The Journey - Winter 2019

Journey The

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

Winter 2019

Embracing Family.

Local couple shares their passion for adoption and foster care with High Country families through Chosen Ministry.

LARRY CLARKE CALDWELL HOSPICE ZENAT DROWN AMANDA OPELT

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Inspirational Stories by People You Know

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THE JOURNEY | Winter 2019

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NOT AFRAID OF THE SHADOWS The Life and Legacy of Larry Don Clarke

By Debbie A. Newton

JOY IN THE JOURNEY

Caldwell Hospice focuses on helping people enjoy life with the time they have left

By Nikki Roberti

CHOSEN TO ADOPT

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Couple leads ministry to walk other families through the process of foster care and adoption

By Camryn Whaley

A REFUGEE’S STORY:

Jesus, My Safe Place

By Zenat Drown with Bonnie Church

THE SECRET OF CONTENTMENT

A new mother’s perspective on finding joy among the thorns

By Amanda Opelt

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This magazine is intended to present people’s stories about their personal relationships with God from their point of view. We endeavor to have a diversity of perspectives from people who identify themselves as followers of Christ. However, we cannot personally endorse all that is said. What we can endorse is that people who share their testimonies have experienced God’s love in real ways, and our encouragement for you, is that you also can experience His love wherever your journey takes you.

Cover Photo: One big happy family: The Kimbros at home with all of their children, from left to right: Amber Kimbro, Kassidy Kimbro, Kaleb Kimbro, Karen Kimbro, Mike Kimbro, Luke Kimbro, and Karson Kimbro. Photo courtesy of We Are The Hoffmans

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Journey The

Owner & Publisher Ben Cox Chief Editor Nikki Roberti | Art & Design Director Zachary Hoffman Contributing Writers Debbie Newton |

Zenat Drown | Bonnie Church | Amanda Opelt Associate Editor Camryn Whaley | Contributing Photographers We Are The Hoffmans Social Media & Marketing Director Morgan Westerhoff | Proofreader Kayla Trivette Distribution Manager Connie Cox | Accounts Manager Heather Cotten

Online flip-through version available at: JOURNEYNC.COM 828.263.0095 | info@journeync.com 324 HWY 105 Ext. Suite 14 • Boone, NC 28607

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THE JOURNEY | Winter 2019

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By Ben Cox

I

’m grateful that you’re reading our 2019 Winter edition of The Journey.

Whether you picked up our newest edition at one of our many distribution points throughout the High Country or you’re reading our online flip-through version, I believe you are going to be inspired, encouraged and possibly even moved to tears by the powerful stories within these pages.

Perhaps you’ll even be motivated to support or join one of the causes that sprung from the experiences of the people who are featured in this edition; like ministering to the elderly, helping orphans or abused children find safe homes or even helping to stem the insidious tide of human sex trafficking through your prayers and/or your donations.

When I published the first edition of The Journey 12 years ago, one of my goals was to demonstrate through these stories, the one thing that differentiates the Christian faith from all other world religions: true Christianity isn’t really about religion. It’s about Relationship!

Establishing a real, intimate relationship with the God who created us is what Jesus Christ came to Earth to make possible. He did this by taking upon Himself the sins of the world along with the

punishment those sins deserved. Then He rose from the dead to confirm He really was the Messiah He claimed to be!

One key reason that the religious leaders of Jesus’ day crucified Him was because He preached that we didn’t need a religious system to connect us with God. He knew that when His three-year mission was complete, a way would be made for anyone to connect directly with God and join Him in His mission of overcoming evil with good.

“

Bearing that kind of fruit is only possible as we learn what it means to abide in Christ as He teaches us in John 15:4-5: “Remain in me, as I also remain in you.

No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

IT’S THE CHURCH’S RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE DISCIPLES OF CHRIST, NOT DISCIPLES OF OURSELVES

Could it be that one of our greatest failures in the churchworld is that we, like the religious system of Jesus’ time, work too hard to draw people to ourselves, and our manner and method of conducting Sunday (or weekly) corporate worship experiences and/or developing Christian ministries, while not devoting enough time to helping individuals connect with Christ on a personal level?

As a result, we unwittingly become like the religious systems that Jesus came to change. Today, I believe that Jesus is moving by His Spirit to challenge the Church not to fall into this religious deception.

In my opinion and experience, we spend much time, energy and effort on developing systems that keep people longing for more of what we can do for them instead of learning how to receive from Christ directly. Besides this, we can unintentionally force people into the molds of our particular brand or system or models instead of the mold that Jesus intended for us, which is Christ-likeness.

It’s the church’s responsibility to make disciples of Christ, not disciples of ourselves or the pastor or the movement or the denomination that we’re a part of!

Therefore, if we would make one of our top priorities to help people connect with Christ in a personal, intimate way for themselves, our corporate gatherings (large or small) would take on life and vitality that would enhance everything we’re trying to accomplish as His Body.

When we learn to work from a place of knowing Christ and having an intimate relationship with Him, then the work is not so laborious and the fruit comes as a byproduct.

“

1 John 3:8 is one Scripture among many that clarifies Jesus’ mission and purpose in an incredibly succinct way: “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”

To be Christ-like is to display the fruits of His Holy Spirit in our lives, which are described in Gal. 5:2223 as “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

My prayer, passion, and vision for this magazine is that it would spur every reader and the churches we are a part of or become a part of, to come to know the transformative power of God’s love in increasingly deep ways through the relationship He has made possible through Jesus Christ our Lord.

In this Christmas season and in the new year to come, may we all come to know Him and make His love known to a world that so desperately needs it. ...

T

his is the third edition in a row where we have featured a story by Amanda Opelt. Two of the stories were planned, and the other was a raw, authentic tribute to her sister Rachel Held Evans, a celebrated NY Times best-selling Christian author who died unexpectedly at age 37 due to brain swelling after complications from the flu.

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orchestrate. That’s how I got to know Amanda and Tim Opelt who are featured in this edition, but it’s also how I’ve come to know other talented Christian writers like our current editor, Nikki Roberti, and our past editor Yogi Collins, who have brought us great stories and helped others tell their stories in powerful ways. Now we’re experiencing a snowball effect where other local, talented writers are bringing to our attention amazing stories that two editions a year can’t contain. That is why we felt compelled to launch a new website dedicated to sharing blogs by other great writers and to enable you to access great stories from our past editions. Now, back to the Opelts!

