I am writing to be more specific about what Eric Henderson and I will be doing while in Eastern Europe.

In late August when we arrive in Cluj Napoca, Romania we will attend a Youth with a Mission (YWAM) Eastern European leader’s conference.  We are invited to speak.  Eric Henderson will share the Home For Good Foundation (HFGF) message.  Eric will request opportunities to share the same “Adoption and the Gospel” message with pastors and churches in the various local areas where these leaders work.  The YWAM intent for our invitation is so doors can be opened in many locations in the three nations we visit.

In a nut shell, we are asking the European church communities to empower families to adopt.  We will be praying that God will only speak to families He’s called to adopt children; how many they choose, and the ones they choose will be His/their decision.  Most families in these areas are already stretched for resources.  If, long-term, an entire church community shares regular resources, prays, and provides more space when needed, these families will be successful.  This ministry only works when the needs are met by the local people (nationals).

We don’t know our speaking schedule because there isn’t one until God opens those doors.  Please pray.

There are about 100,000 orphans in Romania.  Things have improved greatly since the horror of the communist leader Nicolae Ceaușescu, but orphans today are not seen as being of equal value.

While we were yet sinners and spiritual orphans, Jesus, born under the law, humbled himself like a slave to serve and die on the cross, so that we could become the righteousness of God; so we could be adopted into God’s family; so we could share equally in Christ’s inheritance.  Knowing God’s heart for us and the orphan and widow, how shall I respond?

What comforts will we give up so that others will be adopted into God’s family?  These children want a family: a mom and dad, a new name, a new address and hope.  As orphans they will always question the existence of a loving God, and they have a target on their backs.  They will ask, “How can God love me if I didn’t get a family?”  We only advocate for adoption with people who follow Jesus.


If you want to help us with our personal expenses you can donate through my blog. 

Blessings

Only God...

Only God can open the doors to save orphans lives in Eastern Europe; only the Holy Spirit can speak to the hearts of the nationals about adoption.  Obediently we carry Christ’s message about “Adoption And The Gospel”.  We hope you will prayerfully follow us on our journey.  

Is it enough to know that human traffickers have so targeted orphans that 60 to 70% worldwide will fall into their hands?  Their life expectancy will be 8 years or less when they leave the orphanages unless they are adopted.   We want to see as many as possible adopted by Holy-Spirit-filled-families.  

Our message is: through Christ we have been adopted into God’s family, given His Name, and, we will share in the inheritance with Christ.  We were all spiritual-orphans until the Holy Spirit made us truly alive (Rom. 8:15, 8:23, 9:4, Gal. 4:4-5, and Eph. 1:5). God has already prepared local families who want to adopt.  They need their church community to empower and support them with resources and prayer.  Isn’t that what Jesus did for us?

Orphanages have become incubators for the worst kind of human beings (human animals).  Jeremiah 5:26-29 is a message God spoke over these “wicked men who lie in wait”.  “Like a cage with birds, their homes are filled with evil plots.”  These children need us to understand their reality, and to bring remedy to their impending affliction. 

There are nearly 200 million orphans worldwide.  Orphanages are needed short-term, but nothing replaces a Spirit-filled family.  These kids want a mom and dad forever; without which, there is little hope that they will ever know the love of Jesus. 

Eric Henderson and I leave August 27^th for Bucharest, Romania.  We will spend one month in Romania, one month in Bulgaria, and about a week in Kiev, Ukraine.

We need your prayers and support; moreover, these orphans and families need your support.  My personal expenses will be about $6000 with travel.  I’m willing to pay all out of pocket, but I remember how blessed I was when I was sent to Nigeria by many of y ’all.  Many of you empowered locals to build the fish pond.

Only God… knows the real needs.

Blessings

Adoption Mission August 2015

Long Silence…Great News!!!

I am preparing to travel to Eastern Europe with Eric Henderson, a missionary with Home For Good Foundation ( www.hfgf.org).  Travel date: late August through the end of October, 2015.

