This is going to bring you big smiles. Hang with it till the end. Our guy Jason Petty (aka Propaganda) is second... 

And that's why we love him. 

I’m sure many of you have heard by now, but I wanted to write and say goodbye. I’ve been job hunting for a few weeks now and God has answered your prayers.

Recently, I traveled up to the Bay Area to work on a consulting project for Cityteam International. It’s a Christian organization that focuses on at risk populations around the US.

God has a plan.

After a week of working together, it was clear we had more work to do. The team had been praying for someone like me and I have a heart for their mission. The position was a match professionally, but even more so matched my heart for the lost, hurting, and church. 

God is good.

Although the task feels to large, I believe God is calling me to step out and trust Him. I reminded of William Carey who said we should always "Attempt great things for God...expect great things from God."

So last Sunday was my last Sunday. I’m saddened to leave an amazing church that so embodies the life of Christ, but I'm also very grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of your lives over the past two years. Your fellowship, care and grace has marked me.

You welcomed me.

Thanks for embracing people who are only passing through. Thanks for not holding back but loving us, showing us grace, and most of all displaying Christ.

Grateful and in Him,

Rebecca

Alex shared last Sunday... 

Good morning! You know me as a member of Sovereign Grace church, but before I arrived here I was on a long journey. 

I was born in Mexico, and my parents brought to the United States when I was 3 years old. By the grace of God, I was saved through a ministry in Santa Ana, were I was tutored, mentored, and ministered to. Although I was able to attend school, I was unable to work due to my legal status. And so, instead of working illegally I chose to volunteer at that Santa Ana ministry (Lighthouse Community Center).

This past year my situation changed.

Seven years after graduating High School, a law passed allowing me to apply for a work permit. And this past May I was approved! I can now get a job. I can now get a driver’s license.

As you can imagine, these past years have been difficult. I knew what was right but needed to wait. There were times when I felt hopeless and stuck and sad that I couldn’t work. And even more so because I wanted to marry Darina.

Waiting was hard.

Darina had to wait too but no longer! We are engaged and I’m in awe of how God works things out. She stuck with me all these years and now we are going to get married. I want to spend the rest of my life with her. She’s a gift from God to me.

Darina was worth waiting for.

As all of this now unfolds, the Lord is working everything out step by step. A couple weeks ago I was offered a job in that same ministry where I’ve been volunteering and I really wanted it. But it also meant leaving you to join their church.

And I believe I’m called to be in ministry and I’ve been praying for God for wisdom and direction. This was my dream job.

Even when we have choices, it’s still hard!

Darina and I have decided to remain here with you. I’ve made this choice to stay at Sovereign Grace because it is worth it and I value being here and being in fellowship with you. I didn't want to trade my spiritual growth in Christ for a job. Everyone here at Sovereign Grace has loved Darina and I…you’ve accepted us, prayed for us and been there for us. My heart has been transformed the last 2 years.

Thank you with all my heart for being such an amazing place that I call home.

So now I’m waiting again.

I need a job.

I know God will provide as he has all these years. Not once did I go hungry or lacked because of God’s faithfulness to provide and care after me. 

Please pray for me. Pray for Darina. I know you will and God will answer.

He is an amazing Father. He cares for us. We can trust Him.

Rebecca and her husband recently attended our Money Management Course. She shared this testimony during our service last Sunday...

I grew up in a Christian family in which my parents were very careful to apply biblical principles to their finances.  From a young age I was taught the importance of managing money as a careful steward of God’s possessions.  My husband and I had not always applied these principles to our finances and our differing backgrounds had often brought into our relationship differing views on how to handle money.  That was compounded by the fact that for several years we did not have a steady income, and we felt like trying to keep a budget was useless.

The Money Management class came at the perfect time.

Christopher had recently accepted a new job and we were just beginning to have a predictable income.  As we studied verses and talked through them with the others in the class, Christopher and I had a platform for working through the principles of handling money from a biblical perspective.  We are so thankful for Les and Sue, who have been applying these principles for years, and were able to put them into the practical language of how this looks in everyday life.  

During the class, we put together a budget and talked through our strategy for getting out of debt.  We have made some of the first steps – putting money into our savings account, and selling our car in order to get rid of that monthly payment.  We also looked at the numbers for how much we will save by putting extra money towards our credit card payment, and that was very motivating for putting together a plan to pay it off sooner rather than later.  

We are looking forward to the day when we are debt free!  

