Known Fall/Winter 2022

Fall/Winter 2022

TEEN ADOPTION POSITIONED TO DISCIPLE EMBRACE GRACE

WELCOME TO KNOWN , A MAGAZINE CENTERED AROUND KNOWING GOD AND BEING KNOWN BY HIM.

The heart behind these pages is to encourage you.

Our prayer is that when you read these words that you would be reminded of God’s great love for you; that in this cluttered world, the Creator cares for YOU. You are known by Him. You matter to Him. We also pray that the personal testimonies, stories, and articles in this magazine point you to Christ and help you better know the character of God. This new endeavor is a work in progress, but there are core ideas that you can expect from every forthcoming issue of Known. We will always feature a heart story, a missional story, and a family engagement story.

Every heart story will be focused on a culturally relevant topic through the lens of the gospel. The knowledge that God knows everything about us yet still loves us is powerful.

Because of this great love, we are able to confront challenging topics head-on and to not shy away from a topic just because it may feel uncomfortable.

Missional stories will share insights into local, domestic, and global mission partnerships we have here at Mars Hill Church. The more we know God, the more we desire to love like He does. One physical manifestation of this is serving others. Missional highlights in this magazine will better equip you to pray for and help with needs right here in our community all the way to the ends of the earth.

Our focus on family engagement will always be to help parents shepherd their children to Christ. We want to partner alongside you as you help your children know God. The family segments in this magazine will include ideas, resources, and activities for families to engage together in meaningful, gospel-centered family time.

Along with these three segments, every issue of Known will have many other fun, interesting, thought-provoking stories, all focused on helping you Know God and to remind you that you are Known by Him. And if you find yourself wanting to know Him more, please know you are always welcome at Mars Hill Church.

KNOWN MAGAZINE EDITOR Tricia Butts WRITERS Bekki Buckley Marshall and Amberly Buckley Tricia Butts Madison Flowers Katie Grubbs Chris and Katie Jett Sarah Last The Teaching Pastors of Mars Hill Church Kate Yates DESIGN Sophie Miller PHOTOS Bree Anne Amberly Buckley Bekki Buckley Justin Campbell Laura Chouette Lynette Giesbrecht Brad Hill Katie Jett Ben Kolde Sarah Last Annie Spratt Norwood Themes Krista Ungurs WEBSITE pomh.org

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TEEN ADOPTION

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How one Mars Hill matriarch left a legacy with the Aaronic Blessing.

One family shares how God grew their family through teen adoption.

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EMBRACE GRACE

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POSITIONED TO DISCIPLE

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FAMILY DISCIPLESHIP: JETTS How one family approaches discipleship within their home and what their kids have to say about it.

Is the great commission for a certain group of people in certain locations or is it for every Christ follower?

DIALOGUES, DOCTRINE, & DISCIPLESHIP

MASATEPE TRIP 2022 After a covid-induced hiatus, a team returned to Nicaragua in July and shares their experience.

How Mars Hill is walking with parents through unplanned pregnancies and how you can participate.

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MAMA’S BLESSING

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WHAT NOW? A gospel-focused response for the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the teaching pastors of Mars Hill

A recap of the college ministry’s spring break 2022 trip to Salt Lake City, Utah.

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PICKLES FOR MY BABY

SHOWING MERCY A medical mission trip to Uganda opened Sarah Last’s eyes to a deeper understanding of God’s mercy.

One brave mama shares her story of near-abortion and why she chose life instead.

“LET PRESENT PRIVILEGE AWAKEN US TO PRESENT DUTY, AND NOW, WHILE LIFE LASTS, LET US SPEND AND BE SPENT FOR OUR SWEET LORD JESUS.” Charles Spurgeon

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Around 1997, the first person to contract HIV in the state of Mississippi died of AIDS. He was a young physician in a small town with a beautiful wife and pre-school age daughter. He suffered from hemophilia and his medication had unknowingly been tainted with blood from a donor with AIDS. I was an awkward 8th grader in that small town and his beautiful wife was my Sunday school teacher at the First Baptist Church one block off Main Street. I can’t tell you a single Bible verse we learned that year or devotional we discussed, but the lessons I learned sitting in a metal folding chair in that bare room are the ones I have carried with me throughout my life.

Mrs. Vicki was so strong, even when breaking down into sobs mid-verse. Watching the steadfastness of her faith while in the shadow of her husband’s looming death was profound for this emerging teenager. Week after week, she left her frail husband in his armchair at home to come teach a room of eighth grade girls. She always started the lesson with a smile but often paused and lowered her head to cry. I remember how we would sit there, not sure what to do, but would eventually gather around her in one big hug.

Fast forward to a Sunday morning earlier this summer. We had all overslept and there was no way our family of six would be dressed and ready in time. I had to be at church for a volunteer spot, so I hurriedly threw on some clothes, brushed my teeth, threw a headband on my head and was running out the door. I was backing out of the driveway when our four year old ran out of the house, dressed for church, and waving me down to stop.

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I opened the van door for him to hop in. When I asked him why he had rushed to get ready and go to church, his answer was simple.

“I want to learn about Jesus. God is so good to me.”

I was shocked because none of my children are ever voluntarily spiritual. They are actually quite feral. I thought about what he said on the entire drive to church. I prayed a prayer of thanksgiving for the volunteers who sign up to teach my fouryear old about Jesus in such a way that when given the option of staying home or going to church, he chooses church.

You are someone’s Mrs. Vicki.

Think about it. What child needs your specific example to take root in their heart? Because you are a vital part of the Body of Christ, your influence is vital to the growth of our church family. We must never forget that there is a large group of unbelievers walking through the doors of our church every Sunday: our children.

Mrs. Vicki had every reason in the world to step down from being a Sunday school teacher. Everyone would have understood. But I am so grateful she chose to come to church anyway. No Lifeway curriculum could have ever taught me about being joyful in tribulation, persevering with the almighty strength of the Lord, and trusting in His sovereignty when your life is crashing more than it being modeled to me through her time spent with us.

The kids of Mars Hill need to see college kids serving in their classrooms because it shows them you don’t have to be a parent to serve the Lord in children’s ministry.

Hopefully, when our kids go off to college they will vol-

unteer to teach kids thanks to the example that was set for them.

The kids of Mars Hill need to see their moms and dads serving in their classrooms because it shows them that no matter how exhausted their parents are, serving the Lord takes priority in their lives. Hopefully, when our kids are grown and have children of their own, the discipline of church stewardship will be firmly ingrained in their hearts.

The kids of Mars Hill need to see adults walking through trials but choosing church even when it would be easy to step away for a season. Hopefully, when our kids endure seasons of suffering they will be encouraged to do the same.

This is not a guilt trip. This is a calling. One that we all have been given.

This calling is not one to shirk or flee from like Ninevah. It is an opportunity.

This opportunity is not a burden that we begrudgingly limp through. It is a blessing.

“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

-Romans 10:14-15 -Tricia Butts

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“Our individual lives alone are not a sufficient witness. Our lives together as church communities are the confirming echo of our witness.”

Mark Dever

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TEEN ADOPTION

BY MARSHALL AND AMBERLY BUCKLEY

We always knew adoption would be a part of our lives, but we did not know how or when this would become a reality for us.

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We both felt very strongly that we would grow our family through adoption, and at the time, we did not know if we would be able to have biological children as well due to some medical complications Amberly faced years before.

