Looking Past Ourselves

Well, it's the holiday season and it's that time of year where we think about family and friends, exchanging presents and eating really good food, right? It's so easy to get caught up in the frenzy of what we encounter each year, with all the parties we're invited to, all the relatives we have to divide our time between so we can keep everyone happy (or maybe that's just my family?), all the cards to send out, all the presents to buy... it's crazy! But then there's the Great Commission. The command to deny our self, pick-up our cross and follow Jesus. And there's that thing about caring for orphans and widows in their distress... the list could go on and on. Bottom line is this... we're told to do these things all the time 24/7, 365 (or 366 on leap year), all the time. We're not suppose to take a break during the holiday's and put ourselves on "spiritual cruise control" until the New Year (when we make all of those awesome resolutions that last the first week or two, LOL!). We're suppose to continue right through the holidays. As a matter of fact, we should probably step it up during the holidays. This is the time of year where depression is at the highest level and the suicide rate is at it's peak. People are hurting and people are searching for the solution to life's problems. And that's why we as true "followers of Christ' need to be on point and out there where the people are. Not just with our families, but out among the lost. So, why not start thinking outside the box? I'm not saying that we should abandon all of our holiday traditions, no! But why not start showing our children that the holidays don't need to about us but it should also be about others. About 12 years ago a friend of mine in Oklahoma told me that he would take his teenage sons to a homeless shelter to feed the homeless every Thanksgiving so that they could see that there were people who were hurting. This friend was very well off and lived extravagantly. He was very blessed financially. But he didn't want his sons growing up disillusioned to the fact that 'not everybody' was as blessed as them. As I listened to him I thought, "what a good concept." So 12 years ago we started doing things during the holidays to reach out to people outside of our family... and we 'always' minister with the kids. We feel it's an important tradition to incorporate into their lives, and they love it. They look forward to it every year.

One thing we started doing at our church, several years back, was a Thanksgiving Outreach. It started out where we would prepare meals and serve dinner at the church to people who didn't have families to enjoy Thanksgiving with. Then we stepped it up and started preparing meals and delivering them to people who were staying in extended stay hotels in our city. I don't know how it is where you live but here in Atlanta there is so much drug activity, prostitution, crime... you name it, and it's happening in these hotels. These people need Jesus! The response the people have given us has been amazing. People are so receptive to us. We give them food, clothing, children's toys, Bibles and we pray with as many people that let us. We've prayed with people to receive Christ, we've prayed with people who've needed healing in their bodies, we've prayed and ministered to people with all kinds of issues. For the last 4 years we've been doing this outreach and what started out small has grown into something bigger than we ever imagined. We had over 250 volunteers show up today (on Thanksgiving morning) and we handed out over 500 meals that our volunteers cooked at home and brought in. And we were still able to do all this AND spend time at home with our families eating, watching football and goofing off. I think that's the thing... we can minister to others AND do stuff with our families. It doesn't have to be either or... it can be both. I know I'm kinda on a rant but I'm just trying to encourage you to not go into a "holiday coma" and just pass by the opportunity to be Jesus' hands and feet this holiday season. He wants to use all of us who follow Him to reach a world that truly needs Him NOW. But the first step is "Looking Past Ourselves."

Love You Guys!

Jim

Never Say Never

We leave Brazil later this afternoon and I'm ready to get back to my family and to church (I'm really missing the Youth... which is so weird to hear myself say since youth wasn't even a passion 3 months ago. It's amazing how God can ignite something in you that you never realized was there, huh?). Anyway, we're going to be leaving to go look at the property again in about an hour. We're going to take a closer look at the structural integrity of the houses and map out places for new buildings. This will help us to plan for future ministry here in Brazil. The one thing this trip has shown me is that God truly is in control and that if we allow Him to, he will give us opportunities to expand His Kingdom if we're willing. And His plans don't always jive with what we're thinking sometimes. It's crazy. When we first came to Brazil a year and a half ago to adopt our children (which MJ and I always said we didn't want anymore kids, now we have 8), I hated Brazil and couldn't wait to get home. Then we returned for a mission trip a year later and I fell in love with this country and it's people. I really feel called to do ministry here whereas a year and a half ago I couldn't stand this place! But God changed my heart. Actually I guess you could say that I listened to His voice and aligned myself with His activity. Let me give you another example of how His plans don't always jive with ours... I've been on staff at our church for almost 8 years now. I had been an Associate Pastor and loved my job. Couldn't see myself doing anything different. I was seeing people's lives impacted, I was comfortable and didn't want to change what I was doing. Then the Lord spoke to my Pastor and told him that MJ and I were to be the new Youth Pastors. When he told me I thought he had lost his mind. I would have never wanted to even volunteer in the Youth much less have that be my position. I would have rather worked full time in the Nursery... well, maybe that's going too far... anyway, I never desired youth ministry. EVER. Actually teenagers always got on my nerves! I'm serious. But I submitted to my Pastor because I trust him and I believe that he heard from God and look what God has done! I have passion and a vision for the youth that can't be explained. It's something that I can see myself doing for a very long time now. And this wasn't even a blip on the radar 3 months ago. The reason I said all of that is this: Never say never. By doing that you are selling yourself short of what God could be planning for you and your family. He wants to take us out of our comfortable places and put us in a position that we have to trust Him to get by or we crash and burn. Because there's no way the Dunn's can do ministry in Brazil without Jesus. And there's no way MJ and I can be effective Youth Pastors without Jesus. We need Him and His ability every day or we can't make it. Sure we could have just stayed doing what we were doing and not reached out to Brazil or we could have refused the youth position (actually pastor would have fired me, just kidding...lol!) but that would have been the easy road. And denying myself and taking up my cross to follow Jesus isn't always easy. But the best way is His way. That's the way where we'll reach the most people for the Kingdom of God. So don't sell yourself short by saying "never." Allow God to direct your ministry and your path.

