Cha Cha Changes...

HUGE CHANGES AHEAD!!! Haiti 30 Day Prayer Challenge and Answered Prayers.

All, as many of you know, one of my favorite phrases is that "excitement is a combination of fun & fear". Well, I have some very EXCITING news to share with all of you.

I've made a some comments recently referring to the 30 day prayer challenge that was given to the team on our last night in Grand Goave, Haiti by the Lifeline Christian Missions staff. We were asked to pray for 30 days asking God what He wanted us to do with all that we had experienced during our 10 days in Haiti. Well, I can tell you without any hesitation that God answered that prayer for me in a very definite way and it didn't take 30 days to hear an answer. In fact, it didn't even take 30 hours.

Here's a little back-story...During the course of the past 18 months and thru my recent disaster recovery mission work in Holton, IN from the March 2011 tornado outbreak, I had come to the realization that the path that I have been on for 25+ years was coming to a fork in the road and it was time for me to make some major, life-changing decisions. My technology consulting business had definitely become a "job" and I no longer felt any passion for it. The technology world is easy for me to understand and operate in and is certainly a gift, but it had become stale and I realized that I was just going thru the paces each day.  The recovery project in Holton had given me a brand new set of experiences and allowed me to feel like I was actually making a difference and changing other's lives for the better. The project management / construction management portion of my work allowed me to use some of the other gifts that God had given me and definitely lit a fire within my being. It was hard for me to believe that God would have brought me to this work and provide me with a new 18 month "baptism by fire" education in a different field and NOT expect me to do something with the experiences & knowledge.

So, I started praying every morning..for direction, for knowledge and wisdom, for discernment, for patience, and for Him to open doors and slam doors in my face. I asked that He illuminate the path that He wanted me to take and that I would have the strength and the faith to obey Him...even if it meant turning my world upside down. This had started a month or so before our Haiti trip and I definitely felt that I was not supposed to do anything until I returned. So, I waited. Not always patiently but still, I waited.

It was my goal to develop a plan of action, while I was gone, to take upon my return to reach out into the disaster response world to see if anyone had any openings or any projects that would be a good fit for me and my recent new set of skills. There was such a sense of peace and clarity over me during the 10 days in Haiti that I didn't make ANY plans. I took in every experience and gave our mission work 100% of my focus and attention...and I am so glad that I did. Sitting in the airport in Port Au Prince on our final day, waiting for our flight back to Miami, I started to contemplate what I was going to do when I got back home but, again had that feeling that I should just continue to CHILL. So, I did. After a long wait at the airport and a 2 hour flight north, we were finally back on US soil...THEN IT HAPPENED.

I had been 10 days without cell phone, without Internet, without email so, as soon as the Pilot announced that we could turn on our electronic devices I powered up my iPhone. As it came on and loaded, it suddenly started blowing up with text message notifications. My initial reaction was one of "Oh no, I wonder what's wrong". But, when I opened the first of several messages from a certain person, I realized that there wasn't anything "wrong". The texts were from someone that I had met and worked with thru the Holton project and is a Disaster Response Coordinator for IDES (International Disaster Emergency Services), which is an international disaster response mission organization that is associated with the non-denominational Christian churches and based in Kempton, IN just south of Kokomo. The messages basically said, "Hey, we see that you are in the final stages of work in Holton. What are your future plans and availability? We need you in New Jersey and Oklahoma." Needless to say, I was speechless.

I read the messages a couple of more times to make sure I was understanding them correctly and then handed the phone to Beth, so she could read it, and she said, "I guess we're already getting answers to the 30 day prayer challenge". I sent a return message explaining that we had just landed, that I was totally blown away by the information, and that I would call later to talk in greater detail. As much as I wanted to share this information with others right away, I kept quiet wanting to have some further discussions before I said anything else to anyone else.