Fast forward eight years, and we had two biological daughters–who were 6 and 8 years old. We knew that our family was not complete, and we began praying about what our adoption journey would look like. We began the International adoption process in January of 2013, and we traveled around the world to China to bring our precious Anna home in May 2014 at the age of 22 months.

While we were in China, we both developed a burden for the older children who simply don’t get adopted nearly as often. Looking into the face of a child who understands the gravity of their situation, and yet they are left behind was one of the hardest things we have ever encountered.

These precious children longed for the love and security of a family, and we knew we could provide that for someone else. We did not know at the time what that would look like, as we were holding our newly adopted baby that was so broken, frail, and afraid.

Fast forward another six years, and we began to ponder the idea of adoption again. We knew this time would be different and possibly much more challenging, but we dove in feet first and began to pursue older child adoption. We were given the opportunity to pursue a precious 12 year old little girl from Taiwan this time.

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She had never known the love, security and safety of a family. Her “mommys” came in 12 hour shifts and changed quite often, so she was quite hesitant when we began to pursue her and asked if she wanted a family. This time was quite different than our first adoption process because this sweet child had a past full of her own stories, and she had a choice. Seeing the gospel on full display was so humbling and wonderfully terrifying–this child had done nothing to earn our pursuit, yet we were still wholeheartedly trying to make this orphan a daughter with a name and family to call her own.

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Knowing the challenges that older child adoption can bring was terrifying.

So often these children are so wounded and broken, but we knew healing and redemption were possible. We did fear for our three daughters already in our home and how adding extreme pain and stress to our daily lives would affect them, but even still, we felt called to a child halfway around the world who had captured our hearts and deserved the love of a family.

There were moments throughout the process when we gained new knowledge about this child’s background that caused us to pause and pray about our next steps, but each time we continued to experience God’s perfect, sufficient grace and assurance as we moved forward in absolute trust in what God had called us to do.

We had professionals review her file and tell us that this was going to be a huge challenge for our family, but we knew this was our daughter. We experienced such amazing provision both financially and emotionally as we saw the Lord move mountains so we could cross and ocean to bring our daughter home.

Covid hit and our travel process was delayed almost ten months. We learned that an eight day trip had now turned into an almost five-week travel commitment due to quarantine and in-country travel requirements from the Taiwanese government. We had no idea how we could do this, but still God paved the way. We were $24,000 away from our adoption fund needs, and we received a phone call from friends, and they told us our bill(s) would be paid in full and to get on the plane and bring our daughter home.

We faced some really dark days when we first came home. Adoption is hard! Adoption of an older child with a past riddled with pain and hurt is even harder. Rejection, fear, outbursts and anger were the zip code we were living in for a season. Trust is hard for a child that has only known rejection and disappointment.

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We really did not know if this child would ever like Amberly because she had no idea what a mother was. Her only touchstone to this concept came cold and distant 12 hour shifts. Making the choice to wake up each morning and intentionally appoint love and grace as our go-to emotions was hard but necessary.

Our children have navigated the past two years with so much grace and tenacity. Older child adoption is hard, and it truly does affect the entire family. Being able to see the gospel on display every day is amazing when you take the time to stop and take it all in. As we pursue our newest daughter each and every day, we have the opportunity to be reminded of how much more our heavenly Father sought us when we were still dead in our sins.

We have been challenged in many ways as we’ve developed a new normal, but we have also learned to press in and lean on one another in ways we never had before.

Our children that were already in our home prior to this adoption have had grace to process the hard and embrace the joys as we went from a family of five to six.

If your family is prayerfully considering adoption, truly understanding and processing what your family can handle is huge! Bringing a child into your home from trauma and hard places is a very unique calling and understanding the challenges that come along for the ride is paramount.

Finding an agency that will advocate for the child, as well as your family, is so important

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An agency that will educate you and help you create a “tool box” of coping strategies will be more important than you can ever realize in the beginning stages of adoption.

It is not if, but when, you will need to tap into this knowledge and lean on the wisdom of those who understand, because the raw emotions, fatigue and sheer exhaustion can be powerful and deceptive. The trauma that these precious kiddos have endured is not their fault, and they are not responsible for the wounds, hurt and hard that they shoulder every day. Their trauma is real, and it is coming with them into your home and lives, so being armed with prayer, understanding, patience, and grace will be vital so you can help them begin to process and accept healthy and strong attachment to people who see beyond their past.

Surround yourselves with people who will support you, pray with you and for you, take your other kids for ice cream or simply sit and listen without offering advice. Take training and adoption education seriously. Parenting an adopted child is a different process.

Adoption is beautiful, and it is hard. It is challenging, but it is worth it. It is messy, but it is beautifully broken. The hard should not stop us from stepping out in faith and placing the fatherless in our homes. Adoption will challenge you in ways you never thought possible.

As Christians, we understand the beauty and wonder of redemptive love that is freely lavished upon us by our Heavenly Father. And, as we enter into the world of adoption with full hearts and open arms, we do so with a plan to bring the fatherless into our homes and families. But, these precious ones possibly never asked to be rescued because they are most often unaware of their need for healing and wholeness. Yet, we pursue them with a fervent passion as they unknowingly, and sometimes unwillingly, become sons and daughters. We ask them to pick up a cross they were never intended to carry while simultaneously longing to share with them the One who perfectly loves them and longs to restore them of all brokenness, emptiness, and shame.

We, too, were once a fatherless child unaware of our need for redemption and grace.

Yet, He still pursued us with a holy passion. Oh, that we would pursue the least of these with that same passion and grace that our Father has extended to us! Keeping our eyes ever fixed on Him to help us “face these various trials and temptations leaving us perfect and complete lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4).

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The Buckleys recommend the following adoption resources: • The Connected Child by Karyn Purvis • The Wounded Healer by Henry Nouwen • The Connected Parent by Karyn Purvis and Lisa Qualls

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“When we adopt—and when we encourage a culture of adoption in our churches and communities—we’re picturing something that’s true about our God. We, like Jesus, see what our Father is doing and do likewise (John 5:19). And what our Father is doing, it turns out, is fighting for orphans, making them sons and daughters.”

Russell Moore

POSITIONED TO DISCIPLE

BY KATE YATES

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“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” -Matthew 28:19-20

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The Great Commission is a passage known by many but is often seen as the Scripture for people who feel a call to go into missions and move overseas.

However, these final words Jesus spoke to his disciples before his ascension are words for every Christ follower as we are all called to take the gospel wherever we find ourselves.

For years, College Pastor Rusty Roberts has challenged students to recognize they are strategically placed for the gospel, and for them to make much of Jesus wherever they find themselves. That doesn’t stop once you graduate from college. Each one of us is positioned to share Jesus with the people around us.

In his book, Rediscovering Discipleship, Robby Gallaty points to the Great Commission to define what discipleship is and what it should look like:

“Discipleship is intentionally equipping believers with the Word of God through accountable relationships empowered by the Holy Spirit in order to replicate faithful followers of Christ. When people become disciples, they learn what Jesus said and live out what Jesus did.”

