ARCHIVE GALLERY
June 2006
June 2, 2006
We are home and settled in after a great couple of weeks in Jamaica! The whole trip went very well and we thank each of you, from the bottom of our hearts, for lifting us up in prayer and supporting us financially. We had everything we needed and felt the Lord strengthening us through your prayers.
In a nutshell, the experience was heart-breaking, fulfilling, stretching and encouraging all at the same time. The poverty and crime level in Jamaica is very high and we all, especially Kennedie and Kadison, saw firsthand a third world country.
We stayed at the Salvation Army compound which included a day school, day care center, school for the blind and visually impaired, children’s home, home for retired officers and, of course, the Salvation Army church. We had opportunities to serve most of these ministries and became quite attached to the children. We were saddened by the living conditions and lack of supplies that the day care center and school had, even though many improvements had just been made. We were able to purchase toys for the day care center and school supplies for the day school. Because of your support, we were able to give to bless these kids as well as the teachers. Thank you!
Our time included helping to bag food to give to the elderly, teaching bible lessons to the children and ministering through music whenever possible. We were privileged to spend quality time with many individuals and establish friendships that we were able to form as a foundation for further ministry. Originally, we were told a crusade was to take place. By the time we got there, the plans took a bit of a change and they ended up using us in all of their regular meetings. Most of their services lasted from 2 to 3 hours, which was quite a challenge for our family! With the HOT weather and dress clothes (Jamaican’s dress-up for church) we had to learn a new level of endurance! We averaged 3-4 showers daily to combat the hot Caribbean humidity!
All in all, the trip turned out very differently than what we had expected. Not, worse by any means…just different. The two weeks built up to a community concert at a rented hall with various groups participating. That was a pleasure to participate in and Kennedie even got to dance with a girl’s dance team. She did very well. KC gave his first “message” at the last service we were at. He stood at my side at said, “I am so happy that we could all come tonight and learn about Jesus. This has been a lot of fun and it is good to hear about God.”
We kept looking around at all of the gigantic needs and hurts in these people’s lives. In our American way, we wanted to “fix” what is broken and “buy” what is needed. God reminded us that what these people truly need cannot be bought or “shipped over” and that we were there to “give them Jesus.” It is such a simple, basic lesson, but one that will not be soon forgotten by the Brown family.
We cannot thank you enough for your generous giving and support through prayer. The Lord continues to stretch our view of who He is and His creation. The family of God is made of a wide variety of people who worship differently, live differently and may even believe a little differently. Our mission remains the same – to challenge and encourage the body of Christ to pursue Him wholeheartedly and live in unity to show the world that He is truly the Savior.
Thank you for joining us in the endeavor.
We love you!
Randy, Marli, Kennedie and Kadison
Randy spent Friday and Saturday with 7 men from Highland Church of the Nazarene at their church camp in Fowlerville, MI. The purpose of the weekend was simply to seek God, to see our identity in Christ, and to refocus on the leading of the Holy Spirit. He challenged them with biblical truths and encouraged them to honor God in all they do. They had a wonderful time and being the second year consecutively to participate in this weekend, he has grown to love these men as Christian brothers. In a world where entertainment seems to run our lives, Pastor Mike Hefner of Highland Nazarene has committed this men’s weekend to nothing but spending time getting to know the Lord. After each of the four sessions, the men were encouraged to take a “code of silence” for 30 minutes in order to listen for the Lord’s guidance. We are just so impressed that Pastor Mike has carved out the time for men to build a foundation that will drastically alter their own lives, the lives of their families and the church.
Sunday morning we sang at the same church and it was an awesome service! I was a bit concerned because I had really been fighting an earache and sinus infection all week and had spent 3 days in bed and wasn’t sure how my voice was going to work. I just took it a little easy and everything was fine. The entire service belonged to the Lord and His presence was so evident. Our time ended with communion and prayer and it was so refreshing to our spirits. We love this church and are thrilled to see how the Lord is stretching and growing them. We are a part of the same family! You are too! Have a blessed week.
South Lyon, a neighboring bedroom community just 4 miles from our home, has recently opened a new coffee shop called Java House. It is Christian owned and operated and is done extremely well. They have live music on the weekends and we were able to play there on Friday night. This area is the closest to us geographically, although we have not had the opportunity to serve in most of the churches! So, this is a great chance to mingle with the community and get to know some of the regulars. In fact, during the evening, two men came in and looked surprised as they immediately recognized the Christian music. They are from an area church and want to have us come and minister. Their wives came a little later and they to loved the Christian atmosphere. Between the four of them, two were elders on the church board…just the people who need to know about a ministry they are considering bringing in. Only God can set that up! My parents live right across the street, so they invited several of their friends and we were so blessed that evening by people who just came in to sit and drink a cup of coffee…not a huge crowd, but better than we expected. It will definitely be placed on our rotation.
