A Mom Cares For Orphans, Mandy Reiszner’s Story

1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,440
I love a good story, especially if it's a God story,

2
00:00:04,440 --> 00:00:06,040
and I bet you do too.

3
00:00:06,040 --> 00:00:08,500
So welcome, I'm your host, Jodie Chiricosta,

4
00:00:08,500 --> 00:00:11,780
ministry leader at Somebody Cares America International,

5
00:00:11,780 --> 00:00:14,880
author and fellow traveler on this journey of faith.

6
00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:17,840
Faith is one of the things we are gonna talk about today

7
00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:19,620
with Mandy Reisner.

8
00:00:19,620 --> 00:00:21,360
Mandy and her husband, Mike,

9
00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:25,220
co-founded Core Love International in 2011

10
00:00:25,220 --> 00:00:28,400
to provide life-saving care to orphans in Haiti.

11
00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:30,760
I met Mandy a little before that when she and Mike

12
00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:33,260
were praying through the vision God had given them.

13
00:00:33,260 --> 00:00:36,240
And we're gonna touch on that, but before we get there,

14
00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:38,200
we wanna know the backstory.

15
00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:40,100
Mandy, you're a wife and a mother

16
00:00:40,100 --> 00:00:44,140
with three adult children and an adoption in process,

17
00:00:44,140 --> 00:00:45,740
and we have something special in common.

18
00:00:45,740 --> 00:00:47,740
We both recently had a daughter get married.

19
00:00:47,740 --> 00:00:50,780
I understand all that entails,

20
00:00:50,780 --> 00:00:53,580
the months of planning that goes into the big event,

21
00:00:53,580 --> 00:00:57,160
hosting everybody, praying it's a special and memorable day

22
00:00:57,160 --> 00:00:58,160
for the bride and groom.

23
00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:00,400
And I also know the joy that we have

24
00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:03,120
of seeing a daughter marry a man who loves Jesus.

25
00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:05,760
So I would love to hear a little bit

26
00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:06,940
about your daughter's wedding.

27
00:01:06,940 --> 00:01:08,260
Thank you, Jody.

28
00:01:08,260 --> 00:01:10,300
First of all, I just wanna honor you, Jody,

29
00:01:10,300 --> 00:01:12,440
and all you do for Somebody Cares.

30
00:01:12,440 --> 00:01:15,400
I especially wanna honor Doug and Lisa Stringer.

31
00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:18,040
Doug has been a spiritual father to my husband, Mike,

32
00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:20,120
since he first met him in the mid-90s,

33
00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:22,880
and we credit a lot of things we've been able to do

34
00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:25,880
and accomplish in Haiti to brother Doug and Lisa,

35
00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:27,080
and Somebody Cares.

36
00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:30,020
And I just wanna thank them for their relationships,

37
00:01:30,020 --> 00:01:33,320
that they opened the very first doors for us in Haiti,

38
00:01:33,320 --> 00:01:35,320
doors we couldn't have opened on our own,

39
00:01:35,320 --> 00:01:38,660
and we are so incredibly thankful for that.

40
00:01:38,660 --> 00:01:43,660
And just love your heart, that you guys encourage us.

41
00:01:43,660 --> 00:01:44,740
You believe in us.

42
00:01:44,740 --> 00:01:46,200
You're our biggest cheerleaders,

43
00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:49,000
and we love that about you guys and your organization.

44
00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:52,280
And yes, my daughter, my only daughter,

45
00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:55,620
got married October the 16th,

46
00:01:55,620 --> 00:01:58,320
and we had a wonderful, beautiful day.

47
00:01:58,320 --> 00:01:59,680
I've seen some of the pictures.

48
00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:00,920
It looked gorgeous.

49
00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:03,560
It was kind of an indoor-outdoor chapel, wasn't it?

50
00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:04,720
It was, it was.

51
00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:07,520
That was a whole God story.

52
00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:09,000
We actually had a relationship

53
00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:11,000
with the pastor of the church there,

54
00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:14,840
and he has a beautiful little white chapel

55
00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:16,840
out in the back property of their church,

56
00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:19,600
and it just was a real God connection,

57
00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:22,080
that we were able to have the wedding there.

58
00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:23,740
It was such a joy,

59
00:02:23,740 --> 00:02:27,120
super proud of our daughter and our new son-in-law.

60
00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:30,520
We are so excited to see the journey of our daughter

61
00:02:30,520 --> 00:02:33,260
and her new husband as they start life together,

62
00:02:33,260 --> 00:02:34,920
and they're living down in Atlanta,

63
00:02:34,920 --> 00:02:36,460
so we don't get to see them real often,

64
00:02:36,460 --> 00:02:39,520
but hopefully your daughter and her new husband

65
00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:41,220
are closer, closer to you.

66
00:02:41,220 --> 00:02:42,520
They are, just four hours.

67
00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:43,760
Oh, that's great.

68
00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:45,640
Well, we could talk about our kids all day,

69
00:02:45,640 --> 00:02:47,500
but we're really here to talk about you

70
00:02:47,500 --> 00:02:49,440
and what God's done in your life.

71
00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:51,000
You know, with every story,

72
00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:53,740
there's a beginning, once upon a time.

73
00:02:53,740 --> 00:02:55,400
That's the beginning of a fairy tale,

74
00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:59,240
and it was the best of times or the worst of times

75
00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:01,920
from Tale of Two Cities.

76
00:03:01,920 --> 00:03:04,280
A fun one that I loved when I was growing up

77
00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:07,180
was Peter Pan, All Children Grow Up Except One.

78
00:03:07,180 --> 00:03:09,620
And of course, the beginning of the Bible,

79
00:03:09,620 --> 00:03:11,920
in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth

80
00:03:11,920 --> 00:03:13,660
in Genesis 1-1.

81
00:03:13,660 --> 00:03:17,560
So where and how does the story of Mandy begin?

82
00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:19,400
Yeah, so really I wanna share

83
00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:21,640
where I first heard about Jesus

84
00:03:21,640 --> 00:03:25,540
and what that journey of coming to faith in Christ

85
00:03:25,540 --> 00:03:27,340
was for me and in my life.

86
00:03:27,340 --> 00:03:29,880
Now I've been married 28 years.

87
00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:32,640
We have three amazing kids, a boy, girl, and boy,

88
00:03:32,640 --> 00:03:36,740
ages 22, almost 21 and 19.

89
00:03:36,740 --> 00:03:39,380
But my faith experience, it really,

90
00:03:39,380 --> 00:03:41,260
really was quite a miracle.

91
00:03:41,260 --> 00:03:44,060
I found Jesus in a very personal way

92
00:03:44,060 --> 00:03:46,620
right before I turned 18 years old,

93
00:03:46,620 --> 00:03:50,820
and it changed the entire course of my life.

94
00:03:50,820 --> 00:03:53,340
God truly plucked me out of darkness

95
00:03:53,340 --> 00:03:54,640
into his marvelous light,

96
00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:59,100
and for that I'm just so grateful and indebted to him.

97
00:03:59,100 --> 00:04:01,880
I was born in Dallas, Texas.

98
00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:04,740
I lived there until I graduated high school.

99
00:04:04,740 --> 00:04:06,720
I'm the youngest of three children,

100
00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:10,020
the first to ever be in full-time ministry.

101
00:04:10,020 --> 00:04:11,680
During my youngest years,

102
00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:15,820
I attended a traditional Methodist church with my family.

103
00:04:15,820 --> 00:04:18,220
I was christened as a baby.

104
00:04:18,220 --> 00:04:22,300
I have lots of vivid memories of the stained glass windows,

105
00:04:22,300 --> 00:04:25,000
the sitting and standing each Sunday

106
00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:27,560
to recite things like the Apostles' Creed,

107
00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:32,140
the Lord's Prayer, singing along to the hymn books,

108
00:04:32,140 --> 00:04:35,940
and the ministers that wore the long white robes, right?

109
00:04:35,940 --> 00:04:38,780
But some of those traditions, yeah, I still admire,

110
00:04:38,780 --> 00:04:41,920
but I don't ever recall having a real personal

111
00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:43,320
relationship with Jesus.

112
00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:46,880
So once I hit my junior high years

113
00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:48,720
and started having a social life,

114
00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:53,220
I don't remember going to church that much anymore

115
00:04:53,220 --> 00:04:56,000
and hardly ever once I hit high school,

116
00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:58,020
and that of course was my choice.

117
00:04:58,020 --> 00:05:01,060
Halfway through my junior year of high school,

118
00:05:01,060 --> 00:05:04,560
I experienced the presence of God in a real personal way

119
00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:06,900
that I'd never experienced before.

120
00:05:06,900 --> 00:05:10,400
Up until that time, I attended public school.

121
00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:13,180
I dove headfirst into the party lifestyle,

122
00:05:13,180 --> 00:05:16,740
drinking on the weekends, promiscuity.

123
00:05:16,740 --> 00:05:19,620
Alcohol was for me probably a gateway

124
00:05:19,620 --> 00:05:23,520
to eventually smoking pot almost every day.

125
00:05:23,520 --> 00:05:27,420
It led me to experimenting with drugs, other drugs,

126
00:05:27,420 --> 00:05:29,920
and it was just a downward spiral for me,

127
00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:32,400
and I didn't know how to get out of it.

128
00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:36,800
So the wake-up call for me came when my mother,

129
00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:40,600
out of desperate love, drove me to a drug rehabilitation center

130
00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:42,200
in my teens.

131
00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:45,340
And this was her attempt to intervene for me,

132
00:05:45,340 --> 00:05:47,880
and I remember that day so vividly.

133
00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:51,320
I cried and cried in that drug rehab center

134
00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:54,120
until my mom couldn't stand to see me in that state,

135
00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:56,660
so she allowed me to come back home.

136
00:05:56,660 --> 00:05:59,760
So Jodi, here's where the miracle occurred.

137
00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:02,160
That night, as I was alone in my bedroom,

138
00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:04,460
I cried out in desperation these words,

139
00:06:04,460 --> 00:06:07,800
God, if you're real, change my life.

140
00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:09,640
And it was the next morning that my mother

141
00:06:09,640 --> 00:06:14,040
walked into my room and asked me to consider switching schools

142
00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:16,640
so that I could go to a Christian school.

143
00:06:16,640 --> 00:06:18,640
So one of my best friends from junior high

144
00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:22,320
had transferred to this school after our freshman year.

145
00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:24,920
And so out of desperation and just wanting

146
00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:27,260
something new in my life, I said yes.

147
00:06:27,260 --> 00:06:30,280
And so by that afternoon, I was registered

148
00:06:30,280 --> 00:06:33,100
at Trinity Christian School in Cedar Hill, Texas.

149
00:06:33,100 --> 00:06:39,480
That was midway through my junior year of high school.

150
00:06:39,480 --> 00:06:42,320
I mean, what made you cry out to God?

151
00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:45,520
Well, I was at rock bottom.

