Independence

Yesterday at the South Sudan border, I realized something as I was looking at the cool VISA sticker that was put into my passport, July 10th was the one year anniversary of South Sudan's independence from Sudan.  The country, although still struggling, has made it one year.  This was my first time standing inside a newly built country, how exciting!

Many of the people here have been witnesses to the struggles and wars that have been fought to secure this newly gained independence.  It wasn't an easy task, and a price was paid; many died, many suffered (and still suffer) but they feel victorious over the grip that held them by the Muslim government of Sudan.  The people here are free!

Much like South Sudan's struggle for freedom and independence, we too have struggled against a grip; the grip of sin.  Many have died and many have suffered at a grip that could not be shaken.  We are fortunate that we had one who was willing to battle that grip, and that was Christ.  He was willing to die to break the bondage of sins.

"But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance.  You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness." Romans 6:17-18 (NIV)

South Sudan has a long way to go, many trial and tribulations await them and there is no guarantee that they will stay a country of their own.  We on the other hand have a guarantee that we are free from sin through the blood that was shed by Christ.

So let's raise a toast to South Sudan's 1st Anniversary as a newly, independent country.  Let us also bow our heads in prayer to the One who gave us our Independence.

Chappy

A Follower in East Africa, A Fan in the U.S.

It is about 1:30 in the afternoon here in Adjumani, Uganda.  We are at an Internet cafe charging our equipment and catching up on email and such.  Those of you who don't know, I am here in Uganda to help get a building project off the ground.  Lahash International is helping to build new housing for the children of Amazing Grace Children's Home, and the first phase is starting.  Before I leave we are hoping to have one building 1/2 completed.

During this trip I have been reading a book called Not A Fan by Kyle Idleman.  This book is about defining your relationship with Christ.  Are you a fan, a Christian who sits in the stands and cheers or are you a follower who gets in the "game" and follows Christ?  Many of us might easily say we are a follower; but what does it mean to be a follower?  Kyle Idleman, using Biblical Scriptures, defines what it means to be a true follower of Christ, and I am here to tell you many of us aren't even qualified.

A follower is one who is willing to sacrifice, deny themselves, and move when Christ calls.  A follower doesn't put off doing Christ's will tomorrow, but does it now when called to do so.  Just as Christ called Matthew to "Follow me" we must do the same.  We can't say "Well maybe tomorrow" or "When the kids are through with college"  Christ means NOW...TODAY...THIS MINUTE.

I was sitting one day contemplating my own walk asking myself why I was in Africa.  Was I in Africa because Christ called me here, or because I wanted another notch in my belt of "do-good deeds"?  I started questioning my own sacrifices, my own wants and needs and was I putting myself or Christ first.  I was not surprised in many aspects I was putting myself first.

I do believe that my trip to Africa is a calling from God.  Edwin Angote, my sidekick during this trip, said to me "You are here to show love an caring to those who have none."  Strong words, and words that rang true.  This trip is about sacrificing my wants and needs for the needs and wants of others.  A small group of children who might not have a future if it weren't for those of us who give and work to better their conditions.  We do it because Christ has commanded us to, not because we want a medal or some notoriety.

What has really hit home about the book and me being here is, what will my attitude be when I return home?  Will I return to my life as though this part of the world only exists in emails and pictures or will I continue to pursue my Lord as 12 disciples did?  I seriously cannot say right this minute I know the answer because I have a lot of soul searching and talking to God before I can have an answer.  I am hoping though, that when I step off that plane back home I will be stepping off the plane as one who puts Christ first in everything, willing to sacrifice everything, taking up the cross, denying myself and obeying Christ's command to "Follow me".  I want to walk off that plane a true follower of Christ and not just a fan.

Chappy

Giving Above and Beyond

     In 19 days I leave for East Africa.  It has been almost three years since my last trip and each day I get more and more excited about seeing the children of Amazing Grace in Adjumani, Uganda.  

      The priority of the trip is to survey and prepare a site for the new building that will be built over the next several months.  Our partners at Camp Eagle in Rocksprings, Texas gave Lahash International a generous donation to build one of two new dorm style houses.  We are hoping to have two build by January of 2013 and start moving the children into their permanent new homes on their new land.  You can read more about the project here: Building Hope

       Three summers ago, Grace Community Children's Ministry hosted a summer VBS and during that VBS the children raised over $2000 towards the purchase of the new land for Amazing Grace.  One particular story during that four day event really touched my heart.  A mother pulled me aside one day to tell me about an event that happened at their home the night before.  At the dinner table her ten year old son asked his father if he could have his allowance a day early.  Being curious, the father asked why and the son proceeded to tell him about Amazing Grace, the needing of new land for a permanent home.  He wanted to donate his allowance to ensure that the children were able to get a new home.  It took every ounce of my being not to start balling my eyes out as I listened to this mother, through her tears, share with me the joy she and her husband had about their son's heart in giving.