For most of my adult life, I was either leading a small group or meeting with students one-on-one, but eight years ago, not long after I moved to Mobile and began attending Mars Hill Church, I was approached by a young woman in the church who asked me to disciple her. Her intentionality in seeking me out was nothing like I had experienced before, and I was unsure I could meet any expectations she may have. However, I took a step forward and agreed to start meeting with her and my life has not been the same since! While she may have been seeking to learn from me, I will say I learned just as much from her, if not more! And with each student and young woman I have met with and discipled since then, my learning has only grown.

When she asked me to disciple her, I felt ill-equipped, and often I still do, but I have learned that no one feels confident stepping into the role of mentor. Gallaty says, “You never quite feel confident enough to invest in another person. You just do it, out of obedience to Jesus.” In my experience, I have learned having a humble heart will keep you dependent on the Lord, and it is often that servant heart that he can use most.

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Remaining humble also allows us to remember that no matter how much time we invest in someone, it is only the Lord who can bring about change in a person’s heart and life. While I have been blessed throughout the years to see the Lord use me to encourage growth in some, there have also been those who chose to turn and walk away. I was recently sharing with a friend the pain I felt thinking of those I invested so much of my life and time in, who seemed to so easily dismiss me and, even worse, the Word of God. It was then she reminded me that if we enter into a discipleship relationship thinking we can change someone we will be disappointed every time. What we can do is love people and speak the truth in love while pointing them to the One who can change their hearts and lives.

3 PILLAR RESOURCES

Discipleship is not for the weak of heart, but it is for those who want to follow the example of Christ and in turn, grow in their own walk with the Lord. For decades I have served in student ministry where the need and opportunities were always in front of me, but I pray that no matter where I find myself I will always obey the words of Christ and make disciples, teaching them to observe all that he has commanded.

BIBLICAL TEACHING: Woven: The Art of Discipleship by Jennie Allen is a great way to learn more about the meaning and importance of relational discipleship within the church family. Broken up into 25 bite-size videos, this series gives practical application to discipleship in our everyday lives.

AUTHENTIC COMMUNITY: Community groups can actively pray for the Lord to provide opportunities to connect potential discipleship partners. Check out the five minute video on RIghtNow Media titled “Discipleship is a Journey.”

Rick Howerton, Small Group and Discipleship Specialist at LifeWay Church Resources, shares what he’s learned to be a biblical and systematic approach to making disciples within small groups. This could be a helpful tool to get started.

FAMILY DISCIPLESHIP: Talk with Rusty (rusty@pomh.org) or Kate about matching with someone as a discipleship partner.

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“God uses sinners– there is no one else to use” Elisabeth Elliot

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WHAT NOW? A GOSPEL-FOCUSED RESPONSE FOR THE OVERTURNING OF ROE V. WADE

BY THE TEACHING PASTORS OF MARS HILL CHURCH

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We commend the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, and are thankful to God for this accomplishment (Ps 107), but we do so in sobriety, compassion, and wisdom.

In our family of faith, we know women who have had abortions for myriad reasons.

For those haunted by the decision, guilt and shame press them into sorrow and lament. Yet, we affirm confidently the restorative mercy and grace of the Lord Jesus. Therefore, our words to this issue should be humble, compassionate, and caring (1 Thess 2:7; Gal 6:1–2; Heb 5:1–2). Knowing that humility and grace are far more persuasive and influential to lasting gospel influence, our words should also be kind, gentle, and free from boasting (Rom 2:4; 2 Tim 2:23–26; Titus 3:2; 1 Peter 3:15). Knowing that Israel was warned to abstain from and abhor the sacrifice of children (Jer 7:5–10), that they ceased for a season (2 Kings 23:10) but then reintroduced infanticide to the glory of false gods (Jer 18:12; 19:3–5), we should weep and pray (Psalm 119:136; Phil 3:8; 2 Peter 2:7–8). Knowing there have been very real physical threats of violence towards churches and places of care for women and children, we should act and speak wisely (Matt 10:16).

“There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Prov 12:18 “When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.” Prov 10:19 As a congregation, we rarely react, respond quickly, or add commentary from the pulpit on matters of political or intense social interest in an effort to avoid distraction from what is primary and central, the good news of Jesus Christ (Prov 17:27; Eph 1:17–19; 3:8). However, we have a role to play in equipping ourselves for the works of ministry, in prayer, and in directing our church family towards ways we can step into the new and greater needs that will present themselves to care for women, children, and families (Micah 6:8; James 1:27). This role takes wisdom and enduring intentionality. So, our response must be biblical, measured, and lasting beyond an impermanent cultural moment. With the overturn of Roe v. Wade, we’ve crossed a starting line few ever expected and into a race we must steward well (Heb 12:1). Let us channel our delight into dedication to the support of life by continuing our efforts as a church in resourcing, participating, and praying for avenues such as women’s care, fostering, and adoption.

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Recent helpful resources to consider: • Roe v Wade Has Been Overturned. Now What? Crossway Interview w/ Scott Kulsendorf, author of Case For Life • This Is The Day That The Lord Has Made, Al Mohler • After Roe, Choose Compassion over Culture War, James Forsyth • After Roe, How Do We Stand For Life, Lauren Green McAfee • Three Ways To Sympathize With Woman Considering An Abortion, Andy Jones • To End the Killing of Babies, We Need a Loving Revolution, Rebecca McLaughlin

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“Keep up a humble sense of your own faults, and that will make you compassionate to others.”

Richard Baxter

EMBRACE GRACE.

BY TRICIA BUTTS

Back in May, Marty Carrell, Director of the Women’s Resource Center in Mobile, mentioned to me that Mars Hill Church should consider being a host church for Embrace Grace, a national organization focused on connecting women with unplanned pregnancies to a local church.

IThe host church commits to doing a 10-week devotional study with these vulnerable women and then throws them a baby shower at the end. The hope is for women to feel so loved and supported through the church that this new relationship does not end after a baby shower but continues into a lifelong faith journey for her and her children.

It’s a beautiful idea, of course, but I knew the moment Marty brought it up that commandeering this would be way over my head. We would need countless volunteers, and we all know that in this post-covid culture, volunteers are hard to come by. And if Mars Hill Church was going to do this, I meant for us to do it right.

I envisioned each woman in crisis being partnered with a woman in our church who was committed to walking alongside her in discipleship. I knew for us to do this well, we needed a holistic approach, meaning we needed to have a men’s Bible study going at the same time for any father’s who wanted to be a part of this too.

We would need childcare available for pregnant mothers. I dreamt of community groups signing up to provide a meal during each meeting. I visualized women giving up their Saturday mornings to attend a baby shower for a girl they don’t really know. This needed to be so much more than asking the church to donate baby items–this would be a very personal, all hands on deck ministry.

I remember bringing this idea of Embrace Grace up to some staff here at church, but then school was ending for the summer and between class parties and end of the year programs, the idea of starting up a brand new multi-faceted ministry was put on my brain’s back burner. School ended, my family and I went on a big vacation out west, and our summer rhythm was humming right along. Embrace Grace had faded completely off my radar–it was just too big for me alone.

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The church office is quiet in the summertime. Not as many visitors flow through. But on Tuesday of the last week of June, Richard Fuhler walked straight into my tiny office, plopped his huge black bag down on the floor, and said, “I want to show you something.”

I looked up from my computer to see his smart phone held up for me to see.

“What do you know about this?” he asked me. On his screen was the home page of Embrace Grace. I was confused. Why was Dr. Fuhler, a middle aged, single man asking me about a program for women with crisis pregnancies?

