Philippines Discipleship Center
"Thy Kingdom come on earth, as it is in Heaven…" Matthew 6:9-13.
I spent the majority of my 22nd year overseas serving an amazing God. I have recently returned to the US for about 100 days. It has been amazing being with my family, friends and church community again. It has also been nice to have the comforts and conveniences of the USA for a while. Yet as nice as it has been to have some of the "same old things" back in my life, there is one thing which is completely different. ME. Although I have come back to so many amazing and wonderful changes in the people in my life, not to mention all the changes in Houston, this isn't where my heart is. I was blessed over the last year and a half of my life to be supported by an amazing family of Christians across this country who came along side me and the mission I had joined at that time. I think when this all started, for many of my supporters this looked like just another mission. To be honest I didn't have much of a different perspective on it either. Now I am almost two years since this journey started and have found definition in this lifestyle.
The ways God has broken my heart for this world cannot be described with words. Every time I look at His creation seeing a glimpse of His Eden knowing my Father walked here in His Kingdom on earth, His Heaven on earth (Genesis 3:8-10) and knowing we have been banished from such a place I can only see the need to make a career of bringing us back to His Kingdom on earth. It has been nice having the western world for a while but it is no Eden. I started this journey 2 years ago with Adventures In Missions (AIM) and have decided to continue working with the same organization. Therefore my next career step is to be a part of a team moving to the Philippines to establish a discipleship center.
I have learned the urgency for salvation which comes through Christ. Experiencing the ways of life I did this year it became evident salvation is misrepresented or simply not truly known by so many people. In the Philippines our team will be establishing a physical place where people will know they can go to learn about God and His amazing love. Our team will be working directly with the Wipe Every Tear Organization in an effort to rescue trafficked and enslaved women. Our intentions with the discipleship center are to educate and equip the people of the Philippines, including the rescued women, to be able to go out and reach the hearts of their own people. I have been called to a life of service and sacrifice. Though this life is what satisfies my soul and fulfills me, there are still its obvious difficulties and complications. We live in a very broken world but I have seen the truth that prayer holds the power Christ taught us about. To say the least, your prayer support is a true blessing.
My commitment to this has taken the form of a career. In such a situation of a career change I have been making an effort to sell everything I had invested in as a mechanic in an attempt to take care of student debt. I am closing the door on my old life. In the next few weeks leading up to Sept 9th, I will need to raise a substantial amount of financial support. The level which God blessed me with the last mission is immeasurable. I have seen God provide in ways I didn't think were possible and have faith in His word when He says He will provide for the call of your life (2 Peter 1:3-4). Before my plane ticket will be purchased I will have to raise an additional $5000. Following my departure I will still be responsible for approximately $3500 in additional costs in order to remain in the field for the full 6 months. The biggest difference in this over The World Race is now the financial portion is an investment in not only a mission, but a physical place which will be around far longer than me.
As He leads me,
Jason
