Stepping Out of the Boat

February Updates and prayer requests

2012-02-05T18:47:00.007-06:00

Hello All,
Last month was very busy starting off the new year and we are blessed to see all the ways God is making connections for us.
Here is what we have been up to....
January has been a month of divine connections for us and Haiti Care Mission. God has brought some amazing connections into our path lately and it is really exciting to see how He is directing our steps.
Over the last month, we have had several opportunities to share about Haiti Care Mission within our daily lives. We have met people at church, at garage sales and via phone calls. Each connection is a relationship brought together by the Lord.
Over the weekend, while we were shopping at some garage sales, people heard us talking Haiti and how we could use some luggage to carry items into the country. As we told them more about Haiti Care, they donated their luggage to help us out. This happened over and over. Who knew God even uses garage sales to do His business?
Earlier this month, we heard from several ladies from our church in Iowa who have called to let us know they have begun sewing for Haiti Care. We also have been informed by several ladies in our home church in Florida that they are sewing for us as well. We are honored to link arms with our churches and blessed to know they are investing in Kingdom work with us.
Each connection and each interaction is an opportunity to bring more people into awareness of this mission and what God is doing for the children of Haiti. We are blessed to see more people get involved and there is more work to be done. Thank God for His amazing connections.

Praises and Prayer requests
Praise God for the connections He is making for us. He is constantly bringing us into new relationships which are building up Haiti Care Mission.

Praise the Lord for His provision and protection. He is constantly showing ways that He is taking care of us.

Please join us as we pray for all the missionaries we serve. They have left the comforts of home to follow God’s call. Please pray for protection over their lives.

Please pray for our family as we serve. We are always being stretched and we are grateful that God loves us enough to keep us growing. Pray that our hearts will stay open to how God is leading us.

Please pray for the financial needs of Haiti Care Mission. We need operating expenses to send the many items we have in stock over to the children.

Thank you for the prayers lifted to the King on our behalf. We would love to pray for you as well. Please send us your prayer request so we can be praying for you.

Here are some pictures of sleeping mats being distributed...

(Even the gardener wanted a sleeping mat in the third pict)

Thanks for following our adventures.
Living victoriously in Christ, Lynn for the Anderson ministry team

Looking back and looking ahead

2012-01-09T10:32:00.003-06:00

The lessons we have learned in 2011
As 2011 comes to a close, we are awed at God’s faithfulness in our lives. From January to December, we have seen His hands at work in our lives and in the ministry He has called us to. This year has been filled with trials and triumphs, times of great joy and times of sadness, but through it all, God has captured our hearts and drawn us closer to Him. With every trial and every victory, there have been lessons to learn.

Our first lesson of faith this year was our transition from Agape Flights to Haiti Care Mission. We know without a doubt that God has orchestrated every step of this change. His divine timing placed key people in our lives at critical moments. Unexpected visits and unforeseen connections filled us with wisdom and insight. He directed every interaction and every appointment which lead us to know what He was calling us to do. He proved to us once again that He has a plan for us and He is leading the way before we even know where He is calling us.
Our second lesson of faith has been the launching of Haiti Care Mission. When we assumed the leadership of Haiti Care Mission, we were given very little resources and limited information on how things were previously organized. With God’s leading, we are in the process of reorganizing and redefining how the mission operates. When we feel we are inadequate for such a task, God gently reminds us that He is the real director and we are only His servants. He has been giving us insight and wisdom for every step of the way. We are constantly reminded of how God is using our previous contacts and experiences in Haiti to propel this mission forward. The lesson of trusting Him and His ways is one we are reminded of daily.

Our third lesson of faith has been one of trusting God with our health and healing. In mid-December, we experienced our first health crisis. Lance was hospitalized with complications of a bowel obstruction. After corrective surgery, he is recuperating well. Long days in the hospital and separation from our girls have made us dependent on the care of others but God took care of EVERYTHING.

We know God has provided for our every need. We trust God for complete healing of Lance’s body. We have felt His strength when we felt we could not go another minute. He has covered us with a peace that transcends all understanding. And most importantly, He has taken care of our girls.

Loving caregivers have showered the girls with attention and patience. It is really overwhelming when I think about how many times, while I was trying to plan the next day’s activities for the girls that someone would call and offer to take care of them before I even had to ask. Knowing that God coordinated every person and every call brought us unconceivable
peace. We are humbled by the kindness of others and the love of our great God.

Yes, we have learned many lessons this year and we are constantly being stretched to learn more. Even though we may not know why or how things happen, we know God goes before us and is with us. He has never forsaken us or left us. (Deuteronomy 31:8)

We are grateful to that He never stops teaching us and using us. As you step into the New Year, we pray that you will be open to the lessons He has for you. In the midst of trials, joy, and frustrations, He is there. He will never leave your side and He will gently take you through the storms, if you lean on Him.

Prayer requests and praises

Praise God for the faithful supporters of our ministry. We are blessed to have many faithful financial partners who encourage us and allow us to have the best job in the world.

Praise the Lord for His healing promises and the way He is healing Lance’s body.

Praise the Father for the work of many helping hands who are serving with us on the Haiti Care Mission projects. Even though we have just begun, we have volunteers already starting new sewing groups and ironing for the mission.

Please join us as we pray for divine health and protection for our bodies as we serve Him.

Please pray for our financial needs. We had a great response to the transition but we are still behind on our monthly budget.

Please pray for the people of Haiti. While we celebrated Christmas with all the extravagant gifts and spending of the season, they still live with very little. Pray that God would meet all their needs according to His glorious riches.

Thank you for all your faithful prayers. We are blessed through the relationships we have with you.

Blessings, Lynn for the Anderson ministry team

November Updates

2011-11-04T18:24:00.003-05:00

November marks the beginning of our new adventure in serving the Lord. In mid-November, Lance will join me (Lynn) at Haiti Care Mission as the Mission Director. This new adventure is an amazing opportunity for us to serve Him in new and exciting ways.
To give you a better idea of how all these changes came about, we will need to go back a few months. In August, Lynn started volunteering with Haiti Care Mission as the Mission Coordinator. The couple who founded Haiti Care Mission needed someone to help with communications and organizational tasks. As the Mission Coordinator, she was able to learn more about Haiti Care and get involved in day to day operations.
Over the course of a month and a half of working for Haiti Care, it became clear that this mission was in need of a full-time leadership team to direct the operations of the mission. It was at that time that God released us from Agape and placed in our hearts the directive to transfer our service completely to Haiti Care Mission.
Lance will serve as the Mission Director and Lynn will be the Mission Coordinator. As the Director, Lance will provide leadership for all aspects of the mission. He will work with everything from budget to logistic/shipping details. Lynn will continue working with the communications aspects of the mission and the coordinating of sewing groups. We feel this is a great opportunity for each of us to use the skills God has given us to make a greater impact in the Kingdom.
With these changes, we are looking forward to more time in Haiti, as we will be traveling to meet with missionaries and deliver items to the children. We are very excited about all of these changes and are eager to get started. Please pray for us as we make this transition. Our heads are full of plans for the mission but we need God to direct our steps so we are keeping in line with His will for Haiti Care Mission

Grace and Hope in their pillowcase dresses.

Praises:
· Praise the Lord for this new adventure in serving Him.
· Praise God for many divine opportunities to share about Haiti Care Mission. Doors are opening because the Lord is leading the way.
· Praise the Lord for the guidance He gives us. We know that He directs our path.

Prayer Requests:
· Please pray for us as we transition to this new ministry. There is much work to be done and we are eager to tackle each challenge. Pray for wisdom and vision as we move forward.
· Please pray for Haiti Care Mission and its supporters. They have experienced a lot of change lately and we pray they will embrace the vision God has placed in our hearts.

· Please pray for our financial needs to be met. Ask God to speak into the hearts of churches and individuals to join us as we serve Him.

We feel very blessed to have a great prayer covering in our lives. Thank you for lifting us up to the King.

Blessings, Lynn for the Anderson ministry team

You can view the latest edition of the Haiti Care Mission newsletter on the Haiti Care blogspot. Look for the link to click on the right side of the page. www.haiti-care.blogspot.com

Exciting News from the Anderson Family

2011-10-17T18:56:00.002-05:00

Dear Faithful Partners,

"Our steps are made firm by the Lord, when He delights in our ways." Psalm 37:23 NRSV

We would like to begin this letter with a word of gratitude. We wish we could truly express to you the appreciation we have for each of you. Over the past 2 years in ministry, you have prayed for us, supported us and encouraged us. You have shared our burdens and our joys as we serve the Lord. We know that God has blessed us richly with each and every one of you. You have walked this journey into ministry with us and taught us what it means to live with a grateful heart. Our lives are full because of the partnerships we have with you.

The second purpose of this letter is to present to you some changes in the way we serve the Lord. God has been stirring our hearts lately and we feel He is calling us on a new pilgrimage. In order to begin that journey, we feel God has released us from our assignment at Agape Flights. Our last day of service with Agape will be October 28th, 2011.

God has placed before us a new adventure in missions. Over the past month, we have heard God calling us to assume leadership positions at a different mission organization, which serves Haiti. Beginning on November 1st, we will begin our new missions assignment as the leaders of Haiti Care Mission. Lance will be the Mission Director and Lynn will work as Mission Coordinator. The mission will be based out of home and will be under the financial covering of Faith in the Family International. We feel this transition will allow us to combine the experience we have gained over the past two years with the gifts He has placed in us to serve Him in new and exciting ways. More information on Haiti Care Mission can be found in the enclosed brochure and more information about our new positions at Haiti Care Mission will be coming in the November Anderson Edition.

It is our greatest desire to serve the Lord with integrity and honor. We hope you can help us embrace this new adventure by continuing to financially support our ministry. We are asking that you would prayerfully considering continuing your personal support for our family as we transition to ministry with Haiti Care Mission. All the details for accomplishing this change can be found at the end of this letter.

We hope that each of you will keep our family in prayer as we make this transition. We would like to be as transparent as possible with these changes and encourage you to call us if you have any questions. We believe that when God calls you to a new pilgrimage you have two choices; you can listen and trust God with every step or you can turn the other way. We are choosing to trust God and follow this new path. We know that "our steps are made firm by the Lord."
Thank you for all your support and prayers over the past two years. We look forward to partnering with you in the future.

Living Victoriously in Christ,
Lance and Lynn Anderson

September News, Praises and Prayer requests

2011-09-02T15:44:00.006-05:00

September 15 marks a very important date for us. Two years ago, our journey of service for God at Agape Flights began.

In the past two years, we have had the very unique opportunity to see God’s hands at work in so many ways. When we needed volunteers to make ORS’s or sort donated items, God provided the right people at the right times. When we needed specialty items for a missionary, we saw God bring exactly what was needed with perfect timing. When we needed strength, we felt God’s hands lift us up. Finally, when we needed encouragement, God has sent a note from a missionary or supporter who spoke just what we needed to hear.

One important way that God has provided for us is through YOU. You are a big reason why we are here. Each of you has had a special part to play in our ministry. You have made financial sacrifices, so we could continue to serve. You have lifted prayers which have brought us peace. You have spoken into our lives and given us encouragement. We feel very blessed through our relationships with YOU; our friends, family and supporters.

Thank you for all you do to continue increasing His kingdom through our work here. May God bless each of you richly as you supply the needs of His people in Haiti, the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas.

Last month started with a time of refilling for us as a family. For the first 2 weeks of August, we took a family trip to Wisconsin for some “rest and relaxation”. We spent our break enjoying family meals, taking the kids to their favorite “Green Bay” sights , and spending quality time together. We were very blessed to have lots of “down time” which we desperately needed.

The demands of the last year have been great. God has been our strength through every challenge, but our bodies and spirits were ready for a time of refilling and refreshing. We are very blessed to have family that allows us to come home and just be ourselves.

Last month also marked the beginning of the new school year at our house. Both girls are enjoying their classes and new friends. They are happy students and love looking for ways to help their teachers. It’s hard to believe that they are both in elementary school, but we feel very blessed to have a great school for them to attend. I (Lynn) will be spending a lot of time in the classroom this year as both a volunteer and substitute teacher. Through the favor of God and the relationships I developed last year with the staff, I have become a part-time teacher at their school. It is a joy to be back in the classroom, and I am grateful for God’s hand in working this out for us.

Finally, on the last Friday of August, we had a very special night at the beach because Grace was baptized. She has been waiting for this day for almost a year. She has a very deep love for God and wanted to tell everyone of her desire to live for Him. The other day after church she told me, “Mom, I really love praising God. I think it is my favorite thing to do.” That statement describes our girl pretty well. She loves God and she loves people. We know God has great plans for her life. We are very proud of both of our girls and feel incredibly honored to be their parents.

Prayer requests
Please pray for the weekly flights. This is the time of year when weather is a big factor. Pray for the protection of the pilots and the airplane.
Please pray for the protection of the missionaries we serve. Pray that all severe weather is steered away from the island of Hispaniola during the hurricane season.
Please pray for us as we continue to press on for Christ. We need peace, strength and wisdom for our daily walk.
Praises
Praise the Lord for His provision over the last 2 years. He has met our every need, and we trust He will continue to meet our needs.
Praise God for a time of refilling and refreshing last month.
Praise the Father for the missionaries we serve. We are honored to be partnered with His faithful servants.
We could never thank you enough for all the prayers said on our behalf.

Many, O Lord, are the wonders you have done.

The things you have planned for us, no one can recount to you;

were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.

Psalm 40:5

God Bless,
Lynn for the Anderson family

August praises and prayer requests

2011-07-30T11:35:00.004-05:00

Every month at Agape, as we sit back and reflect on the previous month, we are reminded that no two days here are the same and no two month’s duties are alike. This month was filled with a wide variety of tasks and assignments.
Lance wears many “hats” here at Agape. His job title says he is the Director of IT and Logistics. He also has the roles of Facilities Director and Volunteer Coordinator, so each day when he goes to work, he could be fulfilling any number of responsibilities. Within the span of this month, he has been working on the roof with the repairman to fix the leaks, coordinating the distribution of donated goods, supplying the medical missionaries with ORS packets, and shopping for the missionaries.
Quite honestly, the variety is sometimes challenging but it also makes his job enjoyable. When a missionary needed parts for a Bobcat skid loader, Lance was able to research the part and find the needed tools to make the repairs. (If you know Lance, you know that parts and equipment are right up his alley.)
Another job that was custom made for Lance was his assignment to shop for eye clinic equipment on eBay. Most of the internet connections in Haiti are spotty and unreliable so when it comes to shopping on the internet, they will often send their requests to Agape. Most of you know that Lance has extensive experience both selling and buying on eBay, so this job was again the perfect fit.
We feel very blessed that God has given us an assignment here at Agape which includes such a wide variety of tasks and duties.

Here are the prayer requests and praises for this month:
Praise God the calling He has placed in our hearts to serve and work at Agape Flights. He has given us a job where we can see His hands at work every day. We never want to take that for granted.
Praise the Father for the way He cares for His people. When our abilities and resources fall short, He always has enough.
Please pray for the flights and pilots as the storm season approaches. Please pray for clear skies and divine protection over every flight.
Please pray for rest for all of us as we take a short break this month. We need a time of refreshing and refilling of God’s strength. We absolutely love what we do at Agape, but, in order to be a full blessing to others, we need to be replenished and refilled. We hope to find that time of refilling this month.
Please pray for the missionaries we serve. We are constantly praying for protection, provision and abundance in their lives. Please stand in agreement with us for these faithful servants.

Thank you for all the prayers and encouragement. We appreciate every gift of prayer support, financial support and blessings spoken over us. You are a part of Agape Flights through your commitment to support us. Thank you!

Living Victoriously in Christ,
The Anderson ministry team

Mechanic needed for short term trip

2011-07-21T10:53:00.002-05:00

Do you have a serve the Lord in Haiti? Do you have experience with small engines, diesel engines or generators? If so, we need you. We have a request from a missionary in Les Cayes, Haiti, for a mechanic. He has several vehicles (autos, bus, Bobcat skid loader) and some equipment in need of attention. The mechanic is needed for a week or two. If you are willing or able, or know someone who is, please let us know and we will give you all the details. This would be a huge blessing to this missionary and the people he served in Haiti.

July updates and praises

2011-07-02T06:36:00.005-05:00

This month at Agape, we were very excited to see God's hands at work for His servants. Last month in the newsletter, nwe noted that a missionary in the Dominican Republic, who Lance met on the trip, was in need of a dental chair. Well, it is with great joy that we can report that a chair was donated to Agape last week via the connections only God can provide.

Early in the month, Lance started to receive phone calls of possible leads, and one of those leads led us to not one chair, but two. Two very nice dental chairs were donated to Agape, by a local dentist, to be distirbuted to missionaries. What an amazing gift from the Lord! I hope we never tire of watching His hands work and seeing the connections He has. We are so grateful for those who read this blog and newsletter and looked for a way to help. These folks, too, were on a mission for God, and through all of us working together, many people will be served for His kingdom through those dental chairs. It is just a thrill to see Him at work and we are grateful to be a small part of it.

In the middle of the month, we received a call from a missionary who was requesting more Oral Rehydration Solutions (ORS) packets to help treat the cholera epidemic. In the one and a half weeks since that call, we have made 3,000 ORS packets. We are hoping to make several thousand more. The most exciting part is that we didn't have to look for volunteers at all, God brought people to us that were eager to help. We have had people from age 4 to age 92 working on the ORS, and each one is a blessing to us. We love how God has placed it in the hearts of these folks to help and they are responding to the call.

June was a very exciting month for us at church as well as Agape. One week after the school year ended, we helped present our first Vacation Bible School at New Life Church. It was an exciting week of Bible lessons, crafts, missions, snacks and music. I (Lynn) had the privilege of helping the Children's pastor to prepare the VBS and lead the VBS team. With over 75 children in attendance, the church was buzzing with activity and energy. I don't know of any greater joy than that of watching kids sing their hearts out and dance for the Lord. Grace and Hope were part of the worship team and they gave it their all. We were very proud of them and of the entire team of volunteers who worked the VBS. It took a "village" to make the VBS run smoothly, and gratefully, the Lord provided a "village" of workers. It was an awesome week of worship, fellowship, and teaching, and we were thankful for the chance to be a part of this church outreach.

Well, that should bring you up to date about last month's happenings. We will celebrate Hope's 5th birthday tomorrow. We are very proud of our little girl. She is one energetic and fun loving child. She loves life and she loves the Lord. She asks great questions about God and faith. God has big plans for this girl and we are looking forward to seeing the plans He has for her.

Now, here are the prayer requests and praise......

Praise God for a wonderful week of VBS. We are grateful that God made every detail come together.

Praise the Father for the workers that are helping make the ORS packets. We are so blessed to be surrounded by volunteers who generously give of their time.

Praise the Lord for His protection over our lives. He is our rock and our sheild. We are thankful to have a place of shelter under His mighty wings (Psalm 91).

Please pray for the people of Haiti as the cholera epidemic is back on the rise.

Please pray for us as we work and serve the Lord. Every day the enemy tries to put roadblocks on our path. We need the strength of your prayers to see ways over and around the obstacles. We know our God is greater.

We are grateful for every prayer lifted to the Father and every word of encouragement spoken to us. We appreciate each of you and pray for you daily.

Living victoriously in Christ,

The Anderson ministry team

"I've told you all this so that trusting in me,

you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace.
In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties.
But take heart! I've conquered the world."
John 16:33

Here are some pictures of VBS fun........We are all superstars......

June updates

2011-06-08T07:20:00.003-05:00

Hey Folks,
So sorry this is a week late...the beginning of June was a whirlwind at our place. Among preschool 'good byes' and grade school awards ceremonies, Vacation Bible school planning and helping build the extension at church, we were very busy and lost track of time. So here are the updates, prayer requests and praises for the month....

During the recent trip to the Dominican Republic, Lance was able to meet several missionaries we served through Agape Flights. It was really amazing to see all that is being done for God’s kingdom. We thought that this month we would take a little time to tell you about some of the missionaries we are connected with so you can get a glimpse of their ministries and how they are being served through Agape Flights.

One of the ministries, Lance got to visit was Sharing the Vision (STV) in Santiago, DR. Jim and Teresa White lead this ministry and they served with Agape extensively during the Haiti earthquake relief. They serve as the host couple for STV’s Mission Team House and during earthquake relief, many Agape pilots stayed with the Whites while shuttling loads from the DR to Haiti. The Whites also preach/teach in local churches, plant churches, provide outreaches for the poor, provide medical clinics in remote areas. Currently, they are developing a discipleship training center. It was a great pleasure to meet the Whites and thank them for all they have done to help Agape.