“What do you know about this?” I asked him back. Richard began to share how he had been listening to a podcast and the guest was the founder of Embrace Grace.

I presented to Mars Hill Staff the concept of us hosting Embrace Grace. Not only was everyone immediately on board, but they started offering help. Jamie, our Mars Kids Director, volunteered to cover childcare during our meetings. Brad Hill suggested we meet at the same time as worship band rehearsal so that there would be other people already at the church. The logistics seemed to fall easily and naturally into place. In a matter of 48 hours, Mars Hill Church became the only Embrace Grace host in the Gulf Coast area.

The next morning, Friday, June 24, my phone alerted me to a notification. I looked down at my screen to read the following: “Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, ending right to abortion upheld for decades”

“I want Mars Hill to be an Embrace Grace host church.

We need this at our church,” he said emphatically. I stared back at him in disbelief. Of all the people to help me get Embrace Grace off the ground, I hadn’t thought about it being Richard Fuhler. It was so evident that God Almighty wanted this off the back burner and moving forward.

I’ve always known God’s timing to be amazing and incredible, but never as shocking as that moment. But that is how I felt, reading that headline and fully comprehending the mighty work He had just done. At a time when women would need the love and support of a gospel-bearing church family more than ever, God made us ready.

“Let’s do it,” I said.

He goes before us. Jehovah Nissi. God is my banner.

The next day was Wednesday, and that’s when I do a volunteer shift as a Client Advocate at the Women’s Resource Center. I popped my head into Marty’s office, and seeing that she had some time, sat down to talk about Mars Hill Church hosting Embrace Grace. The next hour of dream-casting with Marty was beautiful, as we talked about all the details of loving on these overlooked women. However, as I considered how to make our vision a reality I felt that overwhelming feeling creep in again that all of this was too much and it couldn’t possibly all fall into place. But God reminded me that He had sent Richard and He would send the rest. Jehovah Jireh. The Lord Provides.

He knows what we need because He sees us (El Roi) then He gives to us in our great need (Jehovah Jireh).

The next step took place that Thursday–get staff approval. Only two days after Richard Fuhler came by my office and one day after talking details with Marty Carrell,

He is Jehovah Sabaoth meaning our God has the majesty, power, and authority to accomplish what He determines to do.

From the Exodus to Embrace Grace, our God proves Himself over and over.

Your will be done, O Lord. We praise You for this front row seat to the miracles we will get to witness. *Editor’s Note: Embrace Grace now meets Thursdays at 6 p.m. in the Mars Kids ministry area. Contact tricia@pomh. org if you are interested in getting involved or helping to financially support this new ministry.

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“I would go to the deeps a hundred times to cheer a downcast spirit. It is good for me to have been afflicted, that I might know how to speak a word in season to one that is weary.”

Charles Spurgeon

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PICKLES FOR MY BABY EDITORS NOTE: THE FOLLOWING IS A VERY PERSONAL TESTIMONY SHARED BY A COVENANT MEMBER OF OUR CHURCH FAMILY. DUE TO THE SENSITIVE NATURE, THE AUTHOR HAS ASKED TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS.

It was my sophomore year in college when I received the news that would change my whole life.

I was in a toxic relationship with a man that was both abusive mentally and physically. I knew I had to get out of the relationship, but I didn’t know how. Before I could end things, it happened. The one thing that would forever change my life from that point forward. I became pregnant. I was so scared. All I could think of was I just ruined my life. I would lose my scholarship, my education, and now I would never be free from the abuse of this man.

I was consumed in my own thoughts and did not really think about my options or what I would do, until someone mentioned abortion. At first, I was angry at even the thought of aborting my baby, but then a sense of relief began to settle in my mind.

After all, this could be my way out! I could continue in school. No one would ever have to know. I could live my life the way I wanted to, the way I had planned. I talked with my mother and she agreed with me. She could relate to my situation because she had my sister and I when she was a teenager and she wanted better for me.

She knew how difficult it was to raise a child at a young age. This was it. Abortion must be the answer.

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The more I thought about having an abortion, another thought began to penetrate my mind.

I thought to myself, How selfish of me. How selfish to take the life of this child, who is not at fault. But then, was it not selfish of me to bring a child into this situation? This mess I had created? My thoughts were at war within me. A cloud of confusion surrounded my mind. I decided to call my dad to talk it over with him. He already knew of my situation. The phone rang and as soon as he answered, he said, “I know y’all talked about abortion for this baby, but we ain’t doing that crap!”

In that moment, all the confusion cleared. Just having someone say “We ain’t doing that.” I remember thinking, “Well this is my dad, and I must listen to my dad!” A

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weight lifted off my shoulders. Just having someone support me was all I needed to have the strength to choose life for my child. The next thing my dad talked about was feeding my baby pickles. What a random thing to say in the moment! But to this day, when I go my dad’s house, the first thing he offers to my kids are pickles and all my children LOVE them! Every time I see those pickles, they remind me of my story and how pickles validated the life inside my womb.

There were two things I learned that day. One, you never know what may help someone process information and make things “real.” For me, it was the idea of my dad feeding my child pickles. It was in that moment, right then and there, I decided to keep my baby. And the other thing I learned was to never underestimate the power of a father’s love and support. It’s what saved my baby’s life.

Although I had made my choice, it did not change the immense stress of my relationship with the father of my baby. At the time I found out I was pregnant, I discovered he had also gotten another girl pregnant. I did not know how things were going to work out, and I was too scared to end our relationship. Strangely enough, we decided to move so he could be closer to both of his children. The day came for his first daughter to be born, and then four short months later, our daughter was born. Things went from bad to worse. The stress of having two little baby girls to care for and the strain of our relationship only made the abuse increase.

I felt trapped, like there was no way out.

I remember one night just praying to God, “I want my daughter to grow up seeing her momma being respected

and loved just like Jesus loves His church.” I had no idea what that meant at the time. I was a Christian by default.

I was raised in the South where everyone called themselves a Christian. I really did not know how to pray, but this one prayer I prayed fervently and repeatedly. I have no doubt, God heard those prayers. He not only heard them, He answered them and gave me the strength and courage to get out of that awful relationship.

I made a plan and called my mom for help. I did not tell him I was leaving until I was literally walking out of the door to get into my mom’s car. I was terrified to tell him beforehand. As much as I knew I had to get away from him to protect myself and my child, my heart was torn in two. I felt like I had just broken our family to pieces. I had fallen in love with his other little girl too, as she spent a lot of time at our house.

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I remember the night I left, she laid sleeping so sweet and sound. I knelt beside her bed and apologized to her for leaving and then I kissed her little face for the last time. I felt like I was losing a child, but I knew I had to leave for the sake of my own.

I knew I wanted to finish school, and I wanted to make a way for my baby and me. So instead of moving back home, I had my mom drive us to a tiny apartment in Mobile. I went to school full-time and worked part-time.

Most days were hard; some were awful. There were days I did not think I would make it; days I wondered how I was going to survive. But then the next day would come, and by some miracle, we had everything we needed. I finally came to a point though when I could go no further.

I had reached the end of me, and I hit rock bottom. It was there that I met Jesus in a real way. I remember thinking, how do I trust God? What does that even look like? And in the next breath saying, “Okay, God, I am trusting You because I have nothing more to give.” That was the start of my relationship with the Lord.