152
00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:48,960
That was such a wake-up call for me and my mom,

153
00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:54,080
literally driving and checking me into a drug rehab

154
00:06:54,080 --> 00:06:55,200
center for teens.

155
00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:57,120
That was a wake-up call for me.

156
00:06:57,120 --> 00:07:01,440
And there was such a void, such a void in my heart

157
00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:03,280
that I didn't know at the time.

158
00:07:03,280 --> 00:07:05,800
And it was because I needed Jesus.

159
00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:08,040
Yeah, I mean, you must have been thinking.

160
00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:10,760
I mean, the Lord brought back some memories

161
00:07:10,760 --> 00:07:13,640
from when you were in church or something that

162
00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:15,960
drew you to call on Him.

163
00:07:15,960 --> 00:07:17,800
Yeah, for sure, for sure.

164
00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:22,680
Prayer, that was what came up in my heart that night,

165
00:07:22,680 --> 00:07:24,960
just to cry out those words.

166
00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:27,960
If your real God changed my life.

167
00:07:27,960 --> 00:07:30,680
Yeah, boy, He loves to answer desperate prayer.

168
00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:31,920
Yeah, He does.

169
00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:32,960
He does.

170
00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:37,160
And so really, by that afternoon, I was registered.

171
00:07:37,160 --> 00:07:39,800
And two weeks later at the Christian school

172
00:07:39,800 --> 00:07:43,160
that I attended, after that desperate prayer

173
00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:46,080
in my bedroom, an evangelist came to our school

174
00:07:46,080 --> 00:07:48,000
and spoke to our entire class.

175
00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:49,880
It was a spiritual emphasis week,

176
00:07:49,880 --> 00:07:52,440
so she was there for several days.

177
00:07:52,440 --> 00:07:54,400
And what I remember about her was

178
00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:57,920
she was this prophetic evangelist in her 60s,

179
00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:01,520
and she was a ball of fire.

180
00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:03,800
Yeah, I got saved at school after hearing

181
00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:06,760
her message about salvation and living for Jesus.

182
00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:10,040
And I remember personally feeling God for the first time.

183
00:08:10,040 --> 00:08:13,000
And a few weeks after that, I had yet

184
00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:14,480
another powerful encounter.

185
00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:17,160
I was filled and baptized with the Holy Spirit, which

186
00:08:17,160 --> 00:08:19,360
is the power that I needed really

187
00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:21,840
to overcome my previous lifestyle.

188
00:08:21,840 --> 00:08:23,120
And I was never the same.

189
00:08:23,120 --> 00:08:26,280
Yeah, and so if God had not done enough that week,

190
00:08:26,280 --> 00:08:28,680
I also met a dark-haired brown-eyed boy

191
00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:32,080
at my new school who had rededicated his life to God

192
00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:34,360
after hearing the same evangelist.

193
00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:36,240
And he invited me to his youth group.

194
00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:39,640
And you may have guessed by now, but that young man

195
00:08:39,640 --> 00:08:42,480
eventually asked me to marry him, which also

196
00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:45,920
changed the course of my life forever in the greatest way.

197
00:08:45,920 --> 00:08:48,880
Yeah, so you were high school sweethearts with Mike.

198
00:08:48,880 --> 00:08:49,680
We were.

199
00:08:49,680 --> 00:08:50,400
We were.

200
00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:51,040
OK.

201
00:08:51,040 --> 00:08:54,960
And you basically recommitted your life to the Lord.

202
00:08:54,960 --> 00:08:57,320
You recommitted your life to the Lord,

203
00:08:57,320 --> 00:09:00,240
and he recommitted his life to the Lord the same week.

204
00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:01,280
Yes.

205
00:09:01,280 --> 00:09:05,400
God knew the plans he had for you before you even knew it.

206
00:09:05,400 --> 00:09:09,680
He was orchestrating your path to get you to a place

207
00:09:09,680 --> 00:09:11,480
where you all could meet, because he

208
00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:14,160
had an amazing thing for you to do in life together.

209
00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:17,840
Yeah, and really what I'm most thankful about in my faith

210
00:09:17,840 --> 00:09:20,760
experience is that it's just allowed

211
00:09:20,760 --> 00:09:23,760
me to have such a compassion and desire

212
00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:25,360
to see the lost come to Christ.

213
00:09:25,360 --> 00:09:28,520
And Mike and I both share that same compassion for the lost.

214
00:09:28,520 --> 00:09:32,480
And we want to live our lives on mission

215
00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:34,680
to help fulfill the Great Commission.

216
00:09:34,680 --> 00:09:37,040
And that means we have to get out there and bring

217
00:09:37,040 --> 00:09:39,760
good news to the poor, whether that be in another country

218
00:09:39,760 --> 00:09:41,240
or in our own city.

219
00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:42,480
So you're in high school.

220
00:09:42,480 --> 00:09:43,800
You meet Mike.

221
00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:48,640
And you're both new believers, basically, learning

222
00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:50,760
how to walk with the Lord.

223
00:09:50,760 --> 00:09:53,640
Did you get married right out of high school, or what was

224
00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:55,240
your next step when you graduated?

225
00:09:55,240 --> 00:09:58,520
We dated for two years, and then we got married.

226
00:09:58,520 --> 00:10:01,520
I was 19 when I got married.

227
00:10:01,520 --> 00:10:03,520
He was 21.

228
00:10:03,520 --> 00:10:08,200
And like I said, we've been married for 28 years now.

229
00:10:08,200 --> 00:10:11,480
And I think after high school, you all went to bio college.

230
00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:13,520
Is that true?

231
00:10:13,520 --> 00:10:17,520
So we first served as youth pastors.

232
00:10:17,520 --> 00:10:19,800
And we worked in the inner city.

233
00:10:19,800 --> 00:10:22,200
And then about 3 and 1 half years after doing that,

234
00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:24,160
we felt strongly that we were supposed

235
00:10:24,160 --> 00:10:26,040
to go and get more training.

236
00:10:26,040 --> 00:10:29,360
And one of the opportunities was the revival

237
00:10:29,360 --> 00:10:32,560
that was going on in Pensacola, Florida.

238
00:10:32,560 --> 00:10:36,720
They had a school, Brownsville Revival School of Ministry.

239
00:10:36,720 --> 00:10:39,200
And we had no children at the time.

240
00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:43,920
And so we said, this is an opportunity of a lifetime.

241
00:10:43,920 --> 00:10:45,520
We need to take advantage of this.

242
00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:49,520
So we packed up and moved to Pensacola for two years

243
00:10:49,520 --> 00:10:51,240
and went through the Bible college there.

244
00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:58,240
It was incredible just that season, the God experiences

245
00:10:58,240 --> 00:11:01,640
that we were able to be a part of, the different speakers

246
00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:04,120
and people that came.

247
00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:05,920
We just still can't believe it that God

248
00:11:05,920 --> 00:11:07,320
would have us go there.

249
00:11:07,320 --> 00:11:09,840
But we're so grateful for that experience.

250
00:11:09,840 --> 00:11:12,960
Yeah, God really fashioned you during that time.

251
00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:16,120
I was looking at your Facebook page.

252
00:11:16,120 --> 00:11:21,240
And I saw a quote that you posted on Facebook by Andy Bird.

253
00:11:21,240 --> 00:11:23,200
I'm going to read it because I think

254
00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:24,880
it's kind of appropriate here.

255
00:11:24,880 --> 00:11:27,200
And maybe you can comment on it after that.

256
00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:30,080
But it says, when the Lord sets about to build a leader,

257
00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:32,120
he starts in the secret place.

258
00:11:32,120 --> 00:11:34,960
He begins where we least want him to,

259
00:11:34,960 --> 00:11:38,560
but most need him to, in obscurity.

260
00:11:38,560 --> 00:11:40,840
Everyone wants a moment to take out Goliath in front

261
00:11:40,840 --> 00:11:43,200
of thousands cheering us on.

262
00:11:43,200 --> 00:11:46,240
We want our lives to be seen, impactful, and celebrated.

263
00:11:46,240 --> 00:11:48,080
However, David's life as a leader

264
00:11:48,080 --> 00:11:50,640
began among the sheep fields.

265
00:11:50,640 --> 00:11:53,920
With no one looking on as he slayed the bear and the lion,

266
00:11:53,920 --> 00:11:56,000
he didn't become a man after God's own heart,

267
00:11:56,000 --> 00:11:59,160
after Goliath or after he was king.

268
00:11:59,160 --> 00:12:02,480
But through the years of faithfulness, starry nights,

269
00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:05,720
and worship moments alone, without this preparation,

270
00:12:05,720 --> 00:12:08,360
we will never be ready with the character or depth

271
00:12:08,360 --> 00:12:10,000
for the moments of public courage

272
00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:11,840
that will be required of us.

273
00:12:11,840 --> 00:12:15,160
Embrace every season, no matter the visible impact.

274
00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:17,240
Embrace every bit of character refinement,

275
00:12:17,240 --> 00:12:18,960
no matter the slowness.

276
00:12:18,960 --> 00:12:22,760
Embrace every hidden opportunity to worship, to go deep,

277
00:12:22,760 --> 00:12:25,200
and stay faithful.

278
00:12:25,200 --> 00:12:28,240
I just loved that quote when I saw it on your website.

279
00:12:28,240 --> 00:12:31,320
And I thought it's so appropriate when God,

280
00:12:31,320 --> 00:12:33,600
I mean, I've seen it over and over again in my life

281
00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:37,320
and in another life, people I know

282
00:12:37,320 --> 00:12:40,240
that he eventually uses to do mighty things.

283
00:12:40,240 --> 00:12:42,720
There's a lot that goes on behind the scenes.

284
00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:45,000
There's a lot of fashioning and discipling

285
00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:47,200
and preparing that God takes us through.

286
00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:50,520
Some of it is exciting, some of it is hard,

287
00:12:50,520 --> 00:12:53,400
but he uses it all to bring us to a place

288
00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:57,160
that he needs us to be in order that he be glorified

289
00:12:57,160 --> 00:12:59,760
in what he's gonna do through us.

290
00:12:59,760 --> 00:13:03,680
So he takes us all through those seasons of refinement.

291
00:13:03,680 --> 00:13:06,080
How has he done that in your life?

292
00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:09,600
Yeah, Jodi, well, that's, oh, I love, love, love that quote.

293
00:13:09,600 --> 00:13:13,200
We love YWAM, Andy Bird.

294
00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:16,920
We just love what Darlene and Lauren Cunningham have done

295
00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:19,280
with missionaries and just throughout their ministry

296
00:13:19,280 --> 00:13:20,920
over the years.

297
00:13:20,920 --> 00:13:23,560
Gosh, God has really encouraged me, Jodi,

298
00:13:23,560 --> 00:13:27,320
and especially in the last two years after COVID,

299
00:13:27,320 --> 00:13:29,440
the season that no one saw coming

300
00:13:29,440 --> 00:13:32,120
when things just kind of stood still

301
00:13:32,120 --> 00:13:35,920
and you just kind of were in this rest season,

302
00:13:35,920 --> 00:13:37,680
whether you wanted to be in it or not.