Another ministry that Lance got to visit was Casa Grande deMisiones Internacional (CGCMI). This ministry is located in Santiago and is led by Tim and Trena Johnson. The Johnson’s work is mainly evangelism which takes many forms. They are involved in preaching, teaching, youth and children ministries, church planting and humanitarian aid. Because of some conversations during the picnic, Lance has been helping the Johnsons by connecting them with Tri-County Air in Venice, Fl. Tri-County is assisting them in exploring the set up of a solar power system to help them eliminate the high cost of electricity. The DR is ranked as one of the highest countries for electrical costs, so this system would be a great benefit to them. What a great connection and relationship to be able to help foster. Only God can work like that. Another need that the Johnsons mentioned during the visit was a need for sports uniforms. Within just a few weeks of the trip, Lance and Allen Speers located a university which donated several sets of uniforms for their youth sports ministry. We love watching His divine connections that come together to fill a need in their ministry.

A third ministry that Lance was able to visit was that of Students International(SI) in Jarabacoa. SI’s focus is to bring students and the poor together. They have a cross-cultural approach to bring students to a deeper understanding of how they can help the poor and serve God’s people through their occupations. They work through technology, arts, construction, dental clinics, sports ministries, physical therapy, schools, and many more avenues. Currently, Agape is trying to acquire a dental chair for their new dental clinic they will be opening. (Anyone with leads on a dental chair ready to be donated, let us know.)

These ministries are just a sample of some of the great things being done for Christ in the Dominican Republic . The trip was not just a time of refreshment for the missionaries. It was an opportunity to see that the needs are and strive to find ways to help. We really enjoy being able to see first hand what Agape has been able to do to help and what we can do to help more. We are very grateful to be partnered with all of these amazing servants. Please continue to pray for all the missionaries serving in the DR, Haiti and the Bahamas. They are the feet on the ground in these countries and they are serving with all of their hearts.

Prayer request and praises.

Praise God for ways He builds connections and bridges for us before we know we need them.
Praise the Father for being our provider. We are constantly awed by the ways He takes care of our needs.
Please pray for the people of Haiti. Fear and uncertainty are a constant problem for the people in Haiti. This month some of the tent cities were destroyed by the government, leaving hundreds homeless again. Pray that the body of Christ will help them meet their needs and find a place to start over.
Please pray for the missionaries in the DR, Haiti and the Bahamas. Pray for strength, wisdom and provision as they strive to reach more souls for Christ.
Please pray for us as we serve Him. Please pray for strength, health and favor in every area of our lives.
We are very grateful for every prayer lifted on our behalf. We believe in the power of prayer and we never take for granted the prayer team God has given us. Please know that we are praying favor and blessings for each of you.

Also pray for the people of Haiti as the rains of this week are causing mud slides and horrible living conditions for those in shanties and tents. Please pray for protection of their lives and homes.

I will proclaim the Lord's decree:

He said to me, "You are my son: today I have become your father.

Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance,

the ends of the earth your possession. Psalm 2:7-8

May updates

2011-05-02T19:28:00.002-05:00

PICNIC TIME!!!!

This month the hangar has been a buzz with lots of planning and preparations as Lance has been very busy planning a trip for 14 staff members to travel to the Dominican Republic to provide a “REST and RELAXATION” picnic for the missionaries we serve. Planning the menu, purchasing the food, setting the agenda and pulling all the pieces together was a challenge but was all worth it to give the missionaries a well deserved break.

Along with the time of fellowship and refreshment, the staff also took time to travel to several missionary sites to see each ministry and look for ways to better serve them. Often, after Lance returns from this type of trip, he will see a donated item come into the hangar and immediately knows someone in the field who could benefit from the item. It is a wonderful way for the staff to see the needs, but also, it is a way to see how what we do in Venice, FL makes an impact across the ocean. By putting faces to the names, we feel a stronger connection to the missionaries and we are propelled to work harder to help them in every way.

Besides the picnic work this month, Lance got to use one of his favorite hobbies at work….designing a mezzanine for extra storage space in the hangar. When we lived in Iowa, he was also planning and drawing out plans for shelving. This month, God used this pastime to help him design a new set of shelves for Agape. Home Depot supplied the materials and a crew of volunteer workers through a community grant program. We really loved seeing the project come together and the thought of an old hobby being used for God was such a highlight. Thank you Lord for using us in so many different ways.

Praises and Prayer requests

Praise God for a safe trip to the Dominican Republic last week. He made every detail come together from the flights to the weather.

Praise the Father for the resurrection of His Son that we celebrated last week. He is risen...He is risen indeed!!! We are so grateful for His sacrificial love for us.

Praise the Lord for the doors He opens for us in our own community.

Please pray for us as we strive to live our faith “out loud” for Christ. Pray we will never miss a chance to bring another soul into the Kingdom.

Please pray for the Agape staff as we prepare to transition to a new Executive Director this month. Pray that change will be an opportunity to stretch our faith and trust God for every detail.

Please pray for Agape members, Jan and Val Gutwien, who lost their 5 year old son in Haiti this month. Brett had a medical condition from birth but that did not stop this family from answering God’s call to serve in Haiti. Please pray for comfort and peace for Brett’s family.

Thank you for your prayers for us. You are a vital part of all God is doing.
Hope you all have a month full of blessings and abundance.
Living victoriously in Christ,
The Andersons

Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.
Jeremiah 32:17

April Prayer request and Praises

2011-04-02T07:24:00.005-05:00

Thank you for stopping by to check out what has been happening this month. It was a busy month as always. Here are a few highlights: This month started with our annual volunteer appreciation lunch and this year we did "FLIP FLOPS" over our volunteers. Once again, I (Lynn) was asked to help plan and prepare our volunteer appreciation event. This year our theme was “At Agape Flights, we do FLIP FLOPS over our volunteers.” and we had a beach BBQ to pay tribute to our hard working volunteers. To truly appreciate what volunteers do for Agape, let me list for you some of the jobs they perform for us. Volunteers...process packages, sort mail, load cargo, wash airplanes, lead weekly chapel services, clean (the condo, kitchen, bathrooms, offices and hangar), pilot the airplanes, mow the lawn, maintain the airplane, complete plumbing jobs, build special projects, make ORS kits, assist in accounting, answer phones, stamp envelopes, fold letters, prepare mailings, make videos, and other jobs as specified. What would we do without them???? Agape could not function the way we do without the many hours that volunteers serve. Many of them serve on a weekly basis. Others with special talents are called in as needed. Either eay, each of them is part of the Body of Christ that is helping the missionaries in the field. Every volunteer hour that is put in is being used to further God’s kingdom in some special way. We are so grateful for our volunteers at Agape. We know that we could not “Serve Christ through serving His missionaries” without their help. We salute our volunteers and thank God for their servant hearts. This month was also marked with the announcement of our new Executive Director. Allen Speer will begin on May 1st. Allen has been the pastor of many churches in the Midwest and will be joining us from his most recent position in Cobden, Illinois. We are very excited to see the vision Allen has for Agape and welcome him and his family to the Agape ministry. Here are our prayer requests and praises for this month:

Praise God for our Executive Director at Agape. We are very excited to see the new ideas and challenges that Allen will bring to the ministry.

Praise the Father for beautiful weather and day for our volunteer appreciation lunch. God provided a wonderful day to fellowship at the beach and honor those who sere with us.

Praise the Lord for a great family vacation over Spring break. We are so thankful for the time of rest and family fun. God knew exactly what we needed and He gave us the rest and recreation we needed.

Please pray for us as we face a month with a full schedule of work, church and family obligations. Pray that we will not get too busy to remember to rest in the presence of the Almighty and hear His voice.

Please pray for the Agape staff as we prepare to transition to a new Executive Director at the end of the month. Change can be a very stressful time so we pray for patience.

Please pray for Agape staff and volunteers who will be traveling to the Dominican Republic at the end of the month for a missionary picnic.

We are grateful for each of you and cherish your faithfulness in praying for us. We pray you have a month of God's blessings and abundance in your lives.

Living victoriously in Christ, Lynn, Lance, Grace and Hope

March Update and Prayer request/Praises

2011-03-02T08:47:00.016-06:00

We are always looking forward to what God is working on, and this month was full of new and interesting challenges. In the past few months, we have been focusing on ORS (cholera supplies), normal missionary requests and donated items, but this month was different. This month we received a few extraordinary requests which took us into new territory.

The first request started with a phone call from a friend who had acquired a truck, which the owner would like to donate to a ministry in Haiti. WOW!! A truck….how do we ship a truck???? That was a new one for us so Lance started working on options and plans. The truck was no ordinary truck. It was a 1970 M35 Deuce and a half. This truck was big and heavy, so it was definitely not going on the plane. But through a series of God ordained phone calls and connections, Lance found one of our missionaries who has experience shipping vehicles. He also discovered that this ministry was in need of a vehicle. The next step was to get the truck to their headquarters so it could be shipped to Haiti. Although this may seem like a very easy transaction to make, let me tell you it was no easy feat. Getting the right connections, the proper licensing, and the required phone calls was the key. We know it was God who made all those things happen. Thank the Lord for how He led us down this new path with His guidance.

The second surprising request this month came in the form of an email. An organization called Haiti Care Mission sent an email requesting that we link arms with them to provide dresses, diapers and sleeping mats for Haiti. Their sewing ministry (“threads of love”) makes over 50,000 items each year for Haiti. They have ladies sewing in 48 states and six countries. Their simple request was that we contact our missionaries and offer them free handmade items with free shipping. What a wonderful gift for the children of Haiti! Lance spent a few days sending out the information and gathering the requests. Next, we will wait for the items to arrive in FL and process them so they can be on their way to Haiti. What an awesome provider we serve! His connections are the best. We were just the middle man, He provided the rest.

Another special task this month was to work on donated medical supplies. Caring Partners is another organization which has linked arms with Agape to provide free medical supplies twice a year to the medical missionaries. Shipping to FL is paid by a separate supporter so these supplies arrive in the field for a fraction of the cost of actual product and actual shipping. Lance works to receive and organize the orders so they can be filled and sent. It is truly extraordinary to have all of the costs for these supplies greatly reduced. One of the most exciting parts of our job is watching these groups of people come together to be His hands and feet. Through all His connections, He is providing for the needs of His people.

Needless to say, this month has been busy but it has also been remarkable. It is amazing to see how things work out when God is in it. We may start with our plans for the month, but they rarely ever turn out the way we envisioned. Serving Christ through serving His missionaries, that maybe our mission statement, but truly we never know what that will involve. The best part is that if we stay focused on serving Him, we can trust that He will provide the direction we need to accomplish it.

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Phillippians 4:19-20

Prayer requests and praises.....

*Praise God for the connections He has for us. It is hard for us to imagine the network He has and the way He weaves lives together. It is even more amazing when you sit back and watch His connections unfold in your life.
*Praise the Father for His guidance and direction with every new opportunity we face. He always seems to take us by the hand and lead us through new waters.
*Praise the Lord for all the people who have linked arms with Agape to provide for the needs of those in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
*Please pray for us as we desire to serve with excellence. Pray for strength and wisdom to complete what we are being called to do.
*Please pray for the Agape staff as we prepare to transition to a new Executive Director in the next few months.
*Please pray for the missionaries we serve. They need constant refreshing and renewing to serve in these challenging areas.

Thank you for all your faithful prayers and support. We are blessed to have linked arms with each of you, and we pray that your lives are filled to overflowing with God’s abundance.

Here are a few pictures from the field....

The truck that was donated for Haiti.

Recipients of the ORS that were made at Agape. Many lives are being saved through these packets.

Living victoriously in Christ,

The Anderson ministry team

February Updates and Prayer requests

2011-02-01T12:07:00.008-06:00

This month Agape Flights presented a dinner celebration to celebrate 30 years of ministry. We held a “gala” event to reminisce about the beginning of Agape, celebrate the successes of Agape, and the cast a vision about the future for Agape. Guest missionaries joined us to share stories of how Agape is helping in the field. We also had time to praise God for the lives that have been touched through Agape Flights.
Here is a short account of how Agape Flights began …..

On October 24, 1980, Agape Flights was incorporated as an independent Christian ministry committed to “Serving Christ through Serving His Missionaries” in Haiti.
Barely three weeks later on November 15, the inaugural flight left the Sarasota-Bradenton Airport, captained by Alan Cayo, and bound for Cap Haitien, Haiti. The first flight served one missionary family but soon the small Cessna 411 delivered emergence supplies and mail to about 25 missionaries each week. (excerpt taken from the “Gala” program)

Keith and Clara Starkey started Agape Flights in their home in Bradenton, FL with a pool table as the mail sorting area and the garage for packages. These two farmers from Ohio had no idea what God was going to do with the ministry He had planted in their hearts. Through the years, God has been faithful to provide for every need of this ministry. God took care of the funding, the planes, the buildings, the people and the leadership. Every detail was directed by the Lord through the years.

Now, thirty years later, God is still in control at Agape Flights. He has allowed Agape to grow and expand, He has hand picked workers for the field, and He has allowed us to accomplish more in the earthquake relief than really seems possible. Today, Agape is serving 325 missionaries in Haiti, the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas. Weekly flights carry approximately 3000 pounds of supplies. Lives are touched daily from the supplies delivered through this ministry.

We are truly grateful for the vision and dreams that God put in the Starkey’s hearts. We are thankful to be chosen to serve in this ministry and we are humbled by the response of our supporters to continue to allow us to work in the field. It is awesome to see where this ministry has come from and it is hard to imagine what is to come. God has plans so much bigger than we can imagine. We are grateful that even when we can’t see where God is going, we can trust Him. Thank you for your support of Agape Flights and our calling to serve. Here’s to another 30 years of serving the Lord through serving His missionaries…...

Lance and I with Keith and Clara Starkey, founders of Agape Flights

We also had some time with Rachel and Emma Mills this month. Rachel was one of the moms who we helped fly to Haiti to bring home her daughter Emma. Emma is a very happy and healthy 18 month old. We were so blessed to spend time with them this month and see the precious cargo that was delivered one year ago. Here are a few picts of their visit...so fun...

The cholera epidemic is still a concern in Haiti. This month, two new teams from our church worked with us to make another 1500 ORS kits. I love when God brings the workers and we don't have to fret about who we will call to work. HE brings them in with perfect timing every time. We appreciate the ears that hear His voice and respond by coming to help us.

Here are this month's prayer requests and praises..

Praise God for His servants who bless us with their time. This month, we had 2 amazing teams of workers from our church who served alongside us and helped us just when we needed it. We love when we see God’s perfect timing and His provision.
Praise the Father for His protection over our lives from the attacks of the enemy. We are so blessed to have prayer teams covering us in prayer every day. Through those prayers God has given us a hedge of protection on every side. We are grateful to God and we are grateful for our faithful prayer warriors.
Praise the Lord for the provision and guidance of Agape Flights over the past 30 years of ministry.
Please pray the search for an Executive Director at Agape Flights. We are praying that the person God has chosen will clearly hear His voice and answer the call.
Please pray for healing in Haiti as the one year anniversary of the earthquake passed this month. We know there are still many homeless and hopeless. Pray for a touch from God to heal their hearts and their land.
Please pray for end of the Cholera epidemic.
Please pray for our family as we struggle to complete all that God is calling us to do. Pray for strength and wisdom as we listen to His call and respond.

Many thanks to each of you that lifts us to the King. We appreciate you very much and we feel God's hands moving because of your prayers. Please let us know how we can pray for you as well.

Living victoriously in Christ,
Lynn for the Anderson ministry team

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

Happy New Year and January updates

2011-01-04T14:14:00.005-06:00

Sorry for the late update this month, we made a short trip to Green Bay for the holidays. It was a great time of family and fun. Thanks Dad for letting us come and taking such good care of us. We are so blessed to have a wonderful tight-knit family. It is always fun to get together.

This month has been another busy season at the hangar. Christmas deliveries, missionary needs and cholera supplies have filled up the loading areas with boxes and packages. Unfortunately, due to the political unrest in Haiti and some mechanical issues with the planes, several flights were delayed or cancelled. Learning to be patient and waiting for the Lord to open the doors has been our lesson.

I’m sure many of you heard on the news about the riots that have been occurring in Haiti due to the election results. The people of Haiti were not satisfied with the outcome of the election so many of the young people took to the streets and caused incredible amounts of damage to government buildings. They started fires in the streets and blocked several main roads in protest. As a result, some of the airports were closed for several days. Flight schedules were quite fluid this month to work through this unrest.

The cholera reports from the field indicate that the problem is still very prevalent. We have cleared our shelves of ORS kits and the production continues. With the help of church friends, family and a local youth group, Lance and I have overseen the production of 7,500 ORS packets. We are hearing very positive results from the missionaries on the ORS and we will continue to make the kits as long as the missionaries request them. We are grateful to have so many helping hands to make the job easier. God has brought amazing workers just as the supplies were getting low. Isn’t that just like God? We love how He works things out for us.
We pray that January will bring increased peace and healing to Haiti.

At the end of December, we had the greatest pleasure of having another family member join us here at Agape to serve. Our niece, Katie, wanted to make a difference and spend some time working on the mission field with us. Katie came over her Christmas break and spent 3 days working at the hangar. She helped make ORS, did some office work and helped with phones. It is awesome that God has plans for our family at Agape too. We can’t tell you the joy and encouragement it brings us to have our family working along side us. Thank you, Katie for your heart to serve and your desire to make a difference. We love you and appreciate all your hard work.

Here are this month's prayer requests and praises....
Praise God for an amazing year of God’s provision and protection. This year has been an extremely eventful year for us and at Agape. Through every storm, the Lord has provided exactly what we needed. Whether it was a cargo plane, a perfectly timed airline ticket or a financial gift, God always came through. It is so incredible to watch Him work and know that whatever comes our way, He has it covered. Praise the Lord for who He is...our provider.

Praise the Father for the provision of a work team of 15 teenagers who helped make ORS kits the day after we ran out. And also for the extra hands of our niece, Katie, who came to help us make more ORS during her Christmas break.

Praise the Lord for the safe return to Haiti for Katelyn (missionary girl who was med. evacuated from Haiti) and her family. We were very blessed to spend time this amazing family and get to know them better.

Please pray for family as we continue to seek to serve Him with all our hearts. Pray for a hedge of protection on every side and for guidance in all we do.

Please pray safe travels for the Agape plane and pilots. Aviation ministry has a great deal of risks but we know God is bigger than any mechanical or political issues.

Please pray for the violence to end in Haiti and for the political unrest to be settled. Haiti needs our prayer through the election process. Also, please continue to pray for an end to the cholera outbreak.

We pray you have a prosperous 2011 and that you may see God at work in your lives. Thanks for all your prayers and support.

Pictures of Katie and the girls making ORS packets and, of course, a trip to the beach. (it was 45 degrees and very windy...not the best of weather for a trip from cold WI, but we made the best of it.)

Living Victoriously in Christ, Lynn for the Anderson ministry team

December Prayer requests and Praises 2010

2010-12-01T12:23:00.003-06:00

Welcome to the Christmas season! Here at Agape and in our home, the calandar is filling up quickly with fun holiday festivities and fun as well as a very busy season at work. A very large increase in cargo occurs every year at Christmas as the missionaries are trying to get their gifts delivered on time. Aircraft maintenance issues are slowing the process down a bit but we are praying to have everything fixed soon and back in the air.

This month in Haiti, the cholera outbreak struck with vengeance. What began with just a few cases here and there is now an epidemic. Over the past month, our missionaries reported going from seeing just a few patients with cholera to hundreds of patients in their clinics and schools. The number of affected is rising and the ability to control the disease is limited. Over the border in the Dominican Republic cases are popping up as well.

Here at Agape, we are doing our best to help load up the missionaries with supplies to help treat those affected and support their efforts to save lives. When we received the first call for help, the Agape staff jumped into action to gather all the supplies requested. Lance and the Agape staff gathered up 40 cases of IVs of ringers lactate to send on the next day’s flight. It was not easy to work our way through the medical channels to obtain the supplies but God made a way and the supplies were in the hangar by evening of that day.

Our efforts to help are not stopping there. After spending time researching a more affordable way to send IV’s, Lance found from several experts that we could make ORS (oral rehydration solution) kits to send over for much less money but with equal effectiveness to the IVs. The IVs weigh quite a bit and are cumbersome to send via plane, where as the ORS are packed in Ziploc snack size bags and are sent in cases of 100. Each ORS is added to safe water and replicates the ringers lactate IV. Our first batch of 1000 ORS were made last week and the plans to make more this week are in the works. The missionaries are very excited for this help and are requesting more ORS than we have available. We will continue to make and send the ORS as long as there is a request from the missionaries.

We are committed to helping the missionaries and the people of Haiti and DR through this crisis. We hope you will continue to pray for the people of Haiti and the DR, as well as pray for the missionaries. Fear and unrest is breaking out as fast at the cholera. We pray that God will use the missionaries we serve to bring the love of Christ and the peace that comes from Him alone to these fearful and hurting people. Please pray for an end of this outbreak and breakthroughs for Christ through the storm. Also pray for wisdom for us to know the best ways to help.

Here are our praises and prayer requests for the month...

*Praise the Father for a wonderful trip to Missouri and Iowa last month. We had a very refreshing time of fellowship with the Parkview church missions conference and Altar of Praise church. It was also a huge blessing to spend time with Grampa Dale. This time was exactly what we needed.

