God is Working

Life has been pretty busy since we got back from Kenya.  Time sure flies by these days.  We have been home almost two months and we haven't posted a single thing, but that doesn't mean that God hasn't been working.

Let me take a step back to recap Kenya 2012 for a few moments.  I learned that God is ALWAYS in control. After three trips to Kenya without any issues I was a little boastrous about never having a delay, losing a bag or any major issues.  As we were checking in at DFW the Burrell's had passport issues and were not able to fly and that threw everything off kilter.  Then a huge storm blows in and delays our flights for several hours.  I am so very thankful that we had planned an eight hour layover in London.  If we had planned a three hour layover we would have missed our flight to Kenya.  Once we made it to Kenya we were delayed again about 45 minutes.  The flight from Nairobi to Mombasa is only 45 minutes so needless to say I was getting a little frustrated by this time.  One team members personal bag did not come for four days.

Our team did a great job ministering to the Kenyan people.  We hosted two dental clinics and a couple of medical clinics as well.  We only got to go hut to hut witnessing one Saturday because it rained so much the second Saturday.  Our team got to play games and visit with the staff at Mbewau.  It was great fun for everyone.

Chris and Lisa are doing a wonderful job there.  I am so thankful that they followed what God had asked them to do.  It opened up an opportunity for Kim and I to use talents that God gave us by leading teams to work there on the field.

Since returning from Kenya God has opened up the door for me to start going to Tyndale Bible College. I am going for an Associates Degree in Missions.  So far it has gone well.  There has been a lot of reading and reading is not one of my favorite things to do.  Reading about grammar and how to do research papers it not the most fun thing in the world but I know that this next two years will allow God to stretch me and make me a better Christian, a better man, a better husband and a better missions leader.

Kim's photography business was a little slow for a while but is picking back up with school starting and fall on the way.  We look forward to seeing how God blesses through her business.  He has always provided for us when we least expected it.

Please pray for us as we seek God's will for our lives.  I know that He will open some doors and close others.  I pray for wisdom to walk through the right ones.

God Bless!
David

Things are great!

The internet has been very slow!  Things are going great here.  Our team has laughed so much and had a great time working with the missionaries.

Please check out the latest blogs from the team.  I promos that Kim and I will post more personal thoughts as we get time!

Faith, Hope and Love...I am having the time of my life. Please check out the latest blogs post by Karen Sandifer and Chris Thames. http://missionmombasa.blogspot.com

Thank you so much for all of your prayers!
David

Kenya Day 1

Getting to Kenya was quite a journey.  Two team members didn't get to come because of passport issues, there was a hail storm in the dfw area and it caused some delays.  We got to Nairobi and there was another delay!  So my record of getting teams into Kenya without issues is now crushed!

Today we spent the day at Maasai Corner.  It rained for several hours.  We finally got to go hut to hut witnessing and saw 10 people accept Christ as their Savior.  After that the heavens cleared and it was a beautiful day.  The dentist saw about 10 patients and pulled a bunch of teeth.  Kim got to make a bunch of baloon animals for the children that were running around.

Maasai Corner last year was just a piece of property where a church was starting.  Today it was alive and happy!

Great things are happening and it is exciting to get to be a part of it!
God Bless!
David

Kenya Here We Come!

Tonight we fly out for 2 weeks in Kenya.  This last year has been so crazy but we have seen God work in our lives and in ministry.  Last year when we left for Kenya we hoped to move there for a year as Team Missionaries.  God had other plans and we did not get that confirmation.

Today my devotion was in Psalms 1.


1 Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
    Nor stands in the path of sinners,
    Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
    And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He shall be like a tree
    Planted by the rivers of water,
    That brings forth its fruit in its season,
    Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

Verse three really stood out to me. "He shall be like a tree, Planted by the rivers of water."  I love to be outdoors and I LOVE a big pecan bottom on a creek or river.  There are always a few HUGE trees that it takes several people to reach around.  The big trees have been around for maybe 100 years.  If they could tell you of the things they have seen in their life times I am sure it would be amazing.