303
00:13:37,680 --> 00:13:41,320
God encouraged me to embrace the journey

304
00:13:41,320 --> 00:13:42,960
and that means the process.

305
00:13:42,960 --> 00:13:45,680
And really what I mean by that is

306
00:13:45,680 --> 00:13:47,560
in my younger years as a Christian,

307
00:13:47,560 --> 00:13:50,040
I used to avoid and try as fast as I could

308
00:13:50,040 --> 00:13:53,120
to fly through any kind of wilderness season.

309
00:13:53,120 --> 00:13:55,800
I remember complaining to God about them

310
00:13:55,800 --> 00:13:59,160
instead of leaning in and trying to really hear

311
00:13:59,160 --> 00:14:00,520
what he was trying to teach me.

312
00:14:00,520 --> 00:14:02,680
And those wilderness and pruning seasons,

313
00:14:02,680 --> 00:14:04,920
they aren't punishment.

314
00:14:04,920 --> 00:14:09,000
God really often prunes the most after seasons

315
00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:11,520
where we've been the most fruitful.

316
00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:14,560
And it's because he knows that it will bring

317
00:14:14,560 --> 00:14:16,600
even greater fruit in the next season.

318
00:14:16,600 --> 00:14:21,200
But I didn't quite understand that when I was younger,

319
00:14:21,200 --> 00:14:23,680
especially James chapter one, where it says,

320
00:14:23,680 --> 00:14:26,880
consider it joy, whenever you face trials,

321
00:14:26,880 --> 00:14:29,920
because that's the testing of your faith

322
00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:33,200
and that's what produces perseverance, right?

323
00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:34,840
So the scripture goes on to say,

324
00:14:34,840 --> 00:14:37,680
let perseverance finish its work

325
00:14:37,680 --> 00:14:40,320
so that you may be mature, complete,

326
00:14:40,320 --> 00:14:41,640
and not lacking anything.

327
00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:44,000
So really the words that say,

328
00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:48,000
let perseverance finish its work, that's my choice.

329
00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:50,800
And so I think the longer I've walked with God,

330
00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:54,640
the more he has taught me to lean in

331
00:14:54,640 --> 00:14:58,080
and embrace those seasons of whether it be pruning

332
00:14:58,080 --> 00:15:01,560
or rest or wilderness seasons.

333
00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:04,040
And really, and God's way more concerned

334
00:15:04,040 --> 00:15:05,560
what he's doing in you, right,

335
00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:07,000
than what he does through you.

336
00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:08,240
Boy, he sure does.

337
00:15:08,240 --> 00:15:09,440
Yeah, I learned that.

338
00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:11,560
I mean, I used to work.

339
00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:14,680
I used to really work for God.

340
00:15:14,680 --> 00:15:17,200
I mean, I thought I had to work for God.

341
00:15:17,200 --> 00:15:20,520
And then I realized he doesn't want me working for him.

342
00:15:20,520 --> 00:15:22,200
He wants me walking with him

343
00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:24,480
so he can talk to me along the way

344
00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:25,840
and he can show me the way to go

345
00:15:25,840 --> 00:15:27,680
and he can change my heart and my motives.

346
00:15:27,680 --> 00:15:29,360
I mean, my motives have even changed.

347
00:15:29,360 --> 00:15:32,280
Am I doing it because I want a star?

348
00:15:32,280 --> 00:15:34,320
I'm kind of a type A personality

349
00:15:34,320 --> 00:15:36,600
and I wanna be at the head of the class.

350
00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:40,280
I wanna get that A and God showed me it's not about that.

351
00:15:40,280 --> 00:15:43,920
It's about you being love,

352
00:15:45,280 --> 00:15:46,440
because God is love.

353
00:15:46,440 --> 00:15:50,320
Yeah, and it's in those times where he actually

354
00:15:50,320 --> 00:15:52,960
is equipping us to handle, right,

355
00:15:52,960 --> 00:15:55,040
the call that he's placed upon us.

356
00:15:55,040 --> 00:15:57,840
And so if, you know, whenever God wants to accomplish

357
00:15:57,840 --> 00:16:02,000
anything big in your life, he's never in a hurry to do it.

358
00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:03,840
And so just kind of learning to lean in

359
00:16:03,840 --> 00:16:06,120
and embrace those seasons.

360
00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:07,840
Yes, yes.

361
00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:09,000
You know, I think of Moses.

362
00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:11,280
He was on the backside of the wilderness for 40 years

363
00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:14,760
and so many others that, you know,

364
00:16:14,760 --> 00:16:19,200
he didn't use, didn't really bring some others

365
00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:23,040
into their full destiny until they were quite a bit older

366
00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:24,640
because he really does want our character.

367
00:16:24,640 --> 00:16:27,000
It's all about our character.

368
00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:32,000
Years ago, there was a lot of scandals in, you know,

369
00:16:32,080 --> 00:16:35,240
pastors failing and kind of like today actually.

370
00:16:36,200 --> 00:16:38,880
And I was younger in my walk with the Lord

371
00:16:38,880 --> 00:16:40,440
and I was looking at them thinking,

372
00:16:40,440 --> 00:16:42,760
Lord, you know, I want your anointing.

373
00:16:42,760 --> 00:16:47,600
I really want to do whatever you want me to do.

374
00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:49,440
Great things for you, Lord.

375
00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:51,920
But I don't want to crack under the pressure.

376
00:16:51,920 --> 00:16:56,040
So before you do any of that, God, make, you know,

377
00:16:56,040 --> 00:16:59,440
work your character in me so I can handle it.

378
00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:01,200
And I mean, I didn't really understand

379
00:17:01,200 --> 00:17:03,160
what I was praying at the time.

380
00:17:03,160 --> 00:17:06,000
You know, I didn't understand what it would take

381
00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:09,640
to work character in me, but it was, I think,

382
00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:12,160
a revelation of the Holy Spirit to me that, you know,

383
00:17:12,160 --> 00:17:14,880
if you step out to, you know,

384
00:17:14,880 --> 00:17:19,000
without the character of Christ, you can crumble.

385
00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:21,920
And we've seen that, you know, we've seen that,

386
00:17:21,920 --> 00:17:23,840
unfortunately, we don't want to cast stones at anybody

387
00:17:23,840 --> 00:17:26,920
because, gosh, we could all, that could all happen to us.

388
00:17:26,920 --> 00:17:29,600
It can happen to any one of us, but it is,

389
00:17:29,600 --> 00:17:31,360
it is that character development.

390
00:17:31,360 --> 00:17:35,280
And I know from your story, a lot of that came about

391
00:17:35,280 --> 00:17:37,360
in the Lord asking you to take some steps

392
00:17:37,360 --> 00:17:38,840
of faith along the way.

393
00:17:38,840 --> 00:17:41,000
You know, you were out of high school,

394
00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:44,360
you were youth pastors in an inner city ministry,

395
00:17:44,360 --> 00:17:46,680
and, you know, all of a sudden,

396
00:17:46,680 --> 00:17:49,640
you went to Pensacola for Bible school.

397
00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:51,320
That was kind of a bit of a step of faith.

398
00:17:51,320 --> 00:17:53,360
What did you do after that when you graduated?

399
00:17:53,360 --> 00:17:57,920
We ended up coming back and serving

400
00:17:57,920 --> 00:18:00,400
with the same ministry that we served with

401
00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:02,920
before we went to Bible college,

402
00:18:02,920 --> 00:18:05,200
but it was no longer in the inner city

403
00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:09,160
because that was during the time, kind of the latter 90s,

404
00:18:09,160 --> 00:18:12,080
where the city had come in and they were moving

405
00:18:12,080 --> 00:18:16,240
some of those poorer communities out to build things

406
00:18:16,240 --> 00:18:19,040
like Midtown that is in Houston now,

407
00:18:19,040 --> 00:18:22,440
just some of the, you know, higher end lofts

408
00:18:22,440 --> 00:18:23,280
and things like that.

409
00:18:23,280 --> 00:18:25,680
So it wasn't the same.

410
00:18:25,680 --> 00:18:29,160
So we actually, our church ended up merging

411
00:18:29,160 --> 00:18:30,960
with a church in Northwest Houston.

412
00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:35,400
And so we also served as youth pastors and young adults

413
00:18:35,400 --> 00:18:39,400
for that particular church as well before core left.

414
00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:44,400
2010 came along and the massive earthquake in Haiti happened.

415
00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:51,120
And I know that you and Mike had had in your heart,

416
00:18:51,120 --> 00:18:54,320
God had been speaking to you about helping orphans,

417
00:18:54,320 --> 00:18:56,840
which was not the same as being a youth pastor.

418
00:18:56,840 --> 00:18:58,440
Tell us about that.

419
00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:00,280
I wanna go back a little bit

420
00:19:00,280 --> 00:19:04,120
to our first ministry position,

421
00:19:04,120 --> 00:19:06,400
which was in the inner city of Houston.

422
00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:10,240
And really that was just a real pioneering season.

423
00:19:10,240 --> 00:19:13,600
We were, we had the privilege to help Mike's older brother

424
00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:16,360
and my sister-in-law who were the pastors there.

425
00:19:16,360 --> 00:19:19,880
And we really pioneered with them

426
00:19:19,880 --> 00:19:22,360
in the fourth ward of Houston, Texas,

427
00:19:22,360 --> 00:19:24,000
one of the most dangerous neighborhoods

428
00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:26,000
in that area at the time.

429
00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:30,000
And it, you know, that required a lot of faith.

430
00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:32,960
It was such an exciting season because, you know,

431
00:19:32,960 --> 00:19:34,880
we saw so many come to the Lord

432
00:19:34,880 --> 00:19:39,240
and the homeless, drug dealers, prostitutes, transvestites,

433
00:19:39,240 --> 00:19:40,400
you know, on and on.

434
00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:45,400
But it was also intimidating at times because we were,

435
00:19:46,480 --> 00:19:50,400
like I said, in a dangerous area and, you know,

436
00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:53,120
the opposition and the spiritual warfare, right,

437
00:19:53,120 --> 00:19:56,680
is sometimes greater in those situations.

438
00:19:56,680 --> 00:20:00,440
But God just, God was just always so present

439
00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:03,120
and He led us every step of the way as we followed,

440
00:20:03,120 --> 00:20:04,600
you know, by faith, His leading.

441
00:20:04,600 --> 00:20:08,320
But we went to Haiti for the first time

442
00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:13,320
and just that burden came on Mike, my husband, in prayer.

443
00:20:13,840 --> 00:20:15,760
He just felt strongly in his heart

444
00:20:15,760 --> 00:20:18,120
that God asked him this question,

445
00:20:18,120 --> 00:20:20,000
"'Do you know the name of one orphan?'