*Praise God for wonderful friends who hosted us at their homes during our trip. It was an incredible blessing to have a place to call “home” while we were on the road. Thank you, God, for the Drums, Espys and Damewoods.

*Praise the Lord for the availability of the supplies needed in Haiti for the cholera outbreak. Only through His provision were the supplies found and delivered in one day. Also praise Him for all the guidance of how to develop a better way to produce the necessary materials.

*Praise the Lord for the healing for Katelyn. She is doing remarkably well. She and her family will be returning to Haiti in December.

*Please pray Agape’s staff as the busy season of Christmas is here. We have a huge increase in cargo and demands. Pray for focus and strength to complete what God is calling us to do.

*Please pray the people of Haiti and Dominican Republic. Cholera is causing fear and unrest in several areas. Please pray that God will provide peace and healing to the people of these nations.
*Please pray for Agape’s search for a new Executive Director. We need guidance to find the person God has ordained for the position and not settle for anything but God’s divinely appointed person.

Thank you for lifting our prayers to the Most High. We hope you all have a great Christmas and enjoy celebrating the birth of the Mighty King.

Living victoriously in Christ,
The Anderson ministry team

November Updates

2010-11-11T12:17:00.006-06:00

Welcome to our very busy month as a family and as a ministry!!

We are so sorry to be posting late this month but we have some really good excuses. :) We spent the last weekend of October and the first week/weekend of November on the road for deputation and support raising. Our trip started with a weekend in Springfield, MO speaking at the Altar of Praise church. It was a great blessing to be able to share what God has been doing in our lives and at Agape. Our time at the church and with the pastors, Gary and Liz Drum was very refreshing.

During the second week, we headed to Iowa City, Iowa. It was great to spend a few days with my dad and have some serious Grampa time. We were so blessed to have my dad drive out and play with us. The girls got their fill of hugs and game time with Gramps and we all enjoyed having time to hang out together.

The rest of the week was spend "meeting and greeting" for the Parkview Church Missions conference. We had a variety of meeting and small group presentations as well as a weekend full of activities. It was great to meet so many of the Kingdom workers from Parkview and hear all the stories of how God is working around the globe. The weekend was full but very exciting and rewarding. We were encouraged by so many good friends and supporters. The positive feedback and love we received was amazing.

After a long drive on Monday and Tuesday, we arrived safely home and began the process of getting back to normal. But we know that "normal" is never normal. On Wednesday morning, Agape received reports of the increase in the Cholera outbreak, so plans quickly developed to send a load of medical supplies on Thursday. Lance and the Agape team worked at high speed to gather and obtain 1200 pounds of medical supplies to send to the missionaries. The first flight went on Thursday but more flights will follow based on the information we receive from the missionaries. Please be praying for the people of Haiti. They have been hard pressed on all sides but God is still working in their midst and He is in control at all times.

As for our family prayer requests and praises, here they are....

Praise God for a successful trip to Les Cayes, Haiti, for Lance and the picnic team. The time spent in fellowship with the missionaries was a huge blessing.

Praise the Father for His direction in our lives. Every time our minds start to wonder what we are doing and if we are on the right path, God sends us confirmation and shows us His heart.

Praise the Lord for the provision of extra seats on the return flight from Les Cayes so Katelyn and her mom could be brought to the US for medical treatment.

Please pray for Katelyn and her family. Katelyn is doing much better but we are praying for a quick and complete healing for her. We are also praying for their safe return to Haiti.

Please pray safe travels for our family as we travel to Iowa this month for the Parkview Church missions conference and a speaking engagement at Altar of Praise church. Pray for ears to be open to God’s heart for missions. Also, pray for our efforts to raise the remaining funds needed to continue working for Agape.

Please pray for the staff at Agape to be focused on serving Christ in every word and deed. It is easy to become overwhelmed during this increased workload/holiday season approaching. Pray for all of us to stay focused on glorifying God in all we do.

Please pray for the search for the new executive director of Agape Flights. We need God's guidance to find the person He ordained for the position and not settle for anything but God's divinely appointed person.

Thank you for lifting us up before the King. We appreciate all of your support and prayers. We pray you have a blessed Thanksgiving season.

Living victoriously in Christ, Lynn for the Anderson family

Here is a picture of Lance at the picnic in Les Cayes, Haiti. (More to follow)

October update and Prayer Requests

2010-10-03T08:38:00.006-05:00

Welcome to Fall! It has been another busy month for us and at Agape Flights....here is a little update of what we have been up to....

This month has been a month of planning picnics. Along with all his regular duties, this month, Lance was given the duty of coordinating picnics at our field locations. As part of our 30th year anniversary, Agape is planning picnics for Eleuthera, Bahamas; Ley Cayes, Haiti; Port au Prince, Haiti; Santiago and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The planning of these picnics is no easy feat. It requires great attention to detail and planning on how to best serve the missionaries.

Lance has been working hard to coordinate air transport for Agape personnel, transportation of food and supplies, and to secure housing and ground transportation when traveling to each location. The first picnic was held at the end of September in Eleuthera, Bahamas. Lance and 3 others traveled to the Bahamas to host the party. They spent two days in Eleuthera setting up the picnic, hosting the party, entertaining the missionaries and then traveling to see the missionary’s projects. It was very exciting to see how they operate and the different ways they are touching lives for Christ. Each missionary told us of the great service Agape Flights is for them and how we impact them on a weekly basis as well. Our intention of the trip was to touch their lives and renew them for another year of serving the Lord, and as most trips go, we ended up being very touched and changed by meeting them.

We are looking forward to the next picnic in Ley Cayes, Haiti in the beginning of October. Please pray for the safety of the trip and the time to be glorifying to God by all who attend. The rest of the picnics are scheduled for early 2011, once the holiday season is past.

Praises and Prayer Requests

Praise the Lord for His hands which directs our ways and our plans. With the leading of the Lord, we made it to Green Bay in time to spend the last two days of Mom’s life by her side. God made the plans and we simply listened to Him. Thank you, Lord, for that precious time.

Praise God for a successful trip to Bahamas for Lance and the team. It was a great time of fellowship and worship. All who attended were blessed by the time spent together.

Please pray for Lynn’s family as we step forward without Mom. We miss her deeply but God is filling our hearts with memories of her and filling the voids with love from Him.

Praise the Father for new field representatives in Santiago, who wil be arriving in the country shortly to help with and navigate the customs issues. The Darnell's joined our staff at Agape and will be serving in Santiago.

Please continue to pray for the resolve of the customs issues in Santiago. We pray that with the Darnell’s leadership and God’s favor the mail/package service to Santiago will be greatly improved.

Please pray for the staff at Agape to tune their ears to God’s voice. We each need prayer to stay in tune with what God is asking each person to do and not to move without His direction. Sometimes, as humans, we all get caught up in wanting to find the “quick” answer. We pray that we will only listen to God’s answer.

We greatly appreciate all of your support and prayers. Please drop us a line and let us now how we can be praying for you.
Living victoriously in Christ, Lynn for the Anderson ministry team

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Ephesians 6:18

Here is a pict of Lance...during the Bahamas trip.

One Year Anniversary and prayer requests

2010-09-10T09:33:00.002-05:00

This month marks our one year anniversary at Agape Flights It has been amazing year. I don’t know if I could ever tell you how blessed we feel. God has provided for our every need. We have not lacked for anything. We have feel that we are right in the middle of God’s will for our lives and He is making all things work out for us. We are certainly not trying to toot our own horn, we want to praise God and acknowledge Him for all He has done for us.
We are extremely grateful for each person who has invested in our lives through financial gifts, thoughtful words and heartfelt prayers. Thank you for allowing us to do His work and be a part of the ministry of Agape Flights. You are part of His team and we are blessed to have you working with us. We are looking forward to year two.

Prayer Requests and Praises

Praise the Lord for His hand which is constantly upon us. Psalm 139:5 is very evident in our lives and we are thankful for His presence before us, behind us and upon us.
Praise God for a wonderful surprise trip to Green Bay last month. God’s favor got us great prices on the tickets, and through favor, we were able to stay for extra days even though we missed the deadline for ticket changes. The time with family was priceless. God knew exactly what we needed and He made it happen.
Praise the Father for a successful phase inspection of the Bandit and for the donor plane, which is staying with us for our use as needed through the end of the year.
Please pray for Lynn’s family as heal from Lynn's mom's passing.
Please continue to pray for the resolve of the customs issues in Santiago. We have been having difficulties with administration at the airport but we grateful for the many helping hands that are allowing us to still get the deliveries in.
Please pray for our family. Pray that our eyes will be fixed on Him in all things.
Please intercede with us missionaries we work with. They are in the trenches and we pray God’s hand is upon them and guiding their steps.
Please pray for the search for a new Executive Director. We have been searching for one year for a new director. We know God has the person already chosen, please pray for the person to hears God’s voice and respond to the call.

Thank you for all your support and prayers.
Living victoriously in Christ, Lynn, Lance, Grace and Hope

Lynn's mom

2010-09-07T13:20:00.003-05:00

It is difficult for us to write a true family update this month. August ended very sadly as we lost my mom on August 31st. We were able to fly home to Green Bay on August 30 and spend her for her last two days here on earth with her. My family was at her side when she stepped from this earth into Jesus' arms. I would not have wanted to be anywhere else. I loved my mom very much and talked to her every day. She was an amazing shepherd to all of us and she will never leave our hearts. She has taught us many lessons but most of all she taught us to love unconditionally. We will miss her deeply but our hope is in Christ and His promises.

Obituary for Rita (Rottier) Vanerem
Rita Joan (Rottier) VanErem, 70, DePere peacefully went to be with the Lord after a courageous battle with cancer. Rita was born on June 25, 1940, to the late Chris and Marie (Heezen) Rottier. On October 27, 1962, she married Dale VanErem at St Boniface Church,DePere. Rita attended St Boniface Grade School and St Joseph Academy in Green Bay. Rita worked many places in her career as an accountant. She retired from Leicht’s Transfer and Storage in 2002.Rita’s family was the most important thing in her life. She treasured her time with her husband, children and grandchildren. She and Dale loved to attend their children and grandchildren’s academic, music, and athletic events. She was a very dedicated parent and grandparent. She also enjoyed riding the couple’s tandem bicycle on the trails. She spent many hours volunteering as the treasurer of De Pere Christian Outreach. Rita loved family, reading, biking and will be sadly missed by her family and friends.Rita is survived by her loving husband, Dale; 4 children: Joe (Pam) VanErem, DePere, Marie (Paul) Sauvey,DePere,David (Jodi) VanErem, Green Bay, Lynn (Lance)Anderson,North Port, FL; 9 grandchildren: Liz,Brittany,and Dani VanErem, Katie and Colleen Sauvey, Vincent and Veda VanErem, Grace and Hope Anderson; brothers and sisters: Bernard (Geri) Rottier, Patricia Goffard, Gerald (Janice) Rottier, Dick (Mary) Rottier, Ray ( Janice) Rottier, Peck (Joyce) Rottier, Harv (Alice) Rottier, Bob (Jean) Rottier, Cathy Rottier, and Jean Rottier; mother-in-law: Caroline VanErem, brothers and sisters-in-law: Clete (Ann) VanErem, Howard (Lynette) VanErem, Tom (Linda) VanErem, Jerry (Debbie) VanErem; many nieces nephews and friends.She was preceded in death by her parents, brother, James Rottier ,and her father-in-law ,Arthur VanErem.Family and friends may call Friday, September 3, 2010 at Cotter Funeral Home ,860 N. Webster Ave, De Pere from 4 until 8p.m. Visitation will continue on Saturday at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church,220 S Michigan St, DePere from 9:00 a.m. until 10:15. Mass of Christian Burial 10:30 a.m. Saturday at church with Rev Conrad Kratz O.Praem officiating. Interment at Mt Calvary Cemetery,De Pere. On-line condolences may be expressed to the VanErem and Rottier family at www.cotterfuneralhome.com.In Lieu of flowers a memorial fund has been established for Agape Flights.

As a testimony of how much my Mom loved us, she chose to set up a memorial to Agape Flights in lieu of flowers. I am speechless, and awestruck that even after she is gone, she is still taking care of her sheep. Thank you, Mom and Dad! There are just no words to express how much that means to Lance and I. We love you!

August Prayer requests and Praises

2010-07-31T18:40:00.003-05:00

Welcome to August! We are in the heat of the summer down here but we are learning to adjust.

Life at Agape this month was very “normal”. It is hard to really define normal anymore because it has been a long time since we had a normal month. This month we flew our 103th Agape flight to Haiti and the DR for the year. During the earthquake we had numerous other aircraft and those increased our numbers but our actual Agape plane has flown 103 flights this year. (Note-we flew 50 last year.) There is still much need for relief cargo, but, for now, the regular cargo outnumbers the relief supplies. Most of the missionaries we support are back in business so we are trying to keep up with their regular shopping requests and shipping needs. Customs and red tape are affecting how we operate at some airports but with prayer and connections we know God can take care of these issues.

I’m sure many of you are wondering how life in Haiti is six month post-quake. Well, life in Haiti is still very devastating. The living conditions are hot, rainy and uncomfortable. People are still living in tent cities. Many buildings are exactly where they fell on January 12th and progress to rebuild is very slow. Our pilots report that a ride around Port au Prince is heartbreaking but reports from other areas tell of slow and steady progress to rebuild. Many teams have converged on Haiti this summer to help the process. It is one building at a time and one team at a time that makes a difference. The people of Haiti are strong. They have lost so much but they have not given up. They continue to move forward and do all they can based on their limited resources and materials. Please keep the Haitian people and the missionaries in your prayers. There is still much to be done.
Here are our Prayer request and Praises for this month....

Praise the Lord for the release of all the remaining sea containers. He worked His ways in customs again and all the supplies are already distributed in Haiti.
Praise God for the many hours of volunteer work that goes on at Agape each week. From lawn mowing to plane loading to accounting, volunteers allow us to get it all done. God is faithful every week to provide the man power we need and we are so grateful for Him and the way He leads people.
Praise the Father for our supporters who encourage us and allow us to serve at Agape.
Please pray for customs issues that we face on a regular basis. Pray for God’s provision through the red tape in both Haiti and the D.R. He will find a way.
Please pray for our family. We are constantly being stretched in new directions and we want to honor God in every way.
Please intercede with us for the people of Haiti. There is still hopelessness and despair in many areas. Pray for God’s touch in their lives and that they will see where true hope comes from.
Please pray for the search for a new Executive Director.
Please also keep in your prayers Lynn's mom. After having a very good month, she is currently back in the hospital with unexplained neurological issues. Please pray for healing, peace and rest.

Thank you all for your faithful support and prayers. We are grateful for each of you. Please let us know how we can be praying for you.
Have a great month!
Living victoriously in Christ,
The Andersons

Happy Birthday HOPE!!

2010-07-03T18:22:00.004-05:00

Today is another special day for us. Our little girl turned four today. Hope Carolyn, also known as Hope Carolyn TeaBlossom Barbie Corine Courtney, had a wonderful day today at Busch Gardens. (Yes, that is what she calls herself if you ask her for her name) This kid is one of a kind and we are so blessed to be her family.

Hope is such a fire ball. She is extreme in all she does. She gives everything she does her all and then she gives napping her all. She says and does things that are not normal for a four year old. For example, the other day she started reading road signs while I was driving and told me "Mom, you can not do a u turn here and there is no parking over there. Now, you better obey." When she was at the doctor for swimmer's ear, the doctor asked her when her ears hurt and she told her, "Well, (long pause) they only hurt when I speak English...if I speak Spanish, they don't hurt." (and I said "what???") Like I said, she is one of a kind.

Hope has a huge heart for hurting people. She asked questions about Haiti all the time (Like, "Mom, has the earth stopped shaking there yet?"). She wants Build a Bear to make a donation bear for Haiti, so US kids can buy Haitian kids bears to send over. When we started talking about her birthday a few weeks ago, she asked if she could make a donation for Haiti for her birthday. That's our girl.

Our prayer is that she will set the world on fire for the Lord with her extreme spirit and love for life. She is one incredible girl and we are very proud of her. We know that God has big plans for her and we can't wait to see what He is going to do through her.

Here are a few of Hope's favorites

Food---Chicken strips with ranch

Ride at Busch Garden---Tidal Wave (also known as the Frog Hopper in Wis. Dells)

Playmates---Grace and Bailey

Color---PINK pink Pink

Movie---Barbie and the 3 Muskateers And all princess movies

Toy---Leapster 2 (Backyardigans and Nemo)

Animal---Butterflies, especially Monarchs

Summer activity---Riding scooter

Song----John 3:16

Dance---ballerina dancing

Here are a few picts. of her past year.....

Happy Birthday Hope!! We love you!
Living victoriously in Christ, Lynn, Lance, Grace and Hope

July praises and prayer requests

2010-07-01T15:26:00.003-05:00

Is anyone else having a hard time believing it is July already??? My internal calander is not computing this at all. Where has this year gone so far??

What a year and what a month we have had, though!? We are still busy at Agape but just not the same tempo and urgency of busy as post earthquake. Our flight schedule has returned to once a week. We are still sending supplies and relief materials to Haiti but we have also resumed on all other deliveries as well. The two day flights leave on Thursday and return on Friday each week.

The amount of donated items we still have is enormous but we are not rushing to send them in until the missionaries are ready for them. Over 300 boxes of clothing and medical supplies are ready to go for when the missionaries are able to distribute them. The girls and I(Lynn) worked for days this month on sorting and organizing the clothing as well as packing backpacks for the homeless. We have condensed 2 warehouses into a maze of shelves at the hangar.

This month Agape started a year long celebration of 30 years of ministry. On June 26, we had a big picnic at the hangar to celebrate God's goodness and faithfulness over the past 30 years. The Soarin Celebration was an event to dedicated our new airplane and celebrate all God has done for us. It was a wonderful (and HOT) picnic which included entertainment, prayers, food, fun and words from our founders, Clara and Keith Starkey. The Agape kids even performed for the crowds. (Video link is below so you can see the performance for yourselves.)

As a family, we have been very blessed this month. God completed what He started in April with the sale of our house. The house closed on June 21 and we are so grateful. God is the ultimate realtor and I highly recommend Him to any one wishing to sell a property. If you need His number give me a call. :)

Lance has been extremely busy at work as well. He has so many jobs to do now that I can't keep track of which one he is working on. It is easy to say that no two days are alike and he is never bored. God is using all of his talents and skills every day. Praise the Lord, that's why we are here. It is all for HIM.

Well, that should have you updated for now.
Here are the monthly praises and prayer requests:

Praise the Lord for the all the workers for the Soarin Celebration. The event was wonderful because of all the help we received and the hundreds of people who came out in the heat to see what God is doing.

Praise God for the closing of our home in Iowa. God provided the buyer and the timing just like He always does.

Praise the King for His protection and provision. He is our all in all and He is watching over us at every turn.

Praise the Father for our volunteer chaplains that lead our staff in weekly chapel services. We are blessed to have many faithful pastors who give their time to help us stay on track and follow God’s word in our ministry.

Please pray for our flights over the next few months. The rainy season and storm season is upon us. Flying into these storms can be difficult to navigate. Please pray for clear skies and safe flights.

Please pray for Agape members, John and Joyce Hansen. They were home from Haiti for their mission convention and their daughter, Cynthia passed away unexpectantly. Please pray for a covering of peace in their lives and healing for their hearts.

Please continue to pray for Lynn’s mom as she continues to battle cancer. She had a very difficult month but now is back on the mend.

Please intercede with us again for the new sea containers waiting in customs in Haiti. Pray that God would prevail again and we will see them released this month.

Please pray for the search for a new Executive Director.

Thank you for all your encouragement and prayers. We are praying this month brings you blessings upon blessings.
Happy 4th of July! Enjoy your freedom celebrations and remember real freedom comes from only one source, Jesus Christ.

Living victoriously in Christ,
Lynn, Lance, Grace and Hope

PS. To watch the Agape kids video, go to http://theprayernotes.blogspot.com . Barbara posted her video and picts of the kids. Thanks Barbara.

June updates and praises/prayer requests

2010-06-01T12:55:00.006-05:00

Since January 12, 2010, when the earthquake hit, Agape Flights has sent more flights than in the past 3 years combined and shipped more cargo than in 5 years. The numbers are staggering but it is still not enough. We are still in constant action trying to provide relief supplies to the people and missionaries of Haiti. The needs are different but there are still needs.

With all the needs still present, we have slowly been returning to some type of normal but it is certainly a new “normal”. We are now flying two flights a week instead of one. One flight goes to Port au Prince to bring relief supplies and one flight goes to the Dominican Republic and other Haitian airports with core supplies. Core supplies refers to “normal deliveries”, like mail and packages. We are hoping this new schedule be sufficient to meet all of their needs.