A lot of time has passed since that day I placed my trust in Jesus. I am now happily married to my husband of ten years, and we are blessed with four beautiful children. I often look at my sweet daughter and my eyes fill with tears at the thought that I could have taken her precious life in a matter of minutes. Without her, I do not know where I would be today, or more importantly, who I would

be today. Her life led me to the foot of the cross, and it is why I can share with you the story of God’s miraculous grace. It is also why I am passionate about helping men and women make life-affirming choices every day and why the work of Women’s Care Medical Center means so much to me. I was once a broken, scared, 19-year-old woman with no idea how I was going to make it with a baby. What I discovered was that God had a plan, and He could make a way. And His plan. . . well let’s just say it was way better than anything I could ever imagined for myself. All I had to do was trust in Him. I had no idea what it meant to trust Him, but in all fairness, I told Him that and He met me where I was and walked with me every single day!

I will never forget the day my daughter and I walked into Mars Hill in Mobile when it was in the strip mall. I was scared to death to go, but I worked up the courage. We walked in, then we walked out. I was thinking, This can’t be a church. I went out into the parking lot and looked up at the sign to make sure it said Mars Hill. It did! We walked back in and I thought, again, nope, not a church!

We literally walked back out! Third times a charm, right?!

We walked in again and someone said, “Ma’am, are you here for church?” Instant relief!

“Yes! Where is church?” I asked. He said, “Right here. . . you made it!”

BIBLICAL TEACHING: An article from the Christian Broadcasting Network, “The Church and the Single Mom” (Maggio, Jennifer), really resonates with the author of this testimony. You can find this article at cbn.com AUTHENTIC COMMUNITY: Have an honest conversation within your community group about how you are actively supporting vulnerable families. Both men and women have vital roles to play.

FAMILY DISCIPLESHIP: As a family, donate baby supplies to your local crisis pregnancy center. Mobile: Women’s Resource Center • Fairhope: Women’s Care Medical Center

3 PILLAR RESOURCES

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“Grace takes root in our hearts when Jesus becomes our advocate, not our accuser. And grace takes root in our churches when we become our borthers’ and sisters’ advocates, not their accusers.”

Jared C. Wilson

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MAMA’S BLESSING

BY BEKKI BUCKLEY

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May the Lord bless you and keep you May He make His face shine down upon you May His lift up His countenance upon you And may He give you peace.

Numbers 6:24-26

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If you knew my mom at all, you would remember her telling you at some point how very blessed she was.

Grocery store clerks, office workers, co-workers, clients, strangers, and anyone who cared to ask how she was would inevitably hear, “I am blessed.” Indeed, she was.

Sometime between the years of 2004-2006, Jack began to teach truths about the Scripture from Numbers 6:2426. My mother attended the early services of Mars Hill and learned that there was a family blessing that God told Aaron, the priest, to speak over the offspring of the newly liberated nation of Israel. This was not only a blessing that was spoken but held with it a promise to future generations. So my mother took this teaching literally and began to stand in the gap for her family. Both my sister and I began to get daily phone calls where our mother would speak this blessing over us. If by chance we were not home to receive the message from her personally, she would leave the blessing on the answering machine for us to hear it as soon as we came home.

Honestly, not having had the teaching, my sister and I just didn’t “get it.” What we did understand however, was the importance our mom placed on the blessing of the Lord to the children that He had blessed her with. On this Earth, I do not believe she desired anything more than this. Over time the phone calls diminished, but I am convinced her faith did not. She believed for the blessing of her Lord, upon herself and those she loved.

On February 1, 2022, my sweet mama finally won her victory day. Like many people over the last two years, she had fallen very sick and was hospitalized. I arrived at her bedside that morning, thankful to be allowed to be with her. The hospice nurse had been in as well as the doctor who explained to me their ideas of how things would progress throughout the day. I knew that she was close to death, but just how close I did not know.

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Trish Anderson and daughters Teri and Bekki.

The chaplain of Mobile Infirmary came around. He asked me if he could pray with her and I agreed. To this day, I do not know his name or church affiliation.

Before he prayed for her, he asked a little about her life.

Did your mother attend church? Where? For how long?

With a perplexed look that quickly crossed his face, he told me he had never heard of Mars Hill Church. Then he asked whether or not she loved the Lord, and I was so thankful to be sure of this answer.

As much as the doctor, nurses and chaplain tried to set me at ease, it was a cold, sterile, and unknown environment. I was uncertain and afraid and, to say the least, uncomfortable. Even when the chaplain prayed, he called my mother by her given name, Patricia. He had obviously read this from her chart or hospital bracelet, because no one who really knew my mom called her Patricia. You see, if you knew her, you likely called her Mrs.Trish, or just Trish. Perhaps if you had known her in her younger years you may have called her Pat. Unless of course, you were one of the “blessed” ones that got to call her Nana,

Mama, or Aunt Trish. “Patricia” felt so formal and impersonal and revealed that he indeed did not know her.

With the machines and the tubes and the nurses covered in gowns and masks–everything seemed so impersonal.

But then, after he prayed, he raised his palm above her forehead and repeated this precious blessing over my sweet mama:

May the Lord bless you and keep you May He make His face shine down upon you May His lift up His countenance upon you And may He give you peace.

In that moment, there was a very holy presence. A familiar comfort. There was no way he would have known the significance of that prayer. I don’t know if he could feel it, but I definitely could. I think my mama could too. I could not hold back my tears. He did not understand why I cried, though maybe he thought he did. And in that moment I knew, just as that blessing was spoken at the end of every Mars Hill service, her life was coming to a close.

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My precious mother lived for about three more hours.

Things were done to ensure that people who loved my mama dearly could arrive or be phoned in from far away to her bedside in order to say things that needed to be said. Then there was a bit of a wait to have machines unhooked and tubes removed. Once that was complete, her breaths, numbered not only by the machines that would count exact respirations per minute, but before the foundation of the world by the Lord God Almighty, were very few. My mama walked beautifully out of this existence into one she longed to see, and she had been ushered in by the words of a very familiar blessing, from an unknown chaplain.

If you were fortunate enough to attend her celebration service, you have already heard this story. You also heard Jack end that service the same way he ended so many

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Mars Hill services for over 15 years–with this blessing. If you drove with us to the grave side you may have seen the little church sign on the road before the cemetery.

The sign complete with this blessing.

And if you stood with us at her earthly bodily resting place you listened as Jack proclaimed the truth of the Lord over her life, in the past tense:

Indeed the Lord has blessed you Mrs.Trish, He did keep you.

During your life He made His face to shine upon you, and now His countenance is actually, literally shinning upon you as you are forever in His peace.

To that I say to my Mars Hill family: And to you also!

“Grace takes root in our hearts when Jesus becomes our advocate, not our accuser. And grace takes root in our churches when we become our borthers’ and sisters’ advocates, not their accusers.”

Jared C. Wilson

FAMILY DISCIPLESHIP WITH THE JETTS

BY CHRIS AND KATIE JETT

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When Chris and I were asked to write an article on parenting, we laughed a little bit.

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So much of our life right now is nothing like the intentional nightly devotionals and godly play activities my type-A self loves.