We will go to Germany, Romania, Bulgaria, and possibly the Ukraine.  The mission is to speak to churches and church leaders about empowering adoptions through their communities.  Many parents are willing to adopt, but it’s expensive and they may not have the resources or space.  We will be asking these churches to embrace this need by asking everyone to step-up, in any ways they can help, both tangible and intangible.  It takes a community of believers to make a difference with the growing need of unwanted children.  Most of these children will never know the Love of Jesus without Christ-following parents who are willing to give them a legal and secure place in their family.  Many families will never know this joy without the Church’s willingness to be corporately involved.

We were adopted by God our Father through the redemptive work of Jesus.  We have been given a new name and we are seated with Christ in Heaven. Eph. 2:6.  These kids want nothing more than to have a mom and dad.  Orphanages fill a temporary need, but can never replace a family.

More than 60% of all orphans worldwide will die within 6 years after being released from an orphanage.  We can make a difference.  This is evangelism from the deepest place in our Father’s heart.

I will need your support in prayer, share, care, and giving.  I will be gone more than two months.  Anything you can do to help is appreciated.  I have a missions account that makes your gift tax deductible (ask your accountant for details and see donate page).

Blessings are found only through our Lord Jesus Christ!

 

My imaginative interpretation of Psalms 23: 1

 

First let me unpack the first two words: “The Lord.”

 

Although my earthly father died when I was only 4, my Heavenly Father, “God Almighty”----Creator and sustainer of all things, the one in whom we all live, and move, and exist---- He has adopted me into His family.  Not because of anything good I did or will do, but because of His great love, mercy, and grace.  In my place Jesus took the punishment I deserve, past, present, and future. 

Jesus personally risked everything for us, for all eternity, when He became a fetus.  Jesus was born into this world as a human being, a fulfillment of God’s promises.  Having chosen from the beginning His biological mother and step-father, He grew up with a looming death threat ever-chasing at his heels. 

When Jesus, the Lord of the Universe started his earthly ministry, he lived a faultless life of service; He flawlessly loved God and his neighbors as much as himself.  His earthly existence as a man was devoid the things this world offers except the most basic elements of life.  Jesus lived poor, lowly, without a marriage and kids, and during his ministry he was homeless. 

He did everything exactly as His Father-God asked, and of course, he endured all things for all those whom He would redeem.  He never used His power to defend what was rightfully and forever His, even to the point of being contemptuously slandered, lashed, spat upon, ridiculed, and beaten with hands and rods.  He was tortured to death, stripped naked, had nails driven through his hands and feet, and He hung on a cross in agony until He died.  Ultimately, Jesus fell to a place of complete abandonment from His Heavenly Father because of the billions upon billions of layers of damning sinfulness He willingly took upon himself in our place.  He died in sin and utter separation from the Father, experiencing the human emotions of brokenness, emptiness, hatred, and the hopeless hell of abandonment from perfect love.  He went to the grave for me.

Almost completely bled out, Jesus pronounced from the only platform he had--- an old rough wooden cross--- the appointed time of his death.  His life had been completely used up, prophesy was fulfilled, He had finished the task that He willingly came to accomplish by handing over His life in my place.

Since the love of His Father would not allow His Holy One to decay, He was raised from the dead, and restored to a higher place of honor in Heaven.  He is Lord over all other lords and King over all other kings.  Because He made an all-inclusive peace with the Father for all of us who believe, He is called “Prince of Peace”. 

Now that he sits at the right hand of His Father, He invites all people who are burdened with their sins and who have been crushed by this fallen world, to come to Him.  From every ethnic group and nation; from the Mormon Church; From the Jehovah’s Witness Church; from the religion of Islam; from the Buddhist temples; and from the poorest of poor and sick: Jesus says “come, come and be part of my lavishly wealthy, eternal family where even the streets are paved with gold.”  He has been preparing a place for us since he departed the earth 2000 years age.  Can you imagine what it’s like?