Amanda and Tim Opelt are solid Kingdom citizens who I first met in church. Not only is Amanda a talented writer, she’s also a gifted musician with a God-given ability to usher people into the presence of God through her songs and worship. I have come to regard Amanda as a talented Christian writer, thinker, and communicator whose gifts can be used to inspire a wider audience here in the High Country than just the church she attends. For that reason, we are pleased to announce that Amanda will be crafting quarterly blog posts for the Journey’s website. Be on the lookout for her first two posts, which will discuss the importance of local art and how it connects us more deeply as a community, as well as the impact that social media has on our in-person relationships.

The Journey website will be updated regularly with your favorite stories from old editions as well as new content in the form of blogs. Visit us at www.JourneyNC.com.

THE JOURNEY | Winter 2019

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By Debbie A. Newton A Caldwell Hospice Volunteer

T

“

rust in the Lord with all your heart.” I’d see the recognizable words of Proverbs 3:5 painted on a foot stone as I walked the path that led into a rustic log home. It bore witness to the faith of those who lived within its walls, welcoming all who entered to listen to the testimony of a follower of Christ. As a volunteer with Caldwell Hospice, I’d go there to meet with a patient, Larry Don Clarke, and listen to his life’s story-- a story of following God’s calling and servanthood.

and dressed to go to church with their mother. Their father did not attend with them but would sit waiting in his chair for their return, and then yell and curse at their mother for attending church.

Larry passed into the heavenly kingdom in the wee morning hours of September 11th, 2019 while in hospice care. I can just hear Larry rejoicing with the saints at the feet of Jesus. If you asked him, “Who is Larry Clarke?” He would have answered without hesitation, “I am a child of the King.”

He was baptized with his family, including his father, who had a change of heart. After the baptism service, the choir director approached him and said, “Young man, I need your help. Could you help clean the baptistry and help fill it each time?” Larry felt so honored to serve his Lord and blessed to be given that privilege.

He was born on December 7th, 1947, to T. L. and Ruth Hazel Bowman Clarke in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Declared a Pearl Harbor baby by his parents, he was the fifth of seven children, four boys and three girls. He enjoyed a happy childhood, during which he spent summers on his grandfather’s farm. His beloved oldest brother, A. C., took on the role of watching out for Larry and his siblings. On Sunday mornings, A. C. would make sure they were all up

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It was through Larry’s observance of the faithfulness of his mother that he came to know his Savior as a young teenager. Larry deeply admired her servant’s heart. To him, she was like Ruth seeking to serve her Lord, and Larry wanted to follow in her footsteps.

With tears of joy, Larry said, “I would be satisfied to even wash the pots used for foot washing in heaven if asked, because there are no unimportant jobs in heaven.”

In his high school years, Larry opted to take a speech class in place of an English class. Larry said he was certain that is why he loved to gab so much. Being

Just for grins: Larry Clarke enjoys the company of his good friend Roger Newton, his hospice chaplain. Larry’s shirt was a silly gift from friends in New Mexico. He was a fun-loving guy who had a great sense of humor.

extremely poor, he grew up knowing that college wouldn’t be an option for him. So, upon graduating high school, he enlisted in the Marine Corps and served for three and a half years. His older brother, A. C., was a decorated career Marine, even flying the presidential helicopter. Together, Larry and his brother served combat duty in Vietnam.

On February 21, 1969, Larry married his sweetheart, Toni Mae Shepherd. February of this year marked their 50th wedding anniversary.

In Shreveport, he began studying forestry and soon earned his four-year degree thanks to the GI bill.

Larry jokingly said this is where he learned how to spell “tree.”

At the age of 21, Larry found himself balancing marriage, school, and a job working at South

Western Electric Power as a billing clerk. In the years that followed, he worked for a paving company in Louisiana and a lumber company in Arkansas.

He finally landed a job with the Bearden Lumber Company where, within a month, he was promoted to district forestry. This was Larry’s dream job.

Reminiscing with tears in his eyes, Larry pondered why God would work such a miracle in his life, why he would give him so much.

Then, his mother-in-law fell ill, and Toni wanted to move to Durham, North Carolina to be closer to her mom. At that time, they already had two small daughters together: Wendy and Holly. After their move, they would have a son in North Carolina named Jonathan, and Larry had the privilege to cut the umbilical cord. Years later, he got to baptize Jonathan as well.

THE JOURNEY | Winter 2019

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“Those were two extraordinary experiences!” Larry had said.

Selling their home and packing up, they moved to Durham, where Larry worked odd jobs for IBM, UPS, and the US Forest service for two years. He also took up teaching Sunday school on the side.

In God’s perfect timing, Larry was taught a lesson of patience and understanding when he was led to openly share his need for prayer in finding a permanent job. One of his Sunday school students approached him with a job opportunity, and later that same week he was contacted by IBM about a job.

Larry prayed over the matter, and he felt that God wanted him to take the job with his student. So, he did! This led to a deep friendship, and through God’s providence, both men felt called to eventually form an environmental company together called Zedek Company, named after Melchizedek in the Old Testament. They were Larry Clarke and Larry Hackworth, brothers in Christ and colleagues.

During this time, Larry, a chain smoker, had been trying to quit his addiction to nicotine with various methods: half day withdrawal, nicotine patches, and even hypnosis. Nothing worked!

Feeling frustrated and defeated, he recalled a dream he had of a baby lamb on the side of a hill, crying out for help from under a huge crushing rock. No one came, and Larry felt himself pass out when suddenly he saw the shepherd came upon the lamb, reached down, picked up and hurled the gigantic rock off the bleating lamb.

When he woke, he felt scared until he realized that God was the Shepherd, he (Larry) was the Lamb, and the rock was his addiction to nicotine. He had been trying to rid himself of the bondage of nicotine, but only the Lord could completely eradicate it.

From that very moment, Larry no longer had a desire to smoke. Larry didn’t know why God’s grace preceded on his life, but he knew that it did, and he praised Him for it.

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(right) Family man: Larry Clarke surrounded by his growing family. Standing behind the couch from left to right: son-in-law Brian Patz, daughter Holly Patz, son Jonathan Clarke, daughter Wendy Battle, and son-in-law Bob Battle. On the couch from left to right: Larry Clarke with granddaughter Emily Battle on his lap, Toni Clarke, and Dorothy Cook with granddaughter Erin Battle on her lap.

(below) Healing music: Larry plays his beloved guitar at his home in Durham in 1999. He loved to worship and share his love of God through music. He often played hymns and gospel songs to the residents of Ashe Living Center.

