Miscellaneous Updates

There has definitely been a lot going on in the last couple of weeks for us. I can't believe how quickly July 11th is approaching! Here are some updates on some of the major happenings around our lives and the mission trip:

• Job(less) update - My last official day of employment is 7/15 & we have resolved to not worry about the hunt for a new job until I get back from Ireland. This has been a good time for Sarah & I to prayerfully consider what God wants us to do with our lives. We still have a lot of questions and (dare I say) doubts, but we sincerely desire to learn and grow from this experience.
• Support Raising update - As of today, 88% of the support for the mission trip has been given. There is only about a $300 gap between the goal and what has been given so far. God has truly blessed us with a supportive and generous church family and it is such an encouragement to have people partner with me in this trip. I am so excited to see what God does with all of this in the coming weeks.
• Wristband update - I ordered and received the wristbands that I will be taking along to give to the kids at the basketball camp. They turned out really well and there will be enough to last several years for Todd (the missionary I'm going to help) to use.
• Long term missions update - We are in the 2nd phase of the application process with a mission agency for consideration of becoming full-time missionaries to Ireland. This is a very exciting opportunity, but it is also a little scary because of the huge change it would mean to our lives. Please pray for us as we continue to trust God to lead us.

Wow - this post is really full of random thoughts! Honestly, there has been so much swirling around in my head that it just feels good to get a few things out there. By the way, please feel free to leave any comments or questions that you may have and I'll do my best to respond.

I haven't even left for Ireland yet and I am already amazed at what God has done so far. It is such a blessing to see His hand at work and to be able to share the ups & downs along the way. Thank you for keeping the Bryant family in your prayers!

OK God...now you have my attention

On Tuesday of this week, I found out that the department I work in was getting shut down - meaning that I am losing my job effective July 15th. Even with all of the problems in the mortgage industry, this still came quite unexpectedly and was pretty shocking to us.

Interestingly, I had been saying to Sarah over the last couple of weeks, "What would we do if I lost my job?" We both decided that if for some reason that happened, it would be a pretty clear signal that God was nudging us in to the next stage of our lives on the mission field.

We have many decisions to make in light of this situation. First of all, I am sure that I am still going to Ireland this summer as planned. If anything, this experience has strengthened my conviction that I need to make changes in my life and continue down the path that God is leading me.

I also wanted to share a couple of things God is teaching me so far through this:

Humility - This is a big one that I'm learning. I have been very blessed with a successful career. I always thought that if you worked hard, did the right things, and "played the game" in the business world that you would continue to move up the ladder and enjoy success. But just like in our Christian walk - you cannot earn your salvation by how hard you work at being a Christian or by doing the right things. Playing the game of going to church means nothing unless your heart has been changed by the grace of God. Anything you have is not because of your own merits, but because it is gift from Him. A gift that He can give and also take away.

Trust - I know that if we are going to be serving in the mission field, we need to know how to trust God completely. This experience will be a good opportunity for us to walk the talk and learn that God is in control. Last night I was praying that God would help me to trust Him. This morning in my devotion I was reading Psalm 56 and was comforted by these words: v. 3-4: "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, In God I trust; I shall not be afraid." (ESV).

Please pray for us as we go through this challenging time. Pray that God would use this situation to build us up, to teach us, and to help us learn more about what He has in store for our lives.

One Month to Go!

In just one short month I will be touching down in Dublin to begin working with kids and their families to share the love of Christ! I thought I would share a quick update on some of the details of the trip and how God is pulling everything together.

• God is faithfully working through His people to raise up the support needed for this trip to be successful. $2500 is the amount necessary to cover the costs of the trip. So far 44% of this amount has been received - praise God & thank you to those of you have contributed already!
• Todd James, the missionary I will be working with, is graciously allowing me to spend the first week at his house. Not only will this help keep the cost of lodging down, but it will provide an opportunity for me to spend some quality time with Todd and get a real feel for the work he is doing and a sense for the mission field in Ireland.
• I am ordering 1000 silicone wristbands (similar to the "Livestrong" bracelets we've all seen) to take for the kids. They will read "J.A.M - Phil 4:13". J.A.M. is the name of the basketball camps that we will be running and stands for "Jesus And Me". I am also looking for some cheap, used basketball trading cards that I could take to hand out to the kids.