One day when I am gone I hope that some people will be able to say that David was a tree that stood firm in all the storms that life could throw at him.  Every now and then a branch may break and cause some pain but our heavenly father knows that we need to be pruned to get rid of some things in our lives.  It saddens me to see people in and out of church. Living by faith and being blessed and then living in the flesh and struggling.  They are blown by the winds of life every direction but the right one.

As we leave for Kenya in a few short hours, I want God to open my eyes and my heart to love like I have never loved before.  Kim and I ask that you will pray for our team as we travel.  God has great things ahead of this team and I am very excited to see what happens.

God Bless.
David and Kim

Prayer Request:
Divine Appointments
Safe travels in Kenya
On time flights
No lost bags
Health
Missionaries Chris and Lisa Moore and Bobby and Lisa Bechtel
Maasai Corner
Mbewau
Injilli
Families at home

Time flies when you are having fun!

Kim and I got married on Jan 5, 2008.  In July we met Chris and Lisa Moore, missionaries to Kenya.  They were in the process of raising their monthly support so that they could move to Kenya full time.  Chris lead our first trip to Kenya in March 2009.  Kim and I left part of our hearts in Kenya that year.  I never imagined that I would ever go to Africa and in two weeks we will be making our fourth trip to Kenya.

God has done some AMAZING things through the Moore's and their ministries.  The school at Mbewau had about 20 kids when we first arrived there and were having school in a small classroom and church. Today they have a beautiful six classroom school. There was a small building that ladies cooked porage at.  Today there is an open air feeding center that doubles as a church!  The Moore's have been in Kenya now for 2 1/2 years and are in the middle of a huge building project at Maasai Corner on the south coast of Kenya.  There is a church, clinic and restroom facilities there now. Last year it was 5 acres of raw land where people worshipped under a couple of mango trees.

This year I am excited to see what God has for us!  There is a youth pastor, a dentist, a teacher, an ER nurse, a collage student, a lay pastor and a professional photographer and blogger on the team.  God has really supplied for each team member.  We fly out on June 13 and will return on June 26.  Please keep this team in your prayers and ask for God to have his way in all of our lives.  I hope that everyone is ready to get MESSED UP for CHRIST!

Kim and I want to say thank you to everyone who has supported us financially, with prayer and encouraging words!  We could not have made all of these trips without your help!

One day when we all get to heaven don't be surprised when a Kenyan walks up and says thank you.  You may ask what for and they will say,  "thank you for sending people to tell us about Christ!"

God Bless!!!

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone and I am definitely there...

I feel like I am coming up to another important chapter in my life. This last one has been full of adventure, heartache, self discovery and growth, but I am eager to see what's to follow. I'm not sure what is coming, but I know Life begins at the end of your comfort zone and I am definitely there...

I am glad that God is in control and I am not, because sometimes life doesn't make any sense. I am learning yet again to Let go and Let God have control of every area in my life. 

Sometimes I will ask God for advice, get an answer, ask friends what they think, get confused and finally do what I think is best. Then, I go back to God and say, "Is that really what you meant? OK, I'll do it now. You were right. You always are." The great thing is that He always knows best and I need to trust that He has a good plan for me.

David and I are leaving in two weeks for Kenya! I'm excited to pack up and take the long journey to the place where I left my heart four years ago... I miss the hustle and bustle of people and animals walking everywhere, open markets, hooting traffic horns and the smell of diesel in the air. I miss the bright Kenyan smiles and Hakuna Matata way of living, but most of all I miss my friends Chris and Lisa Moore, Jackson, Justin, Dunkin, Winnie, my sweet MBEWAU girls: Anna, Gladys and Naomi, just to name a few:) I cannot wait to see everyone!

I am sure that God is going to do great things during this trip, because the devil has been hitting hard and close to home lately. But God had been with me through it all and continues to assure me that someday everything will be worth it all.