The last sea containers arrived in Haiti the first weeks of May and are waiting in customs. Lance worked this month with another sea container organized by a local church. It was for a missionary associated with Agape so they tapped into Lance’s container knowledge to help get their container loaded and shipped. We are prayerful that all the containers will be processed and distributed quickly.

Agape certainly has learned a lot over the past 4 months. We have been pushed in every way; more flights, more cargo, more volunteers, more hours worked, more fatigue. But God has been God through and through. We have seen miracle after miracle as He made things happen for us and He worked out the problems that we would face. He proved Himself as sovereign every day and for that we are extremely grateful. The biggest lesson we have learned over and over again is “to lean not our own understanding but to trust in Him.”

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

Here are this month's praises and prayer requests....

Praises and Prayer requests

Praise the Lord for the staff and volunteers at Agape. The “family” at Agape works together like none we have ever seen. Each person at Agape has a gift and a purpose in the ministry. God has orchestrated a wonderful group of people into His service.

Praise God for provision of a new plane. It is so cool to see His provision in tangible ways. This plane is more evidence of God’s hands working for this ministry.
Praise the King for His protection and strength. We have felt weary and tired but God always has picked us up. There have been times when we know we could not have continued without His intervention. Praise God that He is so powerful and so faithful.
Praise the Father for our partners. He has given us a wonderful support team. Without the encouragement and prayers of our team, we would not be here today. We are grateful for you and that is a reason to praise God.
Please pray for us as work on deputation and support raising. We are now looking forward to year 2 at Agape and need to refill the support base from one time gifts last year. Please pray for God to open hearts and minds to hear our story and link arms with us at Agape.
Please pray for an Agape members, Cody and Maria Whittaker and their daughters. After surviving the earthquake in Haiti, they discovered that their 5 year old daughter, Susana, has a very aggressive form of cancer. They have relocated to the US for treatment but they need prayers for strength and peace through this journey.
Please continue to pray for Lynn’s mom as she continues to battle cancer.
Please intercede with us again for the new sea containers waiting in customs in Haiti. Pray that God would prevail again and we will see them released this month.

As always, thanks for all of your faithful prayers. We are so grateful and humbled to have people who lift us and our needs to the King. We appreciate you. Don't forget, we would like to pray for you and your needs as well. Please email us if you have specific requests so we can petition God on your behalf.
Have a great month and thank you for linking arms with us.
Never give in!
Living victoriously in Christ, Lynn for the Anderson ministry team

May update and Prayer requests/Praises

2010-05-01T08:32:00.002-05:00

Since January 12, 2010, when the earthquake hit, Agape Flights has:
· Made over 160+ flights into Haiti
· Delivered almost 600,000 pounds of donated emergency supplies
· Delivered over 300 backpacks to homeless people of Haiti
As you can see, the stats just keep jumping. The work level at Agape is still running at a fast pace. The needs have changed but the amount of needs has not. There is still so much to do. We have utilized 2 extra warehouses (besides the hangar) since the earthquake. One is now empty but the other is still full of boxes and supplies that need to be delivered. Every day, plans are being made and carried out to move these supplies into the hands of the missionaries. Two more sea containers are on the way to Haiti. Hopefully, they will be released in a timely manner and the 50,000 pounds of supplies in each will be through customs quickly.
We are extremely joyful to report that all of the sea containers in Haiti which were previously sent have been released. All 5 containers were released in one week, which meant over 250,000 pounds of supplies became available to be distributed. The items in these containers varied from food to medical supplies to homemade bunkbeds. The bottom line is that God worked in big ways to get these containers released. Thank you for all your prayers for these containers. God heard them all and He did what only God can do.
Along with planes and containers, backpacks are also a part of the Haiti relief efforts. Over 300 backpacks have been filled with critical living supplies at the Agape hangar. A missionary from Haiti, who was in the US during the quake, suggested that we start a project of filling the backpacks for the homeless. So with many donations, Agape volunteers and church groups have lovingly packed these backpacks. We are receiving great reports from the missionaries that the backpacks are a hit.
We at Agape are committed to the rebuilding and reconstruction efforts of Haiti so although a lot has already been accomplished. We will not stop until every missionary has what they need and are back on their feet. We want to serve them in every way as they minister to the Haitian people.
Thank you to all our prayer warriors who storm the throne for us. We can not thank you enough. Here are this month's praises and prayer requests.

Praise the Lord for the release of the sea containers. Many missionaries are fully stocked now that they have had over 250,000 pounds released in one week. Praise the Lord for overcoming the government obstacles and red tape.
Praise God for the sale of our home in Iowa. He found a better buyer than the first and is releasing us from that burden. He is quite a realtor.
Praise the King for His protection and provisions at Agape Flights. Missionary aviation presents a load of risk but God is constantly providing His protection and blessings on Agape aircraft and personnel.
Praise the Father for strength to keep pressing on. The work load since the earthquake has never really lightened up but our strength has come from the Lord. He gives us the power and energy to complete His mission.
Please pray for us as we face persecution for standing up for the Word. We expected to have trials and we are experiencing a large load of them. Pray for us to have strength to withstand the fire. We also need you to stand in agreement for peace for our oppressors.
Please pray for our Iowa house to close perfectly without any glitches. It will close in the end of June and we are praying for a smooth transition.
Please continue to pray for the staff at Agape. Each team member has dedicated their lives to in serving this ministry. It has been a long year so far and we all need pray for refreshing and renewal. Pray for God’s strength to keep flowing in us.
Please intercede with us to the Father for the people of Haiti. New challenges are being presented to them every day. This month, millions were moved from their “tent cities” to safer ground for the rainy/flooding season. These people are still in desperate need. Pray for their protection, their health and their safety.

We hope you are all enjoying the spring weather. We love you and appreciate you. We could not be here without your support, prayers and encouragement.
Have a great month.
Living victoriously in Christ, Lynn for the Anderson ministry team

New Life Church sews for Haiti

2010-04-15T13:21:00.006-05:00

A few weeks ago, one of the ladies of our church, Loretta Cooper, approached us and asked if she could help us with the backpack ministry at Agape. Since the earthquake, Agape has been filling backpacks with critical supplies and sending them to the missionaries to distribute to the homeless people of Haiti. Loretta asked if it would be helpful if she headed up a campaign to make and fill bags with the New Life family. We thought it was a wonderful idea so we agreed to help her in what ever way we could.
Loretta's campaign was called Sew On Fire and they made 96 bags for Haiti. Today, I had the pleasure helping this project first hand as the girls and I went to Loretta's house to help fill the bags. Donated supplies (tarps, blankets, towels, silverware, food, soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, etc.) were used to fill the bags. and then the bags were delivered to Agape. The bags will be loaded on next week's sea container and will arrive in Haiti by the following week. Praise God for these hard working people who sewed all the bags, packed them with love and worked as His hands and feet to send God's love over the ocean.
We are so blessed to be part of a family of believers who link arms with us and join us in our efforts to help Haiti. Thank you, New Life family. We love you and appreciate you.
To Haiti with love....

Filling the bagsFilling the van

Safely delivered to Agape, ready to be tagged and processed

Living victoriously in Christ, Lynn for the Anderson ministry team

PS. Big praises to God for all the sea containers. Every one of them has been released and the 50,000 pounds of supplies in each container are now flowing through the hands of the missionaries into the hands of the Haitian people. God is amazing!!!

Grace turns 5!!!!

2010-04-09T14:01:00.012-05:00

It's a big day in our family tomorrow. Five years ago, Lance and I went from husband and wife to Mom and Dad. What a transition it has been??!! God has blessed us to richly with our girls and we are so humbled to be their parents. We didn't know the joys and heartaches we would have in front of us but we would not turn back a single day.

Grace is our amazing first child. We are so proud of her. She is the sweetest, most loving child I know. She puts her heart first in everything she does. She loves the Lord and sings praise songs to Him all day long. She loves her little sister, adores her dad and opens up to her mom. She is very compassionate and caring. She will go out of her way to give a hug and a smile to everyone she knows.

Grace enjoys life to the fullest. She loves sports. She will be starting soccer in a few weeks and she would like to try T-ball in the fall. She loves riding...whether it is a horse, bike, scooter, Harley, roller coaster, sled or a ATV... she loves to ride....the faster the better. (one guess where that comes from??) She could sit and make craft projects for hours. I can not keep up on all the things she wants to make. She loves animals of all kinds. She is a whiz at her school work and just started reading to us. That is a joy to watch. Grace just plain loves life. She is a very happy, healthy and energetic girl.

We are very proud of Grace and very blessed to be her parents.

Here are a few picts of Grace from this year....

With her best friend

Loading the plane with her favorite pilot, Uncle Paul

With her favorite house guest, Dr. Chuck Stecker

Sledding in Green Bay

Slip n slide time

Loving the animals on the farm

Swingin' with sister in their cool hats and glasses

Heading to the Wild West party with her favorite Dude

Happy Birthday, Grace! We love you and we thank God for you.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—Ephesians 2:8

Living victoriously in Christ, Lynn and the crew

The Prayer Notes: AGAPE FLIGHTS...from a Volunteer...Thanks

2010-04-05T14:18:00.000-05:00

Here is a note from an Agape volunteer. I share it because she says so beautifully what it feels like to work with the wonderful people God has called to Agape. Barb, thanks for your kind words and we feel equally blessed to have volunteers like you who show God's love to us in so many ways.
The Prayer Notes: AGAPE FLIGHTS...from a Volunteer...Thanks

We are blessed with so many great people of faith standing beside us and working with us. We love to see the many facets of God's provisions and volunteers are the heros He sends to help us complete our jobs.

Living victoriously in Christ, Lynn

April Update and Prayer requests/praises

2010-04-01T08:32:00.004-05:00

Here we are again at the beginning of a new month. It seems like time if just flying by these days and there is so much to do and say. This month has been very busy at Agape. Since January 12, 2010, when the earthquake hit, Agape Flights has:
· Made over 150 flights into Haiti
· Delivered almost 500,000 pounds of donated emergency supplies
· Transported medical personnel to Haiti
· Evacuated 37 adopted children
This month was again very busy and eventful at Agape. We are continuing in the relief efforts of Haiti as well as delivering regular supplies to the missionaries. Our current statistics show the vast amount of supplies that have been shipped via Agape. We are continuing to fly the Embraer aircraft, which we have leased for the next few months, along with donated airplanes. The majority of supplies are donated either to Agape or directly to a missionary. The outpouring of love and generosity is amazing.

One shipment of love hit very close to home for me as DePere High School, the school where my nieces attend, sent over 1400 pairs of shoes. During my trip to Green Bay I met with one teacher, Isaac Oslund, who inspired his students to get involved. The result was four pallets of shoes and a large bag of toothbrushes. Not only did the students get involved but a local trucking company joined in as well. WEL Companies of DePere drove the shoes to FL and directly to our front door at Agape. What a blessing! The shoes were loaded into a sea container on the day they arrived and they are on their way to the people of Haiti. Many thanks to the students of DePere High School.

Lance has been working on more sea containers this month. A total of 6 have been sent. They each contain close to 50,000 pounds of supplies. The logistics of obtaining a container, ground transportation, and shipping arrangements keep Lance busy. Among other duties, this is one thing that takes up a majority of his time. Several men from our church has taken on these containers as a volunteering opportunity. They come each time we load one and they are a huge blessing to us. We love to work with our church family.

The Volunteer appreciation lunch was also this month. That was a great chance for us to show our volunteers how much we appreciate all they do. Agape would not be able to exist without our faithful volunteers. We sent out 250 invitations but we know we missed a majority of folks who have "flown" back north for the summer. The event was very successful and we really loved watching God work as an event planner. I have no experience in event planning so I know it was only through His help and guidance that this event was pulled off. He is the best event planner of all. (Picts of the event can be found on the Agape website under Shutterfly. Take a look, the hangar was turned into a banquet hall.)

Psalm 62:11-12
One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong,
and that you, O Lord, are loving. Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done.

Praises and prayer requests

Praise the Lord for a successful Volunteer Appreciation Lunch this month. Under short time constraints for planning the event honored our most valuable players and thanked God for them.

Praise God for a very generous deal with AirNow which will allow us to purchase our new airplane,”Paid in full”. He provides for every dollar and every need. See the Agape web for details.

Praise the King for His Son who died for us and triumphed over the grave to give us the gift of eternal life. The Resurrection is such a great time of rejoicing and we praise Him for His promises and His plans.

Praise the Father for His hand working for our finances. We are scheduled to begin raising support for year two, but God is already at work for us. He has brought new supporters on board and gifts we were not expecting. We love to watch Him multiply the seeds that are sown.

Prayers

Please pray for our Iowa house. It was scheduled to close at the end of March. The couple staying in the house is still working on selling another home. Our prayers is that they will find the resources to close on our house by the end of April. Please stand in agreement with us that the house is sold and closed in Jesus’ name.

Please pray for the release of the sea containers in Haiti. As with all things in Haiti, it is a slow process. Pray for God to open those doors and the containers to be released quickly.

Please continue to pray for our staff and volunteers. Just when we think things are slowing down, a new challenge, new shipment, or new need arises. We are committed to the cause of Christ and need His strength and energy to continue on. Pray for strength and endurance.

Please intercede with us to the Father for the people of Haiti. As the months of the rainy season are upon them, they need prayers for protection from the storms and shelter for their families. The levels of violence are also on the rise. Please pray for peace in the nation during this time of desperate need.

Thank you for all your faithful prayers. We are so blessed to have a supportive team of friends/family who lift us up to the King. We could not do it without you.

We pray you have a rejoicing Easter and celebrate the Resurrection with those you love. We are so grateful for the cross and we are so thankful for the blood shed for us. Without the cross, there would be no HOPE. You are in our prayers.

Be blessed!

Living victoriously in Christ, Lynn for the Anderson team

March 1 updates, prayer requests and praises

2010-02-28T17:49:00.003-06:00

Here we are at the beginning of a new month. I seriously thought I would be blogging all month but then life happened and I ran out of time. This month has been as crazy as the last and as busy as possible. We have been blessed in so many ways this month and so many things have happened. I will give you some updates and try to get you caught up.

Since the earthquake, Agape Flights has been one busy place to work. The statistics are staggering. We have send over 130 flights to Haiti, delivered over 350,000 pounds of supplies, reunited 37 orphans to their "forever" families, and transported over 25 medical personnel. The details of how all these things were made possible is easy to tell.... God did it!!! Every single flight and detail was in God's hands. We have learned over and over since the earthquake that God will supply every need and fill every void. He is leading us and directing our every step. We are doing our best to listen and follow.

Lance had an opportunity to visit Haiti this month. Early in the month, he was called on by Agape to do a logisitics study in Haiti. We needed to know how we were doing in meeting the needs of the missionaries and how we could improve. With the vast amount of supplies we were dropping on the missionaries, we needed to be sure we were helping them and not hindering them with the large shipments and numerous flights. It was a great trip and Lance got to spend time with several missionaries out in the field. What an experience to see our work from their perspective?! It was a very productive trip.

This month, all three girls headed up north to Green Bay for a week. It was really hard to leave Agape but I found that my cell phone did not stay quiet long. Through the dispatch center and my cell phone, I ended up scheduling flights and passengers from the road. I was happy to stay busy with work while enjoying a very nice visit with my family. The girls loved being in snow again and spent as much time as possible outside. They loved seeing Gramma and Grampa as well as their cousins and aunts and uncles. It was a wonderful trip.

We also experience a very scary situation this month in our work at Agape. Twenty-four hours after we send 2 orphan escorts to Haiti to pick up 6 children and head home, we found them in serious danger. The adults were falsely accused of trying to steal the children and were detained by the Haitian police for 9 hours. The children were taken away from them later that night and sent to a tent camp for older orphans. They had no bottles, no wipes, diapers of only one size and no adult to watch over them. The adults were able to visit them during the day but could not stay with them through the night. Three days later, after several meetings between Haitian and US officials, the adults were able to regain custody of the children. The biggest fear hit when they returned to the tent where the children were last seen and they were gone. The officials of the tent orphanage moved the children to a new orphanage 2 hours away. Some reports state that the Haitian officials planned to move the children, separate them and lose them in the Social services system but the Lord intervened and destroyed that plan. Praise the Lord that the next day a plane became available to pick up the group and bring them to the US. All 6 children are now safe at home with their new families. It was very difficult to feel helpless when the situation was in the works, but what an absolute honor to watch the Lord take this desperate situation and turn it around?! Once again, He thwarted Satan's attempt to destroy families and cause chaos. God is good all the time.....all the time, God is good.

So there is a brief update on what has been happening here. Thank you for your faithful prayers and support. We appreciate all of you more than we can ever express.

Prayer requests and Praises

Prayer requests

Please pray for the hurting people of Haiti. In this time of desperate need, we pray the Lord will meet their needs and touch their hearts.
Please pray for the release of 2 sea containers in Haiti. They each contain 45,000 pounds of supplies. They are currently being held in customs. Please pray that they are released quickly and into the hands of the missionaries.
Pray for Lynn's familyl. Cancer is a rough road but we are navigating it the best we can. Please pray for God's peace and healing.
Please pray for the staff members, volunteers, donors and pilots who are involved in the relief efforts. We need God-given strength and understanding to complete all that needs to be done.

Praises

Praise the Lord we have reached a settlement with the insurance company on the King Air. Now we can begin the process of acquiring a new permanent plane.
God has been working in big ways at Agape. Praise Him for every staff member, volunteer, donor and pilot who has been involved. He created each of us for "such a time as this". And He deserves all the honor for orchestrating each person and each life into His perfect position and timing.
Praise the Father for the safe return of the 6 orphans and their escorts who were falsely accused in Haiti. God was in control of their release and their travels to the USA. Satan tried again but God overcame. Yeah, God!!!

This following verse has really touched us this month. He is our help and our shield and we pray you will allow Him to be your help as well.

We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.
May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.

Psalm 33:20-22

Have a great March!

Living victoriously in Christ, Lance, Lynn, Grace and Hope

February updates and prayer requests

2010-01-31T19:28:00.004-06:00

Hello All,
It has been a very busy month for us, but God is faithful and He has taken good care of us. When we are weak, He gives us strength. When we are tired, He gives us energy. When we are frustrated, He gives us clarity and when we are weary, He gives us hope. He has been our Rock and we are completely in awe of what He has been doing for us.

Lance is leaving for Haiti tomorrow. He needs to do an assessment on the ground of how we are doing and what is happening on the ground in Haiti. He has the task of meeting with some missionaries to find out what is working and what we need to do better. He will make a quick turn around and be back here to re-organize/re-define the system so we can make it work in the most effective way. We have increased our deliveries past what we normally do in one year so we know there are areas we need to re-assess. Please pray for him as he travels. We are uncertain as to where he will be staying and what conditions he will encounter, but we know he goes with God's covering and protection.

Here is a detailed account from our newsletter of what we have been doing in the Haiti relief efforts. Also, our prayer requests and praises are included. We cherish the many faithful saints who pray for us and thank God for you daily. Thanks for all of your encouragement and support. We love you.

Earthquake in Haiti

On January 12, life in Haiti changed dramatically as the earth shook and building collapsed from the 7.0 magnitude earthquake. Life for most Haitians will never be the same. Well, it is safe to say that life at Agape changed dramatically that day too. Although we didn’t feel the earth shake, we did feel our hearts break as the people we love and serve were encountering a disaster of unbelievable destruction. The missionaries we serve and have linked arms with were in trouble and we devoted ourselves to doing everything we could to help them.

The day after the quake, our King Air 90 was scheduled to fly out with regular cargo and mail, but that trip was cancelled and relief efforts began immediately. The plane was off loaded and relief supplies were packed in. On Thursday, just over 36 hours after the quake, our plane left Venice to land in Port au Prince with relief supplies. Since then the relief flights and efforts have been in high gear. We have flown 54 flights into Haiti, delivered 120,000 pounds of supplies, transported 24 medical personnel, and returned 8 orphans to their US parents. It has been a buzz of activity at the hangar as everyone has played a vital part in making these flights possible.

Supplies are being donated everyday in truckloads, food has been donated by the cases, medical supplies are coming in by the packs and volunteers are working tirelessly to sort, organize and pack boxes to be loaded and delivered. The Agape staff is working endless hours to dispatch planes, fill out customs forms, answer emails and phone messages and make the flights happen. We are swamped but we are determined to make a difference in the lives of the people of Haiti. We are working hard to be His hands and feet and bring comfort and support to the people in need.

As for Lance and I, we have been working 10-12 hours days since the earthquake. Lance has had many shifts in responsibilities. He has gone from IT work to logisitics to fundraising and everything in between. One of his projects was to arrange the transport of 25,000 pounds of supplies via a savage ship that was going to PAP to rebuild the port. The shipping company offered to take a sea container for us if we could get it loaded and to Miami by the next day. Lance worked in quick fashion to locate and purchase a container, get it transported to Venice, fill it with supplies and head it off on a truck to the dock in Miami. The project was completed in 24 hours. The container was offloaded in PAP one week later. God worked quite a few miracles in that story but it is sufficient to say His hands were all over that project as Agape has never sent anything by sea to Haiti. Next, Lance started working on renting a DC6 aircraft so another 25,000 pounds of supplies could be delivered quickly. That plane and cargo arrived in PAP on Saturday and he is now working on the second DC6 to do the same time of mission. God is showing favor to every project that Agape is undertaking and we have been very blessed to watch Him work for us and for Agape.

