Missions I support

DANNY AND JUDY ARMSTRONG:

Danny & Judy Armstrong Southeast regional director (803) 221-9609 Danny and Judy have a passion for missions!  They served in SE Asia from 1986-2000 living in three countries and serving in multiple roles.  Since 2000 they have lived in South Carolina and continue to mobilize and equip churches and individuals to reach the world.  Danny and Judy became a part of ACMC in 2008. ENTRY FROM HIS BLOG: http://www.dannyandjudyarmstrong.com/?p=126 THIS ADVENTURE WITH JESUS – ARE WE SAFE? Posted on | January 8, 2010 I’ve been thinking about this for some time – off and on.  Often when we talk about going on a mission trip, whether it is to Southeast Asia or North Charleston, someone always ask, “Is it safe?”  Is that a valid first question?  Look at what Rick Warren says in the first few sentences of Purpose Driven Life: It’s not about you. The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It’s far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by his purpose and for his purpose. So, should we not start with God and His purposes and plans?  Paul tells us very clearly, “for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:20 (ESV) and “For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.”  Romans 11:36 (NLT). We’re called to glorify God through our lives whatever the cost to our safety.  God desires that all come to know the truth of Salvation.  This is why Jesus came (John 3:16). We have the awesome privilege to be on this adventure for the glory of God along with God.   Adventure involves risk.  It’s the very essence of the word as noted below from Webster’s Online Dictionary. ad·ven·ture – Webster’s Online Dictionary Pronunciation: \əd-ˈven-chər\ Function: noun 1 a : an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks b : the encountering of risks 2 : an exciting or remarkable experience 3 : an enterprise involving financial risk. Notice what Jesus himself says about His purpose on earth.  WOW! Matthew 10:34-39 (English Standard Version) Not Peace, but a Sword “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. WE’RE CALLED TO THIS!! This Hazardous Love for Jesus and the World! Luke 17:33 Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. This is counter to “The Good Life”  “The American Dream” We have been captivated (some would say we have a love affair) with “convenience” and “safety”. For many the goal is to get from cradle to grave with the most comfort and least inconvenience.  OH GOD, HELP US! Consider this: In C. S. Lewis’, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,  the Beavers are describing the great lion, Aslan, to the children.  Mr. Beaver says, “You’ll understand when you see him.” “But shall we see him?” asked Susan. “Why, Daughter of Eve, that’s what I brought you here for.  I’m to lead you where you shall meet him,” said Mr. Beaver. “Is – is he a man?” asked Lucy. “Aslan a man!” said Mr. Beaver sternly.  “Certainly not.  I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-beyond-the-Sea.  Don’t you know who is the King of Beasts?  Aslan is a lion – the Lion, the great Lion.” “Ooh!” said Susan, “I’d thought he was a man. Is he – quite safe?  I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.” “That you will, dearie, and no mistake,” said Mrs. Beaver; “if there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.” “Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy. “Safe?” said Mr. Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you?  Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe.  But he’s good.  He’s the King I tell you.” [C.S. Lewis illustrated by Pauline Baynes. The Chronicles of Narnia; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. (New York: Harper Trophy) 79-80] Loving Christ has never been SAFE!! He is not a safe man to follow.  He is revolutionary and radical in the best usage of the words! Erwin McManus, “Christians must die to themselves in order to fear nothing but God.” We will do things and say things that make people uncomfortable – sometimes they want to kill us.  Sometimes they do!  – Jesus Matthew Ellison, “Jesus orchestrated his own death, it’s not safe to follow a man like this.” Who taught us we would be SAFE? NOT Jesus and NOT the Bible! Christian parents can be the greatest block to children getting to the mission field.  Christ does not dream the “American Dream”.  He said, “you will have trouble.” – REALITY CHECK… He promises we can have ecstatic joy in the journey.  He basically says to his disciples, “Don’t be afraid, you can only be killed.”  DON’T REJECT RISK! He removed the eternal risk!!! Hebrews 2:14-18 (The Message) Since the children are made of flesh and blood, it’s logical that the Savior took on flesh and blood in order to rescue them by his death. By embracing death, taking it into himself, he destroyed the Devil’s hold on death and freed all who cower through life, scared to death of death. It’s obvious, of course, that he didn’t go to all this trouble for angels. It was for people like us, children of Abraham. That’s why he had to enter into every detail of human life. Then, when he came before God as high priest to get rid of the people’s sins, he would have already experienced it all himself—all the pain, all the testing—and would be able to help where help was needed. 1 Corinthians 15:55 (The Message) Death swallowed by triumphant Life! Who got the last word, oh, Death? Oh, Death, who’s afraid of you now? Paul is saying to be free from the fear of death…  It’s an empty threat – we win! Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. – Paul “I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.”  Romans 8:38-39 (The Message) “Alive, I’m Christ’s messenger; dead, I’m his bounty. Life versus even more life! I can’t lose. “  Philippians 1:21 (The Message) We RISK our lives to LOVE not to KILL! Bonhoeffer said, “When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die.” In AD 111 Ignatius was thrown to the lions as a result of reproving the Emperor openly for his worship of other gods. When he learned of his punishment for confronting the sin of this ruler, Ignatius stated, “Now and only now do I become a true disciple of Jesus Christ…  It is sufficient for me if I but become a partaker of Christ.  Let the devil and evil men afflict me with all manner of pain and torment, with fire, with cross, with fighting against wild beast, with scattering of the members and bones of my body; all this I esteem as very little, if I but enjoy Christ.”  Martyrs Mirror John 12:24-36 (English Standard Version) 24Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.26If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. The Son of Man Must Be Lifted Up 27“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’?  But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” 30Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. 31Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. 34So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” 35So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” The Unbelief of the People When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. Here Jesus is choosing the cross. Purpose of Risk è Fruit The price of being a Christian is rising all over the world.  Each day 480 Christians are martyred! The Great Commission will not be finished without risk takers! (WIG Take – Whatever it’s gonna take) It might cost us all we have – our possessions or even our life.  But we have joy unspeakable in Christ. Francis Chan says in Crazy Love, “…by surrendering yourself totally to God’s purposes, He will bring you the most pleasure in this life and the next.” In the movie Braveheart, Wallace at the great battle rode up and challenged the men, “Fight and you may die, run and you’ll live, at least a while. And dying in your bed many years from now would you be willing to trade all your days from this day to that for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives but they’ll never take our freedom.” Our enemies may well be our own safety, and our own small dreams.  We are challenged to the Great Adventure with Jesus for His glory and our joy in Him. Is it SAFE? NO – Is there RISK? YES – JESUS SAID “FOLLOW ME”  WILL WE??  WILL YOU???

