Jake’s Adventure Stories

For Kingdom’s Sake

Thu, 9 Apr 2009 08:08:59 -0400

Please join me in prayer as our AIM (Adventures In Missions) family is grieving the loss of one our young missionaries. She was a participant in one the other missions program offered by AIM. Regardless, we are one in Spirit and Heart as we are all willing to go to the nations for Kingdom’s sake.

Below is a recent post by AIM Founder - Seth Barnes.

Blessings
Jake

Sarah Buller lived a life in love - we'll miss her

Posted in Radical Living by Seth Barnes on 4/7/2009

Sarah Buller, an AIM participant in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, was killed in an automobile accident on Sunday. And though they're rejoicing in heaven, we're all the poorer for it.

Her passing reminds us that God has called us to a road that is sometimes more than we can bear. Sarah set an example by following God's call in her life and ministering to the poor in South Africa. She loved Jesus and died serving him. We can't help but praise God for her life.

Her last blog entry a few weeks ago gives us a picture into her life: "We work with kids in the townships and I work with babies. Life is good here. some days are more crazy then others!!! My parents just come to see me! And it was GREAT! They got to see the whole team. We went to Swaziland a country with in South Africa. I LOVED IT! My Dad got to see old friends. I'm in love."

"In love" describes Sarah's life well. She was in love with life and with those around her. And they couldn't help feeling it. Recently she got a tattoo on her foot. It said love, and it had a bunch of stars around it. Each star represented one person in her family, one for mom, one for dad, and one for each of her eight siblings (four of whom are adopted). She wanted them to be with her wherever she went!

Teammate Nicole Eckenroth describes Sarah like this:

Sarah was one of the sweetest people I have ever met. She was accepting of everyone. She loved to have fun, and she had no fear. We jumped off of a bridge together, bungee jumped that is. She is a night owl. She liked to stay up later than most, and sleep in later than most.

Sarah was precious when we were in ministry. We worked together at a children's home, with abandoned and beaten babies and toddlers. She was so good with all the kids. She wanted to be a mother so badly. She could handle toddlers better than most people.

She loved nature, and being outside. She loved the beach... and having ministry right next to the beach. She was blown away by the beauty of creation.

She was artsy... always seemed to have her camera on her... then she would photoshop them.

She loved music. She had a beautiful singing voice.

She loved youth. The youth group we worked with, Firehouse, was blessed by her. She really was able to invest in the girls... to help grow them up in Christ.

Sarah loved to worship God. Her life was worship.

I had fun with her. One night, we didn't want to go to bed, so we sat outside in the yard. We laid in the grass star gazing, while Kevin played guitar. It was a perfect night!

Then another night, we stuck our head out the window while laying on a bed and looked at the stars... or tried to look. the whole time we couldn't stop laughing... we were sooooo giddy!

Sarah just liked to have fun. She brought joy wherever she went. She was never negative. She loved what she was doing. She loved God and loved people.

She was amazing! And it's so hard to think that she is not around anymore, but I know, she is in the Lord's presence. She has no pain. She has complete and perfect joy! She is missed. But I can't wait to see her again!

Teammate Beth Lynch wrote this about Sarah, "I think one of my favorite stories of her was when she and a few other girls drove to a lion park for the day. Sarah went into a cage with a lion cub and he pounced on her. She came back with a torn shirt and minor scrapes on her arm and stomach. She was so excited about it! We all laughed about how when she got home she could say that when she went to Africa, she was attacked by a lion."

"During Thanksgiving break, we went to Cape Town. We spent eight long hours in the car but it was so much fun! We goofed off and sang at the top of our lungs as we drove. That weekend we visited Table Mountain and it was the most gorgeous site any of us had ever seen."

* * * * * *
The local paper in Minnesota, where she was raised, posted an article about Sarah.

If her home-going leaves us overwhelmed by sadness, we have the consolation of knowing that sometimes God loves us so much, he asks for our best. And in receiving Sarah into his loving arms, he got the best we had.