Over the last few weeks, I have had multiple conversations and meetings with the folks at IDES, as well as a couple of other Christian mIssions groups that work in the disaster world. I'll boil all of that down to the following...I have accepted the position of Disaster Response Coordinator with IDES and begin my new career with them in August. At the moment, it sounds like I will be deployed to be "boots on the ground" for a couple of months assisting in completing a current disaster recovery project at the South Nassau Christian Church in Baldwin, New Jersey. The church was heavily damaged by Superstorm Sandy in October and they need someone fresh to come in and push it to completion. After that, I'll come home for a bit and then be deployed, for an undetermined period of time, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to aid in the recovery efforts from the recent tornadoes. From there, your guess is as good as mine. IDES does work all over the globe, with long time relationships in Kenya and Haiti, and we discussed the length of time that my recently renewed passport will be active. So, who knows. When you ask God to answer your prayers, I've learned that you don't question or get in His way when He gives you such a definite answer...you just say "Send me Lord, I will go, I will serve".

The first question that the few people we have told about this have asked has been, "How does Beth feel about this and you being gone for months at a time?" Well, her answer has been one of faithfulness stating, "If God brought this to us, who am I to stand in His way? We will be faithful and figure it out." So, we are figuring it all out. We hope that we will be able to spend some long weekends together on a fairly regular basis, whether it is me traveling back home or her flying to wherever I am. If anyone has frequent flyer miles they want to donate, to offset the expense of these upcoming trips, we would be most appreciative and gladly accept them.

The next few weeks will be busy with tying up some final loose ends in Holton (if you didn't know it, we finished our final home rebuild on Thursday), beginning the process of moth-balling Kroger Consulting, and completing some "honey-do" projects around The Kroger Ranch.

It will also be busy with me getting into a new mindset of working for a non-profit missions group and learning their organization, procedures, and staff.

In closing, I won't bore you with any more details. Suffice it to say that we are "excited" and are looking forward with cautious optimism to see what God has in store for our future. Keep checking Facebook as I'm sure I'll be posting pictures and stories from wherever I happen to be.

Please pray for Beth and I, most especially to bulletproof and protect our marriage as we embark on this new path and spend lengthy times apart.

Much love to all y'all!!!

Only thru Him,

Darin - "God's newest missionary"

Almost forgot...May 1st...better late than never, I guess LOL

May 1, 2012 ~ Official first day with HLTDR

HLTDR = Holton Long Term Disaster Recovery. Tried to hit the ground running but seemed to have shoes with zero traction. Wanted to get rocking and rolling by 10am and it was more like 1pm before I could even say the phrase “rocking and rolling” much less put it into practice. Oh well, everyone runs on a different clock /schedule and mine just happened to be running at a little faster pace than others.

Got keys to the office that we will be operating out of and was able to sit down at a donated desk, in a donated chair, with donated power / air conditioning, and turn on my laptop to connect to donated Wi-Fi. All in all, it’s a nice setup to operate from. It will certainly get crowded from time to time but I think that the 3 of us (Case Manager, Donations/Volunteer Coordinator, and Construction Manager) will most likely run on different schedules at different times of the day. I will most likely be the early bird with only a few evenings for meetings where the other 2 will certainly need to be running in the late afternoon / evening to connect with people after work. I may be totally wrong in my assumptions (I usually am) but time will tell.

So far, I’ve met the Case Manager, Cynthia Melton, who is a retired school teacher and a long-time resident of Holton. We had the opportunity to have a brief discussion and she is very nice and seems to be extremely patient. Her experience and expertise on the local residents and their needs will prove to be invaluable, I’m sure. I have very briefly met the other member of the Three Amigos, Philip Deiwert, at the Construction Training that I attended a little over a week ago in Henryville. He also seems like a very nice young man and I’m sure that the 3 of us will get along very well. It seems like we all have our hearts in the same place, putting the needs of others ahead of our own, which is really a refreshing change of pace to my normal day to day experiences and interactions. PTL.

