How one man's holy dare transformed a few people's lives

What do you do when God calls you to do something extreme, something out of the box, something that most people would think of as crazy?

Scott Werlein had that exact question a few months ago, when he was being bothered by something that he thought might be from God. Little did he know...

The crazy part (that some of you, our dear readers, already know) is that Scott did in fact do the thing that God was calling him to do. He did give extravagantly. And he gave at the exact moment that it was needed.

The day after he committed to give to Tirrases, the property next door had a fire, in which the entire property was gutted. None of the surrounding buildings was hurt, but that entire building was little more than rubble crusted within a layer of soot. Since Esther and Horacio had been praying for that property, they went in search of the owner.

To make a long story short, because of Scott's gift, they were able to purchase that property (which had been a dangerous place before), and more importantly, they were able to be a part of bringing a woman to Christ that had long been running from him.

All because one man dared to live obediently.

Written By: John Michael Den Hartog

The Work In a Nutshell

The ministry of Christ For the City International is constantly growing. God has blessed us, and we are the grateful beneficiaries of his favor. Here is a short video to get a glimpse of the things that God is doing right now through us.

Beyond the Honeymoon Phase: Life as a Volunteer Overseas

In 2013, Adam went on a short-term missions trip to Bolivia. He considered the ten weeks he spent there as an individual among the most powerful of his life. Below is an adapted version of one of his reflections during his time there. 

So life as a volunteer is certainly not easy.  I realize most of my (previous communications) have just been about how awesome it is and how cute the kids are.  And that is true. Bolivia is awesome, and the kids are completely adorable.  But I have been realizing since I got here just how tough some of this is.

Being in a different culture long-term can be difficult.  It’s amazing how different absolutely everything can be. It’s not something you realize when you come on a short trip.  Working with people from other cultures is also challenging.  We do things a certain way in the US, and they do things a certain way here.  And most of the times both sides are convinced their way is right - they are both wrong, but they are convinced of it nonetheless.  Mediating and navigating these differences is not easy and can be incredibly draining.  It can also make you feel very alone when you are traveling by yourself in a completely different country with a completely different culture.  In the U.S. I always had friends or family I could call or spend time with.  Or there were hobbies, TV shows, or even food to fill up time and to bring some comfort.  But things are different here.

I pray often for guidance with how to handle these differences and for strength to deal with the loneliness that can sometimes feel so powerful.

I am still working at the daycare.  I know what I am doing is important there, and I know what a difference it is making in these kids lives.  Many of the children do not get a lot of attention or love, and so that is what I try to do.  I know that we are providing them with an amazing place to be during the day, that we are feeding them good healthy food, that they are getting lessons on letters and numbers.  I also know that many of these kids would be home alone or at work with their parents if the daycare was not there.

That said, working with them is very difficult.  Many of these kids are incredibly disobedient. They usually do not listen to anything I say.  They can be very violent.  I spend a decent portion of my day running around breaking up fights between kids and consoling the victims.  It's hard. My patience is tested every single day, and there are days when I have to take a 10 minute walk to calm down.

But God is good, and every day there is at least one moment, with one kid, that makes the day worthwhile.  It might be connecting with a kid I have never connected with before, it might be making one of the kids smile, it might be the kids doing something funny, or even just as simple as having a sick child fall asleep in my arms after crying for hours.  It is hard, and there are days I want to quit, but I have to look back on the day and find these moments and cherish them.  I have to seek those moments and remember that if I was not here this child would not have smiled in that moment, or that baby would not have fallen asleep.

I pray every morning for patience and love with these kids, that I would be able to show them some of His love.  And I pray for that moment that I can hold on to.

I do not want to sound like I am complaining; that is in no way my intention.  I am incredibly fortunate to be able to be here helping these kids.  I am so blessed to have so many friends that support me in this.  I am still amazed at times with how lucky I am to be able to spend time with some of these kids.  To even be here and be the one able to help and make a difference is amazing.  But I wanted to write about some of the difficulties with being here, and also the way God is supporting me through these challenges.

Edited by: John Michael Den Hartog

The Heart Behind Missions

By Roy González, Co-Director of CFCI-Panama 

Missions, for as long as it has been around, has been vitally important to the contemporary church. Why is that?

First, missions is important because of the cross of Christ. The cross has always been at the very center of our faith. At the cross God demonstrated His love for all humanity and provided a way for all to experience the forgiveness of sin. The Apostle John reminds us that Christ “is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2 ESV).  Since Christ died for the sins of the whole world, we as His followers should feel the divine burden to reach every individual with the Gospel.

Second, missions is important because of the command of Christ. In all four Gospels and also in the Book of Acts, Jesus Christ gives us the Great Commission. It is never presented as an option to be considered but always as a mandate to be obeyed. For nearly 2,000 years, the marching orders of the church have been, “Go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel to the whole creation.” We must be global Christians with a global vision because our God is a global God. When God’s heart for the world becomes the heart of the church, then the church will surrender and do whatever needs to be done so “the whole creation” has the opportunity to hear the gospel.

Third, missions is important because of the coming of Christ. In Acts 1, as Jesus ascended up into heaven, two angels asked the disciples, “Why stand you looking up into heaven?” It’s as if the angels were saying, “Don’t you have something you need to be doing? You aren’t supposed to be gazing up into heaven; your mission is to go into the world.” Then there was the angelic reminder that there is limited time to accomplish the Great Commission because “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” If we truly believe in the imminent return of Jesus Christ, world evangelism will become an urgent priority in our churches.

Yes, missions is important to God, and therefore it must be important to every church in our age and the entire world.

Edited by: John Michael Den Hartog

Overseas Update: India cleans up a city (literally) and provides children's camp for migrants

The work of Christ For the City International has not simply been with children south of the border. We also have worked heavily with people on the other side of the globe, like Amos Humtsoe, the base director for CFCI-Nagaland--in India. Below he shares some of the (relatively) recent activities he and CFCI have been doing there to promote the transformation process.

Migrant Children’s Camp

July 5, 2014 Dimapur, Nagaland

This was a one-day camp for the migrant children in one of the migrant-inhabited places in Dimapur. Altogether, 33 children attended the camp. The children said that, in fact, a one-day camp was too short; however, since they are responsible children, they had to leave the camp to help their parents and do their chores. 

Dimapur Clean Drive Program

July 26, 2014

On July 26^th 2014 a mass social work project was conducted in Dimapur by CFCI-Nagaland in collaboration with District administration, Dimapur municipal council, Naga hoho (public organization) Dimapur, churches, and missions organization under the banner of “Jesus Christ in the marketplace.”  The whole city of Dimapur was divided into 25 areas, and each church (interdenominational) and some mission organizations took part in cleaning the city. The Clean Dimapur program is not just for one day; there is a commitment to continue for some years. This program will be followed by a mass educational program.

So clearly, God is at work in India.