Kiev, Ukraine - Intro to E. Europe

Sat, 28 Mar 2009 03:34:15 -0400

This is a quick update to share the latest. As I had mentioned previously, as a co-leader to the Oct 2008 World Race squad I have the chance to visit them throughout there year to check in and help with their periodic debrief times. Well the squad has come up on their mid-point of their 11 month journey. They are just finishing up their time in India and will be arriving in Kiev, Ukraine over the weekend.
As part of my responsibilities, I get to travel ahead and meet them here. Have I mentioned that I love what I do? Gosh, God is good!
I am here following up on several of the logistical details that have been coordinated and arranged for the next three months of ministry. It also gives me a chance to check in on how the squad is doing and do some of the logistics for them over this next week and a half so that the team can take a bit of a rest time.
They have been ministering for just over 5 months now and are about to get introduced to yet another culture and environment. This is a first for me and the World Race. This is the first time we have actually sent teams in to Eastern Europe. We are excited to see what the Lord is doing and how we get to partner in those great things.
I have been here for literally two days and am surprised to see how two worlds literally converge in a place such as this. On one side their is what seems to be a first world environment growing with all the material fashions we are used to in the states and yet turn your head and you can still see the struggles many people face in this post communistic society. The struggles seem to be far from over as a world of two very different ideologies converge. A younger generation seeks out independence an freedom of expression (clearly seen in the fashion forwardness of the younger population) and the older generation cling to years of structured instructions on how to live. Both have their goods and bads. Yet both seem to be operating at the same time struggling to become the dominant thought of the day.

I look forward to learning more even if my time here is short. Please join me in prayer for the people of Ukraine and that regardless of political and social paradigms, the Truth of our God will make itself known amongst the nations of Eastern Europe. Please pray for the teams as they make this transition.

Blessings
Jake

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Where oh Where..?

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:55:03 -0500

Where oh where in the world is Jake these days?

Last time I broadcasted I was in the Philippines... Was somewhere else with limited to no internet access... Where oh where?!!

Rumor had it that I was in China, possibly Hong Kong. Some had a thought that I was somewhere in Africa. Kenya one would suggest. Others even thought that I was even in South America. Well no more guessing...

I am back in the good’ol USA. After 3.5 months of being out on the field with the most amazing group of World Racers, the Oct 08 squad, I have found myself in Port Huron, Michigan. It really is a God thing. The rumors were true. Over the past several months, I have been blessed to see more parts of the world and the need for God. We started in Manilla, proceeded to China, and then East Africa. Having spent two months crossing the landscape of Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, there are several stories I am looking forward to sharing.

I have now been invited to be a part of the World Race leadership team. More specifically, I am partnering with an amazing team of World Race alumni coordinating the Setup and Logistics for the entire program. Talk about an amazing opportunity and crazy responsibility. God help me and the team.

Under the leadership of Michael Hindes, this team is working to meet the underlying question by many young adults of, “is this really all there is to living a Christian life?” I have had the amazing opportunity to see what a generation of young adults looks like as they go through a process of abandonment and surrender in an effort to find their true identity in the Kingdom of God. In such we have organized a team of alumni here in Port Huron, Michigan to lead this through the next coming years of growth.

It really is a nice change considering I have spent the greater part of the last two years in so many different places. At this point and for this season, I actually have a bedroom and bed to call my own. Talk about a stark change from living on the field and in so many different places. The nations will continue to call and I will have the great chance to serve as I get to serve the teams of WR’ers.

I thank you for hanging on to the sporadic blogs that have been posted. One of the luxuries that I currently have is pretty consistent access to the internet. Throughout all these travels, the miracles, the stories, the adventures, and just amazing stories of God showing himself true have all bottled up. I hope that you will continue to walk with me over the next several blogs as I finally take a moment to recount and remember them as I write them in blog format.

Thank you again for all your prayers and continued support. None of this would be possible without your willingness to partner with me in this God adventure. May the Lord bless you.

Blessings
Jake

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The Dumps of Manila

Tue, 7 Oct 2008 04:28:16 -0400

I am a believer that Jesus lives in the dumps. This is my second time to visit a community that calls the city dump home. And each time I have to believe that I have seen more Jesus in people than I do in most anywhere else. Let me share with you a brief story from my most recent visit.

We have setup two teams to work and serve with the Philippine Christian Foundation while here in Manila, Philippines. I had the privilege of visiting the dumps in which some 5,000 people call home. It challenges my senses and stretches my very sense of conscience when I see how people can have so little and literally have so much.

On the day I visited I was being toured around with two local Philippino musicians and their staff. They live in the greater Manila area and were being introduced to the dumps and the conditions therein for the first time. I tagged along trying to understand the conversations that were mostly in the local tongue of Tagala.

As we were walking around one young woman, from the artists’ staff, asked why I was there and what the World Race teams would be doing there. I replied with the typical, “We are here to serve, build, create relationships, evangelize, and...” When all of a sudden she stopped me mid-sentence. “Jake,” she interjected, “I believe in Jesus and God. But how do you evangelize and talk about Jesus in a place like this? The Jesus and God I know is a God that wants his people to be prosperous, fruitful, and he wants people to have a fulfilling life. Look around. How do you share that in a place like this?

Immediately, I felt like I knew where she
was coming from with her question. I
have grown up in a community and
church that painted Jesus and God in just
that manner. It’s not entirely wrong, by
any means, but it is an attitude that puts
God in such a small box. There is so
much more.