My responsibilies at Agape have also changed daily. I was working on the transport of medical teams for a few days. We are not in the business of transporting passengers but some of the donated aircraft we received were better suited for passengers than cargo we in those cases, we used to planes to transport medical teams to PAP. It was all very unfamiliar territory for me but God gave me wisdom and understanding of the system to help make it happen. We transported 24 medical personnel and were able to use those same planes to bring back children to their adoptive parents in the US. My duties have been very fluid. I’ve done webpage updating, clearing messages from the voice mail systems, working on moving 50 special needs orphans to a new orphanage in DR, Lance’s personal assistant and various other jobs. It has been challenging but God has been faithful to fill us with the energy and the understanding we need. The girls have come to work with us every day. They play in the office and stay busy on the floor while Lance and I run in and out. They have been wonderful. A few days they even got to play with Grandma Sharon in the flight lounge for a change of pace. We are very blessed to have flexible children who respond to the need with open hearts.

God has been our rock in all of this. We have been trusting Him every step of the way and we know we are only able to do what He empowers us to do. He is leading us and guiding us in every way. We are grateful that we serve such a big God.

Prayer requests

Please pray for the hurting people of Haiti. Pray that they will turn to Jesus in their crisis and trust Him with their lives.

Pray for the staff at Agape. Pray for God’s supernatural strength to fill us up and keep us moving.

Pray for the replacement of the King Air aircraft. Pray that God will replace that plane with an aircraft seven times bigger and better for His service.

Pray for the girls. Pray for patience as mom and dad continue to work lots of hours and spend lots of time at work.

Pray for my mom and dad. Mom’s struggle with cancer is very difficult. We are praying for God’s healing touch and peace to fill their lives.

Praises

God has been working in big ways at Agape. Praise Him for every staff member, volunteer, donor and pilot who has been involved in the relief efforts. He created each of us for "such a time as this."

Praise God for the safety of the pilots in the landing incident of the King Air. Satan tried to bring Agape down but God was in control. Praise the Lord.

Praise God for the donations of pilots and planes. God has continued to bring in the planes we need and can use.

Praise God for the hearts of all those who are serving in the relief efforts. The missonaries in Haiti are the reason we do what we do. They are the real heroes.

How great is God-beyond our understanding! Job 36:26

Living Victoriously in Christ,Lance and Lynn Anderson

Agape updates

2010-01-24T06:31:00.003-06:00

Well, yesterday was another busy day at Agape. To give you a full picture I have copied from the Agape website. We are happy to report that my brother in law Paul is back in route to his family in Green Bay. We were very blessed to have him join us and have him serve with us in Haiti and DR. He flew the King Air on several trips each day as a ferry between DR and Haiti allowing the supplies to be brought to the most needed areas. We are extremely proud of him, his family and his church for borrowing Paul to us for the week. We hope he can come fly with us again. We love you, Paul!! Thank you for your service!!
Here's the Agape news from yesterday:

January 23, 2010
Since the Haiti earthquake disaster on Tuesday, January 12
Agape Flights has:

Made 54 flights

Delivered 120,000 pounds of emergency supplies

Transported 24 medical personnel to Haiti

Evacuated 1 orphan and arranged to evacuate 30 more.

Agape Flights’ King Air 90 experienced a landing incident in Jacmel , Haiti while delivering emergency supplies in response to the Haiti earthquake disaster.

The two pilots are safe and in route to the U.S.

Information is limited at this time; the damage to the plane is being assessed, but it is clear Agape Flights’ King Air 90 will not be in service for a significant time.

Since the earthquake disaster, Agape Flights has been making multiple flights each day with the use of donated and leased planes. Agape Flights continues to make Haiti relief flights to the 130 missionary families we serve in Port au Prince and regular deliveries to the other 200 missionary families we serve in Haiti , the Bahamas , and the Dominican Republic .

Friday Update, January 22
DC-6

The aircraft has had some mechanical problems so the flight has been delayed 12 hours. It is intended to load and depart before midnight on Friday.
Donated funds have allowed Agape Flights to charter this aircraft for a one time trip from Miami into Port au Prince. It will carry emergency supplies – medical, food, water.

Aztec
This plane has been donated for our use for a week. It is ferrying supplies from the Dominican Republic to Port au Prince. It is scheduled to make two flights on Friday with relief supplies.

King Air 90
This airplane is ferrying donated relief supplies from the Dominican Republic to Port au Prince. It is owned by Agape Flights.

C414
The plane did multiple runs between the Dominican Republic and Port au Prince with relief supplies. This plane has been donated for our use for a number of days.
This aircraft will be used to ferry orphans back to Florida

B-55 Baron
This donated plane will be returning from Haiti to Sarasota with a load of orphans.

Medical Teams
Arrangements have been made to fly in two medical teams of 4 and 5 persons on Saturday and one 5 person team on Sunday from Venice to Haiti . These medical personnel will replace teams currently there who are coming out after serving for the last week. The plane has been donated for use.

Significant Incoming Goods
Downs Food Group has donated 50,000 pounds of canned chicken. These recipient are coming in on skids in very large cans and will arrive in 2 to 3 days

Thanks to Our Agape Missionary Network
Dominican Republic Missionaries served by Agape are gathering food and medical supplies for the missionaries in Haiti .
On the ground in Port au Prince Agape missionaries are meeting the planes, and unloading and dispersing the incoming supplies.

Thank you for all your prayers. One day I will sit down and write down all the projects Lance and I have been working on and the specifics of what we are doing each day, but for now it is sufficient to say that everyone has a part to play in each project. It is God that is doing all the work. He is our ALL IN ALL! (this is the song I sing when it gets rough)

You are my strength when I am weak,

you are the treasure that I seek,

you are my ALL IN ALL!

Seeking you like a precious jewel,

Lord, to give up I'd be a fool

You are my ALL in ALL!

Taking my sin, my cross, my shame

Rising again, I bless Your name,

You are my ALL in ALL!

When I fall down you pick me up

when I am dry you fill my cup

You are my ALL in ALL!

Jesus, Lamb of God

Worth is your name.

Jesus, Lamb of God

Worth is your name.

Have a blessed day.
Living victoriously in Christ, Lynn for the Anderson crew

A Message from the ground in Haiti from Pilot Paul

2010-01-21T08:22:00.002-06:00

Here is an email from my brother in law Paul who is flying for us in Haiti. I am so proud of him and extremely grateful for his servant's heart.
This is in response to the local newspaper asking for information.

My wife Marie mentioned you wanted to talk to me about the conditions in Haiti.I am flying a King Air 90 for Agape Flight which is based in Venice FL
Arrived on Monday we are basing operation out of Santiago Dominican Republic
we make 3-4 flights a day to various airports in Haiti there are 3 airplanes and 6 pilots in our group right now
An amazing couple , Jim and Theresa White, have opened there home here in Santiago and feed us over night
US air force is controlling Port Prince airport doing great job
Haitians are leaving the city of Port Prince because of no food or water and returning to small cities in the country.These cities don't have the supplies to handle them so we are shifting our flights to small cities and letting the big aircraft go into Port Prince
Flew a team of doctors to Jacmel today, traveled into the city with the docs, parts of hospital collapsed patients on cots in the grass in the compound18 day old girl was found alive after 8 days buried. Mother was there also. soccer field with thousands of refugees waiting for more help.
they have basic food (rice and beans) and water but desperately need shelter because they can't go into their homes. plain tarps are needed!!!!!
food and water we buy here in Dominican repub and fly in medical supplies also needed.
Haitian people very friendly, thankful for the help
cash donations to Agape Flight will also help, check their credentials online,
A 13 year old girl at the soccer field in Jacmal who saw my pilot uniform asked me if I could giver her a job because her parents and siblings are all dead.had to tell her no but I would try to bring supplies tomorrow,
hard to get the supplies from the airport to the people.almost no Haitian authorities in control.

I will post more as we receive more information. The front page of the Agape site tells the story of all that we are doing at work. Please stop by the Agape site to see what God is doing.
As Lance left the house this morning, he was on his cell phone arranging for a donated semi to help transport the supplies we have to the DC6 in Miami which we have leased. That load of supplies should arrive on Friday in PAP.

Please keep praying for our strength and for the safety of our pilots and for the people of Haiti.
Thanks
Living victoriously in Christ, Lynn

Picts from Agape

2010-01-20T07:31:00.005-06:00

Here are some picts of our plane getting ready to go off with supplies on Monday at 7am. The pilot is my brother in law, Paul Sauvey from Green Bay. He came down to help. Thank you to Spring Lake Church in Green Bay for supporting his trip to help us. We really appreciate Paul's heart to serve. He is currently in the Domincan Republic flying supply flights to Haiti. They stay in Santiago and fly over to PAP each day. This is easier than sending things from US to PAP. We are sending more supplies every day. We have a sea container in route with 25,000 pounds of supplies and are working on acquiring a DC 6 for Friday to bring in 25,000 pounds more. We have also sent smaller planes with supplies and a few passenger planes with medical teams. One team is leaving today with a donated plane and pilot. I am working on another team to depart on Sat with more medical teams. God is working in HUGE ways and hearts are responding.

Lance is working on logistics of cargo, planes, and pilots. We are all busy but God provides the strength we need. Please keep praying and if you are moved to help, please consider a donation to Agape to help fly all these planes over to get the supplies on the ground in Haiti.

Thanks much.

Grace and Hope help Uncle Paul load the plane on Sunday night.

The plane is ready to go and we are getting ready to send them off. Check out all the donated supplies filling the hangar. Volunteers have been sorting, organizing and boxing all of these for delivery.

Thank you for all your prayers and support.

Living victoriously in Christ, Lynn, Lance, Grace and Hope

Agape Haiti Relief efforts

2010-01-18T20:30:00.003-06:00

Just a quick note to let everyone know what is going on at Agape. We are working very long days (10-12 hours) at the airport. We have been doing so many jobs it would be hard to list them all, but it is easy to say we are being used by God in ways we never imagined. I am going to just refer you to the Agape website for details on what is going on at the hangar. The executive director has us post to the Agape website every day to let people know what is going on. The girls have been troopers and come with us each day to play at the office. They are getting loved on by all the staff and volunteers and have been very flexible so both Lance and I can be productive and useful.
Here are some picts of the plane being loaded (with Grace and Hope's help) on Sunday night and leaving this morning. The pilot on the left is my brother-in-law, Paul Sauvey. He has come from Green Bay, WI to fly the King Air for the week in Haiti. I am so honored to have him flying for us. It was a match only God could provide. Praise the Lord that His plans are so much greater than ours.
Please continue to pray for strength for us, patience for our girls, help and peace for the families in Haiti and God's hands to hold us up when we feel like falling over. No one could ever have prepared us for this but God is preparing us every moment to respond where we are needed. He is our rock.

Sorry I can not get the picts to post so please look at the photos through the Shutterfly link on our the Agape website. That was my morning project.
Thank you for the prayers.
Please consider a donation through Agape Flights if you would like to help the relief efforts.
Living victoriously through Christ, Lynn and Lance and Grace and Hope

Earthquake in Haiti

2010-01-13T09:14:00.003-06:00

Please pray for the people of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The earthquake which hit yesterday was devastating to this impoverished island. We are currently receiving reports from our missionaries and gathering a supply list of items they need. We are also trying to locate extra planes and pilots to make extra trips in the next weeks. We are doing all we can to try and meet the needs of the missionaries and the people they will help. If you are interested in helping support these efforts please go the the Agape Flights website and make a donation. It cost is $4 per pound for the cargo. We will also have a list on the Agape site of materials that can be donated. www.agapeflights.com
Lance is currently taking the reports from the missionaries and posting them on the Agape site. If you would like to read more about the missionaries and how they are doing, please visit the Agape website.
That is all the info we have for now. We will post more as we receive further details.

Living victoriously in Christ,
Lynn for the Anderson crew.

PS. One of our pilots, Micheal Labady is in Haiti with his parents and has posted some picts of the earthquake on Facebook. You can view the picts through my FB page. Praise God, Mike and his family are safe. Please pray for Mike and his family as they are ministering to the people of Haiti.

Happy New Year and Welcome 2010!

2010-01-01T13:07:00.007-06:00

Happy New Year!
This month has again been filled with lots of exciting action and happenings for us and I again have to apologize for not updating the blog more often. We have been so busy and time has been very limited on my computer. So, I apologize and I will try this month to do better.

So what have we been up to???

1. All 3 of the girls (Lynn, Grace and Hope) sang in the Christmas cantata at our church. It took a lot of practice time, plus time to memorize the 6 songs but we all really enjoyed it. We got to meet more of the people from church on a personal basis and that alone was very rewarding. We also had the opportunity to sing with all our hearts for the Lord. The girls did a great job and I am amazed that they knew all the words to all the songs and often corrected me when we would practice. It was a really neat cantata, directed and written by a member of our church. The story aimed straight to the heart of Christmas (Jesus' birth) and very beautifully displayed the birth of the Savior. We were blessed by being part of it. For the next few days, the girls reenacted the story at home, taking turns being Joseph and Mary. Very cute to watch.

2. We experienced a huge busy season at Agape, with cargo exceeding the amount our plane could carry. Every day at work was very busy and full of things to do. The excess cargo was estimated at 15,000 pounds beyond our normal deliveries. The back up plan had to be used for 15 pallets of cargo at 1,000 pounds per pallet. In this case, we had Air Haiti deliver the pallets and then our plane helped distribute the loads once they were over to the island. It made for extra long work days and extra tired workers but it was all good and we know the missionaries were blessed with lots of Christmas love. They deserve every bit of that love and care.

3. We have also been making progress at the house on our tile job. Of the 1200 square foot we are going to tile we think we are about 1/2 way. That is amazing considering we only have the time after Lance gets home from work until bedtime to work on it. We are very excited about how it is turning out.

4. Lance had a great opportunity to speak at the monthly men's breakfast at church. We love these opportunities to share what God has done. We know it is all about Him and we love to tell of His faithfulness and provisions.

5. We spent time celebrating Jesus' birth with our church family, Lance's parents and work family this month. Each were times of great fellowship, fun and laughter.

So, you can see it was a busy month. We thank God for all He has done for us this month and we look forward to seeing what next month brings. He is good, always!!

Here are this month's prayer requests and praises. Thank you for your faithful prayers.
Prayer requests
Please pray for Lynn’s mom(Rita). She is fighting another round against cancer and is starting chemotherapy this month. Pray for strength for Rita and Dale through this battle.
Please pray for the closing of our house is Iowa. We are trusting God’s timing on this deal and know He is in control.
Please pray for the weekly flights to Haiti and Dominican Republic. Pray for God’s protection over the plane and the pilots. Also pray for the missionaries we serve.
Please pray for our search for a new Executive Director. We know God already had this person picked out.
Please pray with us for the Liborio family. They are missionaries we serve in D.R. with SCORE ministries. Hugo, the father of the family, died unexpectedly when they were in the US for the birth of their baby girl. Sarah, his wife, would like prayer that God uses this example to energize His servants to serve more fervently with the life they have been given.

Praises
Praise God for strength and energy He gave all the workers during this very busy holiday season at Agape.
Praise God that He is our provider of all things. He has blessed us in amazing ways this year and we are so grateful.
Praise the Lord for our financial partners. We could not be here without you and we are blessed to have you walking alongside us. You are the fuel that allows us to keep working.
Praise the Father for the birth of His Son, which we still celebrate 2000+ years later. He IS the reason for the season and the reason we have hope.

Thank you all for your faithful prayers. Please let us know if you have prayer requests so we can be praying for you as well.

Our most precious Bible verse for this month has been Psalm 150. It tells us how praise Him with all we have. We hope you are living your life to praise Him.

Psalm 150
Praise the LORD.

Praise God in his sanctuary;

praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his acts of power;

praise him for his surpassing greatness.
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,

praise him with the harp and lyre,
praise him with tambourine and dancing,

praise him with the strings and flute,
praise him with the clash of cymbals,

praise him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.

Praise the LORD.

May this be a year full of high praise and thanksgiving to God for His many blessings.

Have a great 2010!

Living victoriously in Christ,

Lance, Lynn, Grace and Hope

December Prayer requests and Praises

2009-12-01T07:52:00.003-06:00

Welcome to the holiday season! Is anyone else shocked that it is Christmas time already?? It seems like just yesterday that we were celebrating Christmas 08. But here we are enjoying this amazing adventure that God has led us on. We have had another very busy month but here are a couple of the highlights.... Thanksgiving in our new home entertaining 14 friends and our first visitors from Iowa, (thank you to the Mottinger family for the very fun visit).

At Agape, there are great things happening as well. The story of the "Turkey Drop" and God abundance will give you an idea of what happens around the hangar. In order to help the missionaries in Haiti enjoy a comfort of America oversees, Agape does an annual “turkey drop” for the missionaries. Now unlike what you mind is probably envisioning, we do not actually drop the turkeys out of the plane, but we do drop them off for the missionaries to come pick up with their weekly supplies and mail. This year, we delivered 44 turkeys. (BTW-We would like to also drop turkeys in Dominican Republic but the government there does not allow meat to be imported).

To make the “Turkey Drop” happen, the staff at Agape takes the orders for the turkeys, buys them, stores them and then they deliver them in coolers. On the last week of the deliveries, the turkeys were safely stored in the freezer in the hangar, but when the staff arrived on Monday morning, they discovered that 12 turkeys had been defrosted as the freezer when out over the weekend. Now, we have 12 bad turkeys and 0 turkeys ready to load on the plane. Well, here’s where God went to work…in the matter of one phone call, the cost of the replacement turkeys was provided by a complete stranger. And, not only does God provide but He provides over and abundantly as He promises in John 10:10. You see we also received 2 other donations simultaneously which could have bought12 more turkeys. God showed us once again that He is in control. He was not about to let chaos reign, for only He reigns.
John 10:10-11 (Amplified Bible)
10The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it [a]overflows).

Here are our prayer request and praises for this month. Thank you for faithfully lifting us up to the king.
Praises
Praise God that we have found a new church to call ‘home”. We were led to New Life Church over 6 months ago by a trusted ministry friend and it is definitely the place we need to be. A place to be fed and not just watered.
Praise the Lord for His provision and abundance in the replacement of the defrosted turkeys for Haiti. It may seem like a small thing but it is huge when you sit back and see how He defeated Satan’s plan to cause chaos.
Praise Him for the increase in the girls faith. They run around the house singing songs they make up for Jesus and they ask tons of questions every day. It truly warms my heart to watch them fall in love with Him.
Thank God for a wonderful Thanksgiving with friends, our Agape family. When pondering what Thanksgiving would be like without our families, we never realized how God would provide amazing friends to fill our day and bring such fun to our house.

Prayer Requests
Please pray for the staff at Agape. The preparations for Christmas by all the missionaries makes this time of year a time of high demand. It is incredibly busy around the hangar. Please pray for strength and energy for the staff and safety for the flights.
Please continue to pray for the closing of our house in Iowa. God is in control and we trust His timing.
Please pray for our new staff members who are raising support. In this time of financial chaos, we know God will provide for all their needs.
Please pray for the search for a new Executive Director of Agape. God knows who He has called, please pray for that person to hear and respond to the voice of His Father.

We hope you all have a very blessed Christmas and enjoy the celebration of Jesus' birth!
Until next time, stay strong in Him and never give in!
Living victoriously with Christ, Lynn, Lance, Grace and Hope

Mid November update

2009-11-15T07:38:00.012-06:00

This month is flying by just like the last one, but at least I have a chance to update the blog this month. That alone is a big accomplishment for me. We have been very busy around here and I thought I would fill you in on just a few things that are happening in our life.

The church we are attending has a really neat event every Friday night at the beach. It is a Gospel Sing a long. The sing along is led by some faithful servants that started this 15 years ago and they are still going strong. For some attenders of the sing a long, this is their church, but for many others is it a just a fun Friday night activity that brings them together to praise God. Well, this is also the place and time that they do baptisms.

I have wanted to get baptized for a long time but while we were in Iowa, I never had the chance. I was either pregnant or out of town on the weekends of the baptisms, so when Pastor Randy mentioned the baptism part of the sing along I asked if he would baptize me. So on Friday night, I was baptized in the ocean. It was about 68 degrees outside with a very strong wind but I didn't notice it at all. Even though I have been a believer for many years and saved for 10 years, I have never had the chance to publicly pronounce my faith and my desire to live for Him, so I am very happy that I got this opportunity and I am grateful for Pastor Randy's bravery in the cool weather. Here are the picts of the baptism at the beach. (check out the waves)

My wonderful "towel holders" (Grace and Hope) were very excited about the baptism and the next day they were baptizing their ducks in the bath tub. I'm not sure they got the whole idea but they know what they saw. We had a lesson about baptisms that day during our school work and they are starting to understand. Grace and Hope have already asked me to be their "towel holder" for their baptisms and they would like their dad to baptize them. I am truly thrilled that they are thinking ahead to the day they can get baptized too. Grace says baptisms are "to praise God" and Hope says baptisms are "to tell God, I love you". I think they are starting really get it. Praise God.