     I tell you this story because if a small child can get it, why can't we?  He was willing to give up his allowance to children he may never meet, because he wanted them to have a home.  This young man looked beyond his own needs to the needs of others.  In Matthew 18:4 Jesus tells his disciples "So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven." 

     One building has been paid for, but we have more to build.  Are you willing to sacrifice something; a cup of coffee, a soda, a meal to give to others?  Can you give above and beyond what you normally give?

      If you are willing to give to the efforts of Lahash, then go here: Give.  Under Special Projects select Building Hope:Amazing Grace Family Homes.  If you are wanting to give for my trip in July under Lahash Travelers select 'Eric Chapman'.

       Blessings to you all!

       Chappy 

Is God's Plan Really Unavailable?

     So I was listening to a Paul Simon song the other day called "Slip Sliding Away".  This particular day I was listening more intensely to the lyrics and something towards the end of the song caught my attention.  Here are the lyrics towards the end:

Whoah God only knows, God makes his plan
The information's unavailable to the mortal man
We're workin' our jobs, collect our pay
Believe we're gliding down the highway, when in fact we're slip sliding away

Paul expresses the fact that people pretty much glide through life thinking that everything is fine and never really contemplating the end.  Paul says that in fact people are just slipping away.  There is some truth to that; we don't get any younger, our bodies begin to fail, we move a little slower.

     What really stuck out to me was his comment that God's "information" is unavailable to the mortal man.  That is incorrect.  God's plan is very much outlined in the Bible and those Words are available to anyone.

     Many people, even Christians, have this idea that if they just ride the fence, stay in neutral, that they can just glide through life without a worry.  Sad thing is, all they have been doing is wasting their lives.  God's plan is for all of his children, that means EVERYONE, to come get to know Him.  To love on each other, to care for each other, to look out for each other, and to share His Plan with everyone.  That my friend means you have to make a choice; stay in neutral or put your life into drive.  

     So what are you waiting for?  Get up, get moving, get to know God and His plan.  Don't let your life just slip slide away.

Chappy 

Remembering To Be Thankful

     Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa la la la la...BLAH!  I am beginning to despise Christmas songs.  Why you ask?  Maybe for the simple reason that I begin to hear them right after Halloween!  Isn't that ridiculous?  What makes it worse, we seem to have forgotten a holiday in there.  Oh yeah..........Thanksgiving!

     First of all, how did we lose Thanksgiving?  Oh we celebrate it, we take the time off, see family, but our focus is on Christmas (Don't even get me started about Christmas.)  How is it that our society has turned it's back on Thanksgiving?  Does anyone remember what Thanksgiving is all about?  Remember the pilgrims?  They didn't come to the New World on vacation, they came to live in freedom;  Freedom from persecution of their faith.  They are the founders of our good ol' USA.  You remember the USA right?  Baseball, mom and apple pie?  It was in all the papers.

    So Thanksgiving is not only a time to remember the freedom we have thanks to those people in the funny outfits, but to remember what they were thankful for.  Thankful for what we take for granted here in America.  Look around you, are you thankful for what you have?  Are you thankful for family, a roof over your head, clothes on your body, food on the table?

   Lets put Thanksgiving back on the calendar (It is really still there, just not so noticeable).  This year when you and your loved ones sit around the Thanksgiving bird, remember what Thanksgiving is all about and give Thanks...............to who?.... well who else.........the same person that those people in the funny outfits gave thanks to so many years ago....God.  Let Him know you are grateful for all He has done in your life.  I know I am.

Chappy

Why Doesn't God Answer Prayers?

     First of all I am not going to sit here and tell you I have the exact, definite answer, because I do not.  It has taken me years to understand and come to my own conclusion.  I've been there, wondering why God doesn't answer prayers, as a matter of fact I walked away from God for a long time because I did not understand how he could let children starve to death.

     Let me say this, what happens on this planet has nothing to do with God, it has everything to do with man.  See, at one time we had the privilege of being spoiled by God.  He gave us all we needed, we needed to do nothing but enjoy his company and obey His rules.  Oh yeah, the rules.  That's where it all fell apart.  Mankind broke the rules.  We decided that we knew more than God, or wanted to know more than God, and disobeyed him.  So because of our disobedience we no longer live in a world of God, but in a world of man.  Don't get me wrong, God is still here, He just has given us the freedom to screw up, and boy do we ever.

     Now, where is all this leading?  Why doesn't God answer prayers?  Well He does, but not in the way we would like Him to.  We would like to win the lottery, be free of disease, stop wars, stop crime, have a big house, but we forget.............this is no longer God's world, it is man's world.  I know, I know God made the world yes, but he made it with the intention of us living in it with no sin, but remember.........we screwed that up.  God doesn't want a world full of sin, and really who would?  God works through man's evil to produce good.