(left) Proudly serving their country: Larry served alongside his oldest brother A.C. in Vietnam through the Marine Corps. A.C. was a decorated career Marine, who even had the honor of flying the presidential helicopter.

that he had played it everywhere from Honduras to Guatemala, to Florida to North Carolina. He found solace in the music that rose from his heart and through his fingers in worship and gratitude to his Risen Savior.

Last August, Larry was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease. He had three to four close calls with death in years past, but now he was faced with his most difficult and final journey. His family sought assistance with Caldwell Hospice, serving the High Country for medical, psychosocial, and spiritual needs. Larry was so thankful for their visits and grateful for their medical care.

He said through every painful time in his life, God had taught him many lessons. With hospice folks, he was able to express his deepest concerns, fears, and needs. Through this final journey, I believe that God taught Larry true peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

Earlier in January, God had opened the door for Larry to visit the Holy Lands one last time with his church. He shared that during that time, his health was remarkable. It was those memories he would meditate on as he lay weakened from ALS. He would visualize the sites of Biblical stories and pondered how great God was, is, and will always be.

Always desiring of a servant’s heart, Larry served faithfully in the church as a deacon and a teacher, and he volunteered in numerous ways. In his community, he volunteered for: Red Cross, Samaritan’s Purse, Meals on Wheels, Ashe Pregnancy Center, Soup Kitchen, Freedom Farm, and the Prison Ministry.

One of his favorite volunteering events was playing his beloved guitar to the residents at Ashe Living Center. He fondly remembered the tears in the eyes of the residents as they listened and sang along. He loved playing his guitar, sharing

One of his memories was that of being above Jericho where King David would have viewed the valley that he mentions in Psalms 23. Larry stated there were five words that represented his life: “The Lord is my Shepherd.”

One of his favorite books was about Psalm 23, and he had been intrigued by the explanation given about the “shadow of death.” A shadow cannot hurt you.

He was not to be afraid.

God’s Word had become strikingly powerful in his life. With God’s urging, he felt compelled to tell his story, and he did to everyone that would listen.

THE JOURNEY | Winter 2019

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Comfort in Companionship: Caldwell Hospice patient Dorothy Norris (left) enjoys singing hymns with Chaplain Lance Perry (right) who visits with her regularly.

By Nikki Roberti November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month.

Hospice Chaplains play a vital role in many Christians’ lives as they approach the end of their Journeys. Please join us in celebrating the valiant work of Caldwell Hospice, pray for their patients and workers, and help us spread the word about their services to those that may need them throughout the High Country.

R

oger Newton will never forget standing outside the Dallas Texas Children’s Hospital carrying his five-year-old son in his arms. It was 1985, and his family was packed and ready to go into the mission field, but instead of heading out, they found themselves stopped with fear. Their son was too weak to walk.

The diagnosis? Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Cancer.

Newton found himself filled with questions.

“Why was this happening? Hadn’t we given up our pastorate, left family and friends to serve God?” he said. “We had to do as Abraham of old and pull back our hands. We prayed, ‘God, we gave our children to you at birth and this child is yours.’”

Fortunately, his son did recover and is a thriving adult today. But what ensued helped prepare Newton as he continued to work a life full of diverse ministry as a chaplain in the Air Force to a missionary in the field and even now as a chaplain for Caldwell Hospice serving the High Country.

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THE JOURNEY | Winter 2019

“This experience has truly prepared me to understand people with life-limiting illnesses and those who give care to them,” he said.

Newton has worked as a hospice chaplain since 1995 with a brief break in the middle. He originally left the Appalachian District Health Department Hospice when plans were being made to sell it to a for-profit hospice.

“I have strong feelings about hospice not making a profit for investors but being a ministry,” Newton said. “In Caldwell Hospice’s mission statement, it clearly states: ‘Hospice acknowledges our Christian basis, and as such, our overall purpose is to demonstrate the unqualified love of Jesus Christ in all that we do.’”

When he joined Caldwell Hospice’s team three and a half years ago, he said he was delighted because their mission aligned with his beliefs.

Recollections from over 96 years bring a quiet smile to her face. Dorothy was born on the Cone Estate, where her father was employed at the time. She learned compassion and hospitality from her mother ’s example.

“My mama used to feed people as they traveled through the Coffey Gap community where we lived near Grandfather Mountain,” she said.

“They would eat and sit on our porch to rest before continuing on their journey.”

Dorothy mirrored that model of caring as she worked for years in Appalachian State University’s dietary. “I would get up early and make biscuits to go with my homemade raspberry jelly to take to some of the students.

All these years later, there are still some of them that come to visit me.”

“Companions for the Journey” is more than just a tagline beneath the Caldwell Hospice logo.

For more than 37 years, being a companion for patients and families facing the end of life is exactly what they strive to be.

“Caldwell Hospice serves the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of terminally ill people and those they love,” Caldwell Hospice chaplain/faith liaison Lance Perry, DMin said.

“We recognize dying as a natural part of living, and we help patients live as pain-free and comfortably as possible.”

Each Caldwell Hospice patient has a complete care team that works together with them to develop a customized care plan that meets their specific needs and goals.

Dorothy Norris, a Caldwell Hospice patient being served in a local long-term care facility, continues to find joy in her journey.

Dorothy enjoys the visits with her care team which, in addition to Chaplain Lance Perry, include a physician, registered nurse, medical social worker, certified nursing assistant, and volunteer.

“Law’… we just have a real good time talking and visiting,” Dorothy said. She always enjoyed singing in the church choir, so when Perry asked if she wanted to sing some old hymns together, she was delighted. Accompanying with his guitar, the two sang old favorites like “Amazing Grace” and “Victory in Jesus.”

“Sometimes people stop in the hallway to listen to us sing,” Dorothy said.

Caldwell Hospice was founded in 1982 by neighbors taking care of neighbors. Since 2014, Caldwell Hospice Serving the High Country has had the privilege of providing palliative and hospice care to more than 1100 patients and families in Ashe, Avery, and Watauga Counties.

Most of those patients receive care wherever they call home—a private residence or longterm care facility. Caldwell Hospice’s High

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Country team members—including physician, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, certified nursing assistants, medical social workers, chaplains, clinical and administrative support, volunteer coordinator and volunteers—all live and work in the High Country.

“Caldwell Hospice focuses on the quality of life for whatever quantity of life remains,” Perry said. “It surprises many to learn that our real focus is on living.”