Tonight we all have a series of meetings with FEMA, Indiana Association of United Ways (IAUW), along with some funding organizations and the local advisory board for Holton’s recovery efforts. The meetings are progressive and add members as the evening goes on. So, I am sure I will get to hear some information twice or even three times. That’s ok. Being as thick-headed as I am, I need to hear things more than once sometimes for it to stick. I’ll add more later this evening after the meetings are over. As I said in a Facebook post earlier today, “Looks like it’s going to be a LONG day.” Someone responded with, “And you are loving every minute of it, aren’t you?”  Why, yes…yes, I am. Better than blessed. :D

God has a great sense of humor! Don’t you agree???  While we are waiting for folks to arrive for these meetings tonight, there is a tornado watch issued for the area…quickly followed by a TORNADO WARNING and SIRENS for two communities just north of here (Batesville and Greensburg). Needless to say, everyone in Holton was a bit “on edge” when the telephone calls started hitting everyone’s cell phones alerting each other to the possible danger.  As quickly as it showed up, and after one brief touch-down in Decatur county, it was all over…just a lot of rain now. ;-)

Woods, Water, and Lone Wolf

Brookville, Indiana is just like Cowen, West Virginia...right?  Well, not exactly. The weather forecasted for Brookville doesn't have 5 straight days of rain like Cowen did. So, instead of driving, camping, fishing, and living in the rain...I decided to take my "Lone Wolf" trip to Brookville instead.

Why Brookville?  I had my heart set on fly fishing for trout and the Tailwaters from Brookville lake are stocked by Trout Unlimited every year and hold rainbow trout and brown trout. I've fished the tailwaters before, many times over, but the only time I have ever camped in Brookville was at Morgan's Canoe Livery with the Boy Scout troop back around 1997.  The campground at Brookville Lake Park is pretty nice.  I had no issue getting my camper in here and setup for the long weekend. I found that there are some camp sites at the Franklin County Park, near Morgan's, but they are all grass with no camper pad and look more suited for tent camping. They have a handful of tent sites up on top of the hill behind the fairgrounds that looked pretty cool. If you are around the area, you should drive thru and check it out. It is directly behind Morgan's Livery.

Gonna make this short as I want to get to my bible study / prayer time.  Have a great day and talk to you soon.

From the woods (kinda).

April 25 - Sheepdogs

"What is a Sheepdog? A Sheepdog is a state of being, a state of mind. It is an unspoken understanding that we are the protector of the flock, a guardian to those not capable of guarding themselves. The old, the weak, the infirmed, the average, we oversee them all. We know that the sheeple we care for are often unappreciative. They may view us with a general disdain. We sometimes bear an uncomfortable resemblance to those that mean harm to them. We possess the same propensity for violence and the same predatory instinct. The difference being, what we choose to do with our individual assets."

This has been on my mind the past few weeks. Am I a "sheepdog"?  In one word, YES.

I see my role as a worldly protector of the sheep, following the directions of our Heavenly Shepherd to keep the "wolves" at bay and herd the sheep back to the safety of the "flock". Does HE really need us to perform this role? I'm not sure that He "needs" our help but I believe he wants us to pick up the mantle of the "sheepdog" and work in a physical manner on this earth. When we follow His direction to protect others, guard their best interests, and keep the them safe I think we make Him smile.

Not everyone can relate to the sheepdog.Those of us who feel this calling should put it to practice within our household, our church family and, in our world in general. Don't ever pass up the opportunity to help and protect others. I am a firm believer in the idea that "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." (Edmund Burke). It doesn't matter if they are a close friend or a total stranger...be the sheepdog!

You all probably think I'm nuts, and maybe I didn't do a very effective job of communicating my feelings but, this concept is gaining ground with me. Maybe mentoring needs to be a component of the "sheepdog" as well. Not sure how this fits in the shepherd, dog, sheep analogy but I'll work on it.

I hope to get some feedback on this one...