It looks more like a husband with a demanding job and three kids (David, 7, Andrew, 5, and Caroline, 4) who are accumulating activities at a rapid pace. We are in the car and on the ball field a lot. We went from the years of diapers and feeding babies in high chairs to the years of feeding our big kids in the back seat of the minivan between sports practices.

I, (Katie) like structure and schedules and routines. I make a bucket list for our kids each summer. During the Covid quarantine I was one of those optimistic parents that made a daily schedule and thought I would follow it.

You know, 6:15: wake up, 8: Bible story over breakfast, 9: get dressed and clean rooms,

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etc. I’m great at this practical side of parenting. However, an intentional, biblical life is often not lived in schedules and routines. It happens in the last minute questions in carline before they hop out for school, at bedtime when we are at the end of our patience, and in all the other cracks and crevices of life.

What they are learning about Jesus is less in my morning Bible story time and more about how my life looks. They are learning about Jesus when we include them in our pain and joy and heartfelt prayers, when they watch us turn to God in times of difficulty, and when I ask for forgiveness for losing my temper (again).

My husband is gifted differently than I am.

He is eternally patient with our kids and uses each spontaneous moment to speak truth and God’s love into their lives. He really listens and gives thoughtful answers even in the most inconvenient times. He asks them questions to help shape their own thoughts.

This balance of personalities and gifting has been something that only exists in our marriage through God’s grace.

A perfect example of this blend is that I sat down to write down my thoughts about years of parenting privately and Chris decided to gather our kids around the computer and ask what we have taught them about God over the years. Below are the highlights of another beautiful, spontaneous conversation that Chris had with our kids.

Kids: God made everything Chris: We try to acknowledge God in the good times in life and in the mundane. We try to point out the beauty of God’s creation, how he has gifted people to imagine and create, and how he has entrusted us to be stewards of his creation.

Kids: God loves no matter what Chris: We try to teach our children that Love is at the core of who God is and that we were created out of his love, and to be recipients of his love, and to show his amazing love to others. The best times that we are able to demonstrate this is when we are hugging and loving on our kids. We tell them “Do you feel all of this love? God loves us so much more than this, we can’t even imagine how much he loves us!”

Kids: Prayers Chris: Like many families we pray regularly before meals and before bed. We also have begun including our kids as we pray for wisdom, guidance, or provision from God. Sometimes when the kids pray it is awkward and forced, but sometimes it can be the most wonderful encouragement to us. We can often picture God looking down on them with such joy (and we picture ourselves and how God takes joy in our simple prayers as well).

Our neighbors once told us a story about when their children were little. The younger one did not want to pray and they couldn’t convince her to do it. So the older sister sat up in bed and said, “You need to pray, Jesus wants to hear from you!” We have stolen that one…

Kids: Praise God Chris: Technology has been a good addition so far in our house. We utilize our Alexa to have praise music going on Saturday mornings and when we are cooking dinner. It has been fun to sing and dance in our kitchen while praising God! This is something from which we have gained as much as the children have.

Kids: Trust the Bible no matter what Chris: We have used The Jesus Storybook Bible to help teach our children the lessons of the Bible. We love that particular book because it does a great job of showing how every story in the Bible points toward Christ. We have also tried to instill in our children that the Bible is the ultimate source of truth, and that it is the primary way God communicates with us.

Kids: God provides for us Chris: We have been blessed far beyond what we could hope for with health, friends, physical needs, and the ability to enjoy good things.

In our family, we try to always acknowledge that all good things come from God and that without him nothing good would be possible.

We also try to show that we can lean on God and trust him in difficult times as well. God is the same in the good times and the bad.

Katie: Our kids watched Chris and I go through a particularly challenging season this past Spring with job changes and a move across states. We discussed at length how to include them in this process because they are still so young. Chris made the comment during that time and it has really been formative for me. “We aren’t here to shelter our kids from every hard thing, we are here to teach them how to trust God when things are hard.”

Hopefully by seeing us rely on God for timing and provision, they will learn to do that for themselves as they grow older.

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Kids: God forgives Chris: This is a cornerstone of our faith that we have tried to instill in our children at an early age. This oddly enough has been one of the easier lessons for us to teach, because we have to ask for forgiveness so often. As with all humans, we often fall short and our kids have seen this often. We have used these times to share with our children why we need forgiveness and that, thankfully, God is willing to forgive.

Kids: How God opens hearts Chris: Salvation is such a wonderful thing, but it is difficult to describe. One thing we can for sure tell our children though is that God will one day knock on our hearts, and when our hearts are open to him, he will change everything about us. The Bible is full of stories about how God “opens people’s hearts,” and there are stories in our lives as well. We are so excited to see the Lord work in the lives of our children. But then we are reminded that they are his children, and we are so humbled to be able to watch him draw them to himself. And then full circle, how beautiful it is that he has done the same for us.

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“Parenting is about being God’s ambassadors in the lives of our children.”

Paul David Tripp

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DIALOGUES, DOCTRINE, & DISCIPLESHIP A RECAP OF THE COLLEGE MINISTRY’S SPRING BREAK 2022 TRIP TO SALT LAKE CITY

BY KATIE GRUBBS

In the south, most people identify as Christians. In Utah, less than two percent of people claim to be evangelical.

I have never been in the religious minority in an area, but I learned that living as an evangelical Christian in the minority is a draining calling. On Sunday, before our dialogues, we went to Mosaic Church. After talking to members of this church plant, we learned that many of the congregation had moved to Salt Lake City to make disciples and live life on mission. I was amazed by their faith and dedication to God’s calling. Many members of Mosaic Church expressed how encouraging it was to meet Christians from outside the valley and be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.

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After church, we hiked Ensign Peak. This is where Brigham Young entered the valley when he decided to move the Latter Day Saints church to Utah in 1847. As we looked out above the Salt Lake Valley, I was struck by the volume of lost souls. It is devastating to look out and see over a million people living right here in the United States dedicated to a false doctrine. I could not have anticipated the spiritual heaviness that would be in Utah and my heartbreak only grew during the dialogues with LDS students.

Going into the dialogues, I was told of the dedication of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS). LDS members believe that to reach the highest level of heaven they need both God’s grace and a series of works and sacraments; they bear the heavy burden of participating in securing their salvation. As I entered these dialogues, I expected them to seem like a debate, but there was a genuine sense of curiosity and respect from both parties.

The first dialogue was at Utah Valley University. Going into the dialogues, my prayer was for God to be glorified through the way we shared truth. Morgan Hill and I were paired with three other LDS girls from UVU. I thought that our cultural differences would play a bigger role in our interactions, but in our few hours together, we covered four main topics: personal testimonies, atonement, the relationship between grace and works, and the afterlife.

When we discussed grace and works, our more significant doctrinal differences arose. Morgan and I were able to talk freely and openly about our struggles and doubts in our daily lives. Our vulnerability struck a chord with the students and one mentioned that she was amazed at our openness. We explained that we don’t believe that we earn salvation by our works, rather, we live in the freedom of Christ’s work on our behalf. Further, we shared that although our works do not impact our eternal status before God, we strive to live a holy life out of loving obedience to Him. They were surprised that actions held any weight in our faith. They collectively explained that their works were central to standing before God in the afterlife. Hearing them explain the pressure they live with was heartbreaking.