446
00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:22,440
And, you know, of course we knew and ministered

447
00:20:22,440 --> 00:20:25,000
to a lot of fatherless children in the mid-90s

448
00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:25,960
in the inner city.

449
00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:29,760
And, but as far as true orphan children,

450
00:20:29,760 --> 00:20:30,960
we really didn't.

451
00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:35,000
And then God asked them if we would defend them,

452
00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:36,000
defend the orphans.

453
00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:39,160
So, yeah, so it's been a journey.

454
00:20:39,160 --> 00:20:41,120
It's been a wild ride, but gosh,

455
00:20:41,120 --> 00:20:42,680
we wouldn't trade it for the world.

456
00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:43,560
And it really is.

457
00:20:43,560 --> 00:20:46,480
I just, we love the story of Nehemiah, you know,

458
00:20:46,480 --> 00:20:47,760
the rebuilding of the wall.

459
00:20:47,760 --> 00:20:50,520
And it all started with a burden in his heart, you know,

460
00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:53,800
so that's usually how God will drop, you know,

461
00:20:53,800 --> 00:20:57,520
a calling is through a burden.

462
00:20:57,520 --> 00:21:00,000
I love that you and Mike served in a,

463
00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:02,040
kind of an at-risk community.

464
00:21:02,040 --> 00:21:04,680
That's really where God started me as well.

465
00:21:04,680 --> 00:21:07,560
I was in graduate school and there was a group

466
00:21:07,560 --> 00:21:10,720
of graduate students that were at Regent University,

467
00:21:10,720 --> 00:21:12,120
Christian University.

468
00:21:12,120 --> 00:21:13,520
And there was a group of graduate students

469
00:21:13,520 --> 00:21:17,480
that were serving in this difficult community,

470
00:21:17,480 --> 00:21:19,560
Capistola Square at the time it was called,

471
00:21:19,560 --> 00:21:21,240
or Foundation Park actually.

472
00:21:21,240 --> 00:21:24,160
And yeah, it was dangerous.

473
00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:27,000
Police and fire rescue were hesitant to go in

474
00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:28,680
unless they really needed to.

475
00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:31,200
And some of the students moved into the community

476
00:21:31,200 --> 00:21:33,720
and they, you know, I had a friend who was involved.

477
00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:36,560
She kept inviting me to go and I was like, you know,

478
00:21:36,560 --> 00:21:38,840
I'm really not called to work in the inner city.

479
00:21:38,840 --> 00:21:40,600
I'm just, you know, that's really not

480
00:21:40,600 --> 00:21:41,800
what God wants me to do.

481
00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:46,800
But I finally said yes, just to get her off my back.

482
00:21:47,080 --> 00:21:51,600
And I went that first day and saw the children there

483
00:21:51,600 --> 00:21:54,360
and God just broke my heart and gave me a love for them.

484
00:21:54,360 --> 00:21:57,240
And, you know, for seven, for the next seven years,

485
00:21:57,240 --> 00:21:59,960
I would go in and work with the kids

486
00:21:59,960 --> 00:22:01,440
and teach Sunday school.

487
00:22:01,440 --> 00:22:02,480
And that wasn't Sunday school,

488
00:22:02,480 --> 00:22:05,640
but I developed a kind of a discipleship program

489
00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:08,000
for the kids in there.

490
00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:11,320
And it also gave me a whole new understanding

491
00:22:11,320 --> 00:22:15,240
of God's love for the lost and the least

492
00:22:15,240 --> 00:22:17,240
and those training grounds.

493
00:22:17,240 --> 00:22:19,900
You know, he gave me a heart for the world in that time.

494
00:22:19,900 --> 00:22:23,160
Before that, I was looking to my own career.

495
00:22:23,160 --> 00:22:24,360
What can I do?

496
00:22:24,360 --> 00:22:25,320
How can I make money?

497
00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:27,560
Then I can, you know, be prominent.

498
00:22:27,560 --> 00:22:31,440
And God said, I want you to be prominent in the kingdom,

499
00:22:31,440 --> 00:22:32,680
not in the world.

500
00:22:32,680 --> 00:22:36,280
That takes a whole different path in our lives.

501
00:22:36,280 --> 00:22:39,980
It requires a life of service instead of promotion.

502
00:22:39,980 --> 00:22:43,160
So along the way, I'm sure you've faced some challenges

503
00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:44,480
and failures.

504
00:22:44,480 --> 00:22:46,680
What did you learn from those experiences?

505
00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:49,640
For me personally, my biggest challenge,

506
00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:51,840
Jodi was lacking courage,

507
00:22:51,840 --> 00:22:55,040
not believing that God could use me,

508
00:22:55,040 --> 00:22:57,560
not feeling adequate enough at times.

509
00:22:57,560 --> 00:23:00,560
And gosh, I can't help but think of Moses.

510
00:23:00,560 --> 00:23:03,920
And Moses, he protested, you know, to God.

511
00:23:03,920 --> 00:23:05,840
And he would say, who am I, you know,

512
00:23:05,840 --> 00:23:07,440
to appear before Pharaoh?

513
00:23:07,440 --> 00:23:10,640
And who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?

514
00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:13,560
So inadequacy was a real struggle for me.

515
00:23:13,560 --> 00:23:17,640
And one that I had to allow God to change my thinking about.

516
00:23:17,640 --> 00:23:19,680
You see, when God places, you know,

517
00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:22,320
dreams and goals and mandates inside of you,

518
00:23:22,320 --> 00:23:24,160
doubt is sure to come.

519
00:23:24,160 --> 00:23:27,200
But over time, really I discovered that much

520
00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:29,840
of that opposition, you know, was within me.

521
00:23:29,840 --> 00:23:32,320
And, but if I would just obeyed God

522
00:23:32,320 --> 00:23:35,480
and placed all my inadequacies into his hands,

523
00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:38,160
he can work wonders through me.

524
00:23:38,160 --> 00:23:42,840
And I just, you know, I'm so grateful for just that lesson.

525
00:23:42,840 --> 00:23:47,240
I remember, yeah, so I remember writing blogs,

526
00:23:47,240 --> 00:23:49,660
you know, kind of when Corla first started.

527
00:23:49,660 --> 00:23:51,560
And I would write devotions.

528
00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:53,400
And I actually looked back the other day

529
00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:57,800
and found one on Moses, you know, that I had written.

530
00:23:57,800 --> 00:23:59,920
And it just really, you know,

531
00:23:59,920 --> 00:24:01,600
one of the punch lines at the end.

532
00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:04,040
And it was like, wow, this is encouraging me today.

533
00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:07,160
But it says, it said, will you obey God?

534
00:24:07,160 --> 00:24:10,440
Or will you allow your inadequacies to prevent you

535
00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:13,820
from attempting all he has called you to do, right?

536
00:24:15,080 --> 00:24:18,280
Yeah, and something that he said to Moses, which I love.

537
00:24:18,280 --> 00:24:22,200
And he said, God said, I am that I am.

538
00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:24,000
And then I just thought about that.

539
00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:28,680
And I just really just thought if I am has sent me,

540
00:24:28,680 --> 00:24:31,240
you know, I can rest assured that he will be with me

541
00:24:31,240 --> 00:24:33,480
and can accomplish beautiful things through me

542
00:24:33,480 --> 00:24:34,560
as I obey him.

543
00:24:34,560 --> 00:24:35,380
Amen.

544
00:24:35,380 --> 00:24:37,640
And you said yes, you said yes to God.

545
00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:40,360
And he has done probably more

546
00:24:40,360 --> 00:24:43,300
than you could ever have imagined in a really short time.

547
00:24:43,300 --> 00:24:48,300
Yes, and I'll kind of recall another encounter.

548
00:24:49,580 --> 00:24:53,100
You know, I love the scripture in 1 Samuel 15,

549
00:24:53,100 --> 00:24:54,980
it's verse 22 that says obedience

550
00:24:54,980 --> 00:24:56,940
is better than sacrifice, right?

551
00:24:56,940 --> 00:25:00,660
And I just, when I think back about 2011,

552
00:25:00,660 --> 00:25:03,260
when God first asked us to defend the orphan

553
00:25:03,260 --> 00:25:05,580
and to go to Haiti for the first time,

554
00:25:05,580 --> 00:25:07,380
I hadn't even been on a missions trip

555
00:25:07,380 --> 00:25:08,980
out of the country ever.

556
00:25:08,980 --> 00:25:11,880
I had children ages, at that time,

557
00:25:11,880 --> 00:25:14,100
my children were ages eight, 10 and 12.

558
00:25:14,100 --> 00:25:17,180
And get this Jodie, God really has a sense of humor.

559
00:25:17,180 --> 00:25:19,460
I was deathly afraid of flying.

560
00:25:20,780 --> 00:25:23,760
Gosh, yeah, so that may sound silly to some people,

561
00:25:23,760 --> 00:25:26,380
but for me, you know, it was a real fear I had to overcome

562
00:25:26,380 --> 00:25:27,780
if I were to walk by faith.

563
00:25:27,780 --> 00:25:31,840
I remember having a conversation in my head with God.

564
00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:33,460
I was having a hard time, right?

565
00:25:33,460 --> 00:25:34,980
Getting out of my comfortable boat.

566
00:25:34,980 --> 00:25:37,640
And the conversation went, you know,

567
00:25:37,640 --> 00:25:40,220
along the lines of this, you know, God,

568
00:25:40,220 --> 00:25:43,380
I will just be the responsible mother and stay back.

569
00:25:43,380 --> 00:25:46,720
And I will bless my, you know, husband to go to Haiti

570
00:25:46,720 --> 00:25:48,080
on that short term trip.

571
00:25:48,080 --> 00:25:50,100
And I'll just live vicariously through him.

572
00:25:50,100 --> 00:25:54,320
And I felt so strongly Jodie that God said this to my heart.

573
00:25:54,320 --> 00:25:56,640
He said, Mandy, if you don't get on that plane,

574
00:25:56,640 --> 00:25:58,920
you're gonna miss out on what to have for your life.

575
00:25:58,920 --> 00:26:01,580
And thank God I obeyed, you know, that voice.

576
00:26:01,580 --> 00:26:04,780
I pushed past my fear, pushed past my comfort.

577
00:26:04,780 --> 00:26:07,540
I got on the plane and that first trip to Haiti

578
00:26:07,540 --> 00:26:08,860
changed me forever.

579
00:26:08,860 --> 00:26:11,100
And once again, it changed the course of our life.

580
00:26:11,100 --> 00:26:14,780
And I just can't, you know, I can't believe 10 years later

581
00:26:14,780 --> 00:26:18,120
because of that one step of faith that resulted in God

582
00:26:18,120 --> 00:26:20,820
having us build two children's villages

583
00:26:20,820 --> 00:26:22,740
in two different locations in Haiti

584
00:26:22,740 --> 00:26:24,620
that care for over a hundred children.

585
00:26:24,620 --> 00:26:28,180
We built a school that educates around 300 children.

586
00:26:28,180 --> 00:26:29,860
60 of those are our orphans.

