A New Year Abiding in Our Lord

    We ushered the New Year in here with a shared dinner and fellowship.  What a blessing it is to be able to serve in this ministry alongside others seeking to Glorify God in their daily lives.  The year started out with a bang as we sought out advice from other like-minded organizations on the best way to proceed in bringing children in need to live at the farm.  We know from Scripture that man’s best thought out plans are not always the direction of the Lord. And we are finding this to be true right now.  Our plans were to begin constructing a new orphan house at the beginning of the new year.  Prior to construction, we wanted to make sure our building plan met all the requirements of Bienestar Familiar, (the governmental agency overseeing child and family services in Colombia).  We recently realized that we were getting the cart before the horse in some ways.  By talking with the government and with other organizations God has shown us that in order to utilize the facilities we already have, we need to make some changes.  Mostly in regard to health and sanitation.  We are focusing our efforts right now on remodeling the existing main house to meet the governmental codes.  Currently the guys are working on revamping the kitchen with sanitary cabinets, tile and countertops. Next the plan is to fix the existing bathroom that is not functioning properly, the pipes are over 40 years old, and need to be replaced, along with the tile.  After these two projects we need a ceiling and to fix the windows.  There is a lot to be done but we are excited to see how God has been providing for these projects and giving the guys the time and health to work on them.  We look forward to what God has in store for us this year and we look forward to sharing our progress with you.  May God glorify His Excellent Name as He brings these children to a saving knowledge and faith in Jesus Christ that they in turn will help impact the society around them to the praise of the glory of His grace!

Praise Him!

Praise God for his many blessings!  This past week has been exciting here on the farm.  One of the kids in our care has an abusive past.  This child with our aid was able to go through examinations and counseling sessions and named her abuser. This opened a case against this man 8 months ago!  We have been waiting and praying, knowing that our God works all things together for good in His timing.  Last month someone else came forward against this man and our child’s case was opened for investigation.  The abuser ran and hid, very angry and hurling many threats.  Praise to God his was caught this week in an undercover sting.  We are very excited that he has been caught.  Please be with us in prayer that God’s will be done in this situation and praise His holy name for those who have been released from bondage to him.

Stacy

Moved In!

We officially moved into the new house as of August 30^th.  We are enjoying our new living space; it is a sweet gift from God.  Our family loves being down in the pasture area with the cows and have been working on planting crops.  Thank you to everyone who has been praying for this house over the last year and for those who gave financially to make it a reality.  Please continue to lift our family and the ministry up in prayer as we seek God’s will in taking more children and building more housing.  We are working on the governmental certification requirement for operating a child refuge here in Colombia and have recently received a list of requirements from Biena Star the government’s social service agency.  Please pray for this as the requirements are extensive but necessary for certification.
Stacy

CGF Spring 2012 Newsletter

Orphan Ministry

 After much prayer and deliberation we have decided to place the children in our care in a private school. The children are able to receive the benefit of a Colombian native helping them with their reading and writing in Spanish as well as their mastery of other subjects. Please pray with us as we strive to arm each child with a personal saving faith in Jesus Christ

and the tools necessary to thrive in life.

Evangelism in Turbana

We have had some opportunities with mission teams and separately to share the gospel with our neighbors in Turbana. Mike and Josh with the help of our translators Jamie and Luz Mercy were also able to spend time sharing the gospel during the week of Semana Santa or the holy week leading up to Easter. Please keep this city in your prayers as we reach out to them with the glorious gospel.

Building 

Building, building, building! We have been busy working on completing our first additional house here on the farm. The process has been longer and slower than expected but we have learned a lot and are looking forward to when it is completed. The roof, concrete floor, plumbing and wiring have been completed and we are now focusing on screening it all in so that the house is move in ready.

 

Church Growth



Salome Martine Gomez
Born March 8th, 2012



Church services have been going well as our members continue to grow in the Lord. Bible studies are still being held during the week and there is a seminary class being held on Saturday nights. We had the privilege of having two baptism services baptizing a total of 4 people one being our dear little Ashley Riffle. On a personal note Pastor Luis and his wife had their first child Salome and everyone is doing great.

Other News

We have been blessed by many kind and special donations these past few months. We have been able to receive medical help for those in need of special care and were blessed by a dentist who traveled to the farm, cleaned all the kids’ teeth and even filled cavities.