****

Some of you know that I have planned to retreat to the mountains of West Virginia to do a little camping and fishing this weekend. Well, it doesn't appear that the weather is going to cooperate with my well-laid plans. All the weather outlets are forecasting a soaker for the whole weekend...for most of the midwest. Oh, well...you just have to roll with it. Maybe another location will become apparent to me tonight for some quiet, alone time with my Heavenly Father and His Word. I need some time to renew my focus on HIM and HIS promptings. I have been feeling a bit disjointed and even a bit "under attack" recently. This is what I posted on my FB feed yesterday evening ~

Keep your guard up!!! It is shocking how easily "Ol Hornhead" can mess with you and try to steal your joy!!! He's been after me lately.The best defense is a Great Offense led by the King of Kings!!! 1 Peter 5:8 "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour." NLT

Ol Hornhead apparently hasn't read all the way to the end of Revelation...WE WIN!!!

God intends for all of us to be VICTORIOUS THRU THE BLOOD OF JESUS!!! Reach UP and claim the power that He offers each one of us!

Satan is a PUNK!!! We are God's Mighty Warriors!!!

I still intend to get some "alone time" somewhere away from home...otherwise, I will be compelled to answer my phone and continue to work.


One final thought that continues to relate to my "Better than Blessed" title. Our friends the Melicks in Alabama posted some good news regarding Mary Grace this afternoon as they wean her from her paralytic drugs. "Almost! So close! We were talking to MG - the nurse and I - and shaking and calling and she raised her eyebrows, and looked like she wanted to open her eyes. There was a fluttering behind her eye lids that we haven't seen ... I feel like she might have moved her head slightly side-to-side. The nurse was ecstatic, so I'm ecstatic too. ... OK, not "ecstatic,'' but they say it's progress."  This faith-filled family is exhibiting the perfect example of how to face adversity...THRU CHRIST! I love them, their example, and their inspiration.

Enough for now. Talk to y'all soon. Hopefully, my next post will be "from the woods". I'll be where God wants me to be.

Be blessed. :D

April 24th - Tragic News / God at work

Just as I was completing my initial post in this blog on Saturday night, I received some very disturbing news about one of our Alabama friends. Apparently, our good friend Mary Grace from Christian Service Mission was struck by a drunk driver early on Saturday and was / is in the UAB Hospital in a medically induced coma. The news is so tragic but somehow also part of God's plan. He must need Mary Grace to show Jesus to someone in the hospital, or the EMT's, or the first responders to the accident, or someone that she would not normally come in contact with. Please PRAY for her and her family. Her husband and kids are real troopers but I can only imagine how tough this is on all of them.

Some better news is that Bright Christian Church has decided to focus their upcoming IMPACT DAY efforts in Holton, IN. I had not said anything to anyone at the church last week about my new "gig" in Holton when Rob Sweeney stopped me and asked what I thought about making our May 19th Impact Day a mini-mission trip to Holton. Imagine his surprise when I told him the news. Not a coincidence...God at work again. So, look for upcoming details about what will occur on that day but be sure that there will be enough work projects for everyone and we will be serving lunch for all the volunteers as well.

Still so very humbled by the Hands & Feet Ministry work day on Saturday. I find myself looking at the pictures over and over again and just smiling. They received some amazing news on Saturday night when the donations were totalled and found that some God-sized anonymous donations had been given. I won't mention the exact amount but, suffice it to say, everyone was BLOWN AWAY by the amount given. God at work yet again!

I'm trying to break away for some "Wild at Heart" time in the mountains of W.Virginia at the end of this week to do some fishing, a little work, but mostly to spend some quiet time with God in His word. Please pray for enlightenment and good weather. Love you all. Be blessed.

The next chapter in my "book"...BETTER THAN BLESSED!!!

This past week has been a total "GOD WEEK" for me…full of amazing blessings. Please let me set the stage...