I responded, “It’s actually so much easier to share the Gospel in a place like this than it is even just across the street to someone who has so much more.” I continued, “This is a place where Jesus would come to bring hope to the hopeless and tell each man, woman, and child that they are loved. That while the world around them is continuously telling them that they are the lowest of the low. We have the opportunity to visit, and tell them that they are special, we like God love them, and that Jesus would have died for them too if they were the only person on the world.” They are THAT special in the eyes of Jesus. We have been given the opportunity to say that we have come literally from the other side of the world just to visit them and spend time with them. They are again, that special.

I had this young kid, named Jessica in hand. She had no shoes, a cute dirt stained orange outfit on, one tooth, and the biggest smile of all the little kids around as we walked and talked. I looked up at this young woman, with whom I was sharing, and noticed she had tears welling in her eyes and soon tear tracks running down her cheek.

She said thanks, as she admitted that she had been ministered to with such simple words. “You’re right, Jake,” she commented from behind her tears. Jesus is bigger than she had initially thought, and I believe He had just busted out of the box in her own life. I was touched at how Jesus once again had made himself known from within the midst of one of the dirtiest places on earth I have ever visited.

I pray that this story touches your heart just as much as it did mine. Let’s remember that our Lord loved us first!

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Equipping the One... to Serve the Many!

Wed, 3 Sep 2008 21:30:56 -0400

Greetings to each of you my friends and supporters. I must admit that I have struggled to write this blog. It has taken me a bit to actually understand why, and after a bit of time trying to figure it out, I have come to the conclusion that there remains a horrible trait within me that I thought I had dealt with. PRIDE. DAMN this thing we call PRIDE. ahhhhhhh. While I do believe I have grown significantly when it comes to this, it isn’t until it comes to writing this blog that I realize it has a nasty habit of poking it’s nasty head again. Let me explain.

I have shared with you in the past that while I was traveling last year I learned that my calling is truly for the field workers. While many are called to serve the poor, the orphaned, and the widows, I have truly come to realize that my calling is to serve those who serve the poor, orphaned, and widowed. In other words, I feel my calling at this point is to “Equip the One... To Serve the Many.”

Over this past year, I have been able to serve the World Race missionaries as they have served in Bolivia and India. My primary role has been to assist with various logistical needs as the teams transition from country to country.

Locally, I have had the pleasure of helping a local youth group and youth pastor in Michigan. I have also been able to work with SDG in installing AV equipment in two brand new churches.

Each of these experiences has been based on the calling to live this year entirely on faith. Each day has been taken care of by faith. As I have mentioned before I have never been without. The Lord really has afforded me with all this opportunities by His provision.

So as I am here this evening, I now have the joy of sharing with you my most recent opportunity to serve the field workers. Outreach Outfitters and I have been asked to help the October 2008 World Race team as they start their travels at the end of this month. If you recall I spent the last part of my travels last year doing setup and logistics for our squad as we traveled through SE Asia and China. Well as one would have it, that is exactly where this team is going to start. So I have been asked to assist this squad with their setup and logistics needs through the end of the year. This is a great opportunity for me to serve the field workers and indirectly the people of the Philippines, China, and then Kenya.

This will mean I will travel along side the squad for the first three months of their trip with three main responsibilities. First to assist them in working with local contacts in coordinating various setup and logistical needs. The second, is to work with the squad leader, Allison Johnston, in developing future leaders. Third, but far from least, I will be working to expand the network of contacts throughout each of this countries for future teams to partner with.

So bring in the part about pride. Because this opportunity is still founded in the field of international missions, it means that the need for financial supporters still exists. In creeps the nasty thing called pride. It is difficult for me sometimes to say ‘HELP!” I would love to say I could do it by myself, but that would be a lie. Instead, I have to embrace the idea that international missions is a community project. A community that includes you and me. I don’t know why it is so hard for me to ask, but here I am putting myself out there.

So here it is. To heck with the pesky thing I call pride in my life. I NEED YOUR HELP! I need your help to serve those who are serving the poor, orphaned, widowed, hopeless, and those in need of people who reflect God’s love. I need to raise $6,500 in order to help offset the costs required to travel to Philippines, Hong Kong, Mainland China, and Kenya.

I am asking you to pray and partner with me as we will continue to serve those in need. If you feel compelled to partner with me please follow the link provided. It will take you to the WORLD RACE support page so you can process an online contribution. Regardless of the amount, I promise you that every bit helps. Please remember that it is a tax deductible donation. You have the option of being a regular monthly supporter please reply via the comment link so I can get you the automatic debit forms.

Long story short. I have been given an opportunity to serve 53 outstanding world racers for the remaining part of the year, and I need your help to make that happen. By being either a fiscal supporter or a dedicated prayer partner the assistance you provide is so greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance and I look forward to sharing the testimonies with you as they unfold.

Thanks again and blessings to you and your entire family.

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