Love Ya, Jim

OMG! I Can't Believe What I'm Looking At.

Yesterday we went back into Villa Zumbie to make home visits with Pastor Bart. These were visits to people who had either left the church or people that had promised to come to the church and never did. Our first visit was to a lady who had been in the hospital and hadn't returned after she had gotten out. As we entered her front gate the front yard was full of trash (you can see it in the picture). I think she just threw it out the window rather than into a trash can. Then when we entered the house, the smell was overwhelming. It was really unsanitary. The house she lived in was so poorly constructed. The walls were made of 1x4 boards (kind of like the wood that we make pallets out of) and you could see daylight shining through them! It was so sad. As we started speaking with her she began to tell us that her husband had just died and that one of her daughters had just left home to live with a drug dealer. She had 6 daughters total. Then in walked one of her daughters with 2 children. These children were beautiful! It was so weird seeing children so beautiful living in these conditions. Anyway, we ministered and prayed with them and then it was off to the next house. One house we went to was the home of a woman who's son was an alcoholic and he was also demon possessed. He had attended Daniel's Camp (that's the property we are looking at) a few years ago and gave his heart to Christ there! That was pretty cool to hear. Then we visited the home of a woman who had been walking down the street and a motorcycle hit her at full speed. She had been injured so severely that the doctors didn't think she would live. So when they repaired her leg (put it back together) they did it half-heartedly thinking she was going to die anyway. The Lord performed a miracle and she lived. But was still having problems with her leg. When you looked at her you could tell that she had lived a rough life but she actually looked like she took care of herself. She looked in shape, hair fixed, make-up... just a normal looking 30+ year old woman. As we spoke with her she began to tell us about the problems she was having with her leg. Then for some reason she decided to show us her leg. It totally took me by surprise! One minute we're talking about Jesus and the next minute she's pulling her pant leg up to her thigh. Now I'm not known to be squeamish but what I saw next freaked me out. I didn't know if I should throw up (which I did a little... in my mouth, lol!) or run. Her leg was healed but it was all crooked at the bottom because the doctors didn't set it right. Also you could see what looked like 10 or so holes from where the pins were in her leg. But then there it was... this course hair all over her leg (her legs were harrier then mine!). It was so freaky because here was this woman who looked like she cared about her appearance and hidden away under her pant leg was this leg full of hair! You had to be there because it just totally freaked me out. It was so unexpected. It's like this was the leg of somebody else. Totally bizarre. But if you think about it, that's kind of like some our lives. To most people we look like we're pretty normal. Like we are taking good care of ourselves with no issues. But tucked away where nobody sees we have these issues and secret sins that we've hidden and not dealt with. But God sees them. And He's totally grossed out by them. Just like I was with having to look at that lady's leg.

Lord please forgive us for not dealing with the hidden things in our lives.

Well, it's off to the lawyer's office this morning then we're going to try and go back to the property.

Love ya,

Jim

Oh no. This Ain't Happening!

Ok. I'm all for doing whatever God wants my family to do but this ain't happening! That was my first impression as we walked into the first house on the property. It smelled of mold and the floor was caved-in in one of the bedrooms because the roof had leaked. It was scary! But then as we walked into the 2nd and 3rd house, and as we walked into the cabins where kids would stay when they were on the property, and as I stood under the pavilion with a stage that could seat 200 kids... it all started to become clearer. This could definitely work. There are tons of things that would need to be repaired and that would have to be brought-up in standard, but this is definitely a God thing. The property is amazingly beautiful. As far as a camp for kids goes, it's ready right now. As far as a place to bring in orphans, and provide a place for adopting families... it has quite a bit of work to do. But God is a big God and He is use to doing big things for us. So, we're pursuing what His will is for our family and this property. My brother-in-law is ready to move tomorrow, I think. To say the property is awesome would be an understatement. It is nestled in between two mountains and is dense jungle with small waterfalls and streams everywhere. There is lush vegetation everywhere... impatiens are growing in the wild here (for all you non-green thumb folks, it is an annual flower that is used throughout the U.S. and comes in many various colors and is used in the shade... didn't think you were going to get an education in horticulture today did you?). It's beautiful. We're going to meet with a local attorney tomorrow or Friday to try and get some legal clarification on a few things but it is definitely an awesome ministry opportunity we have here.

Today we are going to Villa Zumbie (Village of the Walking Dead, approximately 6,000 people) to do a few home visits with the pastor of the Village. Then tonight I am ministering in the Wednesday Night Service. So, please pray for us. This is part of the reason we are here... to minister to people who desperately need to hear the Gospel. Thank you to everyone who is following this blog and praying for us. I'll post later tonight or tomorrow.

Love Ya,

Jim

What Am I Doing Here? No Way! Really?