He sent His Holy Spirit to me 35 years ago and asked me if I would come be a part of His family.  I had no more right to His rich heritage than Adolph Hitler.  When I asked Him to forgive me and gave over my God-given right to be god, when I died to my earthly rights to serve my flesh, and when I asked Jesus to be Lord of my life, the old Rush died and I was born into His family; not from a natural birth but through the miraculous gift of His Holy Spirit being released into my body, mind, heart, and soul.  At that very moment, and forevermore, I was raised from the dead to eternal life.  I became part of God’s family and was seated with Christ in the Heavenly realm; whereby, I cry Daddy, Lord, Father. 

Although daily I have to put to death the old person that shouts “what about me”, I am a child of the King because He lives in me; yes, I am a son of the Almighty God; I am free forever.

So, “The Lord is my Shepherd”.  He is the one who leads, provides, and gives me a new family name.  I have everything that I will ever need because He chose me 35 years ago.  Nothing in this fallen-world can ever completely satisfy me except the Lord.  I am here for my allotted time to be one of our Shepherd’s ambassadors.  I’m asked to share the good news of peace until He is finished using me.  And until that time, He invites me to rest in the security blanket of his completed work of salvation.  He is forever infatuated with his love for me, and rightfully, He will forever be the object my praises.

From deep brokenness to a promising ministry: God is a God of miraculous change.

Last April, 2012, while in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, the Lord called Rush Behnke to the nations to become a missionary.  While Rush was in bed experiencing flu-like symptoms, and a thundering torrential downpour was in progress, Rush heard the Holy Spirit say, “Go outside in the rain and be baptized to the Nations.”  When he finally decided to be obedient, he ran out the door looking to the heavens with upstretched arms and was instantly drenched.  All his travel-team companions were outside waiting with some locals for the rain to stop, and witnessed his obedient calling.  As he stood there soaking wet and weeping they smiled and wondered. It was in Nigeria that Rush began to receive the founding visions for a yet to be named Go & Build ministry.   

Rush says, “Before I left for Nigeria God gave me a scriptural reference that was to become my lifetime calling: to promote the fulfillment of Jesus’ prayer for future believers in John 17:20-23.  And when I was asked to speak at a local church, my Spirit-led message of ‘Diversity with Unity’ was perfectly choreographed with all the other messages that day; frankly, for all 10 days I was there.  I came home ever-passionate to serve God with every last breath I had.”

Rush was born in Medford, Oregon, but when his dad died in a plane crash in 1957, his family moved to Portland, Oregon.  He grew up in the Hawthorne District, graduating from Franklin High School in 1971. 

“Mom took us to church every Sunday, and did her best to raise us well.”  Rush left his Assembly of God, Pentecostal heritage in early teens and so did all his brothers.

After returning home from a draft-forced 3-year stint in the Army, the realities of an immature marriage turned towards impending divorce.  Donna was 16 and Rush was 18 when they got married in 1971.  Shawn was born in December of 1974 in Landstuhl, Germany.  He was one-year when Donna and Shawn left him.  Rush fell into a deep depression, medicating daily with marijuana.  After growing up without a father, He cried himself to sleep every night with the thoughts of Shawn not having a two parent home. 

Rush said, “It was in an empty apartment in West Lynn, Oregon in 1978 that I started my search for the “unknown God” of the Universe; in a place I thought I was least likely to find Him---the Bible.”  Rush started reading the Book of Matthew and never made it even halfway through before he was on his knees in tears, giving his life to the Lord Jesus Christ.

He was called to the ministry the very next morning but he never went far over the years that followed in answering that call.  “I always made an excuse that it wasn’t easy without a father to help guide me.” 

Rush continued to walk with the Lord through the years that followed, but life was twisted, difficult, and dark brokenness followed him.  He often said his life was like “the life of Job” in many ways.

Years later with two failed marriages, 4 kids who were running from him and Jesus, a fast-developing deep personal mistrust for organized Christianity, and having to start over financially at 46, Rush was still never giving up on Jesus.

“My favorite God-story occurred shortly after my second marriage ended with a dim and shattered sense of hope. 