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In the second dialogue, we went to Brigham Young University. I was in a group with Landon Wallace and Ross McKnight and three BYU students. Students came and went during this dialogue because many were headed to class, so we ended up speaking with five students total. The first three students we spoke with were more doctrinal than the second. We discussed our differences concerning authority. LDS believe that their highest authority is the prophet who is given new revelation from God, while evangelicals believe that God’s word is our highest authority. With the last two students, our conversation was more focused on our personal faith. One student asked each of us to explain why we wanted to fly out to Utah and talk to LDS students. All three of us gave different answers regarding our motivations. I explained that if I truly believe what the Bible teaches concerning salvation, I have no choice but to share it with others in hopes that they might one day participate in the eternal

praising of God. Our vulnerability and honesty opened the door for us to have such candid conversations with them.

Throughout my few days in Utah, my perspective was changed. I became aware of a large religious group in my country that claims to follow Christ but has not truly experienced His freedom. I came in pride wondering how people could believe something so bizarre. After speaking with these students, I heard their sincerity but was saddened to see their faith placed in man-made doctrine.

Often on this trip, Matthew 7:21 came to mind: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” My prayers will continue to be for their salvation and for the Christians living on mission in SLC to be protected and encouraged by the power of our God to redeem all souls.

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“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein...”

Psalm 24:1

MASATEPE, 2022.

BY MADISON FLOWERS

It did not take much thought for me to apply for the Nicaragua mission trip when it was advertised at the end of a church service one Sunday. I honestly did not really pray about it either. I figured if I had the ability and the funds to go, why wouldn’t I?

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Whenever I would share with people that I was going to Nicaragua to serve, the first question they would ask was, “Well, are you nervous?”

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I assumed they wondered if I was nervous about going to a foreign country with a different language and completely different culture. It wasn’t that part I was nervous about. It was the fact that I would be doing all this with seven strangers; the only thing we all had in common was Mars Hill and the Lord.

I had only officially met Brad Hill a couple days after applying to go on the trip. I had seen him around the church and leading worship on Sundays, but I had never spoken

with him. Brian, Isaac, Doyle, Damien, Dylan, and Danielle I didn’t know from Adam. I would love to say that we all clicked immediately during our first pre-trip meeting and that it was smooth sailing after that, but I would be lying.

The first few meetings were pretty awkward. None of us really knew what to say and there were often technical issues when we tried to Facetime the Fairhope campus or Claire from One Collective (the organization we work with in Nicaragua). But we all eventually warmed up to each other after a few good laughs when people’s faces would freeze over Facetime when the internet would lag.

The internet issues during our first few meetings were not the end of our problems but actually the first of many as we attempted to meet and serve with our brothers and sisters in Nicaragua. However, after multiple interesting interactions with the employees of Avianca airlines and three days in Miami, we finally made it to Nicaragua. If you know anyone who went on the trip, pull them aside and ask them what all we went through to get there because it was WILD but it was so worth it. A beautiful blessing that came out of our trip being delayed was being able to worship with fellow brothers and sister in Miami at Providence Road Church. They were such an amazing community of believers who loved us well while we were there. If you ever find yourself in Miami on a Sunday morning, I would encourage you to take some time go worship with the believers at Providence Road.

It is always an encouragement and a wonderful learning opportunity to meet and worship with other believers from different places.

When we finally landed in Nicaragua, it was a great surprise to learn we would be doing just that––worshiping with fellow believers. One of the many ways One Collective connects with the community in Masatepe is through Beto’s Bistro.

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Many young people in the community are employed at the bistro and it is a popular place for many in the community to hangout or get work done, much like what we do at the coffee shops around here. The employees at Beto’s hold worship nights regularly at the bistro, and we were able to attend one our first night in town. Two local worship bands led in worship, the staff of the bistro presented a drama piece, and Don Beto, after whom the bistro is named, led everyone in prayer. There was no better way to begin our trip than to be with the community of Masatepe as they came together to worship and fellowship.

As we worshiped, I spent some time in silent prayer asking that the Lord would bless our time there and make it fruitful in whatever our endeavors may be, since I still wasn’t quite sure exactly what we would be doing there.

Most of the previous mission trips I had been on with my old church consisted more of putting on Vacation Bible Schools and community outreach activities, which I knew wasn’t on the agenda for this trip. It turns out, Nicaragua is not a country devoid of the gospel. In fact, the city of Masatepe is most known for its large cathedral in the middle of the city square, and there are many other churches in the country as well. The people just do not have access to common needs or good education.

During our time there, we were able to do home visits with some of the team members in Masatepe and in Papagyo, a farm about an hour away from Masatepe. It was during these home visits that we were able to talk with some of the people in the town. We saw the need for better education and more opportunities for work. Giovanny is one man we visited at his home. He works for One Collective as farm manager for both the Papagyo farm and the Posada farm. He shared what a blessing the two farms are that One Collective runs. The Masatepe farm, Posada, is the base for their OneEgg ministry, where

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they provide one egg to every student in the surrounding schools. This helps provide the students with needed nutrients and aid in their brain function as well. The farm is also where they provide rehab and counseling to the community of addicts that live near the farm. Drugs and alcohol are a large problem in the community and often affect many of the men and their families in the city. The farm is a place these men can go to find help.

Unfortunately, the rehab program had to pause because of Covid. The One Collective team is working now to figure out the best way to get it up and running again and seeking funding for this much needed program to restart.

It not only aids those struggling with addiction but also provides jobs for others in the community.

The same is true for the Papagyo farm, a pineapple and dragon fruit farm, and hopefully a soon-to-be “eco-lodge” or hostel.

It is a wonderful outreach to the community and provides much needed jobs for the surrounding community. When running at full capacity, the Papagyo farm has 17 full-time farm hands, however, right now, due to lack of funding, there are only three. Since it is farming season, they were able to hire six more farm hands but only for the season.

After the season ends, those men will have to find jobs elsewhere, often two or more hours from home. Brian

and I were able to speak to one of those men when we went to his home for a visit. He told us of the blessing the farm is to the community and how encouraging it is to have the opportunity to work there.

We were able to see first hand the impact the Papagyo farm has on the community when we went to build a roof for a widow and her baby. The farm hands had gone the day before we arrived to begin working on it, and we were able to finish it up. The woman explained to us that she had reached out to the government for help with her roof but they would not help. Others in the community had told her to reach out to Giovanny and the people at the farm because they knew she would be taken care of if she went to them.

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This is exactly what the One Collective team hopes to accomplish through their outreach avenues in Nicaragua––empowering the people in the community and coming alongside them to serve.

Much like the comfort a friend brings when you are feeling low or going through difficult times, the short-term trips are a comfort to the people we visit and serve alongside. It is our job, once we return home, to talk about the experiences we had with our brothers and sisters and continue to support and encourage them as the Lord leads.

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To find out more and to financially support One Collective, visit: onecollective.org/community/masatepe-nicaragua

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“The command ‘Rejoice in the Lord always’ (Phil. 4:4) tells us that God thinks what He’s done for you in Christ should be enough to make you happy today.”

Andy Davis

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SHOWING MERCY

BY SARAH LAST

Dear brothers and sisters, I know many of y’all don’t know me, but I just wanted to share a bit about a trip I just took to Uganda. I was able to go on this trip in part thanks to the financial support from my Mars Hill family, so I want to thank you and encourage you by sharing my experience.