Some of you already are aware of my passion for tornado/disaster relief. These past few weeks have been full of amazing time spent assisting folks affected by the Indiana storms on Friday, March 2nd. I was able to make some face to face contacts in Holton, IN during the first week after the tornados and realized just how many people I actually know in Ripley County. During the following weeks, there were so many generous people who wanted to help is whatever ways possible.



Members of a new and immerging local ministry, Hands & Feet, were at the forefront of those wanting to get involved and were traveling to the affected areas in the weeks following the storms. Some of them went to the Chelsea/Paynesville area near Madison, while others then went to the Marysville/Henryville area. Over the past 2 weekends, we were able to organize and mobilize 2 different work trips to Marysville and Holton to do debris cleanup, run chainsaws, and help construct storage sheds…all while trying to bless others as they, in turn, blessed all of us.  While we were serving in a “boots on the ground” capacity, others were collecting donations within a local school. The children of one of the branch managers at United Community Bank had taken a 1 classroom collection effort and turned it into a multi-classroom competition. This effort raised enough donated items to fill my suburban as well as a minivan. Brenda Wheat, my son Nick, and I were able to pick up and then deliver those donated items to the Ripley County Food Pantry and the Holton Christian Church on this past Monday afternoon (April 16^th).



Nick rode along with me and, on the way home, we were talking. Not sure what exactly was going on in the conversation or why I said what I did but, I made the statement, “I wish I could do this every day. But I don’t know how to earn a living doing it.” This was mid-afternoon on Monday the 16^th.  To see hurting people and know that you can assist them in different ways was definitely on my heart and mind the rest of the afternoon and into the evening.



Beth needed to run some errands that evening so we hopped in the truck together when I realized that, not only had I left my mobile phone in the truck but, I had missed a call and a voicemail message too. I hit “play” and Beth and I listened to Pastor Bob from Holton talk about their immediate need for a local reconstruction project manager and wanted to know 2 things...one, if I knew any names of qualified people and two, if I was interested in the position.  I was a bit dumb-founded by this last sentence of the message and actually listened to that voicemail at least 2 more times before hanging up. Beth asked, “Are they offering you a job?” and all I could do was respond with total silence. A few minutes later, I called him back to discuss his earlier message and get some clarification. As we ended that brief conversation, I let him know that I would have to talk things over with Beth certainly PRAY about it. We agreed to talk again the following day.



As the days of this past week progressed, suffice it to say that God was at work. We were able to work out a scenario whereby I am now contracted by Holton to be 1 member of a 3 member “Long Term Disaster Recovery” (LTDR) team.  This is for a minimum of the next 6 months while they secure additional funding for reconstruction projects and support efforts. So, my comment on Monday afternoon was directly addressed in a VERY positive way by Thursday morning. Beginning officially of May 1^st, I will be adding this work to my current consulting projects. However, this one should prove to be the most rewarding personally and spiritually. Timing is everything as I was actually able to attend a day-long LTDR training that was held in Henryville yesterday (Friday).



I would like to conclude this initial “HOLTON LTDR” entry with 2 final points. #1 – God also moved in a very stressful customer relationship issue that I have been struggling with over the past few week and concluded it in a very positive way on Thursday morning. In fact, it was concluded just minutes after my final conversation with the Holton folks to accept their position. #2. – God also moved today, Saturday the 21^st, as 40+ volunteers came together for the first “work day” to prepare the new location for the Hands & Feet Ministry in Bright, IN at the old “Bright Spot Café”. It was such a humbling day of service to others and with others where God’s love was evident around every corner.



Recently, I’ve been repeating a line that was said by our Senior Minister, Jeff Stone, during a sermon a few weeks ago…”If you really want to experience the love of Jesus, put someone else’s needs ahead of your own.” This concept has become a reality for me this week for sure and will become my mantra for the foreseeable future.  (A mantra ^[1] is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation" (cf. spiritual transformation).)



As this new chapter unfolds, I hope you will join me for the adventure. Blessings to you ALL.