587
00:26:29,860 --> 00:26:32,900
The rest are children from their surrounding village.

588
00:26:32,900 --> 00:26:34,740
We constructed a health clinic

589
00:26:34,740 --> 00:26:36,660
that has cared for thousands of people.

590
00:26:36,660 --> 00:26:40,900
So just from that one trip, you know, just obeying God,

591
00:26:40,900 --> 00:26:43,100
even when you're scared, even when it's, you know,

592
00:26:43,100 --> 00:26:45,660
there's fear that you have to push past.

593
00:26:45,660 --> 00:26:48,420
He will be with us, but he just wants us.

594
00:26:48,420 --> 00:26:50,780
He's just asking for those little steps of obedience.

595
00:26:50,780 --> 00:26:51,700
Just move your feet.

596
00:26:51,700 --> 00:26:53,740
Yeah, I mean, wow.

597
00:26:53,740 --> 00:26:57,060
Just taking that step of faith beyond your fear.

598
00:26:57,060 --> 00:26:59,140
I mean, that's often times what it is

599
00:26:59,140 --> 00:27:01,820
that keeps us for doing what God wants.

600
00:27:01,820 --> 00:27:03,300
You know, we have fear that,

601
00:27:03,300 --> 00:27:06,300
we have fear that he's not gonna come through for us.

602
00:27:06,300 --> 00:27:07,620
Because I've, you know,

603
00:27:07,620 --> 00:27:10,340
obeyed God in those little steps over and over,

604
00:27:10,340 --> 00:27:13,660
he eventually completely healed me from fear of flying.

605
00:27:13,660 --> 00:27:16,260
I actually enjoy it now, which is only God.

606
00:27:16,260 --> 00:27:17,100
Yeah.

607
00:27:18,220 --> 00:27:19,820
Yeah, I love to fly actually.

608
00:27:19,820 --> 00:27:22,420
I mean, not so much anymore, but I used to love to fly.

609
00:27:22,420 --> 00:27:24,980
I'm not afraid of it, but it kind of, you know,

610
00:27:24,980 --> 00:27:28,220
now people can reach you even on the plane,

611
00:27:28,220 --> 00:27:30,140
but it used to be one of the places I could go

612
00:27:30,140 --> 00:27:31,700
and shut everything off.

613
00:27:31,700 --> 00:27:34,700
No phone calls, no emails and.

614
00:27:34,700 --> 00:27:37,780
Yeah, and I just, you know, I want anyone who's listening

615
00:27:37,780 --> 00:27:38,900
just to be encouraged.

616
00:27:38,900 --> 00:27:40,700
I mean, it may not be fear of flying

617
00:27:40,700 --> 00:27:43,300
or being anxious about leaving your kids

618
00:27:43,300 --> 00:27:44,580
while you're in another country.

619
00:27:44,580 --> 00:27:47,700
Although we took our kids as many times as we could,

620
00:27:47,700 --> 00:27:50,660
but, you know, just don't be afraid

621
00:27:50,660 --> 00:27:52,380
to push past those fears.

622
00:27:52,380 --> 00:27:55,420
And I just, I love the story of Peter, you know,

623
00:27:55,420 --> 00:27:57,660
when he got out of the boat and walked on the water,

624
00:27:57,660 --> 00:28:00,220
I really believe that he experienced

625
00:28:00,220 --> 00:28:01,580
the revelation of Jesus.

626
00:28:01,580 --> 00:28:02,860
He never would have experienced

627
00:28:02,860 --> 00:28:05,260
having not attempted, you know, to walk on that water.

628
00:28:05,260 --> 00:28:07,100
And it's just, it's always worth it.

629
00:28:07,100 --> 00:28:09,620
So when you got off the plane in Haiti,

630
00:28:09,620 --> 00:28:14,620
I mean, Haiti is cultural difference from the U.S.

631
00:28:16,460 --> 00:28:18,020
is dramatic.

632
00:28:18,020 --> 00:28:21,500
And especially after the earthquake,

633
00:28:21,500 --> 00:28:25,340
I mean, it was chaotic and people were desperate

634
00:28:25,340 --> 00:28:27,780
and there was a lot of lack.

635
00:28:27,780 --> 00:28:30,540
What was your conversation with Mike as you were, you know,

636
00:28:30,540 --> 00:28:35,300
going through this country saying, God, how can we help?

637
00:28:36,260 --> 00:28:41,260
Yeah, so on that first trip, it was my husband, Mike, myself,

638
00:28:41,420 --> 00:28:45,820
and then we had one of our board members named Frank

639
00:28:45,820 --> 00:28:49,260
that came with us and we literally got off the plane.

640
00:28:49,260 --> 00:28:51,420
Now we're so grateful and thankful.

641
00:28:51,420 --> 00:28:55,380
We actually met a team from Somebody Cares.

642
00:28:55,380 --> 00:28:56,620
Doug had kind of orchestrated

643
00:28:56,620 --> 00:28:57,900
that we could meet up with them.

644
00:28:57,900 --> 00:29:00,940
And that's kind of how our first trip to Haiti looked.

645
00:29:00,940 --> 00:29:03,500
But we, our plane arrived at different times.

646
00:29:03,500 --> 00:29:06,060
So we got there before them

647
00:29:06,060 --> 00:29:08,420
and we literally walk out in the airport.

648
00:29:08,420 --> 00:29:13,420
And the first thing we remember is seeing a couple of men

649
00:29:13,620 --> 00:29:17,260
with the, I guess they were sawed off shotguns,

650
00:29:17,260 --> 00:29:20,260
just like kind of walking just out in the open.

651
00:29:20,260 --> 00:29:22,540
And literally we had to kind of find a place

652
00:29:22,540 --> 00:29:26,780
to just sit down and wait for the rest of the group.

653
00:29:26,780 --> 00:29:29,180
And it was a little, you know, intimidating,

654
00:29:29,180 --> 00:29:34,180
but honestly, Jodi, like just the grace of God

655
00:29:34,540 --> 00:29:37,260
just comes so strong in those moments.

656
00:29:37,260 --> 00:29:39,580
And you're just, it just takes over really.

657
00:29:39,580 --> 00:29:42,700
And you just like forget about the things

658
00:29:42,700 --> 00:29:46,060
that you normally would be as fearful about in America,

659
00:29:46,060 --> 00:29:51,060
just because you're just overwhelmed with the people,

660
00:29:51,340 --> 00:29:54,380
the poverty and just your heart, you know,

661
00:29:54,380 --> 00:29:58,260
just the heartstrings begin to be pulled

662
00:29:58,260 --> 00:30:00,460
from the Holy Spirit, from the Lord,

663
00:30:00,460 --> 00:30:02,460
because it's His burden, it's His heart, you know,

664
00:30:02,460 --> 00:30:03,940
for the poor and the orphans.

665
00:30:03,940 --> 00:30:07,580
And so that incredibly just overtakes you.

666
00:30:07,580 --> 00:30:10,460
And it just was the greatest trip ever.

667
00:30:10,460 --> 00:30:14,660
Yeah, I found that when I'm walking in obedience to God,

668
00:30:14,660 --> 00:30:23,660
His grace makes things easier than I expect.

669
00:30:24,860 --> 00:30:28,420
And even when I look back on my life at seasons,

670
00:30:28,420 --> 00:30:31,100
you know, that God asked me to do things that, you know,

671
00:30:31,100 --> 00:30:32,380
we all go through seasons in life

672
00:30:32,380 --> 00:30:33,980
where He asks us to do different things.

673
00:30:33,980 --> 00:30:35,620
Look back at some of the seasons in my life.

674
00:30:35,620 --> 00:30:39,060
And I think, how did I ever do all of that?

675
00:30:40,020 --> 00:30:42,820
And I just know it was the grace of God, you know?

676
00:30:42,820 --> 00:30:45,340
I mean, there's a scripture that says He makes

677
00:30:45,340 --> 00:30:48,460
our paths straight and He makes the rough places smooth

678
00:30:48,460 --> 00:30:50,300
and the crooked places straight.

679
00:30:50,300 --> 00:30:52,380
And when we're walking in obedience,

680
00:30:52,380 --> 00:30:54,420
His grace does that for us in ways

681
00:30:54,420 --> 00:30:57,100
that we just can't even explain.

682
00:30:57,100 --> 00:30:59,980
But we know it and we sense it.

683
00:30:59,980 --> 00:31:01,940
And when we look back on it,

684
00:31:01,940 --> 00:31:04,060
we can just see His hands all over it.

685
00:31:04,060 --> 00:31:08,420
So you started these orphanage, really children's homes,

686
00:31:08,420 --> 00:31:13,620
and you've hired really the mamas that work

687
00:31:13,620 --> 00:31:15,980
with the children, our Haitian.

688
00:31:15,980 --> 00:31:17,580
They just love those kids.

689
00:31:17,580 --> 00:31:21,660
And one of the things that is so special

690
00:31:21,660 --> 00:31:24,300
about what you're doing in Haiti in particular

691
00:31:24,300 --> 00:31:28,340
is that God has brought you a lot of children

692
00:31:28,340 --> 00:31:29,820
with special needs.

693
00:31:29,820 --> 00:31:33,220
These are orphaned children with special needs,

694
00:31:33,220 --> 00:31:36,340
really in Haiti and in many countries

695
00:31:36,340 --> 00:31:39,100
that are not as developed as the US.

696
00:31:39,100 --> 00:31:41,740
Children with special needs are kind of thrown away.

697
00:31:42,620 --> 00:31:45,820
They just, the burden of caring for them is too great.

698
00:31:45,820 --> 00:31:49,100
There's not the infrastructure and services

699
00:31:49,100 --> 00:31:51,900
that we have here in the States to care for them.

700
00:31:51,900 --> 00:31:54,180
And life is a struggle.

701
00:31:54,180 --> 00:31:56,380
And so, you know, for everyone,

702
00:31:56,380 --> 00:31:58,460
even when you're fully functional,

703
00:31:58,460 --> 00:32:02,620
and God sent you to Haiti to care for some special children

704
00:32:02,620 --> 00:32:05,900
that would have no one to care for them if it weren't for you.

705
00:32:05,900 --> 00:32:09,300
That's honestly one of our biggest joys,

706
00:32:09,300 --> 00:32:12,180
and they're not a burden, they're gifts.

707
00:32:12,180 --> 00:32:14,540
You know, we thank God for every one of them.

708
00:32:14,540 --> 00:32:20,220
Gosh, we have over 10 children in one of our locations in Haiti

709
00:32:20,220 --> 00:32:23,420
that are special needs, and just the stories.

710
00:32:23,420 --> 00:32:26,500
I mean, we've had two young babies

711
00:32:26,500 --> 00:32:28,700
that were abandoned at a hospital.

712
00:32:28,700 --> 00:32:30,820
And if I pronounce this word wrong, forgive me,

713
00:32:30,820 --> 00:32:33,460
but they both had hydrocephalus.

