Detours

On a run one day (a time I often hear from God), a man in a pick-up truck stopped me to ask for directions. After I finished telling him the best way to go, he said, “What about going back that way? Won’t that get me back to the highway? I thought sheesh, you asked me for directions! Why are YOU telling ME which way is better? Then I told him, “Sure, you can go that way, but this way is really better.”

I thought, we are sometimes like that with God. We pray and ask Him for guidance, but we stop there. We don’t wait in silence to hear what God wants to tell us. Or we might hear Him clearly tell us where to go, but we want to get there OUR way and in OUR timing. We think we know what’s best, mostly because we know what we want and we want it now! Well God knows our desires. He knows where we want to be in life, but He always has a better way of getting there than what we come up with using our own strength and understanding. As we begin following His directions, we begin to see clearly where he’s leading us, into the best life possible. He wants to teach us and prepare us along the way. God is a gracious God. He knows what we can bear.

When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land…God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea. Exodus 13:17-18 NLT.

After leading the Israelites to freedom, God needed to heal their wounds from slavery before taking them into battle. Best of all, God went before them to prepare the way and in the end, the Israelites were victorious and God received the glory!

I’m so thankful for all I’ve learned this year about missions, ministry, myself, and God's healing power. I've experienced God’s love and mercy like never before. When God told me to go, I didn’t know what it would look like. But God knew. He is so faithful to continue providing opportunities for me to learn and serve through full time ministry and most of all grow in my relationship with Jesus. God is always at work in our lives, guiding our steps and longing to consume our hearts. First we have to step out in faith and open our hearts to Him.

Incredible summer of Missions!

It's been an awesome summer of missions so far! Though I've stayed in Memphis this year, it's been awesome to be part of organizing each one of these trips and see people develop a heart for missions, grow spiritually and make a global impact for Christ! Check out these updates from the field!

India
The team returned with incredible testimonies of God's transforming power. Healing Place Church and The Life Church of Memphis partnered with Joyce Meyer Ministries to bring the hope of Jesus Christ to India. God used each of them in a mighty way through evangelical skits and preaching of God's Word at music festivals and leadership conferences. Hundreds of people received salvation. The team also donated over a thousand dollars worth of medicine to a medical clinic and dedicated a junior college which provides the lower class with opportunities for educational and career advancement.
You will find more details from the trip at: goglobalindia.blogspot.com and testimonies at goglobalmissions.com.

China
We cannot share much about this online in order to protect our missionary partners. The following is a summary from Heather Goff.
China was great. We enjoyed spending time in the southern part of the country. We were able to build relationships with students that will hopefully last for years to come. The entire team really connected with the people and culture. It was a blessing and an honor to be a part of the great things God is doing in China.

Casey Goff teaching in China

Brazil
The team had an incredible time participating in street evangelism, which consisted of handing out toys to the kids and flyers inviting people to festas (parties) put on by Light to the Nations Church. They also took advantage of these opportunities to pray with people. The team attended the festas to connect with people and invite them to church. Our team members were excited to be part of the process of people going to the festas and then to church to receive salvation! They also worked on the construction of a mobile stage to be used for crusades. Pastor Phillip Murdoch, pastor of Light to the Nations Church, said our team had the greatest impact out of all the mission teams they've hosted!
Check out the team blog: goglobalbrazil.blogspot.com for more stories!

Cinda showing children pictures from home

Swaziland
Trip dates: July 21-30. Check out goglobalmissions.com for updates.

Hollywood Hope and Health Expo

The Hollywood Hope and Health Expo was awesome! This is what we called our big "Servolution" day in the Hollywood community of Memphis on June 21st. Hollywood is located in one of the zip codes with the highest rate of infant mortality in the country. This is an indicator of issues such as poverty, malnutrition, lack of education and crime. Our goal is to make a difference in this community by simply loving on people and meeting needs. This softens hearts to receive Christ's love.