This past March, Mary Jane and I went back to Brazil on a mission trip with a friend and his church's youth group (you can go back into the archived blogs to read about the trip). It was amazing. We were really impacted deeply by the things we were able to be involved in while we were there. Wherever we ministered we had interpreters that would translate for us. One of the people who translated for Mary Jane and I was Victor. Victor is a man in his 30's who loves God and loves to serve. One day as we were traveling from one ministry site to the next MJ and I started to share with Victor our adoption story and our heart for orphans. He listened very intently and you could tell that he was inspired by what God had laid on our hearts. Well, the next day when we met Victor for our next ministry event, he said, "that he had something to tell us." He began to tell us about a dream that he had. He said, "he had a dream that this man, named Daniel, who was a pastor in Canada had a camp with 86 acres on it. He told us that it use to be a camp for ministering to the local village children but this pastor moved back to Canada. He then told us that in his dream that Daniel gave the camp to us." I immediately thought this guy was either crazy or maybe he ate pizza the night before and that would explain the dream. But it was a crazy statement either way! We finished with our trip and then headed back home to the States and really didn't think much more about it. Then I get an email from this guy named Daniel who just so happens to be a pastor in Canada. And I start thinking, "is this for real or what?" In his email he gave me his phone number so I called him. He told me to tell him our story and what our vision for orphans was so I did. At the end of the conversation (I'm abbreviating this for the sake of time) he began to tell me about how he had this camp in the mountains of Brazil that had 3 houses on 86 acres. It also had a dining area that would seat around 200 and cabins that would sleep 70 children. He told me about the camps that he would hold for the poor children in the surrounding villages. But then he felt led to move back to Canada and start pastoring a church and that this camp wasn't being used. At this point I could feel it coming but I just listened... and then he said it. He said, "If you will use this property for the Glory of God and to reach the children of Brazil I would like to give it to you." I didn't know whether to poop my pants, start crying, do a Holy Ghost dance or what! I told him that it sounded great and that we would like to pursue it. So over the next several months we started to go over the legal aspects of the transfer of the property and July 1, 2009 the property was signed over to us! We've been paying a caretaker to stay on the property and take care of it (hence the name caretaker, lol!) and to watch over it so that nobody steals stuff. Also, as we began to speak to our family about it they started to tell us that they were feeling like God wanted them to be involved as well. Now we didn't know if this would mean that we would all move to Brazil (about 53 people total), support others to live in Brazil or what... we just knew that God wanted us to do something. Our vision right now is to start an orphanage, along with a feeding program that would reach into the surrounding villages. Also, we would like to have a place where people from all over the world could come and stay while they were adopting from Brazil. You see, the only place that you can adopt in the whole country of Brazil is the state of Parana... and that just so happens to be where this property is. When someone adopts from Brazil they have to stay in the country for 46 days and this can be very expensive (in addition to all the other adoption expenses) and we want to offer a place to stay that could be very inexpensive to adoptive parents. Those are just a few of the things that we're thinking at this point.

My brother-in-law and sister-in-law are so serious about this that they sold their landscape business that they've had for 15 or so years. It's a huge thing that God is orchestrating in our family. We still don't know exactly what it means for us so we're just walking this thing out.

Sunday afternoon we boarded a plane and have flown to Curitiba, Brazil to look at the property and try and get a sense of what we need to do next. So that is where we are and why we're here. So please pray for us. We want to here from God this week. And we know we will. We're leaving our hotel to go see the property in 30 minutes so I'll post again tonight and tell you what we saw.

Love Ya,

Jim

It's Not a Death Sentence

Mary Jane and I were talking the other day and she said something that I thought was very profound and I really feel like I need to share it with you. We were talking about a person we knew who was struggling with what God had asked them to do. (I'll be vague because I don't want to break this person's confidence because they told us their struggle in private.) This person felt that if they followed through with what God was asking of them, that life as they knew it would be over. It was going to be a big step of faith to make it happen but if it did happen this person's life and lifestyle 'would' radically change. In light of what they were contemplating it was a valid concern. But if God was asking them to do it they were willing. Well anyway, MJ and I were discussing it when we were alone and all of a sudden she said, "why is it that we feel that if God asks us to do something BIG that it's like getting a death sentence?" She then said, "because it's not." "It's actually like getting a LIFE sentence!" When she said it I just stopped and said, "wow." Because that's deep if you really think about it. No seriously... think about it. When has God ever asked anyone to do something that even though it initially looked like it would be tough, that it didn't turn out to be great? Can't think of anyone can you? Now I'm not saying that the person will never encounter difficulty or that the person will never want to give up... but what I'm saying is when has God ever asked someone to do something that the latter was worse than the former? No, it's ALWAYS the other way around. The end will always be better than the beginning. And the awesome part is that it will have Eternal significance attached to it. And that's what it's all about right?... Eternity. God will ALWAYS have us do things that have Eternal significance. He's a God that thinks about the end result of our assignments.
So what I want to ask you is this... "has God asked you to do something that you've said no to because it was something you thought would change your life too much?" Have you been ignoring what the Holy Spirit has been asking you to do because it would make your life too uncomfortable? Have you hardened your heart to something you know that you're suppose to be doing for the Kingdom of God right now because it would mess up the way your life is organized right now? If so, "It's not a death sentence!" God is trying to inject His Life into Your life. He's trying to show you joy that you'll never experience any other way. He's trying to get you positioned so that the things you're doing have Eternal significance and not just temporal significance. So give in to what you know is Him speaking. And experience a true "Life Sentence."
Love Ya, Jim