I continue to be humbled and thankful for the work God is doing and for the strong church family that he has surrounded me with. Just 30 days to go!!

Trusting God

I expect my work in Ireland this summer to be a test of my faith in several different ways. Will I be able to impact the lives of the kids I will interact with? Will my family be alright while I am away for 2 weeks? Will He faithfully raise the financial & prayer support needed for this work?

One thing I struggle with is letting go and instead, "letting God". I have such a bad habit of wanting to figure everything out on my own and being in control of my situation. Even though I should have learned by now that when I do this - nothing happens. Or at least, nothing good happens!

James 4:13-15 comes to mind - "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit'---yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.' (ESV)

If I am confident about something as big as God changing the direction of my life to be involved with His work in Ireland, why do I have such a hard time letting Him take care of the details? I have been so worried about support raising, where I will be staying in Ireland, how my family will be while I'm gone, and on & on. My God is the King of the universe - I think He can take care of all that!

Philippians 4:6-7 says: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." (ESV)

I am so thankful that I serve a God that listens to my requests and provides for my every need. Please pray for me to remember that this summer!

So...why Ireland?

Isn't Ireland already a "Christian" country? Is there really a mission field there? Sounds like more of a vacation than a "mission".

I have to admit that these were some of my thoughts as God began laying this place and people on my heart. It turns out there is a lot about this country that I did not know! For example...

• Ireland has the lowest percentage of evangelical Christians in all English-speaking countries in the world. Within a country that has over 4 million people and growing, only 30 thousand or so (less than 1%) say that they have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. In addition, Ireland ranks toward the top of European countries in regards to teenage suicide, teenage pregnancy, drinking, smoking, and unwed mother rates. Cocaine & heroin use is on the rise among all socio-economic levels, and divorce (previously illegal until 1997) is a new difficulty that families are adjusting to.
• Ireland is young, growing, and global. 40% of the population is under the age of 25 and 60% is under the age of 40. Due to the economic boom over the last 12+ years known as the "Celtic Tiger", the Irish are experiencing new high-paying jobs and increased opportunities. Wealth and materialism have contributed to an increasingly secular lifestyle for many. This phenomenon has also created a vacuum for less desirable jobs, attracting immigrants from other nations that bring their various beliefs and faiths with them.
• Revival is beginning to happen! While Catholicism is still an influence on the culture and country, few people have a living relationship with God. As little as 40 years ago, evangelical pastors were persecuted and imprisoned. More than 60% of evangelical churches have started within the last 25 years; 40% have started within the last 10 years. Most of these churches are very small - between 20-50 members and sometimes without trained or paid leadership. Today, there are approximately 400 evangelical congregations in Ireland (an increase from 150 in 1980).

So...why Ireland? The real reason is because that is where I feel that the Lord is leading me. However, in my research, I was amazed at the need that is present there! I just pray that God will use me this summer to draw people closer to Him.

Welcome!!

This is my first go at the whole blogging thing - but I wanted to provide a forum to document and share what God is doing in my family's life - so this is it!

Over the last several months I have felt a calling to share the Good News of Jesus Christ by using the universal language of sports. This summer, God has provided the opportunity for me to live this out as I travel to Ireland to work alongside a church-planting missionary there.

Todd James and his family have lived in Ireland for over 20 years and have started a church in Dublin. Todd has discovered that an effective outreach is running basketball camps for young people in the summer. You can check out the missionary organization that Todd works with at www.friendsmission.com. I will be coming along-side Todd to assist with coaching these camps and sharing the message of love, hope, and salvation with the kids who attend them.

There are still several details to be worked out, but I am so excited to have this chance to see God's plan and provision in action!

I plan on posting updates regularly - up to and through my assignment that begins July 12th and ends July 26th.

Thank you for checking out the blog and for your interest in our lives. God Bless!