IT “ SURPRISES MANY TO LEARN THAT OUR REAL FOCUS IS ON LIVING

“Hospice allows people to control the last chapter of their life and make and do those things they feel are important,” Newton said. “People should not fear hospice but embrace the help hospice gives after a life limiting diagnosis is given. Caldwell Hospice aids in the physical relief of symptoms but also with psycho/social symptoms. And Caldwell Hospice has its basis in the spiritual care and often that is now the only thing that matters.”

Looking back at those uncertain years when his young son was sick, Newton said that was the beginning of his calling to serve people facing extreme medical hardship and terminal circumstances. He walked with the other families through the ups and downs of cancer as his family went through it too. They saw many miracles, but also great and tragic loss.

Through it all, Newton said he found comfort in 2 Corinthians 1:3-5.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord

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THE JOURNEY | Winter 2019

Now, all these years later, he strives to share the same comfort and peace he found in Christ to those he serves at Caldwell Hospice.

“Being a minister at Caldwell Hospice is not a job. It is a calling,” Newton said. “I honestly would minister to those with life threatening illnesses for free.”

“

Unfortunately, many patients are referred to hospice services late in the disease process.

Some are referred so late they cannot fully realize the full positive impact hospice is known to have on physical and emotional comfort and overall quality of life.

Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.”

Caldwell Hospice is the only community-owned hospice care provider in Watauga and Ashe Counties, and one of two in Avery.

Caldwell Hospice’s expert team is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to walk with you through care options that best fit your needs.

To discuss resources available to you and your family: call 828.754.0101 or 1.844.MY.JOURNEY or visit www.caldwellhospice.org.

They will listen to you, understand your unique healthcare needs, and help navigate through care options based on your wishes.

Their team is specially trained to design a customized care plan to meet the specific needs of people living with a serious or terminal illness.

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By Camryn Whaley

Still growing: The entire Kimbro family, from left to right: Amber Kimbro (daughter), Amber Kimbro (wife of Kaleb), Kassidy Kimbro (daughter), Kaleb Kimbro (son), Karen Kimbro (mother), Mike Kimbro (father), Luke Kimbro (son), Karson Kimbro (son), and Anna Kimbro (wife of Luke).

W

hen you first meet Mike and Karen Kimbro, the first thing you notice about them are their smiles. They’re genuine, friendly, and know exactly how to make someone feel welcome. It’s evident that they have a passion for people, serving them, and doing so through Christ.

“Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.”

Mike and Karen have always wanted to adopt children. The desire was even there long before their two biological sons were born. But they weren’t aware of what difficulties they would face to pursue that calling placed on their heart.

This verse spoke straight to Karen’s heart, and she realized that no matter what she had been through in her past, Jesus was her redemption, and through him all her sins were already forgiven. Since then, her faith has been unshakable.

“

JUST AS HE CHOSE US IN HIM...

TO ADOPTION AS SONS

BY JESUS CHRIST TO HIMSELF

Mike Kimbro grew up in a From travels to Guatemala Christian home. He went and to China, they’ve through the motions of being experienced the highest baptized at the age of nine. highs and the lowest lows Still, he struggled to feel like ~ EPHESIANS 1:3-4 that go hand-in-hand with he had a real relationship adoption plus everything with God. Then, when he was in between. But during the hardship, God was 16, Mike was inspired by a counselor at Fort at work. Not only did they add to their family, Caswell who took him under his wing. they would eventually start Chosen Ministry to help walk others through similar experiences.

“I saw people living their lives for Christ, and my life changed dramatically from that week “I think that’s why God allowed us to go on,” Mike said. through some difficult years,” Karen said. “And I’m very thankful for it.”

Chosen Ministry began as a committee at Alliance Bible Fellowship to provide support Karen Kimbro was raised in a Christian and resources for foster and adoptive families. household. At seven years old, she was baptized Since 2014, Chosen Ministry has donated at Greenway Baptist Church in Boone. But as funds to families going through the process of she grew up, she struggled with her faith, and adoption, held regular support group meetings even felt irredeemable in God’s eyes. Seeing for foster and adoptive families, and pointed older, devoted believers, she often prayed, people to the right resources. Chosen Ministry “Lord, give me the faith like they have.” Soon, also provides people with the crucial love and He answered her prayer. spiritual support they need to succeed in the intense journey of foster care and adoption.

Karen had a life-changing experience at the age of 21. She attended a Sunday school class where “It’s not an easy area, adoption and fostering. the teacher read from Ephesians 1:3-4 (NKJV), It’s tough on families, it’s tough on everybody which would eventually give Chosen Ministry concerned,” Mike said. “But it’s more than its name: worth it.”

“

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THE JOURNEY | Winter 2019

A new chapter: Karen and Mike holding their adopted daughter from Guatemala, Kassidy. Kassidy is the first child that Karen and Mike adopted.

According to the ministry’s website, there are over 143 million orphans in the world today.

“In North Carolina alone, there are 10,324 children in foster care, with 2,739 waiting to be adopted. In addition, 450 kids aged-out in 2015 without ever finding their ‘forever family.’ We, the Church, must address this crisis.”

Funding assistance is the original reason Chosen Ministry was founded.

“If somebody wants to adopt, the church should pay for it,” Mike said. “Nobody should ever go into debt.”

Mike estimated their adoption in Guatemala roughly cost $20,000. According to Adoption. org, of the non-stepparent adoptions that occurred in 2018, 26 percent were from other

countries. For families who choose to adopt internationally, the financial aspect can be a significant struggle.

Mike and Karen’s first adoption from Guatemala was a difficult experience. They felt called to adopt, and once they saw a picture of a little three-month-old girl from Guatemala, they knew they were meant to bring her home.

However, once you choose a child to adopt, the process can take a painstakingly long time.

“So, it’s kind of like being pregnant, except it was only seven months, but you know there’s this child down there,” Karen said.

Once they arrived in Guatemala, they were told they wouldn’t be able to get the necessary documents and paperwork in time before the

THE JOURNEY | Winter 2019

28

Part of the family: Karson Kimbro holding a bundle of sticks in his backyard. Karson was adopted from China when he was a toddler.

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THE JOURNEY | Winter 2019

American Embassy closed for the weekend.

Karen and Mike had to prolong getting their now ten-month-old daughter as well as reuniting with their two young sons at home.

“I was an emotional wreck,” Karen said.

Their trip had to be extended three more days, but on Monday morning, they were finally able to fill out all the paperwork and take their little girl home to meet the rest of her family.

Since their first adoption, Mike was raring to adopt again, but Karen wasn’t ready for the emotional, physical, and financial difficulties within the process. One day nearly two years later, Karen felt a calling on her heart to adopt again while reading the Bible and praying.

