Eric Henderson's news from Bulgaria 10-18-15

Bulgaria has been a brisk pace of meeting pastors, directors of transition homes for orphans, speaking in Sunday services, and also meeting with young adult orphans who, because someone developed a relationship with them before they aged-out, are now born again and growing in their faith...someone was there when they got out.

I wanted to tell you about this one church in Sevlievo where I shared the message. I traveled to this small city to meet an American who was building group homes for orphans, which included house parents. His name is Marty and he is a funny and energetic guy and he also has built a relationship with a young man who came out of the orphanage and into this church family...a good story. We sat down at a small Bulgarian cafe, eating Chinese food, and after he shared his vision for orphans he asked me what I was doing in Bulgaria. Thirty minutes later, halfway through my answer, he asked if I could stay overnight and share the message for the church service on Sunday...I said yes!  He calls his pastor to get permission, gets it, and then we have a meeting with the translater to give my speaking notes in advance....this guy gets things done!

On Sunday, I shared the entire message and the congregation roared with applause,(for God's love for orpans). Two adults who were never adopted, were just full of joy at hearing  the message, and one woman who was adopted, was so full of joy, tears filled her eyes as she expressed thanks for knowing her esteemed position, along with Moses and Esther.  She committed to join the others in the church to minister to orphans and champion the adoption message. Then something happened that shook me up...the pastor came to me with the interpreter to say he wanted to donate funds to the teaching ministry to get the word out to other churches!! I was stunned.  This was a poor church, the pastor does not even receive a salary, yet they take care of many widows and help older orphans trying to transition to adult life. After a brief moment of silence, God gave me a word to respond to the pastor. I told him the best and enduring gift he and his church could give was if they would commit to praying for the success of the message to be spread to other churches, and for it to bear fruit in action for the rescue of orphans in Bulgaria. He liked that and committed to pray.

This one story, out of many, so much reminded me of the reception you and I got at the Journey church before we left for Romania. Remember, the church applauded the word of God for orphans, they prayed for our success, and they gave resources for the word to be spread...the Holy Spirit was moving in the people at the Journey church the exact same way He was moving in the church in Sevlievo!

I have been Sofia for a few days and it has been very fruitfull. The senior pastor over a large group of  evangelical churches is going to set up a major pastors conference in Sofia, and wants all of the pastors and youth pastors to attend. It will be sometime next year as we are winding down 2015 soon.

Recently, after about a month in Romania, Rush Behnke returned to Oregon…earlier than planned.  “With all the successful opportunities we had in Romania to share the message, field-training and mentoring Rush was accomplished very quickly.  Rush really needed to return for family and business, so God was faithful to provide all the perfect opportunities.” 

There is a great need to create awareness and support to keep Eric traveling and speaking to key leaders; leaders that work with orphans and at risk kids.  Rush will begin to look for opportunities to speak and ask for support.  He will be speaking at a Christian Businessman’s meeting that meets in Medford, Oregon, at Tin Tins Buffet, October 28^th at noon.  Rush will share his testimony as well as stories from the Romanian mission experience.   

Rush says, “My highlight was to spend a day in Bucharest with Costinel Keenan, a young man of Gypsy decent  that was in an orphanage until adopted by an American missionary couple when he was 14.”  “Costi” said, “I never felt loved while at the orphanage.  This was my deepest pain.  Then when I was 9 the President of Romania visited the orphanage.  When he learned that I had the same last name he invited me to his house for Christmas.  When the day came the secret service showed up, but the President never came for me.  I cried, and cried!  This is when I became really emotional about everything.”  Costi said when my parents first came to the orphanage “I picked them”.   I’m quite certain this is their story too.

Costi is living proof of a common myth: children, which are not adopted as infants, will ruin families and your life; therefore, they should stay in orphanages where they belong.   Costi fully embraces that God’s heart is, “He places the lonely in families”.  Psalms 68:5 

Costi went to Bible college in Southern California, is 31, married to Elisabeth, and they have three beautiful little girls, Anna Rose, Jasmine, and Elsa.  He is pioneering a new mission ministry for orphans and street kids in Bucharest, Romania.   This is God’s hand!  He uses those who know and feel the pain of others.  Costi’s parents are currently missionaries in Iraq.