I originally started planning this trip two years ago, but I was delayed going two different times. I was set to go to Uganda, with the ministry Show Mercy International, for their 9-week internship in the summer of 2020.

Well, obviously Covid happened, which needless to say, stopped lots of things, including my plans. My dad and I tried to go again in December 2020 but were unfortunately stopped from going that time due to Dad contracting Covid. He tested positive less than 12 hours before we were supposed to leave to go to the airport. I was pretty upset about that, but here we are, a year later, and I was

finally able to make the trip, although now it was only for two weeks instead of the original nine. This was definitely not what I planned for or how I would have chosen to write my story, but the Father is in control and His plans are much better than mine are. And as I like to tell my friends, He’s pretty smart.

I made this trip in December 2021, and Dad was unable to go with me. That was a little bit scary since it was my first trek across the Atlantic Ocean, and I was alone. But, as Dad says, I’m an adult now, so I chose to do it even though I was a tad nervous. I left Mom and Dad’s house at 4:40am on December 9th, and arrived at the base in Uganda at 2:00am Ugandan time (which is nine hours ahead of Central time) on December 11th. That was a very long trip, but, praise the Father, it went as smoothly as I could have asked for! All of my flights went as planned, none of my luggage got lost, and I was picked up from the airport in Uganda by some very friendly and welcoming people.

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I was there for about 10 days, returning home on the 22nd of December. While I was there, I had the privilege of assisting in multiple different ministries. I’m graduating from nursing school in May, so I asked to be able to spend time in the medical outreaches, since medicine is my career field. They were super accommodating and allowed me to help with home visits for chronically ill elderly patients, postnatal home visits, baby immunizations, and work in the clinic. There were three other college students from the United States who were there most of the time I was there, but I participated in many of the medical outreaches with just Ugandan staff.

They asked me multiple times if I wanted to share the gospel with families we went to see, sometimes just asking if I wanted to share some encouragement with them. I’m a naturally shy person around people I don’t know, plus I worry too much about saying something “stupid” so that was hard for me. I find it much easier to talk to and share with a group of children than with a group of adults.

I verbalized these fears with one of the Ugandan staffers named Rachel, and she told me closer to the end of the trip that even though I don’t think I can talk to “big” people, I can–I just need to let myself do it. They were so kind and patient and encouraging to me, and

With the chronic patients, we were mostly following up with them and refilling medicines they needed and encouraging them. For the postnatal visits, I got to work with the babies, the oldest of which was two months. And I got to spend time with two different doctors in the clinic seeing patients, all the way from little kids to terminal patients. The staff asked me what I thought of the work we did in the clinic, and I truthfully said that it was cool, but very different than in the U.S. One of the doctors told me, “Sarah, it’s different here. You just have to improvise.”

it convicted me to get outside of myself and my fear of talking to people and looking silly and to just let the Spirit speak through me.

It was just so cool to be able to spend time with the medical personnel and see what their life looks like working there and to be included in the patient care while also being encouraged to be listening and attuned to the Spirit. I feel so blessed to have gotten to spend that time with the medical staff who didn’t just focus on the present physical needs but also on the spiritual needs of the people

The medical work they do is so cool as they not only meet physical needs for these people, who don’t have very much money and can’t afford to go other places to get help, but also they share about Jesus with those they serve. The community we were in had many Muslims, and I asked one of the staff members if the Muslims were okay with us talking about Jesus to them. She said that as they build relationships with the people in the community, they are more open to hearing about Him. Obviously it takes discernment, but it was so cool to see and to learn from them.

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we took care of.

I also spent a large portion of time doing children’s outreaches including feeding center days, kids fun days, and Christmas parties. Africans apparently dance a LOT, so every single time we were with the kiddos, we danced with them. That was a good cardio workout! The kids were so sweet and so enamored with the white people or the “mzungu” as they call us. As we would drive down the road, groups of kids would gather and wave at us and shout “Bye mzungu, bye mzungu!”

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“All we can do is be faithful to the Father, do what He is asking us to do, and then leave the rest up to Him.”

When we would get to the sites for the time we would spend with the kids, they would rush over to us and all want to give us hugs and be with us. At the feeding center days, we got to spend time teaching the children a bible story, do some dancing, maybe some games, and then we would feed them. At the Christmas parties, we just got to be with the kiddos and have fun. We had cake and presents and food for them, and just played and danced with them and let them be kids and have a good time.

I loved the culture there, as the people were genuinely welcoming and hospitable. While I was there, I tried grasshoppers, sugar cane, passion fruit, an array of their cultural foods, and even slaughtered a chicken (that was definitely an experience!). I was constantly asking to try new things, asking questions, trying to learn words in Lugandan (the major language spoken in the part of Uganda we were in; they said they have over 50 languages in just that one, small country!), and much preferred riding the boda-boda (a motorcycle) than riding in the van. I even got to take part in a borehole (a hand water pump) commissioning.

The Lord showed me a lot of things while I was there. Like I said before, He convicted me of getting out of caring so much about what other people think about me and just listening to and obeying Him. He showed me again that other cultures are so, so cool, and they can reflect Him in other ways than our own culture does. He showed me that HE is powerful and the One who convicts hearts and changes people’s lives. For instance,

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during a home visit, a neighbor was under the influence of alcohol and was really attention seeking, but when we got to the prayer time, he asked us to pray for him because he wanted to change. We can pray for him, but the Lord is really the only One who can truly change his heart for good and turn him to Him. That’s honestly a really comforting thought because WE are not responsible for people’s salvation; all we can do is be faithful to the Father, do what He is asking us to do, and then leave the rest up to Him. Also, as I said, we were in a largely Muslim community.

There is no amount of reasoning that I can do with someone who isn’t a follower of Christ to convince them to be (and truly I shouldn’t be trying to convince them). I just need to love them and share with them, but leave the rest up to the Spirit, the One who has that power.

Also, it gave me a glimpse of what a really good community of people working for the Father and His purposes can look like in the context of a third world country, even working cross-culturally, as all of the staff there are Ugandan and we’re just coming alongside them.

Please pray for the people of Show Mercy and the people of Uganda. Please also continue to pray for me, for clarity and direction, as I am graduating in May and will be making some major decisions. I wish that I could share more of my trip with you all, so if you have any questions or want to hear any more details about it, I would LOVE to chat with you about it!

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES FROM OUR MARS HILL FAMILY

This issue’s recommendations come from Sophie Miller who serves on staff for the Mobile campus. Sophie is a covenant member of Mars Hill Church, wife to Drew, and new mom to Susannah Jane. Check out these recommended resources from Sophie!

Podcast: Gospel Parenting During The Little Years with Jen Wilkin and Melissa Kruger (TGC Podcast, December 2, 2021) “Drew and I listened to this one on the way home from Kentucky recently and it was so encouraging and practical and full of gospel goodness that helped us thoughtfully prepare for the arrival of our new baby.”

Book: God of All Things: Rediscovering the Sacred in an Everyday World

by Andrew Wilson “This book was so good. Short, concise chapters that help fuel our awareness of and worship for things from the Old and New Testament that we might overlook in everyday life (and how those things are understood through Scripture). Really well done. Recommend reading this before or after Joe Rigney’s The Things of Earth: Treasuring Christ by Enjoying His Gifts.” | |

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BIBLICAL TEACHING. GOSPEL COMMUNITY. INTENTIONAL DISCIPLESHIP.