714
00:32:33,460 --> 00:32:37,740
And literally, the local, you know,

715
00:32:37,740 --> 00:32:42,140
what we would call CPS here, there in Haiti,

716
00:32:42,140 --> 00:32:44,300
brought them to our orphanage.

717
00:32:44,300 --> 00:32:48,700
And, oh, my goodness, just seeing them smile,

718
00:32:48,700 --> 00:32:50,940
and just even the little steps forward

719
00:32:50,940 --> 00:32:52,980
that, you know, have really been miracles

720
00:32:52,980 --> 00:32:54,300
that God has done in them.

721
00:32:54,300 --> 00:32:55,300
It's been amazing.

722
00:32:55,300 --> 00:32:57,340
But, you know, it's kids like that,

723
00:32:57,340 --> 00:33:01,580
that need, you know, the continuation of care.

724
00:33:01,580 --> 00:33:03,620
Gosh, they require more supervision,

725
00:33:03,620 --> 00:33:06,780
more specialized care, some around the clock.

726
00:33:06,780 --> 00:33:11,380
But we are just so blessed with some great mamas in Haiti.

727
00:33:11,380 --> 00:33:16,020
And yes, we believe in the local community,

728
00:33:16,020 --> 00:33:18,780
and really, that's our heart, to hire Haitians,

729
00:33:18,780 --> 00:33:20,940
you know, to care for our children,

730
00:33:20,940 --> 00:33:22,420
and they do such a great job.

731
00:33:22,420 --> 00:33:25,940
Yeah, when you first built these children's homes,

732
00:33:27,180 --> 00:33:29,660
you weren't expecting that.

733
00:33:29,660 --> 00:33:31,580
You weren't expecting that,

734
00:33:33,380 --> 00:33:34,540
that God would start bringing you

735
00:33:34,540 --> 00:33:36,300
these special needs children.

736
00:33:36,300 --> 00:33:40,420
And the homes that you have aren't really fully equipped

737
00:33:40,420 --> 00:33:45,420
for taking care of all the needs of children

738
00:33:45,940 --> 00:33:47,140
with these special needs.

739
00:33:47,140 --> 00:33:50,580
And so you're in the process of actually building

740
00:33:50,580 --> 00:33:52,460
a new home or designing a new home

741
00:33:52,460 --> 00:33:57,460
that will really have everything that these children need

742
00:33:57,460 --> 00:34:00,460
with their mobility challenges and other things.

743
00:34:00,460 --> 00:34:03,580
And the Somebody Cares Widows and Orphan Fund

744
00:34:03,580 --> 00:34:06,220
was created to help projects just like that.

745
00:34:06,220 --> 00:34:09,260
You've shared about our partnership with Core Love.

746
00:34:09,260 --> 00:34:10,980
So I just wanna invite our listeners,

747
00:34:10,980 --> 00:34:15,740
if you wanna help these children with special needs in Haiti,

748
00:34:15,740 --> 00:34:17,700
with this project of building a new home

749
00:34:17,700 --> 00:34:20,500
that's specifically designed for special needs,

750
00:34:20,500 --> 00:34:22,220
and for other projects around the world

751
00:34:22,220 --> 00:34:24,860
that help children who have these special needs

752
00:34:24,860 --> 00:34:29,380
or special gifts, you can give and be a part

753
00:34:29,380 --> 00:34:33,020
of the Widow and Orphan Fund at the Somebody Cares website,

754
00:34:33,020 --> 00:34:38,020
or you can go to hergodstory.com website

755
00:34:38,620 --> 00:34:42,740
and click and join us in working with these special needs.

756
00:34:42,740 --> 00:34:46,500
You can join Mandy and Mike and us with this project

757
00:34:46,500 --> 00:34:49,020
and with other projects around the world,

758
00:34:49,020 --> 00:34:51,700
because these children are precious to God.

759
00:34:51,700 --> 00:34:56,700
And I'm amazed at all that God is doing in and through you.

760
00:34:58,780 --> 00:35:02,500
You all recently just took a trip to Honduras

761
00:35:02,500 --> 00:35:04,420
and are looking at the possibility

762
00:35:04,420 --> 00:35:06,700
of caring for some children there as well.

763
00:35:06,700 --> 00:35:08,540
Is that correct?

764
00:35:08,540 --> 00:35:10,060
We did, Jodi.

765
00:35:10,060 --> 00:35:12,860
What I love about our journey and a lot of this

766
00:35:12,860 --> 00:35:17,020
we've gleaned from you guys, Doug and Somebody Cares,

767
00:35:17,020 --> 00:35:20,820
just that the kingdom of God is built on relationships, right?

768
00:35:20,820 --> 00:35:22,460
And there's just been so many doors

769
00:35:22,460 --> 00:35:24,660
that wouldn't have opened for us

770
00:35:24,660 --> 00:35:26,420
if it were not for relationships.

771
00:35:26,420 --> 00:35:31,420
So with the situation, our newest location in Honduras,

772
00:35:32,580 --> 00:35:35,180
just we're so grateful God connected us

773
00:35:35,180 --> 00:35:39,740
with a local Houston pastor, Pastor Randy Needham

774
00:35:39,740 --> 00:35:44,740
from Houston, and they've had a project in Honduras,

775
00:35:45,380 --> 00:35:48,500
an ongoing relationship with some precious pastors

776
00:35:48,500 --> 00:35:51,180
and a group there.

777
00:35:51,180 --> 00:35:54,820
And they just, we got connected with them

778
00:35:54,820 --> 00:35:59,820
and just got through God's divine meetings.

779
00:36:00,300 --> 00:36:02,820
They asked us to come alongside

780
00:36:02,820 --> 00:36:05,260
and to help further this project.

781
00:36:05,260 --> 00:36:07,820
So it's been just a real joy.

782
00:36:07,820 --> 00:36:10,340
So yeah, we took a trip there, right?

783
00:36:10,340 --> 00:36:13,100
It literally, we traveled to Honduras

784
00:36:13,100 --> 00:36:15,260
the day after my daughter got married,

785
00:36:15,260 --> 00:36:20,260
which at first I thought, what are we doing like that?

786
00:36:20,620 --> 00:36:22,700
I don't wanna be on a plane the next day,

787
00:36:22,700 --> 00:36:25,180
but honestly, the more I thought about it, Jodi,

788
00:36:25,180 --> 00:36:27,180
I thought that's probably the greatest thing

789
00:36:27,180 --> 00:36:30,900
I need to do the day after my daughter's wedding.

790
00:36:30,900 --> 00:36:33,940
And so it may have been two days.

791
00:36:33,940 --> 00:36:35,580
We may have had one day of rest

792
00:36:35,580 --> 00:36:36,820
and then it was the very next day,

793
00:36:36,820 --> 00:36:41,540
but it, oh gosh, it was just such a beautiful trip

794
00:36:41,540 --> 00:36:46,100
and just we're so honored to, that dwelling place

795
00:36:46,100 --> 00:36:51,100
would just consider us to take on that project.

796
00:36:51,460 --> 00:36:55,660
So yeah, so we'll eventually be building some children's

797
00:36:55,660 --> 00:36:58,420
villages there and working with the local pastors.

798
00:36:58,420 --> 00:37:02,340
I love it that, you've proved yourself faithful to God

799
00:37:02,340 --> 00:37:05,460
because you've taken those steps of faith he's asked you to,

800
00:37:05,460 --> 00:37:08,260
you've been obedient to the call he's put on your life.

801
00:37:08,260 --> 00:37:10,260
And so he keeps giving you more.

802
00:37:10,260 --> 00:37:14,660
It reminds me of the parable of the servants,

803
00:37:14,660 --> 00:37:17,620
Jesus gave them talents and he came back and said,

804
00:37:17,620 --> 00:37:19,340
yeah, you've used your five talents,

805
00:37:19,340 --> 00:37:20,180
I'm gonna give you more.

806
00:37:20,180 --> 00:37:21,500
Yeah, you've used your 10 talents,

807
00:37:21,500 --> 00:37:22,780
I'm gonna give you more.

808
00:37:22,780 --> 00:37:25,420
And God's saying, yeah, you guys have used

809
00:37:25,420 --> 00:37:28,460
what I've given you, you've been obedient

810
00:37:28,460 --> 00:37:30,220
and I'm gonna give you more.

811
00:37:30,220 --> 00:37:32,140
And it's just exciting to see.

812
00:37:32,140 --> 00:37:37,140
I mean, the miraculous ways that he has provided

813
00:37:37,140 --> 00:37:40,460
is also amazing.

814
00:37:40,460 --> 00:37:43,900
Can you share some of those miracle stories

815
00:37:43,900 --> 00:37:45,220
that you've seen?

816
00:37:45,220 --> 00:37:50,220
There is so many miracles of provision and gosh, Jodi,

817
00:37:51,180 --> 00:37:52,700
wish I would have had a little more time

818
00:37:52,700 --> 00:37:54,860
to prepare for this question.

819
00:37:54,860 --> 00:37:57,580
Because there's just so many.

820
00:37:57,580 --> 00:37:59,380
We could go on all day.

821
00:37:59,380 --> 00:38:04,380
But I remember one of the major stories

822
00:38:04,780 --> 00:38:06,260
that was just a miracle story

823
00:38:06,260 --> 00:38:09,700
is when we first began and you may have heard by now,

824
00:38:09,700 --> 00:38:12,900
every year we do something in May called May Match

825
00:38:12,900 --> 00:38:17,900
to where we have a donor that gives towards this project

826
00:38:18,160 --> 00:38:20,620
and then Coralub agrees to match,

827
00:38:20,620 --> 00:38:24,820
or actually we raise money and then the donor agrees

828
00:38:24,820 --> 00:38:26,620
to match what we raise.

829
00:38:26,620 --> 00:38:31,620
And that miraculously story happened on a trip to Haiti.

830
00:38:31,620 --> 00:38:34,700
Gosh, this was like before we even built

831
00:38:34,700 --> 00:38:36,380
a children's village, we were kind of right

832
00:38:36,380 --> 00:38:37,740
on the verge of doing that.

833
00:38:37,740 --> 00:38:42,740
And Mike met a businessman in Port-au-Prince, Haiti,

834
00:38:44,220 --> 00:38:45,820
staying at a guest house.

835
00:38:45,820 --> 00:38:50,100
And this businessman, God spoke to this businessman,

836
00:38:50,100 --> 00:38:52,260
he was originally from Atlanta.

837
00:38:52,260 --> 00:38:54,700
God spoke to him before he went to Haiti

838
00:38:54,700 --> 00:38:57,180
and said, you need to go to Haiti,

839
00:38:57,180 --> 00:38:58,660
you're going to meet someone,

840
00:38:58,660 --> 00:39:00,820
then I need you to connect with them.

841
00:39:00,820 --> 00:39:02,220
I need you to connect with

842
00:39:02,220 --> 00:39:04,140
and you're going to help their ministry.