Eric will return to Cluj Napoca, Romania in the first part of November to attend a “Romania Without Orphans” conference.  Many of the people we had a chance to meet will attend as well.  This is part of a larger mission org called World Without Orphans. 

Eric Henderson went on to Bulgaria and spoke at a church last Sunday in Svishtov.  He was invited to visit an orphanage in that city as well.  Eric will be in Bulgaria all of October.  We will give updates as Eric writes about each experience. 

There was a request to share more photos.  We will try to post a few more on the blog.  Also, go to our Facebook page “Rush To The Nations” to see more.

Update 09/23/15,

We are 27 days into this journey to share God's heart of love and fatherhood for orphan children to His church in Romania.  Excuse us, because of age it took us 5 days to adjust for jet-lag before starting.

So far, Rush and I have journeyed and shared the message in the following venues:

Cluj-Napoca...at a YWAM 3 day annual leader’s conference. 

 Prod... at a regional, 3 day seminar on at-risk children, with various churches and school ministries involved.

Sighisoara....local church and small home gathering, hosted by Tim and Carolyn Bailey, who has just adopted a little baby girl named Anna. We shared the whole message with them.  They want to adopt two aditional teen boys.  We stayed there in a Guest House for 5 days.  We met with a Nazrene professor/educator who speaks to pastors in Russia, Hungry, Romania and Ukraine.  Shared the message with him, as he has great influence on young pastors.

We took a train ride from Sighisoara to Bucharest.  We bought a sleeper car, but couldn’t find our car, got no help, rode in general seating for 3 hours like zombies, then made a frantic search during a quick stop and found our beds.  This was an 8 hour ride that was supposed to start at 2am, but didn’t leave until 5:15am.  I think the train was old Soviet stuff!

Bucharest to Constanta car ride...shared with Costi, who was a Roma orphan, adopted by an American missionary family at age 15. Three years ago Costi returned to Romania from Huntington Beach, CA, with his wife and 3 children.  They work with orphans in Bucharest...yes!!  Rush will stay the night with them September 24^th and visit an orphanage. He hopes to get video of Costi’s testimony and their vision for Romanian orphans.

Constanta...shared with staff at the YWAM base, university students at International Cafe, 3 Nigerian university students in a grocery store.  We have been here all but one night until now.

Medgidia...shared a shortened message at the main church's Sunday service in this city, and that evening, the full message at a nearby “sister” village church. We spent the night at the church's "Children's Center", they minister to orphaned, fatherless, neglected children....a beautiful work loving, feeding, clothing, keeping them in school, teaching the Bible, and counseling the occasional parent about care for their children. We were asked to encourage the staff with a message from the Bible. I told them they were working at the very core of God's heart for the children, that they were wonderfully altering the course of the children’s lives, and that God was very pleased with their "love and good works" (Heb 10:24 - James 1:27)
Note: There is a ministry opportunity here to do some construction work on the Children's Center.  Most importantly to site-build, light gauge metal trusses and a metal roof, with gutters and downspouts.  The leaking is causing mold and structural damage.  Here’s a mission op for a team from the US to work with Romanians in the church.

Constanta...last night, back to the International Cafe, and tomorrow a meeting with a small group of pastors at the home of Norwegian missionaries.

The message has been generally well received here in Romania. There are many people doing excellent work on behalf of orphan children, but they feel alone in those efforts. Many people feel shame for the condition of orphans, knowing of their lonely life and that trafficker’s prey on them.  They have sincere hearts to do something, but they do not know where to start, and they feel alone in their thoughts. Hearing from the Bible how God wants the whole church to pull together and practice pure and undefiled religion, has given them a sense of..."With Gods help, I think we can do this, all of us together."  In Medgidia, Pastor Vasilica Croitor who is the leader of a whole region of 13 sister churches, wants to discuss a more comprehensive plan to teach all of the churches with this critical message. So far, he and Pastor Pilu, in Sighisoara are the most committed to rescuing orphan children via adoption and other excellent ministries they have implemented.  Pastor Pilu and His wife Hadassah have a foster care program and have adopted one baby daughter.