XOXO,
Kim

Soil and the Heart

I have really enjoyed working in our yard since we moved into the house last September.  Our front yard has pretty good dirt in the flower beds.  Pretty much anything will grow there.  We bought a bunch of bulbs and a rose bush and its all growing great.


On the side of the house there is a retaining wall.  The neighbors have peagravel on their side of the fence.  A few weeds spring up there and grow for a little bit but dont last long if there isn't any rain.  Within a few days things wither away.


The back yard has pretty good soil right around the house.  The grass is thick and green but in the very back its hard and not much is growing.  I am transplanting St Augustine grass back there hoping that it will eventually cover over the hard dirt and we can have a pretty green back yard to enjoy.


All of this reminds me of the parable of the Sower and the Seed. 
Mark 4:3  “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. ⁴ And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air^[a] came and devoured it. ⁵ Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. ⁶ But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. ⁷ And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. ⁸ But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”


Two questions for you: 1What kind of ground is your heart as you read this? 2 Are you sowing any seeds?


I must confess that lately my heart has been a little crusty and hard.  I have had a bad attitude towards my daily job.  There has been A LOT of change going on and some of it doesn't even make sense.  I am so very thankful to a loving and gracious heavenly father that allows us to go through some tough times to soften our hearts for His glory.


We fly to Kenya in 47 days.  
Please pray for:
Our team of 12 going to serve the Lord there.
Divine appointments
Safety
Health
On time flights and luggage
Families that we leave behind

Guatemala Wrap Up.

Guatemala was a very good trip.  I learned that not everything is done like it is in Kenya.  We fed the kids at Eagles Nest rice, a meat patty and gravy.  At Quetzal they children watermelon and spaghetti!!!  

Most of the MANNA Worldwide feeding centers are just that a feeding center at a church.  The children come to the center to eat lunch after school or during their lunch time.  They have kids clubs, Bible studies and church throughout the week.  At first I let what I know over ride what I was seeing.  I kind of froze up and didn’t really know what to do.  It was a great time of learning and meeting new missionaries.  Jerry and Mindy, Edgar and Laura, Vickie and her family.  All of these people are trusting Christ with everything they are, have and ever will be.  Some have young children and some have older children, one is a single mom and one couple is a Guatemalan man and his American wife..  God showed me again that when we trust Him, he will direct our paths and take care of us.  

Keep a look out for video clips from the trip here on the blog and on Face Book.  Kim is working on a video for Galilee Baptist from Decatur, Illinois.  Pastor JJ and his team were a great blessing to Kim and I.  Pastor Ed Trinkle and his team from Philly are CRAZY!!! Thank you for making us feel so welcome with your team.  

This little boy was born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or possible his mother was addicted to cocaine.  He has seizures and will be very handicapped for his entire life.  He has a couple of siblings that bring him to the center.  They were being taken care of by family because their mother had abandoned them for a while.  She has returned and is trying to take care of the children.  She is unsaved but coming to the feeding center and church where she is hearing the gospel regularly.

  

The little boy in this picture is Edwin and he is about 8 years old.  His dad passed away in the last few years.  Recently he told the missionary that he wanted to just die so that he could go be with his dad.  As I sat and listened to Jerry tell me these stories I was once again reminded that I have really been blessed in this life.  My heart ached as I thought about how much pain these young children have been through in their lives.  

Kim took a couple of pictures of a beautiful young lady in the Quetzal Feeding Center.  As we were looking through pics with Mindy she said, “stop go back a couple of pics.  This young lady was watching one of her younger siblings when it suddenly died on her 17 birthday.” The father told her that he wished that she had been the one that died.  He regularly tells her that she is ugly and is worthless.  I can not imagine how broken she must feel inside.    

My prayer is that God will continue to allow us to travel and show others the great things that are happening through MANNA Worldwide around the world for the Kingdom.

For More Pics Visit:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.365237893521061.87805.158123600899159&type=1

Solola, Guatemala.