At the time, they were renting a house in Boone while struggling to sell their house back in Montana. Although they were going through financial adversity, a setback made even worse by unprecedented hurricane damage, Mike and Karen agreed the time was right.

They didn’t know exactly how God would provide for them, but they knew He would.

Mike sent out an email to let friends and family know they planned on adopting again and asked for help if anyone felt like they could give at the time. A good friend of Mike’s had told him in the past, “If you ever need money for adoption, just let me know.” Miraculously, within two hours, his friend replied to the email and the Kimbros had a $15,000 contribution toward their next adoption.

More and more blessings came swiftly after.

Within two weeks, Mike’s place of work, Mountain States Health Alliance, announced they would offer a benefit of up to $5,000 to employees who adopted. Following this, even more of their friends and family donated. The Kimbros were blessed with plenty to pursue their next adoption adventure.

After being told they would have to wait at least a year to adopt a little girl from China, Mike and Karen were prepared to keep waiting until the time was right. Their adoption agency, Dillon International, regularly sent out emails with the names and faces of children waiting to be adopted. Mike and Karen saw the face of their son, and they both knew he was meant to be part of their family.

Miraculously, they were able to go to China and adopt him within four months instead of waiting an entire year. Karson is now 16 years old and currently enjoying double enrollment in high school and community college.

Serving their community through faith is very close to the Kimbro’s hearts, partly because their community has served them so well. Their church and homeschool communities have surrounded them with support and love in raising their children. So, given the opportunity to give back, they were excited to step up.

After being frustrated at the lack of support and guidance while going through their own adoptions, the Kimbros felt called to start a group to help steer others through the experience. But starting Chosen Ministry wasn’t easy. At first, they found themselves with a large interested crowd, but unforeseen circumstances considerably shrunk that crowd.

“We had this great meeting and things were going to happen, and then nothing happened,” Karen said.

Mike and Karen found the brunt of the administrative work falling on themselves, and eventually, they decided to take on leadership of the group and took the reins of Chosen Ministry.

The Kimbros have faced many hardships through their adoption and ministry journeys.

But it’s clear to them the blessings have far

THE JOURNEY | Winter 2019

30

outweighed their trials. Mike and Karen insist they wouldn’t change anything.

“It’s easier now, looking back from this side of things,” Mike Kimbro said.

Their two biological children agree. They said they wouldn’t give up the experience of having adopted siblings for anything.

“The positive is when you see a prayer bring a child home. There is nothing like that,” Karen said with tears in her eyes.

be

an

incredibly

“NOTIT’S ABOUT

US. IT’S ABOUT GOD’S GLORY

Adoption and fostering aren’t only for small children and babies. There are numerous older children who need homes too. Once the Kimbros got their license to become foster parents, they began fostering a 16-year-old girl. Over the next few years, she grew in her faith with the love and support of the Kimbros and was baptized.

31

Support and interest are growing, but Chosen Ministry still urgently needs the support of its community. Even if families are unable to adopt or foster themselves, there is much they can do to help.

“If you can’t foster or adopt, you can support families,” Karen said.

People can sign up for the ministry’s volunteer list on Alliance Bible Fellowship’s website, where they’ll be notified whenever a family has a need, such as food items, baby supplies, school supplies, daycare, and more. People can also donate to the Chosen Closet, located at Perkinsville Baptist Church, which provides clothing and other essential items to foster and adoptive families.

“

Although adoption can challenging experience, it’s also undoubtedly a beautiful and rewarding one.

with families in a single day. This is a vital way the church needs to fulfill its duty to the community and the many children in need of families. Whether it’s donating money to the families who need financial help or being those families themselves, Mike firmly believes the church needs to play a much larger role.

Karen said she remembered the conversation she had with her husband on Christmas Eve in 2018, where she told him she knew they needed to make her a part of her family. Less than a year later in July of 2019, the Kimbros adopted her at the age of 20.

Increasingly, they’ve been sought out by other churches and members of the community who have adoption, fostering, or simply volunteering on their hearts. The Kimbros’ strong faith in God has acted as an unshakable foundation through all of the years and the challenges that they’ve faced together.

Unfortunately, Mike said, far too much of the responsibility for adoption and fostering is often overlooked by the church, but many organizations are working to bridge the gap.

Karen and Mike truly have servants’ hearts, and although they’ve been instrumental in forming and leading an incredibly important ministry, they’re very clear about where credit is due.

One of the organizations he admires is Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO), which holds adoption and foster events at large churches.

Through this organization, a massive list of children in need of fostering can be matched

“It’s for His glory,” Karen said. “None of this that we’ve done, or what’s happened to us-- it’s not about us. It’s about God’s glory, and that’s what I want Chosen to be about. It’s about Him.”

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I

By Zenat Drown with Bonnie Church was born on the northern border of Afghanistan.

The Soviet Union withdrew from the country shortly after my birth, and a civil war erupted. When the Taliban swept in, they brutally enforced Sharia law and our family decided to flee Afghanistan. We moved to Balochistan, a province of Pakistan, where I experienced life as a refugee. Our family of 6 rented

35

THE JOURNEY | Winter 2019

a small single room. To afford the rent we all had to work. We cleaned and cooked and babysat.

My father ruled with an iron fist. To him, domestic violence was the norm passed down through generations. He was raised by a father who beat his mother for the smallest infraction – the spinach was too salty, a plant had been trampled in the garden,

Outsiders: Zenat approaching some children that live outside of the Sharya Camp who aren’t allowed to go to school. She invited them to join her photography class to escape the heat and interact with the other children.

Located in Northern Iraqi Kurdistan.

the door wasn’t answered quickly enough when he knocked to come in. My father carried on that tradition in our family.

He divorced my mother and re-married a woman from a minority ethnic group. Many in her family called me “the black one” because of my darker skin complexion, and when I was seven, her brother began to sexually abuse me.

While in Pakistan, I met some American missionaries.

Their kindness stood in stark relief to the pattern of beatings, cursing and rejection I was accustomed to.

I was drawn to them.

Their home was a safe and peaceful place. It became a refuge for me. I remember a special book they had with the picture of a smiling man with a lamb over his shoulders on the cover. They said that man was Jesus. I had many questions about who He was.

Leila’s Story First, I am sold My name is Leila*. I am 17 years old, and I am a student at Greater Change’s community center. On August 3, 2014, I was taken captive as a sex slave by ISIS. When I was put in the market for sale, a man in his forties or fifties bought me for $10,000.