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ CCox632784@aol.com

show details May 13 (3 days ago)

Hi everyone,

I am past due in communicating with you. I continue to be frustrated with my internet so gave up trying but then realized that I am not being realistic cause I have to communicate to have prayer cover and encouragement from my friends! So once again we are trying to play detective and figure out why I can't stay connected more than 30 minutes without having to reboot. Sending this out will be a real test of my nerves.

First, I need to share something that happened about 2 weeks ago. I have lived here 10 years this week and have never had anything happen that caused me to fear. Even when my apartment in Sarajevo was nearly broken into with me sleeping on the couch I was not afraid.

Well that changed when I was mugged on my way to church. I had stopped at a bank machine near the church to pull out money for a project we are working on in translating some of Andy Stanley's books. As I turned to go back to the truck, someone came out of nowhere and grabbed my bag. It happened so fast, I didn't even see what happened. A security guard across the street at the hotel saw it but was not fast enough to do much. The police could do nothing and I have not heard from them since it happened. What the person got was huge. I canceled by bank card and already got a new one so that is taken care of but . . .

I was carrying around 4000 marks on me. I never carry that kind of money but was delivering it to pay for the translators and proofreaders for this project. That is around $2900!!!!!  600 marks of that was my rent money but the rest belonged to the translation team. I am just heart sick over this. I hate injustice!!!! No idea how to take care of this but God knows.

A result of that is that I became a bit more reclusive than I normally am. I finally realized what was happening so have gotten out more in the nice weather. I didn't realize the effect it had on me but now I am aware and I know God is my protector and will take care of me. I was not hurt so that is a good thing.

Next about coming stateside. There is a huge possibility that I will get a roommate in September for a year. A gal from South Africa is coming to work with Novi Most, a youth organization here. I have offered my place since I have spare bedrooms. I feel like I need to stay until she comes and after the Brela Women's Conference before coming which would then be mid October. Honestly I have mixed emotions about this because I know I need a break and some rest and really need to see family and friends and have to raise more support but if she comes then I have someone to stay here while I am gone. Seems like a perfect plan to me. I wrote her this morning so hope to hear from her soon. Pray this works cause it would really help me with rent too!

An update on Rinalda: She is still in Zagreb in jail. There is some sort of trial on Friday. I don't understand the system here well but I do know she is going before the judge. At that point they will present evidence and then she may get released for a short time. She has asked for prayer. I do not believe she is at the end of her rope yet but I would not wish jail on anyone for God to get their attention. I am praying she sees God's hand at work through all of this.

Recently for Prvi Maj (a holiday similar to Labor Day in America) a group of us went to Pocetelj, a 17th century town not far from here. I had been wanting to go for a long time because you can hike to the top and it overlooks the whole area. Here they are enjoying a coke afterwards. Pictures are on my Facebook if anyone wants to check them out.

Tatjana, Mirjana's cousin, Mirjana, Jelena, Anita, and Semir

After Bible study recently, I found this note. It makes being here worth it to me.

"It is an encouragement, God's gift, to have you here in Mostar, to be able to feel like we are at home at your place, to be able to study, to speak out what we want, to be able to be ourselves in fullness. So yap . . . I'm thankful to God for having you here. May God bless you, keep you, and protect you."

Notes like this make the sacrifice worth it. Thank you for helping me be right where God wants me to be.

I love you all for your input into my life, your sacrifices so I can be here, but especially for your friendship.

God bless.

Carolyn J  Cox   <*}}}}><
fra Ambre Miletica bb, #3
88000 Mostar
Bosnia &  Herzegovina
387-36-324-186 (home)
387-61-206-292  (cell)
Skype: iamtetka
MSN Messenger: Carolyn
facebook: Carolyn J Cox
Yahoo Messenger: Iamtetka

working to advance God's kingdom with the Evangelical Church  of Bosnia & Herzegovina

For donations:
Berean Mission Alliance,  Inc., For  Carolyn Cox, 16051 Nantucket Meadows Drive, Wildwood, Missouri  63040-1545