843
00:39:04,140 --> 00:39:08,060
And so literally it was his first night in Haiti

844
00:39:08,060 --> 00:39:11,180
and Mike, my husband Mike, his last night,

845
00:39:11,180 --> 00:39:13,540
my husband was flying home the next day.

846
00:39:13,540 --> 00:39:16,220
And literally they met at that guest house

847
00:39:16,220 --> 00:39:18,940
and I think they spent two hours just on the rooftop

848
00:39:18,940 --> 00:39:22,460
talking and crying and just telling the story

849
00:39:22,460 --> 00:39:25,300
and just Mike sharing his burden with Haiti.

850
00:39:25,300 --> 00:39:29,880
And before we knew it, this businessman said,

851
00:39:29,880 --> 00:39:33,940
I want to sow a seed into your ministry,

852
00:39:33,940 --> 00:39:35,460
but I want you to match it.

853
00:39:35,460 --> 00:39:37,240
And that was our first May match.

854
00:39:37,240 --> 00:39:39,020
That's how the first May match happened.

855
00:39:39,020 --> 00:39:41,300
And it was a pretty good seed.

856
00:39:41,300 --> 00:39:44,500
And we just, through God's miraculous help,

857
00:39:44,500 --> 00:39:46,180
we were able to match it.

858
00:39:46,180 --> 00:39:47,940
I mean, it was so overwhelming to us

859
00:39:47,940 --> 00:39:50,880
because we thought we don't even know if we can, you know,

860
00:39:50,880 --> 00:39:54,300
raise $5,000, but you know, it was,

861
00:39:54,300 --> 00:39:59,220
I think the match was like $50,000 at the time.

862
00:39:59,220 --> 00:40:01,220
And that was just, you know, it blew us away

863
00:40:01,220 --> 00:40:02,660
and what God can do, you know,

864
00:40:02,660 --> 00:40:04,740
if you'll just put some feet to your faith.

865
00:40:04,740 --> 00:40:06,100
So I just love that story.

866
00:40:06,100 --> 00:40:09,460
And just really along the way, Jodie, I mean, gosh,

867
00:40:09,460 --> 00:40:14,240
and it really just shows us that it's God's heart, right?

868
00:40:14,240 --> 00:40:15,300
It's who he is.

869
00:40:15,300 --> 00:40:18,260
He's a father to a father, to the fatherless.

870
00:40:18,260 --> 00:40:20,320
He really is, that's who he is.

871
00:40:20,320 --> 00:40:23,580
And so because of that, it's his heart, you know,

872
00:40:23,580 --> 00:40:25,740
to take care of the orphan children.

873
00:40:25,740 --> 00:40:27,700
It's his heart to take care of the poor.

874
00:40:27,700 --> 00:40:31,420
He just needs someone to go and to be the vessel.

875
00:40:31,420 --> 00:40:33,020
And so that's how we feel.

876
00:40:33,020 --> 00:40:35,340
Yeah, over and over and over and over and over again

877
00:40:35,340 --> 00:40:38,620
in scripture, he talks about caring for the orphans,

878
00:40:38,620 --> 00:40:40,220
caring for the widows,

879
00:40:40,220 --> 00:40:44,120
caring for those who can't care for themselves.

880
00:40:44,120 --> 00:40:47,160
And when we are obedient to do that,

881
00:40:48,420 --> 00:40:52,060
it touches God's heart in a way that, you know,

882
00:40:52,060 --> 00:40:56,000
the best worship singing in all the world couldn't do.

883
00:40:56,000 --> 00:40:58,920
That is really what touches God's heart

884
00:40:59,920 --> 00:41:01,760
and then moves his hand.

885
00:41:01,760 --> 00:41:04,480
What are some of those practices that helped you grow

886
00:41:04,480 --> 00:41:06,840
and stand strong in this faith that you now have?

887
00:41:06,840 --> 00:41:10,280
So if I were to talk about some practices,

888
00:41:10,280 --> 00:41:12,760
I think I would probably call them,

889
00:41:14,400 --> 00:41:18,040
I'd probably call them John 15 practices, right?

890
00:41:18,040 --> 00:41:19,840
Abiding in the vine.

891
00:41:19,840 --> 00:41:22,940
And I mean, I learned early on in ministry

892
00:41:22,940 --> 00:41:25,760
that without him, I can do nothing, you know?

893
00:41:25,760 --> 00:41:27,880
So it just, first of all,

894
00:41:27,880 --> 00:41:31,560
because I desire to be connected with the vine,

895
00:41:31,560 --> 00:41:32,400
which is Jesus,

896
00:41:32,400 --> 00:41:34,280
but it makes all the difference in the world.

897
00:41:34,280 --> 00:41:37,600
You know, if I am daily spending time connecting

898
00:41:37,600 --> 00:41:40,560
and just staying connected to that life vine,

899
00:41:40,560 --> 00:41:41,440
which is Jesus.

900
00:41:41,440 --> 00:41:44,040
One of the most precious things I do for my soul

901
00:41:44,040 --> 00:41:46,120
because it anchors me greatly, right,

902
00:41:46,120 --> 00:41:49,620
is I read the Bible through every year.

903
00:41:49,620 --> 00:41:50,900
I've been doing this for years

904
00:41:50,900 --> 00:41:52,800
and it's not because, you know,

905
00:41:52,800 --> 00:41:55,020
of some sort of religious practice to check off,

906
00:41:55,020 --> 00:41:58,440
but I've literally, by doing it,

907
00:41:58,440 --> 00:42:01,800
I have developed just such a deep love for the word of God.

908
00:42:01,800 --> 00:42:06,320
And, you know, the Bible says that it's alive

909
00:42:06,320 --> 00:42:07,200
and it's active.

910
00:42:07,200 --> 00:42:09,360
And if it's the only book in this world

911
00:42:09,360 --> 00:42:10,560
that's alive and active,

912
00:42:10,560 --> 00:42:12,760
I wanna make it a priority to abide in it.

913
00:42:12,760 --> 00:42:14,900
I mean, I need it, you know, right?

914
00:42:14,900 --> 00:42:17,760
We could get wonky and sideways if we didn't abide in it.

915
00:42:17,760 --> 00:42:20,040
And I just love it.

916
00:42:20,040 --> 00:42:23,120
And I just love the word of God.

917
00:42:23,120 --> 00:42:26,320
Every time I read a verse,

918
00:42:26,320 --> 00:42:29,160
something new is revealed to me

919
00:42:30,080 --> 00:42:32,480
because the Bible is so rich.

920
00:42:32,480 --> 00:42:35,440
We can't just read it once and think we have it all

921
00:42:35,440 --> 00:42:37,320
because we could, you know,

922
00:42:37,320 --> 00:42:42,080
we could read it every day for the rest of our lives

923
00:42:42,080 --> 00:42:45,520
and continue to get new, fresh revelation

924
00:42:45,520 --> 00:42:50,520
and application for our lives because God speaks.

925
00:42:50,560 --> 00:42:51,960
I mean, the word is alive.

926
00:42:51,960 --> 00:42:53,880
You said it's alive and active.

927
00:42:53,880 --> 00:42:56,600
It's not just dead on a page.

928
00:42:56,600 --> 00:42:58,120
I mean, we can read a lot of other books

929
00:42:58,120 --> 00:42:59,480
and they can inspire us,

930
00:42:59,480 --> 00:43:02,840
but the word of God instructs us.

931
00:43:02,840 --> 00:43:05,200
It teaches us the way we should go.

932
00:43:05,200 --> 00:43:06,160
Yes.

933
00:43:06,160 --> 00:43:09,040
And it's not, again, the quantity.

934
00:43:09,040 --> 00:43:11,000
I just like to do that

935
00:43:11,000 --> 00:43:14,400
because that's what helps me, you know, stay disciplined.

936
00:43:14,400 --> 00:43:15,240
Right?

937
00:43:15,240 --> 00:43:17,920
Because if I didn't have some sort of a schedule,

938
00:43:17,920 --> 00:43:21,260
you know, I may hit and miss more often than not,

939
00:43:21,260 --> 00:43:24,080
but yeah, it just, it is so good.

940
00:43:24,080 --> 00:43:26,800
Just, it's transformative and I love it.

941
00:43:26,800 --> 00:43:30,080
Sometimes I have to take it a little bit slower

942
00:43:30,080 --> 00:43:33,280
in bite-sized pieces so I can mull over it more.

943
00:43:33,280 --> 00:43:35,140
And then sometimes I feel like I really need

944
00:43:35,140 --> 00:43:39,260
to get the whole picture and read through it as, you know,

945
00:43:39,260 --> 00:43:42,840
in one big flow to get the big picture.

946
00:43:42,840 --> 00:43:45,380
And then, yeah, every time.

947
00:43:45,380 --> 00:43:47,260
And I, one of the things I love to do

948
00:43:47,260 --> 00:43:50,040
is read it in different versions.

949
00:43:50,040 --> 00:43:53,340
You know, sometimes I'll read it in NIV.

950
00:43:53,340 --> 00:43:56,240
Right now, I'm kind of been reading it

951
00:43:56,240 --> 00:43:59,820
in the New Living translation, which has been,

952
00:43:59,820 --> 00:44:01,780
you just get something new out of it all the time.

953
00:44:01,780 --> 00:44:03,340
And there's a whole new translation

954
00:44:03,340 --> 00:44:05,860
called the Passion Translation, just the New Testament,

955
00:44:05,860 --> 00:44:08,980
has been Psalms and Proverbs yet.

956
00:44:08,980 --> 00:44:11,300
And I read that one sometimes too.

957
00:44:11,300 --> 00:44:14,580
And every time, you know, they're all translations

958
00:44:14,580 --> 00:44:15,420
of the Bible.

959
00:44:15,420 --> 00:44:19,420
So, you know, they're all coming from the Greek and Hebrew,

960
00:44:19,420 --> 00:44:22,240
but those languages were so much richer

961
00:44:22,240 --> 00:44:26,320
and fuller in meaning than the English language.

962
00:44:26,320 --> 00:44:30,400
So every translation reveals more

963
00:44:30,400 --> 00:44:32,280
of what God is saying to us.

964
00:44:32,280 --> 00:44:34,460
Again, Mandy, it's been so much fun to hear

965
00:44:34,460 --> 00:44:37,240
all that God's doing in and through you

966
00:44:37,240 --> 00:44:40,220
and how he's worked in your life.

967
00:44:40,220 --> 00:44:42,160
And as a final question,

968
00:44:42,160 --> 00:44:45,640
this is something I try to ask all my guests,

969
00:44:45,640 --> 00:44:47,380
is there a woman in the Bible

970
00:44:47,380 --> 00:44:49,860
whose story has inspired, encouraged,

971
00:44:49,860 --> 00:44:50,940
or taught you something?

972
00:44:50,940 --> 00:44:54,860
And how does her God's story connect with yours?

973
00:44:54,860 --> 00:44:57,420
So all day, it's Esther.