God is So Good

God is so good to our family. It is amazing how that whenever we become involved in "God's activity" that He gets involved in "our activity." In the past I've been guilty of pursuing things that were temporal... you know things like buying the newest electronic gadget, a newer car, clothes, shoes (no, I'm not gay! I just like shoes.), a bigger house... and it seemed like I was never satisfied. It seemed like we never had enough money to get the "thing" that was finally going to give us that feeling of contentment. But over the last 2 years as we've shifted our focus away from "us" to "others" we have more money. I can't explain it. When MJ and I began our journey to adopt 5 orphans from Brazil a little over a year ago, we didn't have the $40,000 that we needed to adopt them... but God provided all of the money we needed. Over the last year I haven't received a raise in my church salary (and no, I'm not complaining... I'm very thankful for my job.) and I've increased the number of people in our family by 5... but we have more money in our bank account today than before we adopted. As a matter of fact, when we received our giving records in January... we gave more in 08' than in 07'. So how does that happen? MJ and I were also able to have the money to pay for our mission trip a few weeks ago in cash ($2,500) without having to put it on a credit card. And it has nothing to do with us. We've been married for 20 years and most of the time we've lived paycheck to paycheck... always a month behind on our bills. But not now! God has supernaturally worked a miracle in our finances. And I believe the reason is this... we don't care about the temporal any more. We are focused on the eternal. Now I'm not saying that new clothes and houses don't appeal to us. But what I am saying is that we're not pursuing them anymore. I guess when Jesus told us that "if we would seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, that all of these things would be added to us" that it was true!? Here's another example; today our oldest son, Michael, boarded a plane for Nicaragua. He'll be there for the next two weeks helping to feed thousands of children with Samaritans International. I don't know if you remember, but a few weeks ago in an earlier post, I made the comment that I thought everyone should have their teenagers go on a missions trip (and every adult as well) at least once. I said that I thought it would change their perspective on life... do you remember that? Well anyway, when MJ and I got home from Brazil a few weeks ago we heard that a friend of the family (Perry Brown, President of Samaritans International) was going on a mission trip to Nicaragua where he has a feeding program that feeds over 21,000 destitute children in a rural part of the country. We asked Michael if he would be interested in going if Perry had room on the trip, and he said, "yes." So we called Perry and he told us that if we would pay for the plane ticket he would take care of all the other expenses. Well we just so happened to have the money (a little over $400) to cover the ticket. This is huge because normally we wouldn't have that much money left over after we paid bills but this time we did. God is so good! So my question for you is this... what are your pursuits? What is that thing that you are striving for? Is it an eternal thing or a temporal thing? If it's a temporal thing then you're probably on your own... but if it's an eternal thing... keep pressing on and just watch how God gets involved to bring it to pass.

See ya, Jim

Living Safely

If you are feeling safe and comfortable right now and you don't want to be challenged in your walk with Christ, then stop reading and we'll see you next time. That's right... stop reading and just check back on our next post. Because what I am about to say isn't for the casual christian, the just visit the church on Sunday and not even think about God the rest of the week person. OK... for those of you who are still reading, I just want to share something with you. I think we've been misled. I think that for most of us who have been in the American church for any length of time, that we have been given a "Gospel" that isn't fully true. Sure, we've heard a portion of it, but for the most part, a lot of what this Christian life is all about has been left out. You see, I think we as pastors do our people a dis-service when we tell them that all they have to do is pray a prayer or fill a card out at the end of a service and that's it... kind of like getting a lifetime country club membership or like getting a get out of jail free card that never expires. I think that's wrong. Sure, salvation is free. It's was paid for by Jesus over 2,000 years ago and there is nothing we can do to earn it. But, there is a price to pay to follow Christ. Jesus said in Matthew 16:24, "that if anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." Now the cross (or the assignment) that you and I have been called to bear is different. He may be asking me to one thing and you another but one thing is the same... He's asked us to deny ourselves. Everyone. Everyone has to deny themselves the things that we want to do. He has a perfect plan for each of us and the plans are all different but they do require us to deny our self and put aside our plans for His. And that will sometimes be something that requires a step of faith... a step of faith out of our comfort zone... to the place where it doesn't feel safe. But that's OK. He will always require those of us who progress in our Christian walk to take steps out into thin air, where it is only Him who can sustain us. Look back at anybody in the Bible who did anything for God... at some point they ALL had to step out into the unknown or the uncomfortable... Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Gideon, David, the Prophets... and that's just naming a few without even getting into the New Testament! The bottom line is this... God is calling us all to a deeper walk with Him that will require us to put aside our plans and pursuits and step up to the assignments (or our cross) that He has for us so that we can change the world for His Glory! Because that's what it's all about... changing the world. God isn't trying to torture us by asking us to do difficult or sacrificial things. He's trying to position us so that He can work through us to touch people's lives. I know that this was long today, but we need to ask the Lord, "are we doing what you want us to do?" "Or are we just living safely?"

My sister-in-law told me about this video clip and it goes along with today's blog so I thought I'd share it with you. Enjoy.

In Him,

Jim

What Are You Seeing?

I don't know if you remember, but while we were in Brazil I prayed that God would never allow me to forget the things I had seen, touched and experienced while we were there. I know that we've only been home for a little less than a week but so far it's sticking. It's been hard to 'not' think about everything we saw. The poverty, the hunger for Christ in the people, the children... I can't get it out of my mind. There are a few things that are stirring in our hearts that I think God wants us to do (I can't share it right now but I will once I get more clarity). It's exciting and scary, all at the same time. We're just trying to discern what it is that the Lord wants us to do with what we've seen.
I believe that the Lord shows us things sometimes so that we can make a difference and bring His presence into the situation. Not that we'll be able to meet every need that we encounter or right every wrong that is made, but we as Christians are suppose to be light and salt in the world, right? That means that where there is darkness we shine light, where things are rotting we bring preservation (salt isn't just for flavor it also preserves), right? You see one day we are ALL going to have to stand before the Lord and He is going to separate everyone, like a shepherd separates sheep and goats. And He's going to tell the 'sheep' to enter in to the place that was prepared, by the Father, for them before the world began... because I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and in prison and you visited me. And then they're going to say to Him, "when did we SEE you hungry, thirsty, naked, sick or in prison." And He's going to say, "when you did it for the least of these people you did it as unto me." The He's going to say to the 'goats' you didn't reach out to me in these areas and then you know what happens. It's not good.They even say, "when did we SEE you in these situations?" You know the story. This is something that WILL happen one day. Read Matthew 25. It's kind of scary if you think about it. What's funny is that He didn't say anything about, "you didn't preach to me, or you didn't quote the Bible to me, or that you didn't tell me everything I was doing wrong"... He's going to tell them that they didn't meet these basic needs and reach out and have compassion on them. We see people in need every day. And we don't have to go overseas to find people who need help. They're right here in our own neighborhoods... in our schools... on our jobs.
So, the question I think we all need to ask ourselves is, "God... why have you allowed me to see some of these things?" What changes do you want me to make so that I can help? I personally don't think that He allows us to see 'anything' by accident or just by coincidence. Sure, we need to pray for people in needy situations, but at some point we've got to put legs to our faith (James 2:14) and do something. We've got to give them food, water, clothing, visit them in their time of crisis, in addition to sharing the Gospel with them. We saw some overwhelming things while in Brazil. But rather than just praying for these people, or maybe just forgetting about them over time... we're going to do something. It's going to be crazy too! You just wait and see. We serve a BIG God and I believe He wants to show Himself mightily through His people. So, my question for you is, "what are you seeing?" What things has God allowed you to see? Maybe He's trying to put you into situations and allowing you to see people in need so that you can make a difference. What do you think?
Jim

