As a family centered on Christ, it is our
calling to follow Jesus. Wherever Jesus went He sought to make the
Father’s kingdom a reality on earth. We will strive to build His kingdom
wherever we go by living out of full surrender to God who freely gives us all
we need. Out of His overflowing provision of love, and through the empowerment
of the Holy Spirit, will come our ministry to each other and to the
world.
So What?
Jamie and I have been praying and talking about how we can truly live out this mission. How will this actually affect our lives in the Dominican Republic and beyond? For myself (Matthew), I see how God will use me in three different ways to build His kingdom. First, it is my role to shepherd the youth at the Crosswinds Caribbean Mountain Academy (CMA) by making disciples (see Mat. 28:19). I will do this by having two weekly youth-group meetings, setting up 1-on-1's, and doing whatever else I can to partner with them in their spiritual growth.
Secondly, I will seek to empower the students, CMA staff, and our mission/outreach teams to minister and serve the Dominican people. For us the heart of understanding intercultural ministry is incarnational ministry. God the Son took on human flesh, walked among us, and vividly revealed to us the loving heart of our Father. Following Christ's example I will need to "take on" the Dominican culture and find out how I can express the love of the Father in their language (...Spanish), while empowering others to do the same.
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CMA Chapel - where we have morning devotionals
and our Sunday morning service |
This past spring I was the recipient of the preaching award at my alma mater, Indiana Wesleyan University. Rev. Dave Ward personally charged me to "fan into flame the gift of God," specifically, the gift of preaching. This is the third way in which I will seek God's kingdom. I will be involved in the Sunday preaching rotation, leading daily morning devotionals, along with the weekly youth lessons. I will also be taking one online class per semester through Asbury Theological Seminary. My desire is to grow in my ability to obediently present the Word of God to His people.
What We Need
Crosswinds will be providing our family with housing and health insurance, but we will need to raise our support for our other expenses such as: food, car, baby-supplies, phones, education, and travel. We are hoping to stay for 3 years, and have figured out that we will need five people to support us $100 per month, ten people at $50 per month, and fifteen people at $25 per month. We are boldly praying that God will financially provide for us through His Church! Oh... and it is our goal to have all of this raised by October. Yes, this task does seem a little daunting, but we are excited to see how God is going to use you, our sister or brother in Christ to meet this need. We want you to have the opportunity to share in our vision of bringing God's Kingdom near in the Dominican Republic. If you would like to support us monthly or make a one-time tax-deductible gift you can by clicking here, filling out the form, and selecting Morley under the Staff Support tab.
Prayer Requests
"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
- We are 25 days and counting from our due date! Pray for a healthy Mom and baby!
- Selling our house in Marion, Indiana
- Finding a new home for our two dogs :(
- Raising all our financial support by October!
Love Matthew, Jamie, and our soon-to-be born Baby
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