Many people from the community came out, even in the heat. We had about 130 volunteers from our church come out to serve in Hollywood, Cordova, and Collierville. Teams in Cordova and Collierville gave out free water, which was much appreciated on such a hot day! In Hollywood we served about 380 hamburgers and 500 hot dogs. We also served sno-cones and had teams to go out for Adopt -A-Block (yard and street clean-up). For the kids, we setup a moon bounce, an obstacle course, dodgeball and face painting. 13 medical professionals from our church worked together to provide free blood pressure, weight, and blood glucose screenings, nutrition education, hair and scalp exams, eye exams, Healthy Baby Bags along with prenatal education, and an ask the doctor station. Thanks to Cross Link International, an organization that provides medicine and medical supplies to missionaries, we were able to give out $300 worth of vitamins, infant tylenol drops, and other over the counter meds. We also gave out 4 cases of nutrition supplements also donated to us. All the volunteers served with positive, willing attitudes! The doctors told me they were impressed with the setup and really appreciated the opportunity to serve. They are already asking me about the next outreach and how they can be involved. Praise God for a great day!


During the outreach in Hollywood, we met a single mom who's 8mo pregnant with 4 children. She walked from her apartment and she looked dehydrated and said she felt dizzy. We called an ambulance but she refused to go to the hospital, because she had no one to watch her children. She is not married and the father of her children is never around. When members of the community offered to help her, she said "No thanks, I'm fine." Later she pulled me aside and said, "I need pampers. If I go to the hospital and someone else watches my children, I don't have any more diapers to leave with them." She insisted she was fine. I did get her to tell me her apt #.

The next Saturday, we delivered a pack of diapers and a case of Ensure to her. It turns out her blood pressure is high and she's on bedrest. Fortunately she is receiving prenatal care, unlike many pregnant women in the community. She was very surprised to see us and thankful for the delivery. On our way to see her, we talked with people, picked up trash, and gave out water and popsicles. After seeing the diapers in our hands, many asked if they can have them. A few others requested nutrition supplements because their children do not eat well. The need for adequate nutrition and basic care was quite evident. We will continue to return every Saturday to serve this community. If you would like to donate diapers or any other baby supplies, please email me at syamnitz@thelifechurch.com. Thank you! I'm so excited that God continues to open doors of opportunity to serve and make a difference in His name!

Jesus is my friend!

Every Saturday our church takes a team to the Hollywood area of Memphis to clean up yards, pick up trash, and connect with and love on the people there. As you step out of your car in this area, you can just feel the need for Christ's love.
Last Saturday, our team went out to be God's hands and feet, doing something as simple as cleaning up an overgrown empty lot. It was difficult to see cars coming due to the brush that hung over the road. We cut down trees and bushes, providing a clear view. Further into the lot sits a large, beautiful tree supporting 2 tire swings. Unfortunately, below the tire swings, broken beer bottles littered the ground. I swept up the broken glass while a 7 year old boy named Quantrel played on the swings.
"Can you push me really high?" he asked me.
"Sure," I said.
As I pushed him, I asked him questions about school, his family and friends. He told me his brother and sister are mean to him but his mom and dad are nice. It was encouraging to hear his mom and dad are together. As he continued though, I learned more about how tough his life is.
He told me a story about a time he got caught in the line of fire and got shot in the back and how his cousin is always drinking around him. This really broke my heart. After talking and playing on the swings for a while, I asked, "Do you go to church?"
"Yeah, I just go to church when there's a funeral. My uncle got shot so I went to his funeral. My mom and dad won't take me to church. I know about God and Jesus though. Jesus is cool."
"That's great. Do you know what Jesus did for you?"
"For me? No."
"You told me earlier about how much your mom and dad love you. Well God loves his son Jesus very much too. But He was willing sacrifice his only son, let him die, for us.
"God killed Jesus?! Why'd he do that? Oh I know how he died. Someone stabbed in the back with a knife!"
"Actually, Jesus died on a cross. That's how they executed people back then. Jesus died for all the bad things we've done, but the story doesn't end there. Jesus rose from the dead so now we can go to heaven!"
"Jesus is alive?! Can you see him? Is Martin Luther King alive too?"
"No Martin Luther King isn't alive but I'm sure he's in heaven. Jesus is right here with us even if you can't see him. And you know what? He wants to be your friend. When you choose to be his friend, you receive His free gift of forgiveness and eternity, forever, in heaven! We call this salvation. It's as easy as admitting you've done bad things because we all do, saying you believe He died and rose from the dead, and choosing to follow Him. Do you want to say that prayer with me and make Jesus your friend?"
"Yeah! Is this how you pray?" He kneels down, eyes closed, with prayer hands.
"You can but you don't have to pray like that. You can pray anytime, anywhere."
"How about like this, like Martin Luther King." Puts one knee up, hands on his elbows and forehead resting on his forearms.
"Sure now just repeat after me...Dear Jesus, thank you for loving me. I admit that I've done wrong things. I believe you died on the cross for my sins and rose again so I can have life. I choose to make you my friend today and live for you the rest of my life. Amen. Awesome, great job!"
After encouraging him to tell his family all about what he did today, read his Bible which he said he has at home, pray, and ask his parents to take him to church, he left saying, "Jesus is cool. He's my friend!"