He was called The Prince. He took me to his home, untied my hands, took off my blindfold and told me, “You do not need to fear me, girl.” That’s what he called me: “girl.” Unlike many other stories of the girls that I have heard, my story is a little bit different. The man who was an ISIS member was not the perpetrator. It was his 20-year-old wife. He was extremely wealthy and everyone respected him. He had two daughters: one was two and the other was three years old. When he brought me home, he told his wife that I was an orphan and I was an innocent child; she needed to be nice to me. He said that he bought me because he wanted to save me from the slave market. When he would go

Beautiful inside and out: After seeing other kids make fun of one of them, Zenat took a photo with two young girls who were released from ISIS captivity. Taken outside Greater Change Center in Northern Iraq.

They eventually helped my family apply for a UN program that resettled us to Chicago. I was 12 at the time.

In America, things were different. In Afghanistan, it was a man’s right to beat his wife and children.

In America, domestic violence was a crime. Women and children have rights. Though we were living right in the middle of the land of the free, my father’s oppressive control prevailed behind closed doors.

One night, I slipped out of the house with some girlfriends, and when I came home, he beat me badly and threatened to kill me. When he went to sleep, I escaped from the house by jumping out a window. I injured my ankle and was in pain, but I kept moving.

I decided I would end my own life by sitting on the train tracks near my home.

While sitting there, waiting for the end, I heard a voice so real and so clear. That voice was urging me to go to the house of a Wheaton college student I had met. I went to her house, and she welcomed me in.

In the morning, she and a friend took me to the police station. I was terrified. She said, “Let’s pray before we get out of the car.”

As they were praying, I had a vision of the door

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THE JOURNEY | Winter 2019

opening and a man holding his hand out to me. The sun was shining brightly around him. He said, “Come with me and everything will be OK.” The man and I walked together for several steps and then he disappeared. I looked around.

The girls were still praying. I know that the man was Jesus, the kind man I saw on that book at the missionaries’ home.

Jesus appeared to me when I needed him most.

At the police station, we were greeted by a police officer who had been alerted that we were coming. The police obtained a restraining order against my father and arranged for me to become a part of a Christian program for young women from difficult backgrounds. There I learned about Jesus. I’ve been following Him ever since.

My life changed dramatically. I met my husband, a former US Marine. We now have two sons. The men in my house are kind and encouraging. We all love Jesus and desire to serve Him. In 2015, our family was on assignment with a Christian relief organization to serve refugees in Iraq. There, I met a community of Yazidis. ISIL’s assault on the Yazidi population has resulted in 500,000 refugees and several thousand killed and kidnapped. I felt their pain. I knew what it is like to be a stranger in a strange land. I grew to love this special community.

After two years of living in Iraq, I saw a gap in service to these refugees. While a lot of organizations distributed care packages and goods, there were not many who were focused on the long-term needs of these communities.

As my family prayed about our purpose in Iraq, I felt directed to found an organization to serve these

women and children. We had been saving up money for a big 10 year anniversary party. We decided that could go a lot farther helping others.

In 2017, we launched our ministry, Greater Change.

Through Greater Change , we offer educational programs, trauma counseling and skill training to women, youth and children.

We found a house to launch our work. The man who rented us the house felt what we were doing was so important that he was willing to let us fix it up and use it for the first five months for free.

At the end of our first year, we learned that another relief organization, who was serving in a refugee camp near us, was leaving the area. They were looking for someone to take over their center. We stepped up and offered to run it ourselves. That launched our work inside the refugee camp.

30,000 refugees live in this camp. These are people who have experienced the trauma and terror of war, and many have lost family members. We are there to be a balm of healing and a force of empowerment.

One day while I was at the center, a disheveled young boy showed up for class. I could tell he was struggling. I asked him how he was doing, and he told me that his father had hung himself the night before. His father kept telling everyone in the house that he was hearing voices tell him to do this, but no one took him seriously — until it was too late.

I asked him why he was at the center and not with his family. He said, “This center is the only place I feel safe and at peace.” He begged me not to send him back home.

This is what motivates me to keep this place open – to continue providing that safety, warmth and love for people who are so hungry for it.

While Greater Change focuses primarily on women, youth and children, the men need help too. They are the ones who have the authority in the camp. One

to work or go outside the house, his wife would beat me with a cable or extension cord. She didn’t let me sit at the dinner table with them, but he would always correct her and make me sit with them. He would tell her that I was part of the family. One day when he was gone, she beat me so hard that my leg started bleeding and went numb. I can’t feel it to this day. She didn’t know that he would come home early to surprise her that day, but he walked in as she was hitting me and he immediately took the cord out of her hand and told her not to do that again. Then there was a day the bombing started. There was smoke, loud noises. When he stepped out of the house, he was killed by a bomb from the sky.

Sold for the second time His wife then sold me to a Syrian trafficker. I don’t know how much she sold me for. He was a middle-aged man and looked like somebody who could be working with the military. He blindfolded me and another girl and took us to Syria, trying to convince us not to be scared of him because he worked with the government and was there to rescue us. He took us into a very scary building in the middle of the desert. He locked the door on us and told us not to try to escape.

Khawla The other girl who was with me was about 10 years old. One minute she was scared, the next she was very angry. Sometimes she would sing songs. She whispered old songs about the beauty of Mount Sinjar as she paced around the room that we were locked in. I tried to be very cold and not to get attached to her. The Syrian man who dropped us at the house would “visit” us three times a week. Sometimes he would bring us food and water. I didn’t care much about what he did to me but it was extremely painful for me to watch what he did to the little girl.

Sometimes he would make me leave the room, and I would try to cover my ears. We were helpless; just pieces of property. We had no calendar and no concept of time. The only way I could tell what time it is was would be to watch for when the sun would rise and when the sun would go down. The 10-yearold girl was named Shama. After days and months passed, I started to get extremely attached to her. We were in the building for two years.

The Love Project Pastor Morris Hatton of Morris Hatton Ministries & High Country Bible Fellowship invites you to consider this 21-Day Challenge

Read aloud twice a day for 21 days; once in the morning and the last thing at night before sleep. If you miss a day, START OVER. This will change your life. Don’t try to “make anything happen,” JUST READ! The word of God has the power to bring itself to pass.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (AMPC) Love Endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display Itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); It is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s Love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fade-less under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. Love never fails [never fade out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. As for prophecy (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), it will be fulfilled and pass away; as for tongues, they will be destroyed and cease; as for knowledge. It will pass away [it will lose its value and be superseded by truth].

