You Also Must Help Us By Prayer

While at the MTW Global Missions Conference, I began to hear of and see the sacrifice missionaries must make to go and proclaim the Gospel to the nations. Paul Kooistra, Coordinator of MTW, spoke of the persecution and hardship that comes with missions as the word of God goes out and Satan pushes back.

2 Corinthians 1:8-11

"For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. you also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessings granted us through the prayers of many."

Whether we are missionaries in our own neighborhoods or in another country, we continually wage war on behalf of Jesus so that we are not caught off guard by adversity, opposition or difficulty. The affliction we do face will sanctify us, will make us rely on God. Yet we can take great risk, because we have nothing to lose.

2 Corinthians 5:1-3,5

"For we know that if the tent, which is our earthly home, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling...He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee."

Pray for God's word to go out boldly to the nations and in utter reliance upon our one, true God who has the power to raise the dead! Pray for His messengers to be strengthened, equipped, protected from Satan's attacks, and find comfort in the midst of the trials. We have a calling to share in the sufferings of our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world.

2 Corinthians 1:5-7

"For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort."

This link will bring you to MTW's Devotional Resources where you can download 30 Days of Prayer to pray for missionaries around the world.

Mandazis and Chai = Kenya

There are certain smells, flavors, and sounds that remind me of Kenya. As I was thinking about this, I suddenly had a craving for mandazis. So I made mandazis for breakfast this morning! They are warm and deliciously fried Kenyan donuts we'd buy for less than a quarter on the street.

Bubbling in the oil.

Crispier than they make them in Kenya... but this was just my first time.

It's been forever since I've had Chai Tea, Kenya style. Loose leaf tea loaded with plenty of milk and sugar.

A great combo! Brings back so many sweet memories of Kenya. Just missing the Black Current Fanta that we have only ever had in Kenya and is probably the best Fanta in existence (I'm not exaggerating).

Kenya team 2009 with our heart-shaped mandazis. (I need to work on the shape of my mandazi's too.)

Next up... chapatis and maybe even green grams (although Adam will definitely be skipping the green grams)!

I found this recipe for mandazi's at: http://allthingskenyan.com/food-mandazi.html

New

I started this blog back in 2008 as I had just decided to return to Kenya for a second 2 month trip with Mission to the World on a "StreetChild" Internship.

Now my desire is to share my love for missions and photography through this blog. Here is an article that gives more background on that:

http://www.thewestminstervision.com/2012/10/30/alumni-spotlight-joanna-haas-hancock-07/

All the proceeds from my photography go toward supporting a missionary or a missions organization that is currently on my heart at the time. It is a joy for me to be able to give above and beyond in this creative way.

My hope is that this blog will help me remain focused on God's Kingdom and my role in taking part of His desire for his name to be spread all over the earth. The spread of this good news that Jesus has come to rescue us from death to give us new life in Him for eternity and is working now to make all things new.

Revelation 7:9-10

 9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

Peris, one of the many children in Kenya whose beauty I loved to capture and who ignited a passion in me for family and child photography.

My poster girls, the first little ones to be photographed for my missions photography!

 

I am grateful for the friends who have trusted me to take their photos and have encouraged me in my pursuit of photography and support of missions.