A Healthy Baby Begins With You

On April 19th we partnered with March of Dimes in an event called A Healthy Baby Begins with You at the Southland Mall. The purpose was to provide information and health screenings for young women before they become pregnant or in the first trimester. We, The Life Church of Memphis provided the health screenings. We were able to complete blood glucose, blood pressure, and BMI screenings for 23 people. Dr. Michelle Walsh was also available to answer questions. She had some great interactions, educating people about diabetes and also talking to some young women about nutrients their body needs in early pregnancy. The following is a great report from Dr.Michelle:

I enjoyed working in the medical servolution! We had a great team to interact with and worked together well. One patient had high blood pressure and was trying to learn new ways to cook with less salt on a limited budget. It was fun to brainstorm with her practical ways to make meals using cheap ingredients. I viewed this outreach as a "prayer walk." We were interacting with people for short periods of time and had only several minutes to show the Jesus' love. However that is plenty of time to smile and say a quiet prayer for them.

I had a great time serving with our team and so encouraged by their positive, servant attitudes. Here's a link to the story Commercial Appeal did about the event: http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/apr/20/never-too-early/

Our next Big Serve Day will be June 21st at Hollywood Community Center. We will once again provide food and games for kids along with health screenings and education. We want to continue reaching out primarily to young pregnant women and babies. Please pray for creativity, provision of resources, and many people to be helped at this event. Thank you!

