10% Christian, there is a clear need for not only physical healing but also eternal salvation. In response to these needs the youth groups at Salem Alliance have come together to raise $8000 dollars to build a youth center/dorm in Burkina where African students can come learn. The Burkinabé people are willing to give everything to give their child a fighting chance by means of education; our youth groups are trying to match a piece of that sacrifice by helping build a youth center. When our team goes to Burkina, we will be working on the youth center as well as doing a Vacation Bible School.

Africa has occupied most of my thoughts recently. This passion, along with the call I feel to pastoral ministries (someone who will encourage people towards missions) means that I should have some experience myself with missions. I also know that this trip would open my eyes to many of the things I have otherwise been shielded from. Along with the trip itself, my means of getting to Africa will stretch my faith by my dependency upon the generosity of others. So far, committing to this trip has already stretched my faith drastically and I know over the next three months God will continue to mold me through the planning and prayers.

This trip is not going to be an inexpensive one by any means, but I know that through God, the support will come. The total cost of the trip will be around $3,000. This will include my ticket to get there, and get back (somewhat important) this will also include my food, transportation, and lodging while I am there. To help my raise my $1,000 (which is what I will personally pay) I went through all of November without buying gas, but instead, riding my bike or carpooling with friends and family. If you feel led, I encourage you to sacrifice, maybe not to that extreme, something that you value. I want to invite you be a real part of the trip, whether you would like to support financially or through prayer.

It is important to have people continually praying for our team and so i will be sending a card a bit later that have specific things that we will need prayer for. Otherwise, just pray for financial support, unity in the team, and the hearts of the people that I will be meeting over there. If you would like to support me financially please make a check payable to Salem Alliance Church. Send donations to: Salem Alliance Church, Attn: Susan White (Missions), 555 Gains St. NE, Salem OR 97301. Please include a note designating the funds to "Thomas Clapper, worldIMPACT—Burkina Faso." All donations will be tax deductable and will receive a tax deductible thank you letter.

Thank you so much for being a part of this trip. I am so excited to see what God has in store for my team and me. If you would like to follow along on my journey you can go to clapperman.blogspot.com and catch up on the latest happenings in my life. Thank you again, I look forward to letting you know how the trip went.

Living in His Love,

Thomas Clapper

Done with the broken bike

By the grace of God i made it all the way through November without buying gas. My parents and friends surrounded me and helped me which was so amazing to see. Luckily, when i bought gas, it has been the cheapest it had been for four years, up to that point. so i got it even cheaper by waiting out. I have my support letters i am sending out this week, i just need to do the last revisions and send them out! i am so excited! Also, we are a week away from our second meeting! Crazy! I still do not have my second five-hundred dollar deposite, however i am hoping they will be a bit more flexable with that. I still need prayers! Thanks so much, i will post my letter very soon.

oh, and my bike is broken for now, front brakes are dragging, back breaks aren't touching, so soon i will be back on it! need to get it out to GI Joes and get it fixed (thank goodness for free tuneups) 

bandaid for my bike

so i have been trying to save as much money as i can for Africa. I found that the only place my money goes is to my car and to my child i am supporting with Drew. Well since i cannot cut off David in Ecuador, i had to figure out a way to cut down on money spent on my car. And since it is illegal to have a licence and not have insurance, i knew that gas was the only place to save. So, i began to ride my dad's electric bike to as many places as i could get to saying that i wasn't going to buy gas all of November. Well i am 4 days away with only enough gas to get me to the gas station when i am ready to buy gas, so it is bike all the way. Unfortunately, my bike is temporarily out because the breaks have gone haywire on me. I am currently trying to devise a plan to get the bike to Salem's GI Joe's for a free tuneup. kinda hard to do without gas. oh well, 4 days. So yesterday i road my normal bike up to school and i forgot how hard it was to bike up the hill! lot of work, which was good, just made me late... (oops) anyhow, i need to figure out another way to get some money because i am a little in debt to my parents for the fender bender. I trust that God is going to pull through because clearly i can't. It is going to be really sweet to see the journey God is going to put me on. If you have any extra time, prayer would be awesome. thanks!

recent hurt with no bandaid to help

John Stumbo is currently up in the ICU of OHSU Hospital in Portland, Oregon. Being one of Drew's best friends, as well as getting to know mr. Stumbo as lot better, it has been quite the week for me, but more so, for the family. I went up and stayed with Drew and Joanna from 12 to 9:45 Tuesday, which took an emotional take on me. I ended up not going to school the next day because i had not gotten any work done on Tuesday, being up at the hospital, and i also was exhausted. Though i was happy i could be there for Drew, this has totally offset my internal clock. It really didn't feel like Friday and despite the weekend being tomorrow, i am still tired and drained not feeling any energy. This has also set off my work, not allowing me to get done the things that need to be done. I have just finished my draft for my support letter and that is about the first real thing i did this week. I did take 45 min yesterday to take care of the fender bender i was in. (cost me $350 plus a new hub cap-- going to set me back a few dollars for Africa) I am concerned just for the toll this incident could possibly take on the Stumbo family. Also, i am concerned on what physical damage John could walk away with after he is healed. Lots of thoughts running through my mind and distracting me from Africa and school (with good reason) So i continue to pray for John, i hope you will too. Also pray for the family. Africa can wait for them... especially for them.

AFRICA

i decided i would commendier my blog in order to keep people updated on Africa. So to start out, last year i really wanted to go on the Africa 08 team but after praying, i felt that God wanted me to stay. This year however, i was much more open to the idea and asked God again to send me. The only kicker was that i was really not in the finacial state to commit to a $3,500.00 trip. That being said, i had been praying to God that my faith would be stretched drastically and after talking to quite a few people, i was convinced that this was the faith step that God wanted me to take. After committing, having an intense interveiw, i recieved the call that granted me to go. i was so excited that i would be going to Africa (i still am super pumped) and so far the thing that has really stretched me is money. The first $500.00 deposite was due with my application but unfortunately, i didn't have that much money sitting around. So i saved and biked, stopped spending money on practically everything, which allowed me to give the check just last week. Praise God! And as of now, i am putting my faith in God knowing that he will supply for this next portion. i also have to have faith in the people around me for support. I am asking for $2000.00 between everyone i know. Soon i will post my support letter and if anyone is interested in supporting (both finacailly or prayer)  i would greatly appreciate it  :)  As for now i will continue to pray and ask for whatever God needs done.