The Icing on the Cake

Well, today was our last day of ministry here in Curitiba and we finished it on a high, that's for sure. We went back to the orphanage again! When I found out that there was a possibility that we were going to make another trip there I immediately thought, "there's no way I'm going back," because I didn't think I could handle it emotionally. The last time we visited

(on Thursday) was one of the most heart-wrenching things I've ever done. Don't get me wrong, it was awesome hanging out with all the kids, but having to leave them there was painful. It's incomprehensible to think that these beautiful children were either abandoned by there parents or that they were being abused so badly that the government had to take them away. It's crazy! Anyway, we were able to go and purhase over 100 liters of milk, soccer balls, crayons and coloring books... all of which we gave to the orphanage. We also bought a bunch of pizza and soft drinks and went and served it to all of the kids and the house parents. There were close to 40 little children that were so thankful for us being there. After we served them and they finished eating, we played with them. There was soooooo much energy on that property (and not because we just pumped them full of pizza and soda!) and there was so much love. You just sensed it everywhere you looked. There were kids loving all over the place, kids riding on people's shoulders, kids being swung around, jumping, laughing, hugging, kissing... it was amazing. Every mission team member was engaged with someone every second we were there and none of the kids felt left out. It really was "the icing on the cake" for the whole trip. Being able, just for a brief moment, to bring joy and to share love with these children was so fulfilling. I was able to hold it together until the very end... when Lucas came running over to me, jumped into my arms and gave me a huge hug. He held me so tight and didn't let go. That's when the tears started flowing again. But today was a little easier to leave, even though I was crying. You see, Crossroads Curitiba is going to start visiting these children regularly and will even be bringing them to church occasionally. So, until these children are adopted, they'll now be getting love and the Word of God... and that's really "The Icing on the Cake!"

Love ya,

Jim

What!? Jesus is Allowed in School?

Today, we had the awesome opportunity to go into a local school and speak about Jesus! Yep. You heard me right... Jesus. We were able to tell almost 800 elementary aged children about the Gospel and pray with them. We held 6 sessions before lunch and 6 sessions after lunch. It was amazing to be able to go into a public school and not only speak openly about our Savior but we started out by singing worship with them! You know, in the States we can hold assemblies every once and a while but we can only speak about avoiding drugs and alcohol or some other message that promotes a positive lifestlye... but we can't mention christianity, Jesus or even the Bible much less start out by singing worship with them. So it was awesome! We also gave all the kids salvation bracelets so they could remember what we had just spoken to them about.
One of the things I want to metion is the students we are here ministering with. In case you didn't know, we are here in Brazil with a friend of mine who pastor's a church in Monroe. He brings his youth group here every year (if you remember our blog last year, they were the church that was here at the same time as us). So, the entire team consists of 7 adults and the rest of the team are high school students. From the first day we arrived I've been so impressed with their zeal for souls, their compassion for the people of this country and their focus. It's contagious. We've been 100mph the whole time we've been here and they've been great. There is one guy in particular that God has really moved on since we've been here. When I first met him, he seemed a little rowdy and a little on the edge... but I just knew that God was going to meet him here in Brazil. This young man is a new person. His heart has been broken for the things that are important to God. If you are reading this right now and you have a teenager and they've never been on a mission trip you need to send them. And as far as that goes... if you've never been on one, you need to go! Our veiw of life is so distorted because of living in the U.S. and we need to have a clearer view of the world. You might say, "I can't afford a mission trip." Why is it that we can afford XBOX's and Flat Panel TV's and new cars every 2 years, but when it comes to being able to bring change to someone's life and to have a REAL encounter with God... we can't afford it? We need to change our thinking. OK, maybe you "really" can't afford a mission trip. That's cool. Then try to get involved in a ministry at your church or with another organization that minister's to the poor and needy. Volunteer with your family at a soup kitchen or reach out to some of the addicted or homeless in your city. There's plenty of places to try and reach the lost and hurting. Because when we reach out to lost like this, we're fulfilling what God has called us to do. And be sure to let your kids 'do ministry' with you. My parents never did anything that even remotely resembled reaching out to the needy. I don't even think it was a thought. But I believe God is raising up a different kind of parent that wants to not just raise their children but also train them. And I don't mean just telling them what their not suppose to do, but ones that will show them what to do... like reaching out to people where there's no ulterior motive other than wanting to minister the love of Jesus to them. We just need to start thinking outside of the 4 walls of our own homes. If you are one of my children and you're reading this... get ready because Daddy has some cool ideas of stuff we can do to reach out to people as a family!
So seeing Jesus ministered through a bunch of students to a bunch of students in a public school was awesome... I wish you could have seen it.