Servolution at Raleigh Springs Mall

On February 23rd, our medical team continued Servolution with a health fair at Raleigh Springs Mall. Each time we get together to meet the medical and spiritual needs of the people in these hurting communities, I'm amazed at how God provides and blesses not only the people served but also the team serving.
We were all entertained by the Jukin dancers as we screened and educated participants. We only had 2 hours, however, we were able to complete blood pressure and blood sugar screenings for 15 people. These participants were also able to ask Dr.Womback medical questions and pray with our prayer partners. Dr.Womback was awesome. She started coming to our church a couple weeks before this event. She jumped right in and did whatever we needed her to do! In fact, the whole team served with willing, loving hearts and great attitudes. Alisa Minner said, "I never thought of using my career as service. It was a such a blessing to serve!"
The people we served were so appreciative. One woman had a borderline high blood glucose. We were able to educate her on nutrition and lifestyle changes to reduce her risk of developing diabetes and link her to resources for follow up care. She said, "I'm so thankful you all are here. You all are such a blessing."
It gets even better. The next day, eight first time guests came to our church from the Raleigh Springs area, most likely as a result of our outreach!
We are blessed to be a blessing and it feels so good to make a difference in someone's life. I want to invite YOU to join us in serving our community. Here's how you can be a part:
1. Donate supplies for our outreaches such as over the counter medicine, blood glucose meters and strips, blood pressure cuffs, blood cholesterol machine and strips, gloves and alcohol pads, education material for dental health, diabetes, heart disease, prenatal and infant care, nutritional supplements, baby thermometers, outlet covers, diapers, new baby clothes and blankets.
2. Participate in our outreaches as a medical professional. We need doctors, nurses, social workers, diabetes specialists, dietitians, and really any other medical professional with a heart to serve a community in need.
3. If you do not have medical experience, you can still serve! We also need prayer partners and people to register, direct, and encourage participants and help with setup.
4. Pray for the communities we serve, that many would come and open their hearts to all God
has for them and that God provides financial provision, supplies, and people ready and willing to be His hands and feet.
Our next day of Medical Servolution is April 19th at Southland mall, which is in another zip code devastated by infant mortality. We are partnering with March of Dimes, which is on the forefront of the infant mortality issue in Memphis. We will be screening and educating women before they become pregnant. The event is called: A Healthy Baby Begins With You. Improving the health of women before pregnancy drastically improves birth outcomes. So if you want to be a part of this initiative, please contact me at syamnitz@thelifechurch.com. Thank you!

Collierville Campus

The Life Church of Memphis, one church, many locations became reality as we launched our Collierville campus at the Shilling Farms YMCA. We practiced with 2 preview services before the official launch on Easter Sunday. It's awesome to see a gym transformed into a life giving church. Our church really pulled together to make this new campus launch a success. We literally roll in the church on wheels! It takes a lot of work organizing and unloading carts and setting up all the different areas from Nursery to Kids Life to Cafe to Connection desk to the main auditorium (basketball court), but we have a blast doing it! Whether we attend and serve at the Cordova or Collierville campus, we all work together as one team. Despite no advertizing, around 150 people attended our first preview service in Collierville. At the same time, Cordova remained strong with fifty people committing their life to Christ, what we call making a Fresh Start. God is so awesome! This is just another example that anything is possible with God. As we step out to reach people in need of the life transforming power of Jeus, He provides the resources. It's awesome to be a part of it all! Below is a picture of a raquetball court transformed into a Kids Life preschool room!

Miraculous Hay Delivery :)

My poor horse, Lovey, has been out of hay for months due to the hay shortage here. Despite doubling his grain ration, he continues to lose weight. I even started putting corn oil in his feed! I told the medical crew from Healing Place Church on Friday about this. Well on Sunday morning, a trailer with 20 round bales of hay parked with a busted tire in the church parking lot right beside the dental unit. David who drove the dental unit laid hands on the hay, praying I would get some of that hay.
After church I decided to be gutsy and left a card with my phone # in the trailer hitch. After I went to lunch, I got a call. The family purchased the hay in Arkansas and was driving back home past Nashville to deliver the hay to their cattle. They already blew a tire in West Memphis where they lost 2 bales. Keep in mind each bale weighs 1,000 pounds and they were hauling 22 bales! They had been through a lot! After all of that, they cheerfully offered to deliver a bale to my horse. Of course I paid for it, but it certainly saved me a delivery fee and having to continue the search for hay! What a blessing! I'm in awe of how God cares about our every desire, even for my horse to have hay!

Servolution

On Saturday, January 26th, The Life Church of Memphis launched Servolution. We drove just 15 minutes to the Hollywood community in the 38108 zip code. This zip code is deadlier for babies than Vietnam, El Salvador and Iran. According to The Commercial Appeal, "Infant mortality is the barometer of a community's ills: poverty, pollution, crime, lack of education, access to health care and safe, affordable housing."
To combat these ills and bless this community, we held a block party with free hamburgers and hot dogs, games and ID badges for kids, trash pickup, and medical and dental care. Despite cold weather, we had a blast serving this community, Cordova and Collierville! Over 300 volunteers participated in Servolution, 40 of those in the medical outreach alone.
Dr.Cheri and Joseph LeBlanc along with assistants Ann and David drove 6hrs from Healing Place Church in Baton Rouge to help with Servolution. Their mobile medical and dental units Ele (Eleos meaning compassion) and Mo (Mowpheth meaning miracle) were amazing! Our team cared for 39 people in just over 2 hours, providing free medical screenings, flu vaccines, teeth cleaning, tooth extractions, health education, and prayer. Though we would have done the work to make a difference in one life, the numbers show the great need in that community. For that reason, Servolution will continue.