Rush is returning home due to many family and work related needs, but Eric will continue to Bulgaria on Oct 2^nd.  Cicily is a missionary there from the US who works with orphans and at risk children.  She has set up numerous speaking opportunities for the entire month.  Things seem to be much worse in Bulgaria with regards to the outcomes of orphans.

Thank you for your prayers...they are the fuel we run on.
God's grace and peace to you,
Eric

Note:
The staff at the YWAM base here in Constanta has been invaluable in connecting us, transporting us, feeding us, housing us, praying for us...without their complete dedication to this effort we would be far less effective.  Praise God for these missionaries from all over the world!!!

 

Café International

Romania Update 09/12/15

Eric Henderson says,

Rush and I have been here in Romania now for about 2 weeks. We have been able to share the message of Biblical adoption at 2 conferences. The first was the annual Romanian YWAM Conference that included missionaries from S America, the US, W & E Europe, and one from Hong Kong. The 2nd was at a multi-denominational conference called Restore (Romania), whose attendees were all working with at-risk children, they heartily agreed with the message as they work to restore hope in children devastated by being abandoned and abused.

We have also had the opportunity to share with small groups of teachers, church workers and curious christians on this critical message. They have received the message of adoption, with an almost unanimous agreement that God's word clearly shows that orphan children belong in families and not in institutions and certainly not on the streets. ..both places being the harvest fields for the traffickers and predators.

Please continue to pray for the orphan children of Romania and all of E Europe, that God's people will place them in families according to Ps 68:5,6a " A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families,...

A Romania Arrival Surprise  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aktlOihN7Hc&feature=player_embedded

Rush met a Romanian “PK” on the final leg of our flight who lives in the U.S.   This guy warned us of the corruption in Romania and offered to take us to the hotel in Cluj.  Eric Henderson sat next to a Romanian woman who lived in the U.S. as well, and she warned about corruption too.  We took this as a word from the Lord to be extra careful with unknown people.

The brother of the guy sitting next to Rush gave us a ride to the Beyfin Hotel.  They would not take any money for the ride.  We offered to buy them lunch, but they said “no”, they didn’t have time.

On the way they (we can’t remember their unusual names) told us of how the “Church” in Romania is coming together as one”, even Baptists and Pentecostals.  We were deeply touched by the oneness we felt with these brothers, and we all expressed excitement about the future celebration before the throne.

We knew God’s angels were expressing God’s sovereignty and protection on the first day.  We felt loved, and deep joy, that Jesus’ Spirit was welcoming us to Romaiia 

 These pics are taken across the street from our Hotel.  We are staying here until the conferences. 

Sitting in Portland Airport leaving for Romania this morning.  While your sleeping tonight Eric Henderson and I will arrive in Cluj Napoca, Romania. 


Reflecting on all that will be done and the need for God to open every door and every heart.  We can work with human enthusiasm and human power, but not much will happen.  We need Holy Spirit infused power to make a difference!


We appreciate your prayers and support.  We are asking for the "Church to awake to those who are being lead to their deaths without fault.


Adoption is God's design.  Kids where meant to be in families.  Food shelter and water is not the cry of their hearts.  They want to belong. 


Blessings
Rush Behnke

Less than 2 months now...

Eric Henderson and I are flying to Cluj Napoca, Romania on August 27th, arriving on the 28th.  It's really soon with so much to do in preparation.  We appreciate everyone who has the time to follow us.  I will be blogging more frequently as the time approaches, and while we are gone. 


We are passionate about the need to advocate for adoptions in the church worldwide.  Jesus shared his father Joseph's name and linage to be the "son of David".  This clearly implies that he was fully adopted by his earthly father Joseph.  What a beautiful picture of our Heavenly Father's heart for us, that His only Son was adopted so that we might be adopted through Him (Eph. 1:5).  And Jesus gave himself as our "ransom", "long before the world began", to win our adoption; and in Him we share the Father's family and inheritance (1 Pet. 1:20 NLT and Rom. 8:17).


We feel this will be a much more successful time if we have others tagging along through supporting us in many ways.  Please pray, tell others about this mission, and financially support us.  Being gone over 2 months and living without burdening the locals will be a considerable expense. 


When I went to Nigeria it was the people who sent me there that made the difference.  If I go with my resources only it won’t be the same.  Please help us go by following us on this exciting journey as well.


Bless you!

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.