What generosity we have seen from others. At the moment the main house is being re-roofed. It has involved much moving but will give the main house a dry floor during the raining season after it is completed. It should be completed in the next week. We have also received a new washing machine that will speed up the daily laundry process once it is piped in. Thank you to each and every one of you praying for us and supporting us. Your prayers are felt daily as we are held up and supported through them.
 

Prayer Requests

- continued opportunities for sharing the gospel in Turbana.

- wisdom and diligence in shaping and molding the children here with Christ-like character.

-that the building of the first house would finish soon and the transition would be smooth for all involved.

 -wisdom as we pray about adding new children to the farm.



A quick update

There are always changes happening here on the farm, some good humanly speaking and some Romans 8:28 speaking, but always changes. God has been gracious to us and has been by our side as we blindly and helplessly carry out the work He has set before us. One of the most recent and most impacting changes is that we have decided to enroll the kids in school. Through a long series of events, prayers, and many meetings with some of the local public schools, we felt God graciously led us to two, small private schools. The 3 Harpole kids and 2 of the Colombians study together and the other 2 kids study together in a more one on one setting to get them reading and writing well. We are so excited for them! We never imagined they would receive this kind of education, and we know that they never would have imagined it either. The private school setting is so incredibly different than the public schools here that are over crowded and under staffed. There have been several people investing in their education and for that we are so thankful.
The changes that are the most special to me are the ones I see in each one of these precious kids that God has given us. I wish I could give you all specific details of the changes I see in each one of them, but it would take hours to write. I will say this, I see God at work in a mighty way in each one of their lives. These were broken, abused, detached, and dysfunctional children who had no hope. He hand selected them among thousands and thousands of children with the same life or worse and is transforming them before our eyes. The hope they have, the love they give, the work they do, who they are, is becoming a portrait of His grace. I am awestruck, and amazed at what He alone has done in them, and I am looking forward to what He will continue to do!
Here are some things we are praying about if you would like to join us in prayer for Gods time and provision, in all that we do:
-Daily strength and wisdom
-Extending the day for the two kids who are considerably behind
-Work projects on the farm that will alleviate some space issues
-Radio ministry for our church to reach people with the true gospel
-Bible studies and evangelism opportunities in the community
Thank you for all your prayers and support!
Julie

Satisfied In Christ

It is Friday! For us here it means no school, sandwiches for lunch and friends who come to entertain the kids for a couple hours. So I sit here at the computer with my kids busy and the baby sleeping and I feel inspired. I feel God calling me to update the blog and feel inspired to share scriptures. First I think I will share about God as my helper and strength. He helped us find a new cook and things are going great. As I look in the Bible for some scripture to share about how God has fortified us these past few months I come upon a scripture in Psalms on the stubborn attributes of the mule. I am convicted and think to myself God is calling me to bare my soul over my stubborn pride. Then it happens, like it always does, the kids start popping in to ask questions, our neighbor shows up for a visit and I have to resolve an issue between a couple kids. Thirty minutes later on my way back up the driveway to the house I realize I haven’t yet hung my laundry that I washed earlier this morning and have to take yet another detour. I hang the laundry in the blistering sun (it is hot today with no breeze) then hot and sweaty come back into my room which is possibly the hottest room in the entire house except for the kitchen and plop down at the computer. I wake up the computer because by this time it thinks it has been completely abandoned and stare at the verse in the Bible again, put my head on the desk and pray. I am down and no longer inspired. I actually feel like I could cry and contemplate not even trying to update the blog. I am a mom. That is my life. I cook, clean, fold laundry, wipe noses and butts and answer questions all day long. My life is a lot like it was before Colombia only now I have more kids, more chores and the overall living conditions are harder. Everyone always asks me if I like it here. I love my family and I like the farm but I’m not going to lie, life here is hard. Just when you think you’ve worked out one problem another one rises up to take its place. Even so God is good! He has been sustaining us and providing abundantly for us. We are grateful to serve Him here even in the hardships. Now I am crying because I am overwhelmed by what God does for me each and every day. For those of you who have been here and seen what life is like you may be able to understand where I am coming from. For the rest of you just know that what he does for us here every day is miraculous to say the least. Well, I have bared a little of my soul but my son has made a mess in the bathroom, I have more questions, the baby woke up, I have some chickens out of their pen and I need to go help make around 30 sandwiches for lunch. I hope you all have a blessed day and ask that you remember us all here in prayer. Stacy

Was it Faith before?

