Why One Should Not Jog at 1:30 in the Morning

Today, I get to tell you guys about both a miracle and our mission work! Often I share with you guys all of the amazing things God is doing through us. However, in reality, that's only half the story. When I was in Italy for MC Conference, I had the privilege of sitting across the breakfast table with a senior pastor from Ireland. One of the questions this pastor asked me was, "What is it like for you to be a missionary in a foreign country?" I sat there thinking...and answered with the first thing that popped up in my heart, "You know, the funny thing about being a missionary is that you leave your country to go out and change the world. However, the truly remarkable thing is that God is willing to move you around the world...to change you."

A few days ago, at 1:30 a.m., a random surge of energy struck me and i was unable to sleep. So, I had the brilliant idea of going running. Long story short, I stepped off the curb and rolled my ankle with no one around me and no way of being able to get a hold of someone. My ankle began to swell, but due to adrenalin my pain was absent. So before the pain kicked in I quickly hobbled to my apartment, took some pain pills, and fell asleep.

Next morning my ankle was still as big as a soft ball. One hospital trip later, and I was grounded to a bed by the doctors. This was so unfortunate for me because in just a week, MCR would be hosting a youth camp. I didn't want to be stuck in a bed for this. Regardless of what I wanted, I decided to use this opportunity to double up on my God time. In this period, God really began to grow my faith on many issues, and reveal many different things about my heart.

Due to the prayers of Master's Commission, I began to see a rapid recovery. However, upon falling down some stairs I re-injured my ankle and the swelling began again. I remember laying on the bed thinking, "No, God, I don't want to be in this bed any more when I can be out there doing things for you." Plus, I was getting very bored. Just minuets later an MCR alumni, Carmin Marin, walk up to my doorway.

She called out to me, "Jonathan, in the name of Jesus I declare you healed! Get up and walk!" I went to stand up, but out of fear of pain sat back down. Carmin left, and then I thought, "Why not just have faith and stand. what's the worst that could happen? My foot is already hurt." And so I stood up...and there was no pain! I was running errands the next day and have been walking since then! Let me leave this story with this: God uses the vehicle of Faith, to transport miracles into our lives. Sure, God can do whatever he wants, and he does, but he chooses to do things with man, and through man!

This has built up my faith a lot, and I'm grateful for this experience.

As far as our ministry goes, our highlights are cleaning the Christian center for the blind and the school in Teist!

Pastor Florin and I went to a Christian center for blind people, to assist with some lawn care. While I was there I began to hear stories of thieves who had broken in and robbed the place. Due to the doors left open, the center was exposed to the elements of nature...and the evidence could be clearly seen everywhere. But the situation gets worse we hear that in just little over a week, blind children from Romania will be arriving there for summer camp. So MCR spent the following Friday, scrubbing the place from top to bottom. At the end of the day, the center nearly looked brand new. The director of the blind center's wife said to Pastor Florin, "Many teams have come and I have been disappointed...however, with MCR I have not been dissapointed." We are very grateful have had this opportunity to serve them in this way.


We have also re-modified how we do the school in Teist! One of our first year students made the observation that all of the kids were moving at different rates and that it would be a good idea to split them up. So that's exactly what we did and it worked out wonderfully! The youngest kids have story time and color with Naomi and Bogdan, the middle aged kids are being taught about the sounds of letters, and the older kids will begin forming basic words! Once the older ones can start reading, then they will begin to spread that information with the village. I can't wait for the day when we can finally send the kids home with Bibles and they can begin to read them with their families!


Continue to keep this ministry in your prayers. Also, be praying for Faith, Hope, and Love Youth Camp which starts Friday! we really want to see God touch and change lives! Thank you for you time and attention and all of your support. God bless!