Today we visited Eagle’s Nest Feeding Center, school and orphanage near Solola, Guatemala.  Several years ago a missionary couple saw this property sitting on a hill that was a failed time share resort.  They inquired about the property and were told that it was almost in foreclosure and the asking price was One Million Dollars.  After a year of prayer and raising funds, they were able to buy the property for $150,000.00.  Today they feed about 50 kids in the Manna Feeding Center and the orphanage houses about 65.  

We got to feed the children and hand our more goodie bags that Pastor JJ’s team brought from Illinois.  Most of these children are Mayan.  They are very small for their age.  I met a little boy named Daniel.  The school leader asked him to show his muscles.  Daniel’s muscles were awesome for an 8 year old.  Pastor Pedro even said that Daniel had great ab muscles.  At about 7 years old Daniel started working in the fields with his family.  Pastor Pedro had to beg the parents to let Daniel come to the feeding center after school.  Daniel’s mom only speaks the Mayan language and is illiterate and his dad is never home.  

We just think that we have poverty in America.  In America there is housing, WIC, food stamps and other charities to help out the poor.  Here in Guatemala there is no help from the government.  Some children are required to work very hard to help provide for their family. Many of these kids only get one meal a day.  The missionaries here are doing a great job reaching the lost through the Manna Feeding Centers...David

Today, we went to one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Words can’t 
describe the true beauty of the expansive cobalt lake surrounded on every side by majestic volcanoes. It looked like we were stepping into a scene from Jurassic Park, only better because I was there and it was real. All we could say was wow... The dense forestation and plunging water falls were breathtaking. I wish you all could be here with us. Pictures just can’t do it justice.

We had lunch at the base of the lake, then drove to a MANNA center located on the top of a mountain overlooking the lake and I met little girl there named Lydia. All the kids were seated at their tables about to eat lunch. Our group had just entered the feeding center, when I saw the tiniest little girl helping place spoons in each bowl as her mother served the food and placed them on a table. She was wearing a traditional Mayan/Guatemalan dress. Her black hair was braided. As she sat down at her table to eat lunch with the other kids, I sat down beside her and asked her name and if I could take her picture. We visited for a little while, before she had to return to school. I greatly enjoyed meeting my new friend, but even more, I enjoy knowing that she is being fed every day, her mother is employed, they are hearing about God and MANNA Worldwide is a part of that.

Over the past four years, it has been awesome to see the work that God is doing through MANNA around the world and it blesses me to be able to see it up close and personally. We had a great day today...Kim


Please go to the MANNA FB to see more pics from todays adventures.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.364640360247481.87642.158123600899159&type=1

Guatemala La Gomera Feeding Center

Today we went to the La Gomera Feeding Center.  Manna is feeding about 70 children there. As we walked up i heard Abuelito Abuelito...All of the little kids where calling Bruce Grandpa! It is a very small house with tables set up on a covered porch.  Most of the children were 4-8 years old.  There was one table of early teens.  It was great to hear that all of these young people had accepted Christ and were there serving in the center.   Lago Mera has a Kids Club every Monday where they teach the kids God’s word.  

After the children ate we passed out some goodie bags, candy and put temporary tatoo’s on thier arms.  They didn’t care what the tatoo was. Boys were getting pink hearts and girls were getting lightening bolts.  

We were invited to visit several of the children’s homes. The homes were very small.  Almost all of them cooked outside because the cost of electricity is so high here.  There is a minimum wage here of about $8.00 a day.  Bread, milk and basic essentials are actually more expensive to.  There is great poverty in a very diverse and beautiful country.   Please go to http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.363865350324982.87484.158123600899159&type=1&__adt=15 to see more pics from today.

We got to see a volcano with smoke coming out of the top and the black sand beaches of the Pacific Ocean.  

We made it Guatemala!!!

After a getting up at 2.30 am and driving to DFW we flew to Houston then on to Guatemala City.  So far it is VERY different from Kenya.  I love the mountains.  It is tropical yet has some very rugged mountains.  We got a have an AWESOME taco lunch! There is a one hour time difference here.  We are an hour behind Ft Worth.  This is going to be a great trip.  Bruce and Pastor Trinkle are constantly cracking jokes.  