Saturday was a gorgeous weather day and it was a good thing because we headed over to the Divine Caffé to participate in an outdoor concert/fundraiser for the café. There were two other bands there and we played first…which was really nice because we could enjoy the people, many of whom we know personally. And then, you always meet new people that you wish you had time to get to know better. We met a couple that is getting married in a couple of weeks and I am definitely getting together with them! I can’t explain it, but when they walked in, we were finishing our set and I looked at them and thought, “Lord, I want to be their friend.” Weird, I know. But then I met them and fell in love with both of them! They are in the ministry and live close to Divine. Just precious people. That is what the family of God is about…people honoring God with their lives and the Holy Spirit testifies to that. It was a great evening and we are attempting to post pictures but are having trouble launching them for some reason!
Sunday morning we went to First Baptist Church of Novi, again, very close to home. This schedule was a gift from God! We got in VERY late but didn’t have to be up too early and the kids were with us every step of the way. They did great. This church is a “family integrated church” which means that nothing is separated into age groups…even the nursery. There is no nursery other than for changing diapers or feeding. Everyone worships and learns together. It was really wonderful to see these kids (and a lot of them) sitting through the service not moving. They were excellent. The antsiest? Kadison….mine. Figures. Anyway, it was a fantastic service and the people were so warm and welcoming and relaxed. They were a pleasure to worship with. After church we went to dinner with friends from long ago and a new friend who lives in our apartment complex. We saw Ken the night before at about 12:30 AM at the mail boxes on our way home from Divine. We knew he is a believer and has wanted to worship with us, so we invited him and he came! So, we got to know him better over dinner. I just keep thinking that we are so blessed to know such a diversity of people, which gives us a better picture of God’s character and creativity.
It was a blessed weekend with ministry that, we believe, will produce a wonderful harvest.We went to the Echo Grove Salvation Army Camp in Leonard, Michigan on Thursday night to sing for their senior citizen’s group. There were about 200 or so there and they have a fantastic time! We sang for them last year as well and both times I have thought the same thing. They have so much energy! Literally, they stand and dance or sing with us…they get so excited and enthusiastic! I think it is because they are just a joyful group and they are happy to be there! Kennedie sang and they just ate it up…she did a very nice job and both of the kids really helped afterwards with the CD table. I need them so that as I stand and supervise, I can be talking with the people. From the moment we began to worship together, the Lord was just “there!” There was peace and excitement and He gave me the words to say to encourage this group. We were asked to come back next year and they also invited Kennedie to their music camp, which takes place in a week and a half. We need to pray about it as it seems to be pretty intense, but I would love to see her go. The Salvation Army places a wonderful emphasis on music, (instruments and singing), dance and timbrels and getting everybody involved. We have seen this with the Army wherever we go. They do a great job. So, it was a wonderful evening and I hope I have that much fun when I grow up!
Friday night Randy played dinner music for the University of Michigan’s Family Practice intern graduation banquet. He has done this for at least 10 years and can finally admit that he goes into “enemy territory” for a paying gig! He usually slips the Ohio State fight song into a piano piece and just as soon as a few heads turn, he returns to another song. It is really quite creative and satisfying for him. In all seriousness, we are very grateful for this job as it always comes at just the right time. As Randy was working, I took the kids to the mall and shopped for Kennedie’s dress for an upcoming wedding that we are ALL in. She is reading scripture, KC is a junior groomsmen and Randy and I are doing the music as well as coordinating the wedding. I must get organized this week!! We found the PERFECT dress and shoes and she will look beautiful. KC was also fitted for his tux and you would think he had done this a million times. He cannot wait!
Saturday morning early, we left for Cincinnati, Ohio and made lunch stop at Owen and Sandie Brocks home. They founded the band, “Servant”, that Randy played keyboards in for about three years as he graduated from college. Since he was very young, Randy had dreamed of being in Christian rock band and this fulfilled that dream. He was able to travel extensively and see hundreds of youth give their lives to the Lord. Owen and Sandie were a big part of his life and they invested in his life by their passion for the lost. It was awesome to just sit and talk about where the Lord has all of us and how many of us have moved on to other ministries…almost everyone! That is really exciting…and it has taught us so much about seasons of life and ministry. Anyway, Owen and Sandie look great and loved on our kids by way of filling this huge galvanized tub with fresh water and letting them spend the afternoon swimming in it. They had a total blast. They played “the baptism game” and pretended to baptize one another over and over again. Is it only my kids?!
From there, we drove about 45 minutes to Pastor Rick and Sheryl Shellenberg’s home in Harrison, Ohio. He is the pastor of Christ the King Fellowship Church, a Worldwide Church of God. We have shared with you before regarding the change this denomination has undergone. They openly say that they were a cult and did not believe in being “saved by grace”. But, God intervened in a miraculous way and set them free! It is one of our favorite denominations to visit, mainly because they are filled with gratefulness for grace and love. They have lived under the law and legalism for so many years that now they are like birds out of a cage. They soak everything in like a sponge and they tell you stories about their moment of salvation! They have been in church for their entire lives but salvation only came within the last decade. My faith is renewed again and my appreciation for Christ’s work on the cross is once again ignited. The concert went well and we immediately loved this precious people. Their response was one of appreciation and excitement that we had the opportunity to worship together.