We come to Colombia bearing a message. What is it? Jesus the righteous one was slain for sinners. He died and was raised from the dead on the third day. He was seen by many people before he ascended into heaven and now he intercedes for His saints. Some day soon He will return to judge everyone. Any and all persons that trust in this message about His Grace, through faith and do not trust in anything in themselves will be saved. This is called "The Gospel" (the good news).
I must tell you we fight a spiritual warfare down here that is harder, hotter and heavier than ever at home. Satan is not happy we are here. It is not because of us, but this message that we carry. Isaiah 52:7-12 states that we are bringing the glad tidings of the good news with beautiful feet upon the mountains, publishing salvation to all that will hear and saying our God reigns! This causes worship and praising for our God in places that don‘t worship him yet. For the Lord comforts His people and redeems them. His Holy arm of salvation has been bared to the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see this Salvation. Depart he says and Go, You shall not go out in haste, for the Lord goes before you, He will be your rear guard. We know that this can not fail. He will do His sovereign saving work through it. Satan can attack our flesh if we live by it. But if, by the spirit we put to death the deeds of the body, then there is nothing to attack. Pray for us to walk this way. We must keep our eyes on the Author and Perfecter of the faith. We must live and fight with this understanding that, we have been bought with a price too high to pay or ever earn. We fail when we look to ourselves to defeat sin with our will power or duty. This is fighting the spiritual things with flesh. Martin Luther said “Sin is man looking inward.” Strength comes to those who trust in the Lord to deliver them. I see that I have, like most I would say, in North America, have spent my life wanting to walk by faith, yet captivated by the things that I knew and could see.
We always say, “God uses Means.” We love and laugh at the two boats and helicopter story that came for the man waiting on God and say, "what a fool." Yet I'm afraid we take too far the other way. A man the other day at US customs asked me, how I could leave my family in Colombia without their Passports. I responded, “God is the God of everywhere.” He said he was a Christian too, but we shouldn’t jump in front of a machine gun. We must be wise, He counseled me. Two years ago I would’ve said the same thing. Now, I feel like The Lord has given me a grace to trust Him more than I could have or ever would have dreamed before. You see in the passage above from Isaiah states, that when we are doing this Good news work The God of Israel goes before us and is our rear guard! I don’t know of an army or king that has ever out smarted this God, do you? We think we are so smart with our lil’ plans and or big ideas. The truth of the matter is, if the Lord doesn’t build the house the men labor in vain. Oh the logic of modern day “Christianity” To hell with this fleshly logic. It makes me sick how I used to walk by “so called faith.” Yet, I always had a back up plan made by the arm of the flesh. Saying I was serving the Lord, yet in reality not giving Jesus full Lordship in my life. Having a hard time going to church “every” Sunday cause I had fun stuff I wanted to do. Not wanting to dedicate to Sunday school just in case I wanted to go camping or fishing through the weekends. I’m afraid I wasn’t experiencing God for the Awesome Joy filled life He had for me. Our life down here for sure, is way less fun and games, yet I have never been so satisfied walking in the world, as I am with walking with Jesus today. My Faith has changed so much I’m not sure it could’ve been called walking by faith before? It is so sweet I wish we could just let go of everything in our lives for real, and then say something like, "Jesus, do you want me to do more?" Some day soon we will stand before The King and give an accounting to our days spent. That drives me. We have what… Ten minutes of life left. Then ETERNITY!
I use to hope that there would be hunting and fishing in heaven. Maybe some hope for lots of family time or golf or… Now I don’t give a rip what’s all there. I can’t imagine looking for a second at the lame streets of Gold or the pearly gates. Do you look down at the pavement now and admire it‘s glory? Seriously, The King of Kings is there! We don’t need a sun… The Lamb that was slain for you, that bought you even while you where dead in sins. He is there…He is the light of the new earth. I am here to tell you He is out here in this faith walk and mission world like you have dreamed of. You can see Him, feel Him and taste Him. He is outside the camp. Will you join Him on the Calvary road and die to yourself. Or will you just wish today there was more power from God in the world. You don’t have to go anywhere, I don’t believe. You just have to repent and get in your heart where God has taken us to. He had to work a little harder on us. He had to send us to Colombia to get our minds and prayers desperate for Him. Will you join Him? A True life of Faith is waiting. I hope soon you could say with us, “Was it really faith before?”
Josh