The following is a great report from Therese Gibson, prayer partner on the medical team:



Mary and Rubin are two people we prayed for who lost their 31year old son in October. They are both overcoming the lost and have recently redicated their hearts to Jesus. Mary was so thankful that we were there, she said if it wasn't for the medical team she wouldn't have know she was diabetic. We were able to pray and encourage them to keep seeking God because He understands the pain of losing a son.

Please pray for God to continue showing us how we can be a blessing to those in need around us. I am so blessed to be a part of a church that takes action to make a difference in our city, nation, and world!

Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!

Surprise #1: January 4th 5:30pm
While Heather and I are assembling Go Global packets, I hear the beep of the front door. I look up to see my mom taking a picture of my shocked expression! Just as I'm thinking, "what in the world?" I realize, oh my birthday is in 2 days. That's why she came! I really didn't think she would be able to drive that far just for my birthday. We had a great time together, and of course she jumped right in to serve at the church alongside me.
Surprise #2: January 6th 11:45am
While I'm jumping around during worship in Kids Life, I feel an arm around my waist. I quickly look behind me and scream with excitement and surprise as I see my sister Debbie and my nieces Katie and Abby! I've been wanting them to visit me and The Life Church ever since I moved here 2 yrs ago. She's a very busy lady! I cannot think of a better birthday present than enjoying my church with my mom, Debbie, Katie, and Abby. And they loved the church! Debbie asked, "When will your church be coming to Arnold, MO?"
Surprise #3 January 6th 1:30pm
My buddy Aubrey wanted to take me out to Jim and Nicks for my birthday. I thought, yum for sure! My mom went ahead to get a table. As I walk into the restaurant, I see a big cake, a happy birthday balloon, and best of all people I love sitting around the table. I was so moved that I cried! This was a busy day for our church so I am especially thankful for my friends, family, and pastors taking the time to celebrate with me. Thanks everyone and thank you Mom and Aubrey for organizing! I love you all!

Ahhhh! Monster!

I always thought God gave me a wonderful gift of connecting with children. Well, I discovered yesterday that's not always the case. I was running in Shelby farms and looked up to the top of a hill to see a bundled 3yr old pointing at me yelling, ahhhhhh monster!!! I mean I know I am a rather large being and do not wear makeup when I run, but seriously. I just laughed as I ran by him clinging to his father's leg.

Later in the day, I rode my horse, Lovey (Paint My Love). At 16 hands, he's no small creature either. He even clears jumps with ease (see picture). There happened to be some metal fencing lying on the ground at the end of the arena. He spotted it and pranced around, terrified of the metal monster lying prostrate, preparing for attack.

Both circumstances were ridiculous. The child and my horse had no reason to be fearful. Do you ever wonder if God looks at us in the same way? He sees the complete picture and knows there is nothing to fear. As we start a new year, many of us are excited to start over and plan an exciting future. However, many of us also fear the unknown. I guess worry is a better word. You know the worries: What if I'm not accepted into college? Will I get that promotion? Will I ever get married? What if I have to pay more taxes this year? What if I don't have enough money for retirement? Is this airplane safe? What good is a seat cushion that doubles as a floatation device anyway? How ridiculous is all this worry to God? Jeremiah 29:11 says:

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

When I find myself worrying about the future rather that trusting in God, I also remind myself of this verse in Philippians 4:6 (NIV)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

The Message version:

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.