Love you guys!
Jim

Village of the Walking Dead

The Village of the walking dead. Does that sound like a neighborhood that you woud like to live in? What about if your subdivision was named Walking Dead Place? Or what if your street was named Walking Dead Blvd? I don't know about you but me and my family aren't even loooking at a house there! Well, that is the name of the village that we've been working in all week. It is in Curitiba, Brazil and is a village with the population of about 10,000. It is a very poor village. A village with poverty that is unlike anything I've ever seen in America. It's like the stuff you only read about or see on TV. There is no way to explain the filth, the smell, the hopelessness. There are dogs, diseased and dying, just laying all over the streets and in front of houses. This village is outside of the city and everyone who lives and works in the area has to drive by the village, which can be seen as you're travelling on the highway. The government gave this village the name "Villa Zoombi" which means "The Village of the Walking Dead." That's becuase they view these people as a people who are basically just breathing, a people with no hope who just happen to be alive and waiting to die.
About 3 years ago, a young Brazillian pastor and his wife felt the call to go and plant a church right in the middle of this village. Right in the middle of the crime, the drugs, the prostitution, the poverty... right in the middle of these people called "The Walking Dead." They started out with only a handfull of people in the back room of an old warehouse. Last year they broke ground on their new property. This past December they held their first service in their new building. which is still under construction. It isn't anything fancy, just a big 3 story block building. Services are being held on the 2nd floor right now and they have plans to put in a computer lab, vocational classrooms for the people in the village and a gym for the village children within the next few years. Just within the last year this church has had such a huge impact on this community. This church is a beacon of light in the middle of a very dark place. As the big steel gate is rolled back on Sunday Nights, Wednesday Nights and Friday nights, adults and children pour into this facility to hear the Gospel. To see their faces when they are singing or when they are listening to the Word is amazing. I think that if Jesus was here today and decided to start a church... there is a very strong chance that He would start one here (or some place like here). This is what our Christian walk should be all about, right? Jesus even said in Luke 4:18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the Gospel to the POOR; He has sent me to heal the BROKENHEARTED. To preach deliverance to the CAPTIVES and recovry of sight to the BLIND. To set at liberty those who are OPPRESSED; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.

Now you're probably saying, "yeah but you're in Brazil. How does that apply to me here in the United States?" If you look out your window right now... you're living in the "Village of the Walking Dead" too! It's only different for us because we're not looking at the poverty and a lot of the other stuff I listed earlier... but most of our neighbors, co-workers, and even some of our friends are walking around dead and they don't know it! They think everything is OK and all is well... but the truth is they're on the Road to Hell (hey that rhymes!). So, it's up to us to be the beacon of light in our own neighborhoods to help shine the Light of the Gospel of Christ on them. It's all about Jesus and His love for people. So be the Light! Even think about who you can invite to church next week... c'mon! It's Easter and pretty much anyone will go to church on Easter, right? If you don't do it, who will? We love you guys and we're excited about the times we're living in right now.

Love ya,

Jim

I Think I Can Talk About it Now

Yesterday was so emotional. There was no way that I could have even attempted to relate it through the blog without weeping. So, I decided to wait until today to blog about it. Yesterday, we visited the orphanage that we adopted our children from last year. We really wanted to go back and visit so that we could thank all of the people who took care of our children while they were there. We also wanted to bring gifts to all of the children who were there and have a day to just hang out, do crafts, play soccer, face paint... you know... just spend time with them. When we arrived the kids were peering through the barred windows waiting for us. When we got out we were greeted by one of the directors of the orphange as well as some of the children. We began to show them pictures of our children so they could see how much they've changed in one year. Everyone was so happy. Then one little boy, named Lucas, looked at the pictures then immediately walked away with his head hanging low. I watched him out of the corner of my eye and saw him walk over to a wall, put his back against it and slide down with his face in his hands. Immediately, I knew why this happened... you see, last year little Lucas was the last face I saw as we pulled away from the orphanage with our 5 adopted children. And to this day I haven't been able to forget the look in his eyes. It's like I could hear him thinking, "why do they get a family and not me?" It was so sad. Now here it was 1 year later and Lucas was still there. I think that seeing how happy Marlon, Ana, Diogo, Gabriel and Robert were really hurt him. Not because he didn't want them to have a family. But because he didn't have a family. When I saw this happen , I lost it. Later in the day, he even told one of the people on our mission team that all he wanted was a family. It isn't fair that these children don't have parents. It isn't fair that they don't have someone to be there for them no matter what. They didn't ask to be put into this situation. They didn't ask to be orphans. Man, we as the church have GOT to do something. We can't just go on just thinking about ourselves while over 134 million children in the world today are without parents. While millions of people all over the world are starving and destitute but yet we do nothing. Please don't tune me out. What I am saying that we as the church we have got to step up and start doing something more for the orphans, widows and the poor. I'm sorry if I seem ticked... but I am! You see, yesterday I had to drive away from that same orphanage, and look into the eyes of that same little boy, who had that same look in his eyes... the eyes that said, "why can't I have a Family?"

Jim

I Pray That I'll Never Forget

Today was a life changing day for me as a christian, as a man, as a father and as a human being. I saw poverty. Not the kind of poverty that we see in the U.S. ... I mean real poverty. The kind where you think, "how can I go home and feel good about the way I live and not do something to try and help these people?" Sure I won't have to see them everyday but the images of these precious people will be burned into my memory forever. To see adults living in poverty is one thing, but to see children living in an environment like that... it was heartbreaking. There is no way to come away from this experience the same. As I sit here I don't even know what to blog about because I'm overwhelmed at what I saw. I pray that I will never forget the sights, the smells, the children, or the look in the eyes of these people, ever. I also pray that the Lord will allow me and my family to do something to help these people.
These people were so open to the Gospel. Many excepted Christ today. Their lives changed forever. We're here helping a new church that has been built smack dab in the middle of this poor village of about 10,000 people. So, we're not only getting them saved but we were able to put them in a church right in their own community. And the children in this community love this church. We had an opportunity to go and hold a youth service with the kids tonight. This church is doing some amazing things.
We also went to the orphanage that we got our children from last year. It was very emotional. To see some of the same kids still there was too much. We couldn't hold back the tears seeing these children. I feel like I've been crying all day so I'm going to have to blog about our trip to the orphanage tomorrow, sorry.
Keep praying for us. We miss everyone.