1 Corinthians 13:13 and so faith, hope, love abide... of these three; but the greatest of these is love.* Scripture taken from the Amplified Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockerman Foundation. Used by permission of Zondervan.

*Agape - Unconditional Love

Hatton, a native of Boone, NC, has been preaching the Word since 1974; after attending The Mennonite Brethren Seminary in Fresno, California. Hatton is the pastor of High Country Bible Fellowship. He is also a talented musician that currently travels throughout the United States and Canada spreading the gospel in song while also teaching the word of God. Every morning at 7 a.m. EST, Reverend Morris Hatton conducts a live-stream through Facebook Live. During this live-stream, Rev. Morris Hatton plays some music on his keyboard and delivers Daily Devotions for at least 30 minutes. “I call it cell phone evangelism,” says Rev. Hatton, “we must use the technology of today to touch the World for Christ. I am speaking to the people who would never have the oppotunity to hear the Gospel preached.” Rev. Morris has been utilizing online-based ministry for 2 years, but has been involved in ministry for over 42 years.

To participate in our live-stream, visit us on Facebook at: Morris Hatton or High Country Bible Fellowship.

Visit Us At: Morris Hatton Ministries P.O. Box 212 • Boone, NC 28607 MorrisHattonMinistries.org morris.hatton@outlook.com MorrisHattonTV.org HighCountryBibleFellowship.com highcountrybiblestudy@yahoo.com 39

THE JOURNEY | Winter 2019

Pastor Morris Hatton

A family man woman told me, “You want to educate and empower me? Why don’t you educate my husband who has been beating me up?” We invite the men to be a part of Greater Change so they can learn new skills and attitudes toward their wives and children.

Our center served over 1,200 refugees last year.

Managing from a distance has its drawbacks, but I am continually on the phone with the local team, and I travel back to help oversee the operations. This long-distance management works because we have given the refugees ownership. We tell the members of the camp that this is their center and that we are just there to help them serve their community.

Giving ownership to the residents is critical to ongoing success. The reality is that NGOs (nongovernmental organizations) are not going to be there forever. We want the community to step up, to come up with their own solutions. And they are stepping up with joy.

In Iraq we have a country representative and a program manager to hold us accountable and keep our projects on track, and a group of local teachers to lead our activities.

No one in the US is paid, including me. We serve out of a desire to help this community see Jesus in our life and work. We are always looking for more volunteers who would like to bring their skills to our organization, whether it is on the administrative side, or traveling to the field to help people in the camp learn a new language or set up a business.

Most importantly we need a group of faithful prayer warriors.

One time when the Syrian man came to see us, I asked him where did he live.

He told me that he could not come often because he had a family and children. He was a family man, and he had to stay with his family. The day that the Syrian man sold me to another person, I was hoping to God that Shama would come with me since we had lived together for two years. All of a sudden, the Syrian man came and he told me, “Get your stuff, yallah (let’s go).” The next thing I knew, there was an altercation between him and Shama because she was holding onto me and screaming very hard. She did not want to be in that building by herself. In August 2018, I was separated from her and I will never forget that day. The Syrian man pushed her inside the room and locked the door behind him. She was scratching the door; banging on the door and screaming, “Don’t leave without me! I am scared!” When the Syrian man told me that I was going home to be with my family, of course, I didn’t believe him, because he lied to us the first time. A part of me was still holding onto the spark of hope. Maybe... possibly... I will get to see my family. As we drove away, I heard Shama crying. And for the longest time, I tried to put my hands on my ears. After an hour of driving, I could still hear her crying in my head.

A bittersweet reunion When I arrived at Kabarto Camp, it was bittersweet because I could not enjoy or be happy that I was being reunited with my family. Even sometimes now, I get these headaches because I can hear her cry. I wonder what happened to her. All I could think of was those dark nights that we spent alone together in that building.

Since my husband and I used our anniversary money to launch Greater Change, God has continued to provide for us in amazing ways. It feels like every month, we look at the organization account and wonder how we will keep things going, and every month God provides what we need.

Today, I wish to complete my high school diploma and to have my brother and father reunited with my family. But most of all I want to have someone help me with the psychological problem I have in my head. I can’t sleep at nighttime, and at daytime, and I am extremely agitated.

For more information, follow Greater Change on Facebook or sign up for the newsletter by visiting www.greater-change.org

I left one captivity, but now I find myself in another captivity because I still hear her voice in my mind, crying. Asking me not to leave her behind. *name changed to protect identity

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Amanda Opelt holds her baby daughter Jane Augustine.

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THE JOURNEY | Winter 2019

By Amanda Opelt

A

few years ago, I started a “Read the Bible in a Year” program. I did well for the first few months, but, as many people who have attempted to read through the Bible have experienced, I felt bogged down a bit in the Levitical Law. By the time I got to Ecclesiastes, I was well behind the original timeline, and I was worried.

I was familiar with Ecclesiastes. I knew the book talked about the meaninglessness of life, the futility of work and striving, and, frankly, I was not in a good place to be meditating on that line of thinking.

I’d gone through a season at work and in my personal life that had left me weary. Goals and initiatives I had set out to complete were unsuccessful. Relationships I’d invested in had disappointed. I’m a songwriter, and in spite of an enormous effort to produce quality work, I was in the midst of a severe bout of writer’s block. I was concerned that reading Ecclesiastes would send me headlong into a full-blown faith crisis. I didn’t need Solomon telling me life was futile; I was keenly aware of that on my own.

But rather than exasperating the problem, the poetry and prose I found in Ecclesiastes resonated with and comforted me more than any other time in my history of reading the scriptures. “’Meaningless,

meaningless!’ says the Teacher. ‘Utterly meaningless!

Everything is meaningless!’” (chapter 1, verse 2).

“All things are wearisome, more than one can say” (verse 8). “So I hated life because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind” (chapter 2, verse 17).

Solomon goes on to talk about the riches he acquires and the projects he sets out to complete, building houses and planting vineyards, constructing water reservoirs, and acquiring possessions. “What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless” (verse 22 and 23).

After reading these passages, I thought to myself, “This guy gets it! This is exactly how I’m feeling!”

Something about my work felt so wearisome, so fruitless.

