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Posted in mission trip update
by Rachel Hooper
on 7/19/2008
This morning, I finally got to hear my husband's voice. The text messages have helped me to not miss him so much, but I still missed talking to him. They went somewhere to shop today and had enough reception on Jenny's phone to actually receive a call :) Isaac lit up when he heard Daddy's voice and tried to kiss the phone. It was so great, because I prayed last night that I would get to talk to James soon, just to hear his voice, because I miss him so much.
Please pray for the team as they will be having their last day of ministry on Sunday (tonight for us). The team is exhausted and ready to come home. Pray that God would sustain them to finish out their trip fully focused on Him. Pray for comfort as they are missing the families back here at home. Pray for their safe travel on Monday and Tuesday and that they would find some rest on their overnight layover in London. Please pray that they would really be able to enjoy their time in London to relax and unwind as well.
Praise for the Lord working so mightily through them in their various ministries. Many people have accepted the Lord, and tomorrow is a baptism at Lake Victoria. Praise that the Lord has taken care of the families back at home, too. God has really blessed me with grace and patience to deal with Isaac's occasional terrible-two moments in a loving, frustration-free manner.
I've found myself staying up rather late these past two weeks (until 1:00am) and praying for the team before I go to bed which is when they are in the middle of their ministry. Other spouses back here have said they, too, have been staying up late. Normally, when James is gone, my mind races before bed planning out an exit plan if someone broke in the house (we're in a safe neighborhood with wonderful neighbors). I've had absolutely none of that while James has been in Uganda. I have prayed against it, and James told me that he is praying for me when he wakes up in the morning, because he knows I'll be going to bed soon. Isn't it wonderful how God works out our prayer times across many time zones to lift each other up at the perfect moment? Thank you, Lord!
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Posted in mission trip update
by Rachel Hooper
on 7/14/2008
After not hearing from James for a few days, he was able to text me (using Jenny's phone :) to let me know that God is doing great things (and the "I love you and miss you stuff"). They don't really have options for communicating with us and it has been so hard not hearing from him. I am used to him traveling, but we typically get to talk and/or e-mail at least. My heart is so overjoyed to just receive a text message! Praise the Lord for technology!
There have been difficult and tiring moments for me being home with an 18 month old who is testing limits and doesn't understand them. We have certainly been praying a lot for this time of growth as Mama and son and for Daddy who we miss so very much. This is hard for Daddy to not call or e-mail and he really misses Isaac (and me). Please continue to pray for him, the team, and their families.
Thank you!!!
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Posted in Spiritual Growth
by Ashley Piorun
on 7/13/2008
(This entry was written by a dear friend who allowed me to share it on our blog. We have mutual friends, but it was actually our sons that brought us together in nursery as they are just one week apart. She and her family have been through quite a lot with her health since December, and she has shown remarkable grace and faith even in times of frustration and pain. I pray that her own reflections encourage you as they have me. ~Rachel)
I have been reflecting a lot the last past couple of months. I have a couple of friends who have been dealing with their own scary health issues, one of them with cancer. I have a couple of friends whose husbands lost thier jobs. There has been so much uncertainty, even in my own life. I had an opportunity to share my thoughts with one of my sick friends and then began to reflect on it myself. If there is anything that I have learned through my health scares, it is to remain faithful!! God has a learning opportunity in each thing that comes our way. Sometimes He blesses us with an answer to it all, and sometimes we never figue out why things go the way they do. While I was scared and laying in the hospital God kept telling me to just have faith in Him. On the second to last day I was there (in the hospital) I was tired of feeling sorry for myself and feeling like I was left alone. I was in a place that I can only describe as dark. I cried to Jesus and asked him...why? Why did I have to be going through this? Why was I taken, yet again, away from my family? My son? He overwhelmed my heart with the peace that He WOULD carry me through this. He told me that all it would take is for me to have faith. So often we try and control every area of our lives and forget that God is the one who is ultimatly in charge, not just in the things we do but in out emotions and feelings too. There is nothing we can do to change what is dealt in front of us. We just have to pray for the strength to get through. God does have perfect peace for us if we are just willing to seek it, ask for it. God calls us to our knees in scary ways sometimes. Sometimes that is the only way we will listen. Today, we live in a world where the is an answer for everything. Google is just a mouse click away and for one question we get 196,003 answers. I am learning that life is not that simple. Sometimes we have to come to terms and have peace in knowing that we aren't meant to have every answer. Why do you think they say, "God works in mysterious ways?" When we are screaming for answers and trying to wrap our minds around something so huge, God only gives us enough light for the step we are on. He promises to NEVER leave us in the dark, but that doesn't mean it is always going to be bright and sunny. He won't give us those answers all the time, but He WILL shine His light for you to see the step you are on today. Sometimes it is only a minute by minute process and that is how we get by. That was something else I had to learn. Take it one day at a time and truly take it one day at a time. I can't waste anymore of my precious time worrying about what the future will hold. Look at all I have today! Do not worry about tomorrow because we aren't promised it. I may never know why I have Crohn's and why I have to wake up some days and not be able to be the mother and wife that I want to be. But I do know that God is going to give me the strength I need, everyday. I have complete faith that He is right here with me. Carrying me when times are really tough. I try and wrap my mind around how much He truly loves us and everytime I can't seem to close the loop. I have to choose to wake up every morning and give my day over to Him. And that is how I choose to lead my life. It's working for me. How is life working for you?