Love Ya,
Jim

Do We Really Believe What We Have?

Today was absolutely amazing. I know we use that word a lot... but it was. To be able to come to a foreign country and share the Gospel with kids who don't even speak the same language... was truly amazing. The response and hunger for Christ was amazing. Our God is amazing! We spoke in a school that had about 500-600 kids in it. We sang worship songs with them and then we used interpretors and presented the Gospel. The message was simple... God loved them so much that He gave His only son, that whoever believed in Him would never parish but would have everlasting life. Pretty simple, we've all heard it, most of us have been able to quote it since Sunday School as little kids... but when these kids heard it they wanted it! The response was overwhelming. One of the people on our team even had 2 boys stop him as he walked up the street and asked him to tell them about Jesus and salvation and subsequently won them to Christ. I think we've become de-sensitized to what we have on the inside of us because if we really believed that God loved us so much that He sent His son for us, we'd be more excited about it... we'd want to tell someone... don't you think? So, my question is, "do we really believe what we have?" No, seriously... do we believe it? Is our passion for Christ so strong that we've just got to tell someone about Him? OK. next question, "when is the last time we've tried to intentionally tell soemone about Jesus when it wasn't a missions trip, or we weren't at church or during an outreach event at church?" Ouch! Hurts, huh? It does me too. Now, I'm not ashamed to speak about Jesus to anyone and I'll always jump at the opportunity to witness, but I can't say that I'm always being intentional about trying to target someone with the Gospel. I pray that this trip will help change that in me and that something will spark the desire in you because people need what we have on the inside.

We miss everybody. We miss our kids especially! Mommy and Daddy love you! But we know that this trip has a purpose and we're beginning to see it, so pray that God will continue to allow us to hear Him more clearly and that many more people will come to know Him on this trip.

To look into the eyse of a child today and be able to introduce them to your Savior... AMAZING.

Love ya,

Jim

Why Don't They Sell Butt Cushions at the Airport?

OK. The older I get, the more my butt disappears. Yes, you heard me right. My butt has diappeared. I know that this isn't a very 'spiritual' way to start off with the blog today but I think I need to say it anyway. Let me explain... I turn 44 this year and it seems that every year my butt gets flatter and flatter, smaller and smaller, going, going... almost gone. And I really noticed it as we finished our 4 plane 26 hour trip to Curitiba. No matter how I sat... no matter how many times I shifted positions or what angle I tried to adjust to... I couldn't get comfortable. And then it hit me... I don't have any cushion back there! As a matter of fact I think all guys suffer from the same affliction as they get older. (And no, I haven't been checking anyone out either! It's just common knowledge.) One thing I did notice though, is that they sell those neck cushions at the airport and a lot of people were carrying them around. So, why not sell butt cushions? I bet they would sell great too! Maybe I'll start a fund raiser and use that as an idea?? So, if you go to the airport and you see a bunch of guys carrying around butt cushions... you'll know they stole the idea from me.
Anyway, we arrived safely in Curitiba, Brazil without ANY problems. Yes, that's right. No lost luggage, no running through airports to catch connections, no hold-ups in immigration or in customs... it was awesome! God was so good to us. We finally got to our hotel at 5:30pm... unloaded all the luggage, received our room assignment, showered(because we hadn't showered in over 35 hours), ate dinner and were out the door by 7:00pm to go minister at a church. It was pretty hectic... but worth it.
Mary Jane and I rode to church in the car with the pastor of the church we were going to, along with his wife and one of his daughters. It was dark and our communication was minimal because he didn't speak English and my Portuguese is weak. But we were able to understand that he had started a church and it wasn't in the typical location. As we turned onto a dark street that was leading us right in the middle of a place that woud make 'the projects' in the States look like Beverly Hills, we started seeing people walking down the street all moving toward the same direction. Now the streets were pitch black, dusty and pretty scarry but as we turned another corner we saw it... a sign that said "Living Hope Church". And that's where all these people were going. It was really amazing to see all these people, mostly kids ages 6-12, heading on this dark night to a place to hear the Gospel. We sang worship with them (songs we sing in the States, only in Portuguese) I was able to give a brief testimony and one of the other guys on the team ministered out of Matthew 22:37 on loving God above all else. A couple of people came to Christ and it was really cool to see what God was doing right in the middle of the darkness, both figuratively and spiritually, it made a huge impact on me. To see God moving in the lives of people who didn't even speak my language. Different language, same God... awesome.
Well tomorrow we have an opportunity to speak in 6 different assemblies in a school with several hundred children, so pray that God moves mightily among our group to bring people to Him.
We miss our kids so much and it's only been one day. Our children truly are a gift from God to us. We love you guys! And by the way... 'don't go stealin' my airport butt cushion idea... it's mine!

Jim

We're Off Again!

Well in case you didn't know it, Mary Jane and I are celebrating our 20th anniversary in a couple of months. We've always said that for our 20th anniversary that we wanted to go to Mexico or some place tropical for a few days to celebrate... BY OUR SELF! You see we've always had kids with us for the entire length of our marriage. We had Michael within the first year that we married and have NEVER gone anywhere by our self. So, we always said the 20 year thing was going to be our year to go somewhere alone. Before I tell you where we're going, let me tell you something else first.