This season in my life led me back to Genesis 3 where we find the pronouncement of the curse on Adam and Eve. It’s interesting to me that when most Christians think of the curse, they think about separation from God and the punishment of hell for those who are

THE JOURNEY | Winter 2019

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At nine months pregnant, Amanda Opelt anticipates the arrival of a little girl.

not in Christ. We know those things are implications of the fall, but when God outlined the specifics of the curse, He spent most of His time talking about something else: three things being cursed. The first is the serpent and his relationship with women; the second is the labor and childbearing experience; the third is work.

I’ve been thinking a lot this past summer about these things as well. I spent most of the summer pregnant with our first child, a little girl born on August 27th.

Overall, I had an easy pregnancy and labor, but I can still testify to the fact that the whole process does feel a bit cursed. Between pregnancy insomnia, nausea, swollen feet, and the screaming pain of contractions during labor, it’s hard to wrap your mind around how something so beautiful could come of something so painful and difficult. I’ve also been thinking a lot about the curse due to an unfortunate run-in I had with a snake at the beginning of the summer. Let’s just say a pregnant woman can move fast when confronted by one of those creatures, and my husband Tim is a hero and expert snake-slayer.

But the curse of work is one we can all relate to no matter the season of life we are in. We’ve all been there: a proposal we’ve labored over for months

is rejected by a boss at work, a garden we plant is uprooted by pesky rodents, a home we’ve renovated is damaged by flooding, a child we’ve loved and invested in turns away from the Lord, a friendship we pour into is cut off by a silly misunderstanding.

As verse 18 of Genesis 3 says, we sow seeds and yet we reap “thorns and thistles”.

One of the most profound ways I’ve experienced this was over a year ago when a pregnancy ended in a painful miscarriage. Years of wanting to have children and doctor visits and working to get my health in a place where that would be possible suddenly seemed futile and pointless. A seed had been planted and yet had withered and died before we could ever enjoy the fruit. I grieved in a way that only those who’ve experienced such a loss can understand.

Over the course of the last few years as I’ve wrestled with these things, I’ve learned a few lessons that have helped see me through. The first is to remember that it’s about God and not about you. I’ve found that often the thing I’m most bitter about when a work project fails is the loss of the accolades I would have received had I succeeded. I wanted the affirmation. We live in a world that tells us our identity and value is tied up in what we can produce. We must reject that lie and the notion that

JESUS “CALLS US

TO FAITHFULNESS, NOT TO SUCCESS

THE JOURNEY | Winter 2019

“

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Jane Augustine was born on August 27, 2018, 10 days before her due date. The name Jane means God is gracious.

Jane, who arrived earlier than expected, smiles at her father Tim on her due date.

what others think about us is who we are.

I’ve also learned that Jesus calls us to faithfulness, not to success. The writer and theologian Eugene Peterson refers to this as “a long obedience in the same direction.” When we are faithful to a task or an assignment God gives us, we may not always see the fruit of our labor, but we will always see the fruit of the Spirit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self- control. And this is the most important fruit we can have in our lives.

Additionally, it’s vital that we remember to trust God with the outcome of our work. He is sovereign and He is in control. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus says that He will build His church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. So even if I’m not experiencing “success” in my little corner of the world, it doesn’t mean that the plans of God are being thwarted or the growth of the kingdom is being stunted. I have to trust God to do what He does in the way He wants to do it.

And finally, I think the most important thing I’ve learned is that when I am fortunate enough to see the fruit of my labor, I need to savor and celebrate that. That means every day when I come home and sit down to dinner, I thank God for the paycheck my work earned me that allowed me to buy this food. It means I enjoy the vacation that my job affords me. It means that when a ministry I’m a part of or a project I’ve worked on is successful, I savor that and give

God the praise and glory. I cherish each and every kiss on the face of my new little baby girl, for though the labor was hard, I would do it a thousand times just to have her in my life. Solomon even affirms this idea. He says “A person can do nothing better than to eat, drink, and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God.” (chapter 2 verse 24) Or, as Paul puts it, “I have learned to be content in whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:11-13)

Every year my husband plants a garden, and every year I question the wisdom of that. Growing a garden in this mountain climate is risky. You never know when a late frost will kill the fragile seedlings.

Heavy rains can oversaturate the ground. Forest creatures and pests can wreak havoc. But every year Tim takes the risk of planting knowing he may or may not reap the fruit of his labor. And I think it’s because Tim simply enjoys the experience of labor, he loves getting his hands in the dirt, and loves the journey of watching the seeds grow. He trusts God with the outcome and rejoices over every little cherry tomato that slowly ripens on the vine. There have been years that we sowed seeds and reaped only thorns and thistles, but I’m reminded that when Jesus was crucified and bore the curse on His body for our souls, He was wearing a crown, not of gold or silver, but of thorns.

THE JOURNEY | Winter 2019

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12 | A.B. Vannoy Hams

03 | Dougnet

11 | McDonald’s - Boone

22 | A Plus Realty

47 | Dr. Pepper

42 | Melanie’s Food Fantasy

42 | All American Hearing Center

24 | Flooring Outlet

39 | Morris Hatton Ministries

51 | Appalachian District Health Department

34 | Frosty’s Choose & Cut

03 | Mount Vernon Baptist Church

24 | Appalachian Furniture

22 | Goodman & Boston, CPAs, PA

24 | Mountain Advantage Tree & Landscape

12 | Appalachian Innkeepers

17 | Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

49 | Mountain Town Dental

47 | Appalachian Legacy Funeral Services

22 | Guardian Insurance

11 | Mountain View Nursery and Landscaping

42 | Arete Engineers

34 | H&W Oil Company

06 | New River Building Supply

05 | Ashe Abattoir

34 | Hardee’s - Boone & Ashe

50 | Parker Tie Co.

12 | Austin & Barnes Funeral Home

22 | High Country Dining Pass

22 | Pollard Glass Co.

18 | Bare’s Tire and Auto Repair

32 | High Country Dining Pass

12 | Precision Cabinets

34 | Basic Finance

47 | High Country Insurance Services

07 | Restored Life Chiropractic

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24 | High Country Stone

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18 | Highland Landscape Supplies

18 | Scott Brothers

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23 | Hope Pregnancy Resource Center

42 | Skyline/Skybest

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12 | Smoky Mountain Barbecue

48 | Boone Paint & Interiors

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41 | Stick Boy Bread Company

07 | Boone Rent-All

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47 | Triangle Vending

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24 | Watauga Building Supply

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42 | Lifestore

22 | Wilkes Vocational Services

07 | Church of Jesus Christ

12 | Los Arcoiris Mexican Restaurant

11 | Yates Travel Services

07 | Dan’l Boone Inn

34 | Margate Health & Rehab

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