Dear Prayer Warriors,

As some of you know, Stacy and I volunteer with a ministry that works with victims of crime, trauma, and disaster called Victim Relief Ministries (VRM).  We have been asked to go to Hamilton, AL to work with the victims of the recent tornadoes that destroyed that town. Because Tuscaloosa is the media’s primary focus, the majority of people do not know that in Marion Country, where Hamilton is located, almost as many people have died as Tuscaloosa. When the neighboring county of Franklin is included, more people have died and property destroyed than Tuscaloosa. Unfortunately, the people in these two counties have received little government disaster assistance from the state of Alabama so far, and there is an absence of the American Red Cross, Samaritan’s Purse, also. VRM is focusing their efforts in this area to meet unmet needs for now.  So as Patrick and I prepare to leave tomorrow morning for Hamilton, AL we ask that you lift up the following cares to our Savior:

1)      Please pray for these victims who have lost everything. Pray for their safety as they sleep outside in makeshift tents, because no one has come to help them set up shelters.

2)      Pray for the State of Alabama, the American Red Cross, and other ‘physical aid’ organizations, that they will send aid to help the people of these counties as well.

3)      Pray for the search and rescue teams who are searching for survivors and loved ones who have been reported missing. Pray for their emotional and physical protection as they are exhausted and the work is overwhelming and traumatizing.

4)      Pray for the VRM Chaplains and Crisis Responders, some who have been in Hamilton since Friday, as we minister to the lost and the hurting. May the love of Jesus be shown and the Hope of Good News shared to the hurting.  Please pray for our spiritual, emotional, and physical protection as well as endurance.  May all we say and do be guided by the Holy Spirit.

Thanks for praying for us, VRM and the victims of this disaster.

If you feel led to give, please do so through the VRM website at www.victimrelief.org. There’s a donate button on the bottom of the front page.

Finally, one diagram reveals all the intricacies of computer assistance! Oh, how true this is…

From: The Oatmeal Blog

Stacy and I had the privilege of serving with Victim Relief Ministries over Easter weekend as they responded to those affected by the Texas Wildfires in Possum Kingdom. We met government officials, firefighters, and homeowners and sought to minister to them in the midst of this disaster. I recently wrote a summary of our activity, and wanted to share it with you…

About the Fire:

The Possum Kingdom West Fire started on Wednesday, April 13th west of Possum Kingdom Lake in Stephens County. On April 19, the Jackson Ranch Fire was added to the PK Complex Fire. Management of the Complex was taken over by the Southern Area Type 1 IMT on April 20th at 08:00 and 755 personnel were committed to the Complex, including local fire departments from the DFW area, state and federal agencies and Texas Army National Guard. Two thousand homes were threatened, with a total loss of 126,734 acres, 167 homes and 124 outbuildings.

About Victim Relief’s Role in the Disaster:

Victim Relief began responding to the events on April 16th after the loss of a fireman and have been actively involved ever since, supporting the fireman, civil officials, and victims of this disaster through the end of the danger to residents. Victim Chaplains and Crisis Responders have been active in counseling those affected by loss, fear, and destruction, many of whom were forced to evacuate their homes in the midst of these events.

This past weekend the tireless efforts of everyone involved and the blessing of rain helped advance the fire’s containment to 90% and returned safety to the residential areas of Possum Kingdom. As residents were allowed to return to their property, Victim Relief Chaplains and Crisis Responders counseled men and women, pastors and parishoners, and builders who faced the loss of their property, their memories, their businesses, their churches, and their animals. As workers continued to staff shifts throughout the Easter holiday, Victim Relief assisted in organizing an early morning worship service on Sunday for them to attend.

Victim Relief has been in active attendance at the community meetings, and has formed a partnership with the local Baptist Association of churches in Palo Pinto county to ensure that emotional and spiritual support is readily available and accessible to victims throughout the area as they work through the effects of these events over the coming weeks and months. Our hearts and prayers are with all the people involved in these events throughout Texas, and we pray for God’s hand to be active in comforting and consoling each person affected by the fires.

(Map and Event Information courtesy of the Incident Information System Website at inciweb.org)

To contribute to Victim Relief’s efforts in serving the victims of crime, disaster, and terrorism, please donate here.

The Christian life is a life of selflessness and sacrifice.

Jesus said, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) and "And whosoever does not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:27).

My understanding of the role of sacrifice in my own life is to manage the things He gives me as a good steward: my marriage, my money, and my possessions. Those things all really belong to Him, I just take care of them and invest them for a good return…a return of souls reconnected to Him.

The question that often comes back to haunt me is: How much am I called to sacrifice?

I have given up many things in the course of my life…but I also live with many things I could give up. I don’t have to live at my current standard of living…I choose to live in a state of comfort above most of the world’s population. I believe God is ok with my decisions in that respect. I didn’t have to get married, but I felt that God setup the marriage I have and called me to that lifestyle. I don’t have children—and I feel that God has placed that sacrifice on my heart and Stacy’s heart at this time too.

I revisit these sacrifices and others often, because the American dream that I see all around me is VERY appealing at times, and living a sacrificial lifestyle causes me to look weird and even unspiritual to some people (imagine the looks I get when I tell people Stacy and I have been married seven years and have not chosen to start a family). I become envious of the things that other people around me have: homes, families, expensive hobbies, and great careers. 

I also revisit this topic of sacrifice often because I am constantly reminding myself that I cannot judge the level of sacrifice that He has called other people to. I often wish that more American Christians would live a life of sacrifice for the sake of supporting their church, supporting missions work, and getting involved in serving others.

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, ​teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20

"This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:14

Christian leaders in the United States have high hopes for the near future. Christian movements in India, China, South America, the Middle East, and elsewhere seem to have tipped the scales in our favor, opening the floodgates of the gospel and for more workers to spread the message. For once, reaching all the nations seems to be a goal that we can reach in a generation.

Isn’t that exciting?!

New Evangelism Tools are helping with the spread of information, as radio transmitters, internet evangelism sites, cell phones, and other devices transmit Christian programming 24/7 audibly, visually, and in the heart language of people all around the world. The Jesus film continues to be one of the most amazing evangelism tools in the world today, available in over 1,100 languages at present.

So what does that mean for me? What does that mean for missions?

Unfortunately, the people groups left in the world today are some of the hardest groups to reach…and the quickly expanding body of Christ means we need more people who are willing and equipped to deepen new believers’ faiths – pastors, teachers, and lay leaders. There’s no shortage of need for workers or funding at the present time. More than ever, we need people who are willing to sacrifice the comforts of a ‘normal’ American lifestyle in order to work among people who don’t have written languages, bilingual people, or running water. We need people who will risk their lives to reach people who remain God’s enemies, and our enemies.

If you’re not involved, please, get involved with missions in some capacity. Go, Pray, or Give via the International Mission Board or another agency. www.imb.org

Read more on reaching the world at Christian Post.