Today we attended a huge event at the beach. Nineteen area churches have started a series of events called "One Christ Won City". Lance was at the beach at 8:30 this morning doing set up for the event. The whole premise of the event is to bring the 19 churches together for times of worship, praise, teaching and unity. What a sight it was to see thousands of people on the beach singing to the Lord, praising Him and praying to Him! We were very excited to attend the event today. I'm sure lives were be changed through the prayers and time of intercession today.

Among our daily routine of Lance working and the girls and I keeping down the fort, we have found some very cool things to do down here. The girls and I are now involved with Rainbow clubs at church. It is the preschool version of Missionettes. The clubs meets every Wednesday night for games, Bible verses, crafts, and fun. I have become the assistant leader for the girls' group and I love it. The girls earn badges for completing their lessons and they are very excited to start sewing the badges on their vest. The way they are learning I am going to have to sharpen my sewing needle as I think they will be keeping me very busy. The best thing is the chruch has made Wed. night a family night, so Lance gets to go to church with us and he attends the adult teaching. It is a perfect mid-week boost for all of us.

Lance is working very hard at Agape and some nights he is there way past "quiting time". The server and the computers are really keeping him busy. He also has some neat projects he is working on which I will highlight as soon as he has them done so you can see what he is up to. One project that is keeping Agape busy is the upcoming Turkey Drop. Agape takes orders for thanksgiving turkeys for the families in the mission field and then they delivers them. Last week, Lance was at the grocery store buying 10 turkeys (the store's limit) to store in the freezer until the next flight out. The Agape plane delivered 20 turkeys last week and more will be on board this week and next. What a fun way to bring a little of "home" to the families serving in Haiti!

Well, thanksgiving will be quickly upon us and we are grateful for so many things. Most important, we are grateful for our awesome God. We are proud to serve such a wonderful, powerful Lord and we are humbled to be called his children. "Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name: make known among nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always." Psalm 105:1-4. We are also very thankful for our families and friends. We appreciate all of you and we know we are blessed richly by your presence in our lives. We pray you will all have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families.

We will be in touch soon with more updates, until then, stay strong in Him.

In His service, Lynn for the Anderson crew

November prayer requests and praises

2009-10-29T11:51:00.004-05:00

Sorry All,

I have been without internet most of the month. Also, we have been so busy with the house that I have not had chance to blog or send updates. Luckily, we are getting the internet hooked up soon at the house and I should be able to get on more often.

As most of you know we bought a house this month and were very blessed to find a great deal and a nice home. The only downside of the house is that it was not well cared for by the previous owner so it needed A LOT of work. The house is structurally perfect, but the interior left a bit to be desired. So over the first 15 days of the month, we painted every wall in the house, tore out all of the carpets, had new carpets installed, prepared the some floors for tile, and cleaned every nook and cranny.
The girls and I spent every day at the house working and cleaning. We were very grateful that God put some amazing friends in our path to help with the work. JoDee Martin and the Prachar crew helped as much as they could. It was heart stopping to think that God had this planned all along. We thought that the folks we knew we could count on were all in Iowa and Wisconsin, but God knew who He has lined up to help and they were all right here. He is so perfect in His ways.
It was overwhelming to consider all that needed to be done, but God made it all happen and on the 15th of the month, we moved in. Once again, God brought in the workers to help. Two friends from Agape came to help unload and within a few hours all of our boxes and furniture were in the house. Now we are in the process of unpacking and finding a place for everything. It is another step in the moving process and we are happy it is almost behind us. The next step is to have some visitors come to help us enjoy the house.

That's about all I have time for today, so it is time for the praises and prayer requests...
Praises

Praise God that our house in FL closed easily and we were able to immediately start the process of cleaning, painting, fixing, and tiling. Also praise God for the help we received and that all of the work was completed in 15 days and we moved in by the middle of the month.
Praise God for an uneventful Phase inspection on the plane. This means it is certified and ready to fly for another 200 hours before we have to do it again. Thank God for the volunteer mechanics that gave of their time to complete the inspection and all those who donated food to keep them working.
Praise Him for all the volunteers that help at Agape. These folks do just about any job they are asked to do and Agape could not operate properly without these faithful people He has provided.
Praise the Almighty that He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. We have been living out of our suitcases and moving boxes since mid-July. It was a challenge for us to live in the “ready to move” stage, “temporary housing” stage, “fixing up the house but not ready to move into yet” stage and the “unpacking” stage. In short, our lives have been CHAOS. We are grateful that He never changes. His love and protection guided us through this very unstable and busy time.

Prayer Request

Pray for the missionary family that Agape serves who through a tragic accident lost their son last month.
Please pray for us as we continue to find a home church. We want to find a strong church that will feed us and challenge us in our walk. Pray that we will see God’s leading in this and find the perfect match for us.
Please continue to pray for our house in Iowa to close and for that burden to be released.
Please pray for Lance as he works at Agape. Every day presents something new and he is working through the learning curve with new projects and systems. Pray that God would give him wisdom and guidance.
Please pray for the girls and for their schooling needs. We are in the process deciding whether to homeschool and/or find an affordable preschool. Preschool in FL is very expensive so we are trying to make the right decisions and find a place that meets their needs without costing the same as college.

Thank you all for you loyal prayers and encouragement. We appreciate you very much.
Philemon 1:4-7 says it best, "I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints."
Happy Fall to all!

In His service, Lynn for the Anderson ministry team

October Praises and Prayer requests

2009-09-29T19:30:00.007-05:00

A Place to Call HOME.
After we arrived here, we immediately began a search for a home. We actually started searching before we arrived but, until we were here it was hard to get really serious about buying something. So with the help of our realtor, we started looking at houses quickly.

I have to explain that here in FL there are three types of home sales. There are foreclosures, short sales, and individual house sales. The first is owned by the bank. Most of these homes are trashed and in need of a great deal of work. The second type are homes that are pre-foreclosure/short sales. These houses are usually good buys but can take up to six months to close, due to the liens and approvals necessary to close these homes. The third are normal home sales. The market here is all based on the type of house you want to buy and how soon you would like to have occupancy. If you are not in a hurry, you can consider a short sale but typically, they are a headache and can take a long time to get answers and the keys.

With that said, we tried very hard to stay away from the short sale market, until last week. Last week, God led us to a house that was a short sale. We liked the home, we liked the location but we were really not sure we wanted to get into the mess of the short sale. But we prayed about it and gave it to God and waited to see what He would do. Here’s what He did…we wrote the offer on Wednesday, the sellers accepted the offer on Wednesday, and the bank accepted our offer on Friday, which means we can close on the house by the end of this month. God took a normally 6 month ordeal and made it happen in 2 weeks. That is unheard of in this market but not unheard of in God’s time. He is so sovereign. Nothing can compare to His timing and His work. We are very grateful that He is in control and we are so humbled that He cares for us and for the tiniest details of our lives.

So, starting October 1st, we will be moving our stuff into our new home and sprucing it up to make it our own. It needs paint, clean up, carpet, and tile. We will be busy for a while. Come help if you have the time. We will need lots of help.

Here is a pict of the new digs.

That's what we have been up to, so now it is time for the prayer requests and praises.

Praises

Praise God that our tractor sold the day before we left Iowa. It would have been a real headache to try and sell it once we left town. Chalk one up for God’s timing again.

Praise God for safe travels to FL and travel mercies.

A huge praise to Him for well behaved kids on the trip.

God provided the perfect amount of helpers and packers for moving day.

Praise God for providing our supports and partners. Without partners, we would not be here.

Praise God for His amazing work on getting us a very affordable home in a very fast manner. That is unheard of in the real estate world today.

Prayer requests

Please pray for the Agape plane this week as it undergoes the Phase inspection process.Pray for all the volunteers who provide this inspection and for their safety.

Please pray for safe travels for the weekly deliveries with our volunteer pilot and aircraft. Also pray for our weekly flights and the crew.

Please pray for the misssionaries Agape serves, that all of their needs will be met.

Please pray for our house in Iowa to close.

Please pray for our family as we continue to make the transition to Florida and we search for a local church.

Thank you all so much for your faithful prayers and support. We miss Iowa and the familiarities of home but we are adjusting well. The Agape staff is amazing. They have treated us very well and we feel very much part of a large family.

Blessing to all of you. Have a great month.

In His service, Lance, Lynn, Grace and Hope

Happy Birthday Lance!!

2009-09-28T19:29:00.005-05:00

It is another special day in our family. Today, we celebrate Lance's birthday. We don't have any special plans just time together after work and a little party during lunch with his co workers and cake.

Lance is an amazing husband and father. We could not ask for a more perfect man in our life. God blessed us richly when He made us a family and put Lance in charge. We love you dearly, Lance, and we hope you have a great day. We are very proud of you.

The Big Move

2009-09-21T20:24:00.003-05:00

Here is the full post of all the details of the trip to FL. I mentioned some of this last week but I thought I would write the whole report now that I have had some time.

As most of you know, we recently relocated our family to Nokomis, FL to start work at Agape Flights. The actual move and all the events leading up to move were to say the least, chaotic, but God was perfect in all things and He worked it all out.

The most amazing part of the story of the move for us was the way God worked the sale of our house. The house had been on the market for 6 months (btw-that is the average for a home in our area) and we were anxious to get started at Agape. So, after Lance’s August trip to Florida, we decided that we were going to set a date and move whether the house was sold or not. We prayed for the house and gave over to God for the last time. Within six days of that decision to move, God provided a buyer for our home. It was amazing. The family that was interested in our house wanted to have occupancy in October so that worked out perfectly. The actual closing on the house will not be complete until their house in Georgia sells but we are happy to have them in the house and leasing until the sale is completed.

We did all of the packing and loading of the trailers on Labor Day weekend. We were very blessed to have the perfect moving teams show up. Saturday, my(Lynn’s) dad took control of the trailer and packed it like a pro. Every item was placed and loaded with care and we filled the trailer to the roof. Special thanks to the Damewoods, Wescots, and Victor Buffington for the awesome help on Sat. You guys were a great team. On Monday, Lance’s dad brought his trailer and it too was loaded with excellent care. Larry(Lance’s dad) and his crew of Tom Carver and Louis Hawkes made short time of the job. The girls loved having the Gramma’s around for extra attention and love. Thank you so much for all of the help. We appreciate all you did to get us on the road and we appreciate your families for loaning us you for a few hours of the weekend.

On Tuesday morning, with all the trailers loaded and house empty, we headed out for the long drive. The trip went very well. The girls were extremely well behaved (thanks for all the prayers on that, it worked). They took on the adventure with excitement and joy. They loved having the cat in the car with them. They took turns holding him and wrapping him like a doll in their laps. (note-we don’t normally have a lap cat). Lance was the primary driver for the 1338 mile trip. I tried to give him some breaks but I am definitely not a truck driver by nature. The drive went well but we were very tired when we arrived. We took some rest stops on the way but for the most part we stayed on the road as much as possible.

We could feel God’s protection as we drove and we know He provided the strength we needed to keep going. He kept our eyes on the road and He kept us alert as the miles rolled on. The trip was virtually problem free until we hit the 1330th mile. We could see the exit for “home” but we heard a “pop”. We had a flat tire on the trailer. Thankfully, our former neighbors, the Prachars, and a kindly stranger came to help us and we were back on the road very quickly. We were very grateful to see that even though Satan wanted to derail us again, God put people there at the perfect time to help us out and get us back on the road.

So, after 1339 miles, 32 hours in the truck, and only one major problem, we are here. God was in control the whole trip and we thank Him that we all arrived safely.

(I have picts of the moving teams and picts of the blown tire(thanks to Travis and her trusty camera) but my camera cords are still packed. I will post picts after I find the cords and download the picts.)

I hope all is well with each of you. We will be posting soon about our house shopping adventures and starting work at Agape.
Never give in!
In His service, Lynn, Lance, Grace and Hope.

We Made it!

2009-09-14T08:43:00.002-05:00

Hey All,
Just wanted to let you know that we made it to FL. It was a long trip, as we did a straight through run. We stopped just a few times to rest our eyes but we pretty much stayed on the road as much as possible. The girls were complete ANGELS. They never complained or asked to get out to play. They just played with their toys and the cat for the whole ride.

We made it virtual problem free until the 1329th mile, (total trip as 1338 mile) when we blew a tire on the trailer. We could see the exit for "home" but we couldn't get there. Our former neighbors from Iowa, the Prachars, came to our rescue. Travis picked up the girls and I, while Lance, Paul and a kindly stranger changed the tire and got the trailer back on the road. Thanks Neighbors, we appreciate you.

Now, we are trying to settle in. Lance started work today. We still do not have internet at the house but are hoping to set something up later this week. We will be in touch soon.
Thanks for all the prayers.
Never give in!
In His service, Lynn for the Anderson crew.

September Praise and Prayer Requests

2009-08-31T10:53:00.006-05:00

What an awesome God we serve?! He is always perfect in His timing.

This month has been another amazing month. August has been a month of preparations and planning. We started the month thinking we would separate in September with Lance heading to FL to begin his work with Agape and I staying back with the house, but after more prayer and consideration, those plans changed quickly.

In the middle of the month, Lance and Chris Damewood drove the first load to FL. While they were there, they looked at houses, attended meetings at Agape, and scoped out the area for schools and churches. They had a very successful trip and while they were gone, God kept leading me to change our plans and go as a family in September. God continually reminded me in that week that He was in control and the house here was His business not ours. So Lance and I talked it over and we decided it was time to go, no matter what. The week Lance and Chris returned, we started packing and planning the trip. We lost focus on the house and let God do His thing. Six days, after making the decision to go, we received the offer on the house. (See previous post). Which by the way, has been accepted and is getting finalized. I believe God had this all planned from the beginning, but it took the act of us stepping away from the house to let Him step in. He is amazing and we are so grateful that He is in control.

So now the plans are in motion for the big move. We are packing the trailers this weekend and heading out the day after all the inspections are complete on the house. We hope that will be Tuesday, September 8th. We are not sure about how many stops we will make or if we will drive straight through. We are leaving those details up to how everyone is handling the drive. Remember, we are traveling with a 3 year old, a 4 year old, and a cat. Oh, please pray for lots of patience for that trip.

With all that being said, I think it is time to get to the prayer requests and praises for this month.
Praises

God has brought a couple to our house who is "ga-ga" over the layout and design. (That's our realtors words, not mine) He created these people years ago and He knew they would love this place. Praise Him that He made this all happen.
We have sold the ATV. We advertised that ATV for a few months but it only sold this week, so His timing is perfect, once again. We also get to use it until we leave, which makes the girls very happy.
Lance and Chris had a very safe and productive trip to FL this month. We are very grateful for Chris and Linda's generosity. It was a huge blessing to have someone share the driving with and share the week with in FL. We are so thankful. Praise God for the amazing friends and supporters we have.
Our temporary housing situation in FL is arranged. God overcame some hurdles for us and gave us a wonderful place to stay while we look at houses and get started at Agape. Lance's parents are allowing us to reside at their home in nearby Nokomis, FL, just 12 minutes from the airport and Agape.
Praise God that He is God of all things. He has truly made this journey a joy and not a burden. He has take care of every detail and He is providing for our every need. We are so blessed to have been able to partake in all He has been offering to us. We are so thankful that He overcame our material possesions, our home, our fears, our uncertainies, and our less than perfect lives. He has made every step of this journey happen and we are so grateful to be witnesses to all He is capable of doing.

Prayer requests

Please pray that the house will close on time and there will be no glitches that come up. The house sale is on a contigency of the buyers home in GA closing also, so please pray for their house in GA to close on time. God is bigger than any real estate deal in the universe and we are trusting that He will make all things happen on time and in perfect order.
Please pray for the tractor to sell quickly and easily.
Please pray for our move to FL. Pray for many helpers on Sat. and Monday to load. Pray for safe travels as we are on the road. Pray for patience, guidance, and alertness as we make the 24 hour trip.
Please pray for our girls. This move has been something we have been talking about for almost 8 months. They have given up alot and been challenged alot. They are doing great but they are showing some signs of uncertainity as we pack up and make the big transition. Please pray for a sense of security for them and a understanding that we are doing this because of our love for God. Pray that this will draw them closer to Him and help them begin to see the purpose He has in this for all of us.
Please continue to pray for a hedge of protection over this family. The more we step out to serve God, the more Satan would like to deter us. God has been faithful to shield us and we are thankful for every prayer that has helped to derail Satan's plans. We thank you for every prayer and we encourage you to keep praying that no weapon formed against us will prosper. Sooner or later, Satan will get the message that he has no power and God is in control.

Well, that should wrap things up for now. We are planning on discontinuing our internet in Iowa on Friday so we will not be on line again until we are in FL and are settled into our temporary home. Please feel free to contact us via our cell phones or on the home phone until is it disconnected. Thank you so much for all you have been doing for us. We appreciate every word of encouragement, every prayer spoken at the throne, every hand that helps in the labor of the move and every gift sent to Agape on our behalf. None of this is possible without YOU. Thank you for listening to God's call in your lives and for investing in our lives. You are a blessing and we love you all.

We will be in touch soon.

Never give in!

In His service, Lance, Lynn and the girls.

1 Thessalonians 1:2-3
We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

SALE PENDING

2009-08-29T21:04:00.003-05:00

Praise God!!! We have a sale pending for the house.
Thursday morning we recieved a call from our realtor that we have a family that is interested in the home and he would like to talk it over with us. So, after talking to the realtor and praying for the potential buyers, we set up an appointment to meet them on Thursday night. They came over that night and we visited while showing them the house. Then at 11 PM, we recieved another call from the realtor that they had written an offer and he would send it over right away.
The offer was acceptable but needed a little tweeking so we countered their offer on Friday and they have verbally accepted our counter offer. After all the inspections are complete and acceptable, they will take occupancy on Oct. 1.
We have decided that we will leave ASAP to begin house shopping in FL and get started at Agape. Lance has already gotten his feet wet while he was there and he is very excited to get fully on board.
With all that being said, we are going to pack the moving trailers this weekend and head out the week of Labor day. We would love any help you can give us, so please check your schedules and let us know if you are available. The plan is to load one trailer on Sat. AM and one trailer on Monday AM. The more help we get the faster it will go. Thanks much for all of your prayers and support. We appreciate each of you very much and we thank God for you every day.
Have a great weekend.
Never give in!
In His Service, Lynn, Lance and the girls

Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

August prayer requests and praises

2009-07-29T13:47:00.009-05:00

Is August really here already?? It is hard to believe. This summer has been flying by and it seems everytime we sit down to rest, we realize another month has past. And since it is the first of the month, it is time to update all of you on our progress and our path.

This has been the busyiest time of our lives, hands down. Our family has not slowed down since we accepted this challenge back in Jan. We are still in the process of meeting with people and sharing our story, selling off our possesions here in Iowa, showing the house, visiting with family, and packing to move. And in the midst of all the busyness of these days, we are more and more convinced that our path is clear and we are doing exactly what we are being called to do. God makes His presence in our lives evident every day in very tangible and practical ways. He meets our every need and we are very humbled and grateful.

One of the most evident ways we have seen God's hand in our lives is through support raising. We reached our initial goal of support earlier this month. That means that we are 100% funded for the first year to work at Agape. Through the gifts we have received and/or have been pledged, we will be begin working at Agape as soon as possible. Praise God! But, that does not mean we are done, we will still be working on securing funds to help with moving expenses, training/conferences for Lance, and funding to secure the future years. We have reached our initial goal but we are not stopping there. We know that God has provided every penny and He will continue to fill every need. We are trusting Him for all things.

Our next step is for Lance to take a short trip to FL within the next few weeks. While he is there he will visit at Agape to check out the needs of the computer systems so he can begin plannning his work. He will also check on some houses for us and get to know the area. We would like to have a good idea of the market and a few possible houses lined up for when this one sells. That help greatly in the transition process.

We have seen God work in big ways in the past 6 months and we are so grateful for all your faithful prayers. Here is the list of prayer requests for this month:

Praises

God completed the first year of funding for us to work at Agape. What an amazing story in the economy of the world today!?! He is sooo much bigger than the world.

Doors have continued to open for us to share our story.

More "stuff" has sold from the house and I believe we are almost out of things to sell.

The house showings have picked up again and it is prime time for us to sell, now that funding is complete.

We have had time to have some great family time with Daddy. This time of waiting, since Lance has been layed off to now, has allowed us to spend time together every day and really enjoy having Daddy time. The girls are really going to miss him when he goes back to work. This time has been a real blessing.