Will post more tomorrow with pics!

Guatemala

In just over a week we will be headed to Guatemala.  Kim and I want to thank those that have already given financially and prayed for us.  We have seen God work in our lives in the last few weeks.  Through many of you God has provided about half of the funds that we need for the Guatemala and Kenya trips.

Recently I felt God telling me to make a sacrifice.  For several days I thought about what could I sacrifice.  Kim and I are involved in a lot of things for the Lord and I wasn't sure what else I could give up.  As we entered our missions conference at church God layed it on our hearts to give more to missions.  How can I ask people to give by faith to our ministry in the future if we aren't giving by faith now?  Kim and I discussed this for several days.  We already give our tithe, missions, sponsor a child in Kenya and special offerings.

God said, "give till it hurts!!!"

I didn't know how we could give the amount that God had told us.  Kim and I committed to give by faith  and the phone started ringing.  God provided plenty of work for Kim to cover the commitment not just this month but for several months!!!

Please continue to pray for us as we travel to Guatemala March 26-30.  We will be working in several schools and feeding centers around Guatemala City and Antigua.  

Here are a couple videos that Kim made from the PBR Team that was in Guatemala a couple of weeks ago.


Team PBR Todd Pierce 2 from Kim Hayes on Vimeo.




Team PBR Guatemala Kody Lostroh interview from Kim Hayes on Vimeo.

Thoughts in my head...by David

This last week was a great week.  Sunday through Wednesday we got to serve at Hallmark as we hosted the Baptist Bible Fellowship National Meeting.  We got to hear great preaching from Pastor Jon Haley from Northside Baptist Church in Kansas, Pastor Tim Chambers from Shore Fellowship in New Jersey and Phil Hopper from Abundant Life Baptist in Missouri.  It was a great encouragment to see young pastors that are doing an awesome work for Christ. There were 22 church planters that came from all over the US to be in the meeting.  Awesome stories of how God touched their lives and called them into the ministry.  I got to see the Italian Stallion Rob Catuto from Victory Baptist in Weatherford, Tx.  He was one of the leaders at summer camp every year..  It was a great pleasure to see Dr. Danny Lamb from Hillsboro Bible Baptist Church in Ohio (the only person in the world to call me Davey and get away with it).  Such a wonderful man of God! With great men seeking after God and reaching many for Christ all over the country I believe that God may allow us to see one more great revival in America.

Please continue to pray for Kim and I as we seek God's will for our lives in worldwide missions. I want to trust Him with every aspect of our lives.  All I know is hard work and have been at Oncor going on 11 years.  There is a  lot of security in my job.  Its a huge step to trust God with providing for our every need through the gifts of others, churches and Kim's photography.  We are about to launch a "for sale" photo gallery with photos she has take from here in the US, Kenya and Guatemala. Any pieces sold out of that gallery will help fund our missions trips.  There are some beautiful landscapes, sunsets, animals and artistic pieces in it. You will be able to order regular prints, artistic style prints or large canvases. We know that God will provide as we lean on His Faithfulness.  I have set a personal goal to be full time with MANNA Worldwide by 2015.  This will allow us to raise funds, learn MANNA's methods of developing feeding programs, meet new missionaries and  learn other cultures. Please pray that God will open up some doors for us to share our ministry with others that can help us reach our goals.

God Bless.
David

Hayes Prayer and Support Letter

Here is our prayer and support letter for 2012.  God has great things ahead of us.  Please pray that He show us the best way for us to serve Him with our lives!

Click the letter below to enlarge:

The Excitement is Building!

Since our last post God has taken care of the truck expenses.  Firestone is going to reimburse all that we spent in New Mexico.   It is so great to see HIM working in the tough times to make us stronger. God is Good All the Time...All the Time God is GOOD!