This past year has been amazing. Who would have ever thought that we would be where we are at this stage of our lives? 8 kids? I would have told you you were crazy and that you'd obviously lost your mind if you told me we'd have this many kids! It's amazing to see how God 'sets us up' for things He needs us to do...things we never thought we'd do... but things He wants us to do. There have been so many difficult situations that we've had to push through. So many mountains to climb. So many hurdles to jump over. But God has been so good to us. He has allowed our family to grow closer together and closer to Him than ever before. Because of the 'hard times' we've gone through this past year we've grown closer to God because of it. But don't get me wrong... the good times have far out-weighed the bad. I couldn't even imagine not doing what we're doing right not. What's weird is that no matter how difficult the situation we've never worried, doubted or even feared the things we've faced. It's like we're in this un-penetratable bubble where no matter what... we're going to come out victorious. It's pretty cool. I can honestly say that His presence is more real to me today than it ever has been and I know that whatever we face in the future, it's going to be great.

Now back to our anniversary... A few months ago, as we were starting to think about making reservations for where we were going to stay for our 20th anniversary, we had a thought... "Life is short and if it wasn't for the Lord we wouldn't have made it to our 2nd year anniversary much less our 20th"... so why don't we do something different? Why don't we do something to honor God and make an eternal impact all at the same time? Why don't we go on a mission trip instead of going to the beach? If we went to the beach... sure we'd get some sun (i need it... there's nothing more unattractive than my neon white legs in shorts!), we'd get to relax, we'd get to spend some time alone... but wait a minute... we'd probably forget all about it in a few years and we would have missed an opportunity to do something that's "outside the box" to honor God. So, we decided to do it! Now I'm not saying that we shouldn't take vacations or spend time doing nothing... what I'm saying is that in the stage of life the Dunn's are in right now, we want to do this. So in an hour and a half, MJ and I are heading to the airport to catch a flight to Curitiba, Brazil where we will be working along side another ministry speaking in schools, ministering in some of the slums and going back to minister in the orphanage that our kids came from. That's right! We're going back to the place that literally wore me out just a little over a year ago. The same exact place! The same place we stayed, lived, ate and breathed for 46 days last year. The place I was happy to escape from. Isn't God funny? We're excited but also very sad. For most people, they would probably love the opportunity to get a break from all these kids for 7 days... but I guess we're crazy or something because it's difficult. There's already been a lot of tears flowing today and we haven't even left yet! But we know that God is going to allow us to minister in a mighty way... we're doing it for Him! So, We're off again!

We'll post again once we arrive in Brazil.

Love Ya,

Jim and MJ

It's Been One Year!

Well, it's been a year already. For those of you who haven't followed our blogs in the past you can view them at dunnadoptions.blogspot.com to see where we've come from. To put it all in a nutshell (whatever that means... that actually sounds ridiculous if you think about it, anyway...) one year ago we traveled to Curitiba Brazil with 2 of our 3 biological children (our 19 year old stayed behind because of school) and we adopted 5 children. They were a sibling group that had spent most of their lives in an orphanage. Their mother was a prostitute, their father was taken away by the police, in handcuffs, for murdering a woman... it wasn't a good start to their lives. Their ages at the time that we adopted them were 2,4,6,8 and 11. Now they are a year older and so much has changed. They not only live with us and have our last name... but they are acting like us, dressing like us, singing in the car like us, joking and teasing like us (that's a must if you are going to survive in our home) and most of all they are "us". What I mean by that is that they are a part of the family. Not just in name only...but really a part 'of ' the family. I'm sitting here right now as I'm blogging and watching them all in the back yard. Man, we've really come a long way in one year. There have been many 'near' nervous breakdowns, a lot of tears, a lot of yelling and screaming but also a lot of good times. A lot of hugs and kisses. A lot of love. We're definitely not the perfect parents because we're still trying to figure this whole parenting thing out but God has been good to us. It's been a learning process, that's for sure. We really never saw what we've done lived out in front of us and it's not like there's a ton of books written on adopting large siblings groups. So, we're definitely giving all the glory to God for making it this far.

We're starting this new blog because we felt like we needed to change the format a little. It's still going to have stuff in it about us and our family life... there's way too much stuff happening not to blog about...but we wanted it to have more. We feel like we need to be an encouragement to those of you out there who really feel like there has to be more to our lives as Christians than what we're presently seeing and doing. Man, when I read the Bible and see what Jesus and the early church was doing... they were really rockin the world! In John 14:12, Jesus said, "that those who believed in him would not only do what he was doing... but even greater things! I don't know about you, but I think we've kind of missed it a little on that one. And I want more. I want more of Christ in my life. I want his presence to be so powerful in me that not only does it burn all of the 'me' out of 'me' but it also causes those around me to see him and only him. I've got a long way to go, but I've got to start somewhere, right? So, if you want more of God in your life and you know that there's more out there than what you've experienced in life so far, then I encourage you to subscribe to this blog and let's do this thing together, OK? You see, in my position I'm able to talk to a lot of people and a majority of them feel like there's more. People who feel like we've really lost focus on what our REAL mission is on this earth, this blog is for them and this blog is for you. You may not agree with everything I say but hopefully it will get you thinking and looking at your Bible for yourself, so that you can reach your own conclusions rather than what someone else said. Now, I'm not going to bash any particular person, church or denomination because it's not about that. But I do feel like we need to bash some of what I like to call our 'Americanized' gospel and what it has become. So hopefully you'll be challenged to be all that God has called you to be and experience what we're calling the "Real Deal Religion."