974
00:44:57,420 --> 00:44:58,760
I just love her story,

975
00:44:58,760 --> 00:45:01,140
but I like to think of her story

976
00:45:01,140 --> 00:45:02,580
a little different than others.

977
00:45:02,580 --> 00:45:04,560
I've heard her story told before.

978
00:45:05,680 --> 00:45:09,880
Sometimes as if Esther was this fearless, independent,

979
00:45:09,880 --> 00:45:12,580
take nothing from nobody warrior for Jesus

980
00:45:12,580 --> 00:45:14,100
that won the day.

981
00:45:14,100 --> 00:45:16,000
And she no doubt won the day, right?

982
00:45:16,000 --> 00:45:20,780
But Esther was the most least likely person, right?

983
00:45:20,780 --> 00:45:23,000
To be welcomed into the king's court.

984
00:45:23,000 --> 00:45:25,600
She was an orphan and she was a Jew.

985
00:45:25,600 --> 00:45:27,720
So that's two limitations against her.

986
00:45:27,720 --> 00:45:28,920
And on top of that,

987
00:45:28,920 --> 00:45:31,960
I really feel like she was terrified when she found out

988
00:45:31,960 --> 00:45:33,320
the only way to save her people

989
00:45:33,320 --> 00:45:35,800
was to go before the king uninvited,

990
00:45:35,800 --> 00:45:38,800
which was punishable by death.

991
00:45:38,800 --> 00:45:40,280
This is what I love about Esther.

992
00:45:40,280 --> 00:45:44,880
She leaned 100% completely into God

993
00:45:44,880 --> 00:45:46,240
through prayer and fasting.

994
00:45:46,240 --> 00:45:48,720
And that's when God's favor came upon her

995
00:45:48,720 --> 00:45:50,820
and he used her to save a nation.

996
00:45:50,820 --> 00:45:55,820
And I can just identify so much with that

997
00:45:56,040 --> 00:45:58,360
and it really just inspires me.

998
00:45:58,360 --> 00:46:01,280
And just the quote that says,

999
00:46:01,280 --> 00:46:03,040
perhaps you've come into the kingdom

1000
00:46:03,040 --> 00:46:04,560
for such a time as this.

1001
00:46:04,560 --> 00:46:07,120
It's always for God's divine purpose, right?

1002
00:46:08,000 --> 00:46:08,840
Amen.

1003
00:46:08,840 --> 00:46:11,520
You know, I had never thought before

1004
00:46:11,520 --> 00:46:13,680
about her being an orphan.

1005
00:46:13,680 --> 00:46:16,400
And, you know, I mean, I read that,

1006
00:46:16,400 --> 00:46:18,840
I read it in Esther, it's very clear,

1007
00:46:18,840 --> 00:46:20,320
but I just never thought that, you know,

1008
00:46:20,320 --> 00:46:21,440
that was who she was.

1009
00:46:21,440 --> 00:46:23,240
She was an orphan.

1010
00:46:23,240 --> 00:46:27,320
And, you know, God took her to the highest place

1011
00:46:27,320 --> 00:46:29,720
for a woman in the land and used her

1012
00:46:29,720 --> 00:46:31,560
and they still celebrate her today.

1013
00:46:32,440 --> 00:46:34,080
So it doesn't really matter, you know,

1014
00:46:34,080 --> 00:46:38,280
where you've come from or what your past is.

1015
00:46:38,280 --> 00:46:43,240
You know, if we will trust God for our future

1016
00:46:43,240 --> 00:46:45,680
and lean into him in obedience,

1017
00:46:45,680 --> 00:46:48,780
he'll take us places that we could never even dream.

1018
00:46:49,880 --> 00:46:51,200
And as we've talked today,

1019
00:46:51,200 --> 00:46:54,000
I've been reminded of Psalm 37, three,

1020
00:46:54,000 --> 00:46:57,040
which says, trust in the Lord and do good.

1021
00:46:57,040 --> 00:47:00,300
Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.

1022
00:47:01,440 --> 00:47:04,680
You know, Mandy took big steps of faith,

1023
00:47:04,680 --> 00:47:06,520
obeying God, even when she didn't see

1024
00:47:06,520 --> 00:47:08,440
how things were gonna work out.

1025
00:47:08,440 --> 00:47:11,440
But as she trusted him and did good

1026
00:47:11,440 --> 00:47:14,280
for the precious children he's brought into her life,

1027
00:47:14,280 --> 00:47:17,080
God has prospered and is still blessing that work

1028
00:47:17,080 --> 00:47:19,440
beyond anything they could imagine.

1029
00:47:19,440 --> 00:47:22,880
And dear friend, God can do the same for you.

1030
00:47:22,880 --> 00:47:24,840
Proverbs three, five and six says,

1031
00:47:24,840 --> 00:47:26,840
trust in the Lord with all your heart

1032
00:47:26,840 --> 00:47:29,600
and do not lean on your own understanding.

1033
00:47:29,600 --> 00:47:31,920
Seek his will in all you do

1034
00:47:31,920 --> 00:47:34,720
and he will show you which path to take.

1035
00:47:34,720 --> 00:47:37,480
In all likelihood, it will not be the path you expected,

1036
00:47:37,480 --> 00:47:39,160
but it will be a path that leads you

1037
00:47:39,160 --> 00:47:42,680
into the goodness of God and allows God to do great things

1038
00:47:42,680 --> 00:47:46,080
in and through you that you would not expect.

1039
00:47:46,080 --> 00:47:49,840
Psalm 119, 68 says of the Lord,

1040
00:47:49,840 --> 00:47:53,000
you are good and do only good.

1041
00:47:53,000 --> 00:47:55,000
That's something that God has been speaking to me a lot

1042
00:47:55,000 --> 00:48:00,000
this year in 2022, that he is good and he does only good.

1043
00:48:01,540 --> 00:48:03,640
And when we know that deep in our heart,

1044
00:48:03,640 --> 00:48:07,700
we have faith to obey him because we know it will be good.

1045
00:48:07,700 --> 00:48:09,600
We don't have to doubt.

1046
00:48:09,600 --> 00:48:12,400
In a minute, I'm gonna have Mandy pray for us,

1047
00:48:12,400 --> 00:48:15,080
but I wanna make sure you can find links to the books

1048
00:48:15,080 --> 00:48:17,040
and see the scriptures we've mentioned

1049
00:48:17,040 --> 00:48:21,240
and they can be found in this episode's show notes.

1050
00:48:21,240 --> 00:48:23,200
I also encourage you to check out our website,

1051
00:48:23,200 --> 00:48:27,280
hergodstory.com for blogs, free resources.

1052
00:48:27,280 --> 00:48:29,520
And if you wanna help complete and equip

1053
00:48:29,520 --> 00:48:31,780
the special needs home that we talked about in Haiti

1054
00:48:31,780 --> 00:48:34,180
or do other projects around the world,

1055
00:48:34,180 --> 00:48:35,280
you can support that through

1056
00:48:35,280 --> 00:48:38,600
Somebody Cares Widow and Orphan Fund at hergodstory.com

1057
00:48:38,600 --> 00:48:39,960
as well.

1058
00:48:39,960 --> 00:48:43,760
There's also a way for you to share your God's story with us.

1059
00:48:43,760 --> 00:48:47,680
We'd love to hear what God has done in and through your life.

1060
00:48:47,680 --> 00:48:51,000
If you need prayer, feel free to call or text

1061
00:48:51,000 --> 00:48:53,760
the Somebody Cares 24 seven prayer line.

1062
00:48:53,760 --> 00:48:58,360
And that you can do at 855-459-CARE.

1063
00:48:58,360 --> 00:49:01,380
That's 855-459-CARE.

1064
00:49:01,380 --> 00:49:06,280
Or you can email us at prayer at somebodycares.org,

1065
00:49:06,280 --> 00:49:08,200
prayer at somebodycares.org.

1066
00:49:08,200 --> 00:49:09,880
We hope you'll tune in again soon

1067
00:49:09,880 --> 00:49:12,080
to another episode of Her God's Story

1068
00:49:12,080 --> 00:49:14,160
to be encouraged in your faith.

1069
00:49:14,160 --> 00:49:16,760
Now, as we close, Mandy, would you pray for us?

1070
00:49:16,760 --> 00:49:18,280
Absolutely.

1071
00:49:18,280 --> 00:49:21,920
God, I just thank you so much, God, for the women

1072
00:49:21,920 --> 00:49:24,480
and whoever is listening to this podcast.

1073
00:49:24,480 --> 00:49:26,800
First, I just thank you for Jodi.

1074
00:49:26,800 --> 00:49:30,120
And God, that is your heart that you place within her, God,

1075
00:49:30,120 --> 00:49:33,120
to encourage women, to champion them.

1076
00:49:33,120 --> 00:49:36,440
God, I pray that everyone that's listening to this podcast,

1077
00:49:36,440 --> 00:49:39,520
God, they would just be encouraged in their heart, God,

1078
00:49:39,520 --> 00:49:42,280
that you use ordinary people, God,

1079
00:49:42,280 --> 00:49:44,600
sometimes unlikely people, God,

1080
00:49:44,600 --> 00:49:46,700
because you can get all the glory.

1081
00:49:46,700 --> 00:49:50,460
God, I pray that whatever season they may be in, God,

1082
00:49:50,460 --> 00:49:53,960
that they would see that they have a God-given gift, God,

1083
00:49:53,960 --> 00:49:56,040
and you can use them anywhere, God,

1084
00:49:56,040 --> 00:49:58,620
whether it be in their home with their children, God,

1085
00:49:58,620 --> 00:50:00,440
whether it be in their workplace,

1086
00:50:00,440 --> 00:50:04,440
whether it be across the seas, God, in other countries, God,

1087
00:50:04,440 --> 00:50:06,360
or whether it be in their own city.

1088
00:50:06,360 --> 00:50:10,120
God, I pray that they would just have courage, Father,

1089
00:50:10,120 --> 00:50:12,580
that you have called each and every one of them, God,

1090
00:50:12,580 --> 00:50:16,880
and just let them just walk alongside of you, Jesus,

1091
00:50:16,880 --> 00:50:20,780
and co-labor with you, God, and let them hear just the dreams

1092
00:50:20,780 --> 00:50:24,800
that you may wanna place inside their hearts, God,

1093
00:50:24,800 --> 00:50:27,200
that they can do anything that you've called them to do

1094
00:50:27,200 --> 00:50:30,120
because you are with them and you walk with them, Father.

1095
00:50:30,120 --> 00:50:32,320
I just pray strength and encouragement

1096
00:50:32,320 --> 00:50:36,760
over everyone who's listening, in Jesus' name, amen.

1097
00:50:36,760 --> 00:50:38,320
Her God Story is a ministry

1098
00:50:38,320 --> 00:50:40,800
of Somebody Cares America and international.

1099
00:50:40,800 --> 00:50:43,280
To find out more about or support the ministry,

1100
00:50:43,280 --> 00:51:08,280
go to somebodycares.org.