Randy’s brother, Rick, is married to Becki, whose parents, Pat and Jon Halford attend this church and they took us to a wonderful steakhouse for dinner. They are just fascinating people to talk to because he has been in every state except North Dakota and more than a hundred countries. He is the editor for three magazines including the Worldwide Church of God’s denominational magazine. She is the sweetest thing you ever did meet and he has a very unique sense of humor. They are just wonderful and we treasured our time together and look forward to seeing them again this next weekend, as we will be at another Worldwide Church of God in Columbus. It was an incredibly busy weekend filled with people and opportunities to once again lift up the name of Jesus.
We had a fabulous weekend filled with new friends, dear family and valuable ministry. We left home on Friday morning about 9:00 AM and dropped Kennedie off at my parents house along with her backpack, suitcase, sleeping bag and guitar (not to mention bug spray and sun block.)Since we, Randy and I, had to be in Columbus, Ohio for a Friday night concert, my mom and dad were gracious enough to take Kennedie to the Salvation Army summer music camp on Saturday morning. It is a week long camp and she was so excited to go that I was just glad it finally got here! She was a bit nervous about not knowing anybody and she grabbed her bible and asked the Lord for a verse!! She flipped her bible open to Genesis 1, “It is not suitable for you to be alone, and so I will make a helper for you.” She was so relieved at that point and told me, “Okay, everything will be okay.” Randy and I were so blessed as we kept thinking, “so far, so good.” I love the fact that when she was feeling scared and insecure she ran to the Word of God. Let’s just pray that Kadison follows in those footsteps as well! Anyway, I had those “can’t believe my little girl is going to summer camp all by herself” mommy feelings as I pulled out of the driveway.
Randy, Kadison and I drove to Mansfield, Ohio (about an hour north of Columbus, Ohio) and arrived at Berean Baptist Church to find that there was NO power. Last week’s storms were brutal in this area and many were without power. The senior citizen’s ministry was expecting about 300 people to attend this dinner and concert and we were looking forward to the opportunity to minister. As the afternoon wore on, it was obvious we needed a plan B. Having to be in Columbus for a Sunday morning concert, we suggested that the senior citizen’s group reschedule their event for Sunday night. They were so relieved that we were still going to be in the area and it actually was wonderful for us because of the resort where they had made reservations for us. So, we headed to the Mohican Resort out in the middle of nowhere and it was just stunning! The countryside was beautiful and the weather by then was gorgeous. KC swam, played ping-pong and arcade games and enjoyed time alone away from his sister! It’s okay…she is enjoying time without her brother…now if only there was a camp for six year olds….hmmm…
Jim and Judy Berry took us to dinner, and we just connected with them right away. What a fun couple. Saturday morning we headed to Columbus and spent the day with Randy’s oldest brother and his family. Rick and Becki are so much fun and we wish we all lived closer. I love talking with Becki and I always come away with a new perspective on grace and mercy.
Sunday morning we sang at The Worldwide Church of God in Columbus. Becki’s sister, Judy, attends this church and arranged for us to be there. Again, we just loved these people, as they are so excited to be walking in grace instead of the law. Many are still struggling with the “old way” and having a hard time transitioning into the freedom and forgiveness that we have in Christ. We LOVE the times we get to invest in this particular denomination, and we continue to pray for their healing.
After church we
headed back to Berean Baptist and prepared for the evening concert. We just
loved on these people and as I was introducing myself to each table before the
concert began, a very funny thing happened. A gentleman asked me where we are
from. I told him the Detroit area and he asked if I was a Wolverine. I told
him that Randy was “born and bred” in Cleveland, so he is a Buckeye
through and through. “So, to answer your question, how can a Wolverine and
Buckeye live in the same house?”
He then replied, “You could always live in the basement!” At that
moment, I knew the evening was going to be a blast!
We pulled out the hymns, tossed in a few big band and jazz pieces and added a touch of original choruses. Jim Berry thanked us for making the evening so fitting for the seniors. I was thinking about that and thanking the Lord for giving us a passion for people. With that passion comes a desire to minister to them within the contexts of their preferences. Why would we possibly want to try and reach them with contemporary music? It would be like a rapper trying to reach me with the gospel. I could not understand a word…and I would be grumpier than you can imagine because I….strongly dislike….that style of music. But, thank the Lord that He is able to use it in the lives of those who do like it. Let us not forget that God is the author of variety. So, all of that to say, it is an absolute honor to minister using the tool of music (I think that phrase is going to be on my tombstone, as I say it so much!) and magnifying the only Creator.
Now, we are learning patriotic arrangements for Sunday and I have written this entire journal with the national anthem and God Bless America in the background.
Have a great week.