I was walking down M Street in Grants Pass, Oregon; it was a late “Indian” summer day.  I passed a very large old apple tree chocked full of large multicolored apples.  On closer inspection, I noticed every apple looked wormy or rotten, thinking, “what a waste”.  Just then I heard this plop, plop, plop, dropping sound as a phantom apple fell from limb to limb.  It finally hit a limb that swept out over the fence.  Rolling down the limb it fell softly into the grass, continuing out onto the road, stopping me but not quite touching my feet!

As I bent down and picked up the apple, closely inspecting it, it looked perfect; no bruises or worm holes.  When I took my first pleasingly crunchy but tentative bite, the perfect blend of slightly tart with extra sweet juiciness flooded my taste buds with pleasure.  I couldn’t ever remember a better apple.  I knew who sent the apple, and why.  As I cried tears of joy walking toward Hwy 199, I praised God, hearing the whispers of His ‘still small voice’ saying, “I love you Rush”.

From what appeared rotten and corrupt came undeniable pleasure, joy, sweetness, healing, faith, hope, love, and promise.  This was a picture of how things would turn out; a window of God’s redemptive and restorative love; a window of hope; a door into deeper relations and a future.  In such a brief, seemingly impossible rich moment, I went from dire circumstances, to God’s miraculous healing power.”

Rush and Tara have been married for 10 happy years, all 4 of his grown children are deeply in love with Jesus, and his ex-wives Carol and Donna both love Jesus too.   “It’s God’s shalom; his woven fabric of shalom.  I would’ve never thought God would/could bring such a great peace, mercy, and grace over seemingly random chaos.” 

Recently, the Lord has opened multiple doors for Go & Build to lead missionary builds.  Some of the Nations are the Philippines, South Africa, Cambodia, Switzerland, and “Afghanistan”.  And there are build opportunities in Southern Oregon and Hawaii as well.  ‘We are building the plane while flying it’.

“This answered calling started to become more apparent while leading a homeless teen shelter build for Hearts with a Mission in 2009.  I have been called time and time again, to lead our community in efforts that bless and meet needs.  Our company Ark Built led the Southern Oregon community efforts as the General Contractor for an Extreme Makeover: Home Edition in September of 2011.  I led 3088 volunteers to build a 2 million dollar, almost 4000 square foot home in 5 ½ days!  I was also in Kona last summer developing a fast-track model at the University of the Nations (YWAM).  It’s called “The Kona Summer Surge”. 

Currently I am developing a fast-track build program for Southern Oregon’s “The Dove”.  It’s a Christian TV, Radio, and internet broadcasting org.”  Being engaged in a miraculous opportunity where God has brought two organizations together to further launch one another’s ministry, is way cool.” 

This is a handoff from Rush’s company Ark Built to Executive director of Go & Build.  Rush says, “This will give us reality TV and promo video to use for speaking engagements, and it helps us in developing a prototype fast-track model to use for future Go & Build projects.  The Dove will own this building, as they have been renting for the last 30 years.  The Dove will have a much-needed, significantly larger, custom renovated facility so they can continue to grow and better reach the world for Jesus.” 

Many Blessings await you as you say “yes” to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Please take the time to watch this amazing announcement.  God has worked a miracle to bring us together for both purposes.
Bless you!

I need your prayers for wisdom and guidance as God leads me along a significant and developing path to a new place of leadership, and an answer that’s way beyond my prayers. Praise his Holy Name!

I trust Jehovah Shammah… “The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him” (II Chron. 16: 9 NLT).   Oh, I will that my heart be fully committed, but I find brokenness in my own life everywhere I look.  Thanks to Jesus Christ who has given me a position of acceptance and perfection, one I don’t deserve, to “Go & Build”, both for Him and for others. 

The Lord is at work in preparation for this event, soon be disclosed, about a new Ark Built/Go & Build fast-track project.  Before the end of the month, I will share complete details after a public notice has been released.  In the meantime, I need your prayers and loving hearts to hold me tight; together we are in His arms.

God has used me to lead ginormous community efforts like Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and “The Kona Summer Surge.”  This is an outcome towards missionary endeavors around the world that comes from this ongoing theme of fast-track activity. 

May God, the source of hope, give you joy and peace thru your faith in Him. 

Bless you!