So the excitement is really building.  We got the dates set for our trip to Guatemala! March 26-30 Kim and I will be down in Central America seeing what God is doing down there in the MANNA feeding centers.  We have been working on our missions trip prayer letter for this year.  I wont post it here yet but there is a lot of great info in that letter.  God is really working and we can't wait to see what happens this year.

Kenya is June 13-26.  We will have about 14 people on the team.  God has some great things ahead for us on this trip as well.

If you are not on our email list or our snail mail list please let us know so that we can add you to it.

A Time of Testing

I want to start this by thanking God even for the times of testing.  It has allowed me to see how His hand has worked in my life.  Several months ago I had let some things at work steal my joy.  I was grumpy most of the time.  After prayer and encouragement from Kim I was able to get past that.  

We decided to buy a ski trip for our Christmas/Anniversary present to each other.  The day we booked it I had to put my truck in the shop.  There goes a lot of our emergency fund!  So fast forward to Friday before vacation, 3:25 pm and I have a flat on my work truck, what a way to start vacation.  By the time I get to a place where I can change the tire I am within sight of Discount Tire but can't get there because its already on the rim! UGH!

We got up early Monday morning to head for Angel Fire, NM.  Kim and I stopped for lunch in Amarillo.  Kim loves Chicken Express and there was one right off the highway.  Shortly after leaving Chicken E I put my thumb through the side of the cup!!! A large water in now in my lap.  I had to change on the side of the highway.  About two hours from our destination my power steering and brakes start acting up.  I just had this fixed three weeks earlier!  We limp into Angel Fire on a dirt road in about five inches of snow.  God provided us a mechanic that comes and gets my truck Tuesday morning and we go skiing.  About half way through the day I realize that the room key has fallen out of my jacket pocket.  Thats $35.00 to be replaced.  

For two days half of the mountain was pretty much unaccessible because of high winds.  So far you can tell that the last few days have really been frustrating.  The skiing was good and Kim and I were enjoying our time away.  The mechanic, Chris, got the truck fixed and Kim and I enjoy exploring the the area after skiing.  Friday morning we get up early to head back home.  My phone beeps saying that I have a new email, there is a issue with one of our bank accounts.  Another issue!!!   

We get checked out of the hotel and head home.  Kim routes us through the mountains and we saw some amazing views.  As we pull into a gas station not far from the NM and TX state line I hear the familiar sound of a power steering/brake pump messing up!!! We are 70+ miles to Amarillo and the nearest Firestone, there is fluid all over the engine and down the side of the truck.    Once we get to Amarillo the guys at Firestone were really helpful.  After two and a half hours we get back on the road.  Thank the Lord they replaced two hoses and covered all the cost.

Kim and I finally made it home about 10:30, about 15 hours after we left Angel Fire.  It was great to see mom and dad and Samson.  This morning we had our first Kenya training session for our trip in June.  It was a great time of fellowship and sharing what is going on in our lives.  I got to share with the team how Kim and I have been recently tested.  Each member of our team is facing some kind of trial.

As Christians we go through times of trials and testings.  We have to trust God in them and through them.  We can not let these test steal our joy.  God will never put more on you/us than we can handle!!! I will trust Him today because He was faithful yesterday!!!

God Bless!

David

A "Right" Way to Worship

Today we had a wonderful service at Hallmark. Dr Jerry Thorpe preached an encouraging message, "The lake, The begger at the gate & The cowboy!"

As we meet more and more missionaries and travel my eyes have been opened up.  This world is full of lost souls, its like a lake full of drowning people.  If there was a large lake full of people we would do anything and everything to get those people out of that lake.  God has asked us to tell as many people as we can about him and rescuse them from drowing in the lake.  He never said that there was only one way to reach them.  He didn't say that they had to be reached in a church that is four walls and a steeple.  He didn't say that the words to the songs had to be in a book or on a wall.  People in China have to worship in under ground house churches and in Kenya many worship under mango trees and dance.

There is not just one right way to worship God.  If the "right" way is one of the many American ways what about all those people around the world that worship different than us?  I will never look down on someone that worships differently than I!