Prayer requests

Please pray for our house to sell. We have given this to God. He is in charge and He can move mountians. We are confident He has a buyer already selected for this home. Pray for the buyer to come see it and fall in love with this house.

Please pray for our travels. We will be spending time alot on the road in the next month. We are traveling to Green Bay this weekend for a family reunion and then Lance will be traveling to FL.

Please pray for our housing in FL. We are having some issues with where we will stay once we arrive in FL. The timing of the sale of this house and the availablity of a new house will have to come together for the move to be smooth. We are confident God can make this happen.

Please continue to pray for a hedge of protection around our family. We have experienced alot of satan's tactics to discourage us but we are holding on to faith in our powerful God. Just like Nehemiah, we are not stepping off the wall.

We are grateful for all of you and for your time in prayer for us. We are humbled by all that God is doing and we are thankful to be allowed to be a part of this amazing adventure. Many thanks for all you who are encouraging us and standing with us. We could not do this without you.

Have a great month and stay tuned for updates on the house.

Never give in!
In His service, Lance, Lynn, Grace and Hope.

Happy Birthday, Hope!!

2009-07-01T21:51:00.011-05:00

It's another special day in the Anderson family. Today, we celebrate Hope's 3rd birthday. Hope is our 2nd child and we are so blessed to be her parents.

Hope is a wonderful little girl. She is very active and very imaginative. She and her sister make up games and stories all the time. I don't know what "land" they are in half the time, because I am not always allowed to play. Hope loves to ride her bike, swing on the swing set, swim, ride horses, ride the ATV, play with her doll house, dress up, ride horses and tickle her dad. Hope is a singer and she is constantly making up new songs or adding words to songs she already knows.

Hope is our reminder that we are to never give up. As the second child, she is constantly trying to catch up with her sister. If there is something Grace can do, Hope will be next in line to give it a try. She has a very persistant attitude and she will not stop until she conquers whatever she is working on.

Here are some picts of Hope from today and from 3 years ago.

Hope's hospital photo (sort of looks like a mug shot)

Grace and Hope on the day we got home from the hospital

Hope finally let me do her hair after almost 2 years.

Hope in swimming lessons
Hope's favorite part...jumping in.

We are so blessed to have Hope in our lives. I can not imagine our family without her. We named her Hope because we wanted to be constantly reminded of the greatest gifts God has given us. Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." We have hope in the Lord and we are grateful to also have Hope in our family.

Happy Birthday, Hope! We love you!

Never give in!

In His service, Lynn

July Praises and Prayer requests

2009-06-30T21:09:00.009-05:00

Welcome to our monthly report of all God is doing in our lives (praises) and all that we need you to pray to the Almighty for us(prayer requests). June has been a BIG month for us. Here is why....

If you ask Grace and her preschool class, "How much does God love us?", you would hear this response, "This much!" and they all outstretch their arms as wide as they can and then they wrap themselves in a big "Jesus hug." Well, this month has been one big "Jesus hug". This month has been amazing and everyday we are reminded of how much He loves us and how much He can do when we trust Him with all our hearts, minds, soul and strength. God has worked so hard this month on our behalf. We are so humbled and grateful.

At the beginning of this month, we checked our database and found that we were at approxiamately 50% of the support needed to begin at Agape. We had exhausted all of our resources of friends, family and referrals. We had completed all of what we thought we could do, so we completely turned over to God the other 50% of the funding needs. We knew that if He wanted us to go, this would be quite clear as the funds would be finished by Him. (BTW-We know He raised the first half, we think He just let us do some foot work to let us feel like we did something :) Well, He secured 40% more of the funding within the next ten days. Over those ten days, we received some incredible seeds into the ministry. Seeds planted by people who heard God's calling in our lives and believed in what God was going to do with this ministry. We are speechless and are in awe of how He can move mountains. We are also extremely grateful for those who have placed their trust in us to fulfill what He is calling us to do. Thank you for coming along side us and for allowing us the privilege of serving Him with our careers and lives.

This month has been full of surprises. We received support from people we don't even know, yet they have heard what God is doing in our lives and want to be involved. We have received support from two churches that got our information before we had the chance to start the process ourselves with their missions boards. And we have received support from friends who are also in ministry but want to continue to be "givers" and support other missionaries. God has been extremely busy working in the hearts of our supporters and we are incredibly grateful for each and every one of you and your willingness to listen to His voice.

So, here we are...... we are in the last mile of the marathon. We are close to finishing the first challenge placed before us. We are in the process of rounding up our unfulfilled pledges. If you have made a pledge and have not started giving yet, please sign up on line or let us know if you need a new pledge card so you can get started this month. We would like to have all pledges processed before we leave. We are also working on finding the last few supporter needed to reach the 100% mark. Next, we will be concentrating on our next challenge of selling our home here and finding a home in FL so we can start moving.

With all that said, it is time to get to those praises and prayer request....

Praises

Praise God for that the support raising is going very well and God has moved mountains for us in this department.

Praise Him for the addition of the Clear Lake E Free church and Clear Lake Christian Church who have joined us as financial supporters. The E Free church is where Lance attended church for 18 years before moving to Iowa City/CR. The Christian Church is where Lance's parents are members.

Praise God for the great responses from the Clear Lake Christian Church, Clear Lake E Free church and the Valley Church when we presented at these churches. It was an honor to have these opportunity to speak to these congregations. Thank you Lord for making these opportunties happen.

Praise the Most High for the large seeds that have been planted in this ministry on our behalf. Thank you God for the contacts you have.

The Iron Sharpens Iron conference was very successful and lives where transformed that day. 400 men met with God and grew stronger in their walks through that ministry. Personally, Lance met some incredible mentors and we were able to get plugged into some Venice, FL churches through our house guests for the conference.

Praise God that the girls have had great patience and behavior when we met with supporters and spoke at churches. Everyone we meet with has been sensitive of our children and making them feel at home. Thank you for all of you who have gone out of your way to make our girls feel loved.

Prayer request

Please pray that God will bring the new owner of our home to the house soon. We have said from the beginning that the support piece and the home sale piece would happen simultaneouly. As we are approaching the finish of the support raising piece, we are ready for the house to sell so we can dive into our new lives as missionaries.

Please pray that supporters will continue to join us. We are less than 10% short on our annual gifts, so we need to have that void filled in so we can get started. We will constantly be in need of new supporters, since one time gifts will need to be replaced in the following years. Support raising and relationship building is a key part of our ministry. Please pray that we will continue to find joy in telling His story and sharing the amazing things He has done for us.

Please pray for good weather for the weekend of July 3-4. We will be having a Bake sale/rummage sale for our move to Agape at the Shueyville Methodist Church.

Please pray for a hedge of protection over our family. The enemy loves to find ways to attack and he is constantly looking for a foothold. Please pray that we will remain strong in Him and listen to His voice.

Please pray for our girls. Our greatest hope is that they will come to know Him as their Provider, Protection, Shelter and one true Love. Please continue to pray for them to have gentle spirits and open hearts.

This month we have been really clinging to Scripture that points us to the end of this race. We know the end of this race is just the beginning yet this Scripture helps us stay focused on completing what He has called us to do. In Acts 20:22-24, Paul says good bye to the elders of Ephesus with these words, 22"And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. " These words remind us that it is not about us or our lives, but it is all about Him. We are trying to stay focused on what God is doing in our lives and share that story with others while giving Him the glory. We are concentrating on remembering this is about the Great Commission and doing our part to share God's good news.

Thank you for all you are doing at the throne of the King on our behalf. We appreciate all of you that lift us up to Him. Your prayers are very important to us so please let us know how we can be praying for you also.

Have a great 4th of July!

Never give in!

In His service, Lynn for the Anderson family

June Surprises and updates

2009-06-16T14:38:00.004-05:00

Oh, what a great God we serve! Our God is so big and so faithful. He has been once again taking us to heights we have never known and we have seen the amazing things He can do. The last 2 weeks have been crazy, but He is our rock. Our schedule is insane but He is the constant. Let me fill you in on the things He is doing for and with us....

1. The month started with the Iron Sharpens Irons conference and some very cool house guests. We had two of the speakers from the conference staying with us for the night. Chuck Stecker and Ray Morgan from A Chosen Generation stayed Friday night before the conference. And even though our visit with them was very short, we loved having them here. Their ministry is about raising Men of Honor and Women of Virtue and it is really awesome. I have listened to Chuck's presentation from the conference and let me tell you that man has a message every parent needs to hear. I highly recommend that you check out their website and blog at www.achosengeneration.org. I wish we would have had more time to pick their brains but none the less, we were honored to have them with us for the short time they could be here. Did I mention that they are experts on Venice, FL? They totally plugged us into the Venice, FL area with churches and men's ministry leaders. Go God, he did it again! Now, we have 10 new websites to check out from our favorites and we can start church shopping before we even get there.
2. The Solon garage sale was a bust because of rain but we all survived and Goodwill will have full shelves for a few days.
3. Last week, we made a surprise visit to the Wisconsin High School State soccer tournament. Since it was only 120 miles off the beaten path to some business in Indiana we decided to surprise my family with an appearance at the game. If I would have been on the ball, I would be inserting some great picts here but since I was so busy keeping the girls from blowing the surprise, I failed to capture the look on my sister, Dad's and Mom's faces. Just imagine, what their expressions were when Grace "sneak attack hugged" them from behind in the crowd of hundreds. It was priceless. It was so worth the extra miles and hours in the car to see the family and to see Katie play an awesome game. The girls dragged Colleen away from the game every minute they could to roll down the hill and play in the grass. Thanks Colleen for being so patient with the girls.
4. The day after the game we spent 14 hours in the truck, driving to Indiana and then home. It was actually only 9 hours of driving time but with traffic delays and brief stops, it took us 14 hours. The trip was a real test of how long we can go on our drive to Florida when we move. The girls were perfect and they were a blessing as they only had one incident of whining. God really took care of us and we know He was our protector and our peace. We had a great trip and although we were tired the next day, it was nice to have that business out of the way.
5. This weekend was very eventful on the support raising front also. We recieved notice from the Clear Lake E. Free church that they will be supporting us at Agape. Praise God!
6. As we sat down and analyzed our database, we realized that God is closing the gap on the support front. We are over the 80% benchmark and are close to finishing up the race. We have plenty of work to do to finish this task but God is constantly reaffirming the direction He has for our lives and He is always showing us He is in control. Praise Him that He knows what He is doing with us even when we can't always wrap our heads around it.

So, there you have it.... that is what we have been up to lately. Praise God because He has done most of this and we have just been along for the ride.

Now, here's a little thought to close with....last night, the girls and I were playing with the bumblebees in our front bush. (Don't ask why..my girls just love bugs?!) After we caught the bee and looked at him for a while in our bug catcher, we decided to let him go so we opened the end of the bug catcher. The bee struggled and struggled trying to find a way out. He rammed his head into the plastic over and over. He did not realize that we had opened the other end and all he had to do was fly away. He struggled for almost a full minute before he finally saw that he was already set free, he just didn't know it. How many times have we tried to find our own way out of a situation? How many people do you know that are ramming their heads into the plastic of this world? Many times we try to force our way out rather than seeing that God has already shown us the way out. We often fail to see He has opened the door. As it says in Galatians 5:1 "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Yes, Christ is the way to freedom and He is the only way to be set free. No matter how big or small your problems, He will deliver you if you place your life in His hands and trust Him with all your heart.

We hope you are having an eventful month too. Please pray for the new owners of our home. We are ready to have them discover this house and come to make an offer.
Never give in!
In His service, Lynn for the Anderson crew

June Prayer requests and Praises

2009-05-30T13:22:00.004-05:00

Well, here we are again at the beginning of a new month and we have once again been so busy that the time just flew by. It is just amazing to me the things that God is accomplishing on our behalf and the way He is bringing things together. We are constantly reminded of His power and His ability to move mountains.

Before I get to the prayer requests/praise, I would like to fill you in on a few of the exciting things that we have done this month. We had a very successful garage sale on the first weekend of the month and followed that up with a Ministry Moment at the Shueyville United Methodist Church the second weekend of the month. The next week included a trip to Clear Lake for a missions team meeting with the church Lance attended before moving to Solon 6 years ago. We were happily pleased to find out that someone had submitted our information to the missions board on our behalf before we had a chance to do so ourselves. The meeting went very well and we are awaiting to hear whether they will be able to support us at Agape.

Grace had a very busy month at preschool. She went on a great field trip to the Uthoff farm. She chose Daddy to be her driver and they had a very eventful trip as a calf was born while they were at the farm. I thought that was pretty cool but Daddy said some of the preschoolers were not impressed, just confused. She also had a bike day and park day. Thankfully, the teachers included Hope on those days so she got to have some fun also.

On Memorial day weekend, we went to the Shivers farm for a bonfire and some farm fun. The girls adored the puppy, dogs, cows, horses and of course the calves. They had a chance to bottle feed a calf that was abandoned by its mother. I'm sure if we were not on our way to FL, Grace and Hope would have convinced Daddy to allow them to bring him home. They also loved the trampoline and Mom's ATV driving through the fields and creeks. It was a great day of fellowship and fun. Thanks Larry and Chris for the hospitality.

Yesterday, we were given the opportunity to present at Valley Church in Swisher. The presentation went well and we spoke with several folks after about Agape. Pastor's message on spiritual gifts was incredible. It spoke directly to our hearts about what we are working on and how to use the gifts God has given us. It's all about being available to God and letting Him use us to accomplish what He desires. He reminded us that is it is all about Him and not about us. What a timely message and great reminder.

Now, here are those prayer requests and praises...
Praises

Many divine appointments have taken place because of God's timing and provision.
Clear Lake E. Free church is considering us for support due to the leading of our prayer captain who gave our information to the missions team.
The number of sponsors is growing. We are very close to 50% and should be there by the end of this week. We are almost over the hump.
We received some great responses from our presentations at Shueyville United Methodist Church. And the girls did great through 4 services.
The camper sold this month and the rummage sale went well. God continues to help us move out the "stuff" we don't need.
The girls have been given some extra special treatment from our family and friends. They have been really well behaved during our meetings and they are being rewarded for their patience. They have been given toys, horseback riding, balloons, and lots of love. Thank you to all who have taken the time to love them so much.

Prayer requests

Pray for strength to continue running this marathon. It is exhilerating to work for Him and He is so faithful to take care of us. We need prayer to remain at His side and rely fully on Him. Satan loves to try to derail us so pray for protection from the enemy over our hearts and minds.
Pray for the Solon rummage sale day on June 6. Lance will be working at the Iron Sharpens Iron conference so it is up to my friends, the girls and me to handle the sale. Please pray for strength to get everything done and sold. Also pray for good weather.
Pray for more sponsors to join us. We have many outstanding pledge cards and we are praying they will come back soon. Please pray for God to complete those connections.
Pray for the sale of our home. We are trusting God for His timing. We know He has the perfect buyer and the perfect time. We just need to be patient and wait on Him.
Pray for doors to continue to open for relationships to grow. We are now fully involved in God's network. We are taking every opportunity He places before us and seeing His hands in everything. He is bringing people to us that we would not have ever contacted on our own, so we know He is working on our behalf. Please pray that we will continue to have our eyes open to see His hands at work and respond when He calls us.
We will be speaking at the Clear Lake Christian church on June 21. This is Lance's parents church. Pray for the ears of the congregation to be open to hear how God is calling us and how He will use us at Agape to accomplish His will.
Please pray for the Iron Sharpens Iron men's conference on June 6 in Cedar Rapids. Pray that God will meet with the men that attend and He will draw them closer to Him.
Please pray for the Clear Lake E.Free church as they make their decision about support and a Ministry moment at that church. This is Lance's home church for 18 years prior to his move to Iowa City/CR.
Continue to pray for our girls. They are really starting to grasp all that is happening and to hear them talk about missions, Agape and moving is very fun. Please pray for them to have gentle spirits, lots of patience, and that they will be drawn closer to God through all of this change.

As I close I would like to leave you with some Scripture that we are clinging to on this journey. Proverbs 16:3 says "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." When we are committed to follow God in all we do, He will take care of the rest. It is not up to us to finish this race He has set before us. He will accomplish all He desires. What we are asked to do is be available to God for His purpose and allow ourselves to be used by Him. He will accomplish His will in His time. As we continue on the journey of support raising and relationship building, we know God is in control of every appointment and every meeting. He leads the way and we follow. We are constantly amazed at what He is asking us to do but we are trusting Him and watching Him work. When we align ourselves with the Creator of the universe, all things are possible. (Even raising $50,000 for support in hard economic times.) Praise God! He can do whatever He desires!

Thank you all for lifting us up to the King. We are praying for you as well. Please let us know if you have specific requests.

Have a great month and stay strong in Him.

Never give in!

In His service, Lynn, Lance, Grace and Hope

more on Stepping out of the Boat

2009-05-16T06:46:00.006-05:00

Here is an awesome message from Kenneth Copeland's daily devotional. This says it all. No matter what your boat is...step out for HIM.

Devotional Daily Devotions … Faith to Faith
Step Out of the Boat
Kenneth Copeland

And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water.
– Matthew 14:28-29

It's easy to be so afraid of making a mistake that you never get around to stepping out on faith. You can spend all your time wondering, "Is this faith? Or is it presumption? What if I exercise my faith for something and find out later I've missed God's will?"

Don't worry. God can handle any mistake you can make. I know because I've made plenty of them. When I did, I'd just go to the Lord and He'd tell me, "Stay on the Word, son. Together we'll overcome this thing." And we always did.

If you act on the Word out of the sincerity of your heart and you steadfastly stay with the Word, Jesus will never let you down...no matter how many dumb mistakes you make. He proved that the night Peter jumped out of the boat in the middle of the lake.

Have you ever stopped to think about that incident? Peter hadn't been praying or seeking God's will before he did that. On impulse he just blurted out, "Lord, if it's You bid me come."

What was Jesus supposed to say? He couldn't very well say, "It's not Me." I suppose He could have said, "Wait a minute now. You don't have the faith to get out here. You'd better stay in that boat or you're going to drown for sure."

But He didn't say that to Peter--and He won't say it to you. If you want to get out and walk by faith, He'll get out there with you and pick you up when you start sinking. He'll walk you back to the boat if He has to.

It's better to risk being presumptuous than to waste your life in the boat of unbelief! If you have to, just dive into the water and say, "God, help me!"

Don't let fear keep you from taking that step of faith. Come on, get out of the boat today!
Scripture Reading: Matthew 14:22-33

Garage sale and other priceless moments

2009-05-08T21:23:00.011-05:00

The last two weekends have been a busy ones around our household. It was a goregous sunny day last Sat. for the garage sale in Swisher. When we arrived at 6:45 AM, the town was already buzzing with customers and we had not even began to set up. The chaos started immediately as customers were searching through our stuff before we even got it out of boxes. The flow of customers was constant. It never settled down and it was well after 12 noon before we sat down and took a rest. God blessed us immensely that day as we unloaded 5 loads of "stuff" and we only packed up 1 1/2 loads to bring back. We made enough money to make the day worth the work and energy. We struggled to find any items we sold that was over $20. Most of our items were $1.00 or less. If someone made an offer, we took it. Yet, it was very productive day for us and well worth the work to prepare. We were very blessed to have friends who helped us. Lianne and Jennifer were there to help sell and help entertain the kids. Thanks Ladies. We really appreciate you and your help. Stephanie and Bob also set up shop and sold along with us. It was fun to have more kids and Molly the dog there to entertain my dog lovers. We also greatly appreciate Laura for letting us use her parking lot. That alley was the hottest spot in town. Here are a few picts from the sale.

Just an example of the amount of STUFF we sold

Happy and busy salespeople

Happy shoppers

Happy Kids

That same day, we sold the camper and Lance had to deliver it up north. The gentleman who bought it found it on Craigslist and he drove from west of Sioux Falls, SD to meet Lance in Albert Lea. It was a sad moment for us as a family. We loved the new hobby of camping with the ATVs as a family and we will miss the time we spent in Black River Falls, WI but we know that God will provide for new hobbies and family fun in FL. The camper market seemed all but dried up until one day when the action heated up and we had three families interested. God really pulled that deal together as we had other business to take care of in Clear Lake so the trip with the camper was the perfect plan to kill two birds with one stone. (sorry birds) We knew the sale of the camper would be tough in this economy but God can make things happen if we turn it over to Him.

Here is a pict of camper.

The next few days were full of horse fun as the girls got "horse" spoiled with a trip to Doctor Darryl's farm and to the Traeger ranch. We are very grateful for the time and kindness of Darryl and Lori(and Becky) to give the girls some fun at the farm. We don't want them to get lost in all the busyness of this time of our lives. So we are extremely grateful for the special treatment they have given the horse crazy kids of ours. We got a few picts of the happy riders on Tarzan's Dude.

