Do you know the meaning of "baptized?"

by Sandra Hammes, CFCI Chaplain

In ancient Greece, a metalsmith "baptized" hot iron by dipping it into water. This act tempered the metal, strengthening it and helping to set the specific shape the smith had chosen for the iron to take. In some respects, that's what baptism does for those who believe in God. It tempers them. It helps strengthen how closely they identify with God and their new form of life in a public yet personal way.

Baptize really means "to immerse." We can be immersed in study, in conversation, in thought. Are we immersed in the life of Christ???

Blessings!

Our Partners are So Important!

This is Jill Adams the communications director for CFCI. I'm blogging today for our Finance department. They are REALLY busy doing year-end stuff. Balancing accounts. Creating reports for our Board. But most importantly, they are sending out the 2012 receipt letters to our fabulous financial partners. Pretty much everything else stops so they can do this. Our donors are VERY SPECIAL people who deserve our focused attention.

For the past two weeks, I've watched as Marcia, Kathie, and Pat (yes our former Finance department employee even came in to help) diligently work to make sure everything is correct. Faces huddled together peering into the computer screen...the buzz of the printer...lots of caffeinated beverages...amazing.

As the communications director, I really like to communicate. This is not the time for that. This is the time for be-quiet-and-leave-them-alone-to-do-their-thing. It's a time of great discipline for me!

The bottom line is that we REALLY LOVE OUR FINANCIAL PARTNERS!!! Those 100,000 people we reach each year with the Gospel of Jesus Christ couldn't be reached without them. The 300+ mission workers on the CFCI team wouldn't be able to love and serve others without their support. We wouldn't have computers or office space without their generous contributions. I could go on and on.

I know what the Financial folks would want to say, if they were blogging today. "THANK YOU! Please know that we appreciate you and praise God for you!"

A Yorky Preached a Great Sermon

A Yorky Preached a Great Sermon

Jane (not her real name) works in one of our ministries to women returning from incarceration.  She was raised in a family of drug dealers.  She was running drugs by age five and as she grew older, she also became a very successful dealer.

She knew how to watch her back.  She could smell a set-up or a police sting a mile away.  She and her family were major players in the drug community for decades.   

Then one careless day, she got trapped and captured and this led to an extensive prison term.  She knew how to take care of herself and didn’t need anyone looking out for her.  She did hear about Jesus and what He could do for her but she was not interested.

After a number of years, she was released and sent back to her home community.  By this time, she was tired of always having to look over her shoulder so she wanted to set her life on the right track.  This is when she met our ministry and wanted to help out.  Although she wants nothing to do with God, she likes us and she wants to help other ladies to avoid the mistakes she made.

We’ve reached out to Jane now for over a year.  She calls us when anything goes wrong, she knows we pray for her and we tell her that God wants a relationship with her but she continually pushes Him away.

Over Christmas, she wanted to adopt a Yorkshire terrier from the local pet store.  She came in for dog classes and to submit her application.  They determined she would make a good dog owner and she found the one she wanted.  She instantly fell in love with the little guy – he was darling!

The day came when dog and owner were to meet for the first time and complete the adoption.  Jane anxiously waited for her new Yorky to be gathered up and brought to her.  When he entered the room, he immediately began to bark and bite at her.  He wanted nothing to do with Jane.  Although she was prepared to give him a loving home, he did nothing but bite back at her.  Not only did the adoption not go through but the dog was removed from the adoption list.

Jane was devastated by how it turned out and wanted to talk to our ministry director about her disappointment.  As she described the scene at the pet store, our director felt led to say that is a great example of what God wants to do for us.  He reaches out to us to adopt us, having already paid the price, but we reject His offer and bite back at Him.  Jane listened intently and suddenly exclaimed, “I’m just like the Yorky!”  She got it but sadly she still didn’t want to accept His free gift of salvation.

Please pray for Jane.  God’s offer still stands and we believe that one day she will accept His offer to be adopted into His family as one of his daughters whom He loves dearly.

It All Began With A Prayer
College graduate, white, single, female...what's a christian mission minded girl to do?  Well she prayed.  She asked God, "what do YOU want me to do now?"  God answered that prayer and MORE for Short-term Missionary Lauren Lee who is rounding out her one year commitment of mission service with CFCI Argentina.

Lauren writes in her first mission blog post, "I had the privilege this summer to study abroad in London, England. One weekend a group of us took a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland; a beautiful place filled with character. Sunday morning, the last day of our trip I set out to hike Arthur’s Seat. I eagerly walked to the top where I was surrounded by: the city of Edinburgh, the Scottish countryside and the North Sea. I was overwhelmed by God’s beauty. I sat on the rocks facing Edinburgh, opened my bible and prayed. I read Psalm 105 and Isaiah 6. The Psalm spoke to me. I was in awe of God’s glorious power and my heart was singing praises to all that He is! It was very windy at the top. At that moment I felt the Lord placing something upon my heart. I prayed, “God what are you trying to tell me? What do you want me to do?” I began praying Isaiah 6:8,

And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” I was filled with excitement and joy not realizing what just happened. The Chris Tomlin songs “Take My Life” and “I Will Follow” popped into my head and I sang them all the way to the bottom of Arthur’s seat."

Lauren's search led her to Christ For the City International where she currently serves with the Argentina missionary team.  Lauren has become somewhat of an expert simply by stepping in and meeting a need that base missionaries German and Karina Herman told her about.  Once she landed in Argentina instead of becoming overwhelmed with the endless array of service opportunities Lauren just rolled up her sleeves and dove in.  Since serving in Argentina Lauren has developed a website and facebook for the mission base while serving as the primary Social Media Director.  Lauren has posted countless photos and created numerous videos featuring some of the impoverished communities in Argentina just minutes from lavish downtown area in Cordoba. Lauren also participates with community outreach projects. She helps with food and clothing distribution,  teaches bible studies and English while giving out lots encouragement, hugs and prayers!  

 Video created by Lauren  "Los Galopos" ("Let's Walk Together") http://vimeo.com/56656129    

                                   

Take a moment to pray and thank God for Short-term Missionary Lauren Lee.  Thank God for one life that is making such an impact for the Kingdom of God and in the lives of so many.  Pray also for direction as Lauren and new missionary friend "Alex" pray about a "next step" in missionary service back to Argentina.

Check out more stories on God at work on Lauren's blog...
http://laurenjlee.wordpress.com/2012/12/18/when-i-allowed-god-to-change-my-heart/http://laurenjlee.wordpress.com/it-all-began-with-a-prayer-2/

REAL MEN WANTED

REAL MEN  We need more of you answering the Lord’s call to missions.  So many boys, girls, young men and women do not have a Godly male role model in their life.  Men who are passionately sold out for Christ are needed to JUMP IN and embrace the challenges of missionary life.  Women simply cannot do what the Lord is calling men to do.  Men are needed to minister to young men the way they need most. .  So many fathers have abandoned their families in Latin America…women and children need men who can portray the image of a faithful, loving, Godly man.  We desperately need men drawing men into the kingdom at all of our bases.