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Posted in Uganda
by James Hooper
on 7/9/2008
Hey everyone!! I have 5 minutes to write so this will be brief. We are unable to check email here, but will try to keep you updated as best we can. We head out to the village tomorrow and have been preparing today. The people here are so friendly and hospitable. We have been well taken care of, and can't wait to return the favor once we get to the village. God is doing amazing things!! It's very slow internet access, we will try to contact when we get to the village.
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Posted in mission trip update
by James Hooper
on 7/6/2008
Saturday: we left at 6:30p.m.
From James: The feeling of going so far, long plane rides, missing my wife and son is reality now. Traveling this far is actually my first and I'm excited to see what God is going to do.
The team that God has put together is solid, we're trusting in each other and in our King. We'll try to send as many updates as possible.
From Courtney: We just arrived in London. The flight was long. My peanut butter got confiscated, they claimed it was a liquid, but I'm pretty sure you can't drink peanut butter. My husband Ben kept laughing at movies all night, so I didn't really sleep too much. Although I'm glad I wasn't sitting in front of him, because James didn't seem to thrilled about being kicked all night either. I'm glad we are in London and safe. I'm really anticipating arriving in Uganda and hopefully sleeping on the way. Please keep praying, our journey is just about to begin!
From Mary: What Courtney forgot to mention was along with the peanut butter incident, Dan was pulled out of line in London for taking pictures in the terminal. I guess he breeched security by shooting photos. Not to worry--we got him back. In fact, he is sitting talking to a man who is traveling back home to India from New York because his mother died. God is working in ways that we hadn't even anticipated.
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Posted in Spiritual Growth
by James Hooper
on 6/30/2008
What happens when the conviction is gone? As christians we're faced with the world in every direction. When I say world I'm talking about the sin that so easily entangles us. It's in our non christian friends (and christian friends), our T.V., our radio, our everyday life. We truly wouldn't hang out with the type of people we actually watch on our t.v., yet everyday we invite them into our living room. What are we to do?
We feel an uncomfortable conviction when we do something, and as time goes by we get more and more comfortable. All of a sudden we take a real hard look and start examining our lives only to find out that it's different now than it was a year or so ago. The things you were convicted about are no longer convictions, only mere compromises.
What happend to the passion?
What happened to the early rising to pray?
What happend to hearing the voice of the Lord?
What happend to the urge to speak to the person next to you about our Father?
What happend to the tinacity of getting close to our God?
What happend to our worship?
What happend to our study?
What happaned to our love?
Did it all leave with our conviction?
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Posted in Calendar
by Rachel Hooper
on 6/27/2008
We returned home after a month of traveling on June 17.
A week after visiting my family in Iowa, they were hit with major flooding. Thankfully, my family's homes were okay. My dear friend, Rachel, was flooded out at work, and God worked it out for her to be working 10 minutes from James' sister in Long Beach at the same time we were there. What a blessing to see her in Iowa, then in SoCal, and again next week when she comes for a planned visit.
Mexicali was a great trip, and we were incredibly blessed to join with three different pastors to work in their community. Isaac was quite tiring (as toddlers can be), but our church's team and the NY team were such a blessing to James and me by loving on Isaac. It was so wonderful to see the Mexican children flock around Isaac and play with him. His smile draws in so many people :) He was quite a trooper!
It was such a different experience for me to be on a mission trip than in years past. It had been 5 years since I was involved with anything, and now I was participating as a wife, mother, leader, and more mature adult. I was able to see and understand things on a deeper level than years ago. We experienced spiritual warfare while we were in Mexico, and even when we returned. Satan had been trying to discourage me from going on the trip in the months leading up to it. The most important thing I've learned from these attacks is to not be afraid to ask for prayer and tell people you need a little help.