Another thing that Christopher and I have wanted to do, is to be free to give to the needs of others, whether that be needs we see in the church, or in the lives of friends, or for missions trips, etc.  Debt has been tying us down in this area.  We were glad for the occasion to carve out part of our budget for giving and we are looking forward to doing more of this in the future as we grow free from the enslavement of debt.

The most helpful thing about this class was the opportunity to study in a group environment where everyone was focused on what the Bible really says about these areas and how to apply what is said to daily life.  Many times an insight or different viewpoint was expressed and it gave us an opportunity to really get to the core issues from many different angles.  It was also encouraging to know that we are not alone in this pursuit.

We are not alone. 

I'd encourage you to ask for help if you need it. Take the class. Share your struggles with your small group. Be a people who rely on one another to be better stewards for God's glory and our good.

Mina shared this a few Sundays ago...

 My spiritual life was not unlike that which my husband Ali has shared. I grew up in a country and culture that was religious in name only. I was Muslim, but really I wasn't anything. From the outside I appeared prosperous. Inside I felt empty.

Life seemed pointless.

Somehow I knew I wanted a relationship with God. I didn't know how. I didn't know the proper way. I wasn't confused...I was just unsettled. But all this changed recently.

I saw God answer prayer.

Watching God work in another person's life is powerful. It made me want to learn more about the Christian faith. I began to believe and trust Christ. 

Then my life changed. 

My new faith led us to leave Dubai. We were forced to go and arrived in Orange County knowing almost no one. We had no jobs. No home. No possessions. Certainly no church.  But we did have Jesus.

And Jesus led us to this church, full of people who welcomed us and cared for us and loved us. And still do!

We love gathering with you on Sundays and during the week to worship and learn more about Christ. We love feeling like we are family, especially since our natural families are so far away. We love getting to do this all out in the open, not in secret, sharing our new faith with everyone we meet. 

He has saved me.

I know I was chosen by Him. Jesus took care of me, loving me long before I was ever born or believed. I regret not knowing Him sooner, but am so glad I finally see. 

May his kingdom come.

Our very own Emily is in Africa on a summer missionary trip with friends from Gordon College. Here's the latest report from the team...

Hello All.

We hope and pray everything is going well back home. We're all still safe and sound, enjoying our time here in Bulembu!

We had an exciting first week: In the mornings we've been doing physical labor around town, and this week we start a new project renovating a few homes around the area. In the afternoons, we've each joined various clubs and sports teams at the primary school from traditional swazi dance to netball to cricket and explorers club. Everyone is becoming quite talented in their specific areas of choice... especially our dancers and drummers ;)

We've been spending the time between clubs and dinner with houses in Dvudvusi (one side of the town where a lot of the children live). In the beginning of last week we were each assigned a house to spend time with, whether its helping with homework or just hanging out and playing with the kids. Please pray open mindedness and an optimistic attitude over our team, as most of us bonded quite closely with the people in our houses last week and now know that we will be switching houses a few times during our time here so that most children will have the opportunity to have a "visitor" in their home for a while. As a team, we absolutely see the benefit of this for the children as well as the wisdom behind the decision, yet naturally we still struggle with the temptation to be stuck on what we desire out of the trip rather than what is best for the organization we have come to serve.

Continue to pray for sound minds and peaceful sleep, as we have long days and would love to be in tip-top shape so that we can fully invest everything we have in this wonderful place. We're praying for you all as well.

Blessings,

The Swazi Team 

Ali shared this testimony a few Sundays ago...

I was Muslim because my father was Muslim...and my father was Muslim because his father was Muslim.

Our story began thousands of years ago, when our country was attacked and our choice was either to convert to the Muslim faith or die. We had no right to ask questions and when I finally did, what I saw I didn't like. And so I decided not to be religious at all.

I was a sinful man, blind and very negative, always hopeless.

Years past until recently, as Mina and I prepared for a vacation to Europe (from Dubai), a close friend encouraged us to visit a church while we traveled. This individual had done the same thing during a particularly difficult season in their life and was convinced God has answered their prayers.

So we visited a church as tourists. 

The church was beautiful but I wasn't a tourist long. As I sat there, I began to weep. I didn't know why but I just kept weeping. And through my tears I spoke to God and asked him to work in my life too. Promising Him I'd believe if only He showed me a sign.

My whole life changed.

I trusted Christ as my Savior. God changed the very disposition of my heart. I'm no longer hopeless. I'm no longer anixous...even now, when my life is more unstable then it was back then...I am experiencing a peace I've never known.

And this is only the beginning.

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18

Congrats to Alex and Darina! Watching you get married is going to be awesome...