How?  

Romans 8:28 (NIV)
²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

God teaches us patience, love, understanding, commitment and more through His word.  When we turn to Him and His word, we find comfort and understanding.  We might not like the answer to our prayer, but there is more than one can imagine.  We are to become strong through adversity:

 Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)
¹⁰ So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

     I wrote this blog because I have a friend who just lost someone dear to him from cancer.  Prayers were said, but to no avail.  Right now my friend struggles with why God did not answer the prayers.  I wish I could tell Him, but I don't have an answer, other than we live in a fallen world; a world of disease, war, starvation.......people are going to die horribly and there is nothing we can do about it, but pray.  So why pray, right?  If God isn't going to intervene, why bother?  We pray for strength, we pray for guidance, we pray because we know God still loves us. link     

     Well what about Matthew 21:22?  Good question, and sometimes He does.  We do see miracles, but what about answering every prayer?  My belief is that if God answered every one of man's prayers, we would no longer want to do His will, we would expect Him to do it all.  I know, sounds like an easy answer, but think about it.  What is the Body?  The Body is everyone using their gifts and talents, to make disciples, to spread God's word and love to all those still in darkness, and we do it because we love our God.  Would we still love our God if He did everything for us or would we be the like the Israelites who whined and turned away from Him?  I am getting off track here.......

     OK, So why doesn't God answer all prayers?  My belief, we live in fallen world, where mankind has created a mess that unfortunately we must live in.  Disease, starvation, war are all the doing of man, not God.  It is our mess, we must live in the mess until the time we are called home.  Is it sad when a Christian man or woman suddenly die of a disease like cancer?  Of course it is.  Should we blame God? No.  It isn't His mess.  We should be thanking God for not just leaving us here.  The fact that He sent His son to die for our sins so we could one day stand next to him with new bodies, free of disease, free of starvation and war is something we should be praying about and thanking God for once again, giving us another chance.  Remember my Christian brothers and sisters, this planet is not our home, we are just visitors.

Chappy

    

    

When God's Presence Is Not Obvious

     It was December 4, 1986 that I was involved in a motorcycle accident which resulted in me losing my lower left leg.  At the time I was not walking with God and I truly believed that God did not interfere with the everyday lives of us humans.  My concern at the time was then my wife who was in her seventh month of pregnancy with our first child.  I did not want her to have to take care of a baby and me, so I made it an effort to get up, get walking again so I could be there for her and the baby.  So I did just that, got up and got walking.

   The story could have ended there, but it didn't.  The story lingered on in silence until a time that I could truly understand what happened that night.  My mother tried to give me insight into how God had performed a miracle that night, that He had other plans for me, but I did not listen.  It took many years and attending a retreat for the whole story to be revealed, so I reveal to you the whole story:

   The first two people that came to my side were an off duty paramedic and an off duty nurse.  The nurse with her comforting voice, leaned down telling me everything was going to be alright.  What stuck out was the cross that dangled from her neck directly above me.  The first sign God sent "I am here".  

     My accident happened an equal distance to two major hospitals, St. Marys and University of Arizona Medical Center.  I lay there listening to two sets of paramedics arguing which hospital I was going to go to.  For some reason I blurted out "UAMC!"  One of the paramedics said "You heard him, it's UAMC".   The second sign God speaking through me.  He knew where I needed to go.

      When I arrived at UAMC, the on-duty trama doctor was not there, but in another part of the building.  While he was being paged another trama doctor, who had just stopped by to pick up some files, was present and took a look at me.  Instead of going home, he prepped for surgery.  I was told that my leg was pretty bad, but he was going to try and save the knee.  You see, my lower left left was gone, torn to shreds; no bone, muscle tissue torn away, it was a mess.  The first trama doctor would have just taken a clean cut above the knee and not messed with the other part of the leg.  The second trama doctor had a plan, to take what was left of my leg and create a stump so I could keep my knee.  What was suppose to take only four hours, turned into seven.  In the end, he had created me a stump and saved my knee.  That is a big thing for an amputee.  The knee is your motion, your flex, your mobility.  I could run, ride a bike, walk with almost no problem.  This was God's third sign, a doctor who should have gone home, but did not.

     The story continues with my rehabilitation, and the relationship I developed with the man who built my prosthetic leg.  God was there..........RIGHT there beside me the whole time.  Why you ask?  Just as my mom knew, God had bigger plans for me.  Plans for me to attend Grace Community Church, to give myself to His son, to learn of a small orphanage in Uganda, to travel to that orphanage, to fall in love with the children, to become part of Lahash International and to attend Rockbridge Seminary.

     Yeah, the accident was tragic, and maybe God could have prevented it, but would I be where I am today?  God worked through the accident, a man made accident, to do good; to bring me where I am today.  Some people say God doesn't work miracles anymore.......................

Chappy