James will be in Uganda from July 5-22 and Belize from July 26-August 8. On his previous trips, I never thought to ask for prayer for spiritual protection while he was gone, but this year, it's different. I know Isaac and I are easy targets for Satan to get to James when he needs to have his heart and mind focused on the Lord. This is the first time James is traveling to countries that don't neighbor the US, and he's going to have so many new experiences as a trip leader.
Please pray for James, me, and Isaac while he is gone. Pray against spiritual attacks on the mind and body and for safety and good health for all of us. Please also pray for patience and endurance for James traveling and me at home with Isaac.
Thank you all for your faithfulness to the Lord and support of our family!
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Posted in Pictures of Isaac
by Rachel Hooper
on 5/12/2008
Wow, it's been a long time since we posted a family update. James has been so incredibly busy these past few months and this summer will be even crazier. I figured I could help him out by posting an update of some Isaac pics.
Isaac finally started walking on his own a few weeks ago. He'd been cruising along the last 7 months and taking a few steps here and there. Now, he's all over the place! He is more and more active and I am more and more tired :) He loves being outside and exploring. He has learned a few sign words like "eat", "milk", "all done", and "please". He is the happiest little guy and so incredibly content to go off and play/discover on his own or bring me along. We have a hummingbird feeder outside the kitchen window and he gets so excited when there is a bird/pajaro feeding. He loves animals, especially dogs. We miss Yukon so much and are considering getting another dog later this year after the crazy summer is over so Isaac (and we) can know the joy of having one again.
Our next few months are going to be adventurous and tiresome. We head off to IA for my brother and sister's high school graduation, then we return home to head to Mexicali, Mexico for an AIM trip. We are incredibly excited to go serve the Lord together as family. There is a small group from our church going on this trip as well. It will be a challenge participating in some of the ministry with our group and having Isaac, but we are looking forward to it. After that trip, we will be celebrating our 5 year wedding anniversary and Father's Day in Southern CA. James wants to take me to Sea World, and I'm excited to take Isaac to the beach. It will be nice having a few days away for a family vacation. In July, James is leading a team from our church to Uganda for 2 1/2 weeks. In August, James will be taking 1-2 weeks off to rest, some of that time will be as a family, and some of that will be just him. With all he has been doing since starting with AIM 2 years ago and as a husband and father, he needs some time to get away and be refreshed .
Please pray for us this summer when you think of us. We are anticipating much joy and fatigue in all of our travels, but the hardest part for us might be when James is in Uganda. We will have limited calls, and we're going to miss each other a lot! Thank you for your support through all this time and know your prayers are very much appreciated.
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Posted in Spiritual Growth
by James Hooper
on 3/11/2008
(Guest blog from Jonathan Almanzar)
Before we start I need to state this. I am not against singing out to God as part of my praise. It's not the songs it's what we do with them.
Here is where I've found myself lately. Engaged in the music. Engaged in the atmosphere of the place. Crying out with the mob that, "You're all I want, You're all I need, You're everything, everything." Yet I find my focus not to be on Him. In fact, if I was truly honest I shouldn't even be singing this song. Maybe I WOULD be worshiping God if I kept my mouth shut, but that wouldn't feel as good.
I have found myself lately disappointed with the way the worship service ‘felt'. As if the way I felt had anything at all to do with Christ being the King. So I am faced with this question. Am I worshiping the Lord of all Creation, or have I just found an easy way to get off during a 4 song set? What about you?
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Posted in General Articles
by James Hooper
on 3/5/2008
Spiritual Masturbation part 1-The Poor
(Guest blog from Jonathan Almanzar)
We're going to use the next 5 days to look at ourselves. If we are truly motivated by love for our Saviour, or if we've just found a new way to feel good.
I live in Mexico. When I head out to the city I make sure that I have around $5 in pesos to pass out. There are homeless and beggars on every street corner and traffic light. I give to everyone who asks until I run out of money. I feel good about it (especially if someone is visiting us and riding along) and feel like I'm helping people or being charitable. But at the end of the day I go home to my tiled floors, my mostly full refrigerator, to my purified drinking water and I have to ask myself…have I walked 2 miles with anyone? Mat. 5:41
Here's my question. When we give our 5 bucks or donate our old clothes to the poor, are we really concerned…or have we just found a cheap way to get off? (especially glaring in this are the drive-through clothes-drop at the salvation army.)
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