That little girl on top is Hope

Happy riders and the beautiful horse

That happy girl on top is Grace

This weekend was equally busy with 4 presentations at Shueyville United Methodist church. It was a productive day and it was great to share with our friends there what God is leading us to do. Following the last service we headed to Clear Lake for Mother's day and some more meetings.

The time with family and friends in Clear Lake was fun as Grace and Hope both ventured out on the bike trail and cycled with the big people. Grace was a very fast rider and Hope was determined to catch up to her, even with the training wheels holding her back a little. That tenacious 2nd child showed me the way we are to be for Christ. We are to keep pressing on and pushing harder and harder until we accomplish what He has put us here to do. Even though her big sister passed her and got back first, Hope kept a "can do" attitude and she never gave in. As the Bible says in Philippians 3:12-14,

12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Once again, Lance and I continue to learn from our girls and the Bible, we continue to press on and keep running this marathon before us. Satan would like to derail us from every angle but we keep staying the race. God is still providing for our every need and He promises that no weapon formed against us will prosper. (Isaiah 54:17 "no weapon forged against you will prevail")Please continue to pray for a hedge of protection around us and for strength to keep running.

We hope you are all having an exciting month as well. Enjoy the spring weather and keep pressing on for Him.

Never give in!

In His service, Lynn for the Anderson crew

May Praises/Prayer request and Updates

2009-05-01T06:45:00.001-05:00

Once again, I looked at the calendar and realized another month is almost passed by. It is hard to believe all that we have done this month and all the folks we have had the privilege of meeting. It has been amazing, to say the least. God is working in big ways to help us accomplish what He has set us out to do. The support raising is coming along and lots of prayers are being answered.

We have been on the road a lot this month. We took a trip to Green Bay for Easter. We made it in time to see Katie's team win their soccer game. After the game, Grace and Hope stormed the field and tackled Katie in the dirt. That was the highlight of the game for G and H. They also thoroughly enjoyed playing their own soccer game on the side of the field with Colleen and Aunt Re. We also celebrated Grace's birthday with family and had lots of fun. And staying at Gramma and Grampa's is always fun since there is always something going on.

The following week we went to DesMoines/Pleasant Hills to meet with Lance's family. Our time at Rising Sun church brought back lots of great memories of Lance's childhood. It was wonderful to spend time with the family and Lance's Sunday school teachers of his early years. Both trips were great. We got to meet with family and share hours of laughs with folks we don't see often enough.

Lance's parents stopped by this month on the way back to Iowa for the summer. The girls really enjoyed time with Gramma Sharon and Grampa Larry. They got to witness Grace putting the final touches on her feat to ride with no training wheels and also experience the tears of her kindergarten shots. That was painful to all of us and caught us off guard since she is one year from being a kindergartner, but that is another story. Hope liked having more people to show off her scooter skills and push her on the swing. It was a good visit.

This past weekend, we had the privilege of being interview before the congregation at our home church, Parkview. It was absolutely wonderful. We had been praying for such an opportunity and we are so grateful to the Mission's board and Sheldon Schroeder for making it happen. After the interview, we had a table set up so we could meet with folks and share with them what we will be doing and get more folks involved. The turnout of support was amazing. God blessed us richly on Sunday with many words of encouragement and well wishes as well as divine appointments that would not have happened without God's hand interceding. We need to give a special word of thanks to Linda and Chris for all their help through the day. You two are a huge blessing in our lives.

So now that I think we are done filling you in on the details of all we have been up to. I guess it is time to get those prayer requests updated.

Praises

Many divine appointments have occurred that we could not have arranged on our own. We are truly entering into His network and not ours. He is connecting us with the right people at the right time.

Many generous gifts have been pledged and the number of supporters continues to grow.

Parkview church is in the process of building their budget and we have received preliminary notice that they are close to finalizing financial support for us.

We are making progress on our support raising and we are now officially over 1/3 of the way to our goal. Yeah, God.

God lifts us up every time we start to slow down and He fills us up with new strength.

The girls are doing great and really getting used to the idea of moving and can almost recite our whole story if asked. The other day I asked Grace, "Where is Daddy going to work next?" Her answer, "Agape". Then I asked her "Why is Daddy going to work there?" Her answer, "Because God wants him to." From the mouths of babes, it could not be much clearer than that. Hope has made us an "Agape Song" which she sings at our meetings.

Prayer Requests

Please pray for continued strength as we keep running this marathon.

Please continue to pray for the sale of the house. The showings have slowed down so now it the time to pray for more traffic to get through the house and bring the right buyer through. This house belongs to God so we know the timing will be perfect for the sale of the house and support to be complete. Pray for us to have patience and watch Him work this out.

Please pray that more partners will join us with monthly/yearly support. We need to secure funds for this year and for the years to follow, so monthly/yearly supporter help us to know the funds for the future. One time gifts are also helpful but monthly/yearly support is what we need the most of.

Saturday, May 2nd is Swisher garage sale day and we will be selling lots more stuff. Please pray for great weather and a successful event.

On May 10th, we have the opportunity to share a Ministry Moment at the Shueyville United Methodist Church for each service. Please pray that God will open the hearts of the people who hear our story and create divine appointments with the people of SUMC.

Please pray for God to continue to open doors for relationships to be built and for stories to be shared. That is what makes this adventure so enjoyable. We love hearing the God stories of the people we meet and getting to share ours with them.

Please pray for our big items to sell. We have sold one ATV and are now working on the camper and other ATV.

Please continue to pray for our girls. Even though the little ones are starting to "get it", being on their best behavior for every meeting is getting to be hard. Please pray for them to have a gentle spirit and patience with us chatty adults.

As this adventure continues, we would just like to thank each of you for sharing this time with us. We are so grateful for all of you would read this blog and for those who lift us up in your prayers to the King. We are lifting all of you up in our prayers as well so please let us know of specific requests you have so we can join you at His throne.

This is a very busy time of year for many people, including ourselves, so let me leave you with one thought from Galatians 6:9 to remind you to keep going and never give in. "9Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." This is a hard race, so keep moving forward and keep pressing on for Him.

In His service,

Lynn, Lance, Grace and Hope

Happy Birthday Grace!!

2009-04-04T14:09:00.011-05:00

Even though most of this blog has been about the adventure God has given us, we can not forget that this is also about us as a family and today is a very special day in our family. Today we celebrate Grace's 4th birthday. Four years ago today, our lives were blessed with the birth of our first child. I won't get into the details of her birth but I will tell you she was a big girl. (overcooked by 10 days) 10 pounds and 22 inches long. Here are some of the photos of her first year...

Her first Packer outfit..

My favorite picture of Daddy and Grace, both in Arctic Cat gear.

The girl had lots of hair... I just couldn't stop playing with it.

Just hours after she was born....

Today, Grace is a very healthy and active girl. She loves to play horses, dollhouse, checkers, "baby school" and anything outside. She is learning to ride without her training wheels on her bike and can almost go the length of the driveway by herself. She loves preschool and her friends she sees twice a week. She is a great big sister and loves her baby sister (most of the time:). She adores her dad and takes every opportunity to get him involved in wrestling on the living room floor, aka "tickle touture". She is definetly my daughter as it can take her 10 minutes to tell you about one small thing that happened in her day. She loves roller coasters(w/dad), horseback riding(w/mom), water parks(w/ all of us) and carousels(w/Hope). She is quite a kid! She is our hugger and everytime we meet with friends she insists on sending them out with bunches of hugs.
Here are a few of her latest picts....

Look at the smiling girl in the 3rd car with her daddy...

Just like her dad, she loved her Arctic Cat snowmobile.... She was a crazy girl on this machine.

Playing "doll school" with Hope...

At the beach in Florida during our Agape visit...

Grace was the name we chose for her so we could always be reminded on the greatest gift God has ever given us. His grace is the greatest gift of all so we thought naming her Grace would be a constant reminder this gift.

We are in Green Bay for Grace's birthday this year so she will be getting the grand treatment from Gramma Rita and Poppy Dale for her special day. Not to mention extra attention from the aunts, uncles and cousins.

So, all there is left to say is "HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRACE! WE LOVE YOU!"

Happy Easter!

He is risen indeed!

In His service,

Lynn for the Anderson crew

April Prayer requests and Praises

2009-03-31T13:47:00.010-05:00

It's the first of the month and as promised I am updating our current prayer requests and praises. It has been a very busy month. As I sat in the classroom this morning across from Grace, I saw her very tired eyes and I realized...we have been going like crazy lately. I never even noticed how tired we all are getting until I looked at her this morning. It also made me think of what the Bible says about growing weary. Isaiah 40:29-31 says it best...
"29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." That is one of Lance and my favorite passages. It will be our theme as we press ahead through the next months. The Bible also says in Habakkuk 3:19 that ..."19GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places." These scriptures are the strength for the journey.

This month has included many individual meetings, letters, phone calls and small group presentations; as well as Bible studies, Perspectives classes, Financial Peace classes, house showings, and a tiling job for a friend. Like I said, we have had a full calandar. It has all been worth it though as we have met with many friends old and new. We have gained many partners and also watched God work in great ways. He opens doors we have not even knocked on, and lifts us up when to tasks seem too great. When we look at the finish line, we know that all this will be worth it. The chance to work for Him and increase His kingdom with our work at Agape Flights will be well worth this investment of our time and our efforts.

And now for those prayer requests and praises...

Praises

God has opened many hearts and is providing for more ministry partners every day.

Lance's parents have decided to walk on this journey with us and our supportive of our calling.

God continues to encourage us when the days get tough and long.

Items keep selling from the house, some that are not even advertised.

Relationships are continuing to grow and develop.

A particularily important one-on-one meeting with a fellow missionary took place this month that really encouraged us and refined what we are doing. That was a "God thing"

Prayer requests

Parkview Church is preparing their budget this month. Pray that they will see the value in our work with Agape and come on board with financial support.

Safe travels as we have many out of town appointments this month and a trip to Green Bay to be with family for Easter.

Parkview has given us the privilege of being introduced during the services. Please pray that the congregation will be open to hearing our story and individuals will be moved to support us.

The sale of our home. We know that God's timing is perfect so we are trusting Him to sell the home at the right time.

That God will open the doors to us to people outside of our network and into His network. We are now starting to work on referrals from friends and church members. God has amazing ways of connecting people. Please pray for our friends and the referrals they suggest to us.

Pray for our girls to remain patient with us as we continue meeting new partners. They have been really well behaved through all of this and we pray they will start to understand the meaning of why we are doing what we do. I think they are starting to "get it". The other day Grace said to us at supper, "Mom, we haven't shown ..... the Agape video yet? We really should show them, they need to see it." :)

Thanks so much for all the prayers and support you have each offered us. We are so grateful of your willingness to pray for us. Please let us know how we can pray for you also. We would love the privilege of lifting you up to the Father as well.

We hope you all have a blessed Easter. He is risen!!!

In His service, Lynn, Lance, Grace and Hope

Quotes from Perspectives Class

2009-03-11T15:25:00.007-05:00

Lance is currently attending the Perspective class at Grace Church and every week he comes back with some great quotes. This week we wanted to share with you some of the great quotes about missions he has heard.

Note: These are not exact quotes but rather paraphrased as fast as he could write.

Mary Slessor- Scotish Missionary

"Lord the task is impossible for me but not for thee. Lead the way and I will follow. Why should I fear? I am on a mission for the King."

William Carey- father of missions, pioneer missionary to India

"To know the will of God, we need an open Bible and an open map."

“Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God.”

“The future is as bright as the promises of God."

Hudson Taylor-missionary to China

"The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed"

"God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply"

Brad Buser-missionary to Papua New Guinea 20 years

"Christianity has turned upside down. 1980 years you Looked in the Word. Now, we look inside ourselves."

"If you are Living for your Dreams, you are living in Sin. Live for His Desires."

Lessons from the Road

2009-03-11T11:34:00.002-05:00

As the support raising marathon continues, we have been learning lessons every day. I thought I would take a minute to share some of our most important lessons with you.

1. Thank the Lord at all times.

We have experienced a lot of positive responses in our attempts to raise support and we have also experienced some negative responses. We are learning every day that we need to thank the Lord for both. We know ALL things come from Him and He is the one who is ultimately the provider of our support. We realize that some people will be called to financially support us, some will be called to prayerfully support us and some people will not be called at all. We will praise Him for each person we encounter on this journey and we will thank Him for each one of them. For only He knows the reasons of each person's heart and we trust that He will bring each person we need to contact into our path. We are grateful for each person who will hear our story and for each person who challenges us. The challenges only give us more time to honor and praise Him who we are working for. The opportunities to defend Him and His calling on our lives are our testimony.

2. When one door closes, another one opens.

God has been very faithful in this process. When we feel discouraged and start to get distracted, He opens a door we were never expecting to be opened. The other day, for example, after a disappointing meeting we were welcomed home by a friendly phone call which lifted our spirits and fed our souls back up. He has been surrounding us with incredibly supportive friends who are constantly encouraging us and helping us. And only God knows how the perfect timing of a phone call can be just what we need to keep us going. As it says in 1 Corinthians 10:13 "God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear." When we are tempted to get off track and allow situations to discourage us.... we know God will be faithful and pull us back on track. Everytime we have gotten into a situation that challenges us, God has been there to open another door and keep us in line.

3. The economy may change but Jesus is the same.

Hebrews 13:8 says "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." No matter what happens in this world, God doesn't change. Even though the news media wants everyone to believe that the economy is in the tank and big changes are going on in the world. The fact remains that God is the same and if you stay focused on Him and not the world, you will land on your feet and prosper. We have learned how to fully rely on Him through all of this and we are much stronger for it. Our prayer is that everyone can stay focused on Him and see His provisions in their lives as we have seen Him provide for us.

4. Prayer works.

Even though we have always believed in the power of prayer, the fact that we are seeing prayers answered everyday is such a reminder of its power. Since we have started posting our prayer requests and praises, we have just been watching the prayers be answered. We have such amazing prayer partners who are lifting us up and we are so grateful. God is listening to all of them and working them out one by one. In Mark 11:10, Jesus says, "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe you have received, and it will be yours." We are witnesses everyday to the power of prayer and we are so amazed at what He can do when we ask. I think sometimes we have just forgotten to be faithful and ask.

After considering all of these lessons, we also wanted to share with all how exactly the support building is going. We have been blessed with many, many prayer partners who have agreed to join us. We are so excited to have all of you on board. We have also had many folks who have agreed to financially join us. The exact numbers are hard to pinpoint because many commitment cards are still out. But for now, we have 16 financial supporters. The numbers are growing everyday, so we will keep you posted as we moving forward.

Many thanks to all of you who God has called to walk this journey with us. We appreciate each of you.

Never give in!
In His service, Lynn and Lance, Grace and Hope

March Prayer requests and Praise reports

2009-03-02T13:48:00.000-06:00

March Prayer requests and Praise reports

Since it's a new month I decided that today would be a good time to update our prayer list and praise reports. I am going to try and stay on a monthly schedule for now and update the lists on the 1st of every month. As needs arise, I will update the prayer requests and praises more often. Thanks to all of you on our prayer team. We appreciate you very much.

Praise reports.

We are all healthy again and feeling much better.
The parade of potential home buyers keeps going. We are having many showings of the house and are very excited about all the action. Sunday is an open house.
Meeting with support team members is going well. We are receiving a lot of encouragement and positive responses from the folks we have been meeting with.
Still selling lots of "stuff" If you need anything for your home or garage, give us a call and we'll make you a deal.

Prayer requests

Quick and easy sale of house
Our home church of Parkview will become a sponsor
Relationships will continue to grow as we meet with potential sponsors.
Patience as we run this marathon of team/support building and remembering this is not a sprint.
Our families, that they will come beside us and walk with us on this journey of faith
That the work of Agape will help spread the gospel and love of Jesus to many hunger and needy people
That our hearts will listen to God's leading and we will be obedient to His will and calling as we go through this process.
For our girls, that they will be patient with us as we make calls, stop to visit with friends and talk alot. In the end, we pray that their hearts and minds will be focused on Him and He will be their provider.

Thanks for all of you for lifting us up to the King. We appreciate you.

Also, thanks to Megan and Hannah for the fun "chicken playdate". The girls can not stop talking about our morning at the farm. :)

Never give in!

In His service, Lance, Lynn, Grace and Hope

Frequently Asked Questions

2009-02-25T10:01:00.000-06:00

FAQ
I am copying this blog from our friends Travis and Paul who headed out to the mission field one year ago. They suggested that I add a FAQ section to answer some of the questions that keep coming up to us. I have adapted some of the answers to match Lance and I’s journey but all of the information on Agape Flights is courtesy of Travis and Paul and their blog.

Thanks, Travis and Paul for walking this road ahead of us. We love you!

Q: Who and what is Agape Flights?

A: After hearing from missionaries in Haiti in 1980 about the need for dependable mail and delivery service, a group of friends in Bradenton, Florida gathered in Keith and Clara Starkey's living room to pray about a way to help. The result was Agape Flights. On November 15, 1980, Agape’s inaugural flight left the Sarasota-Bradenton Airport, bound for Cap Haitien. The small Cessna 411 was loaded with donated emergency supplies and mail for about 25 families. Today, for about 350 missionary families in Haiti and Dominican Republic, Agape Flights is a lifeline to family, friends, supporters and supplies. Agape Flights serves Christ by serving His missionaries on some of the most challenging mission fields in the world. Agape serves over 350 missionary families in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Agape’s regular weekly flight leaves Florida just before daylight each Wednesday morning, delivers missionary mail, packages, supplies and volunteers in four cities and returns to the U.S. on Thursday afternoon.Round trip flying time for each weekly flight in Agape’s Cessna Grand Caravan is 13 hours. Volunteers are the backbone of Agape. Every year, over 150 local volunteers donate over 7,000 hours to Agape. Missionary families donate 5,000 hours per year as they meet the plane, process supplies and people through customs and immigration, deal with airport, customs and other government officials and paperwork and organize and staff the distribution centers in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. During the last fiscal year, Agape received and distributed to missionaries and local organizations donated goods worth $740,000. The economic impact of Agape’s ministry in the local community exceeds half a million dollars each year.60% of Agape’s financial support comes from individuals in all 50 states and several foreign countries. 33% comes from churches and religious organizations and the balance from businesses and other organizations. Agape hosts volunteer mission teams from around the U.S. each year who spend their time working at the hangar and in other local ministries. Agape arranges short-term mission trips for individuals and groups to Haiti, the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas and other Caribbean countries. The plane lands in Cap Haitien, Les Cayes, Port au Prince, Santiago, Santo Domingo and Eleuthera.

Q: Where will you be living, working, and attending school?

A: We will be located in Venice, Florida. Agape is located at the Venice, Florida municipal airport. The offices are at the hanger, and all administrative and logistical activities occur there. I will work at the hanger. The children will attend a Christian preschool once we are settled and find the one that is closest to the house. There are several preschool options. Housing, school and work will all be within ten minutes travel time of one another.

Q: What will your work be at Agape?

A: Lance will be the IT Director for Agape Flights. His job description was something we got to create. It was fun to use all of the skills God has given him to serve this organization. Here is the job description we have arrived at:

IT Director/ Web Manager/ Facilities team member:

Maintain Agape's Small Business Server system
Support and revise as necessary Microsoft Access database for shipping and receiving and the Sage 50 fundraising software.
Finish requirements for new financial system and supervise the development of the new system.
Design new user reports.
Train and Support users with Microsoft products.
Assist as needed the missionary community with their computer/network issues.
Integrate new applications.
Manage the web page and oversee the Web Design team
Develop a Volunteer Database – interview and enter volunteers into the db.
Maintain the telephone system for Agape offices.
Work as needed on the Facilities management team when construction skills I have are needed.

Ministry Duties:

Assist Volunteer Coordinator by leading bible study small groups, counseling, or 1 on 1’s.
Lead groups to Haiti or DR when needed.
Assist Facilities Manager in the same way.
Minister to Agape staff
All other Duties as needed.

Core Values

INTEGRITY: "Conduct yourself in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ" (Phil. 1:27)
EXCELLENCE: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord" (Col. 3:23)
STEWARDSHIP: "The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it" (Psalm 24:1)
DIGNITY: "God created man in His own image" (Gen. 1:27)

Q: How long will you stay with Agape Flights?

A: This is a full time, permanent position. We do not envision an end to this service, and potential moves to other countries in cooperation with Agape Flights are possibilities.

Q: When do you plan on moving?

A: We have a target date of July 1, 2009. Two things must happen for us to move to FL. Our house must sell and we must build our financial support. We know God will make these things happen on His time but we have a goal for ourselves to have our part complete by July 1.

Q: What do you need from a supporter?

A: First and foremost we need your prayer. Please pray for guidance, and ears that will hear God when he speaks. We need your participation in the form of encouraging phone calls, emails, notes and the like. Visits and service trips are encouraged for all supporters. Our home is open to you. Finally, we need financial support from team members willing to partner with us on a monthly basis. We need to raise every dollar that we cost Agape Flights. (Medical insurance, employer and employee taxes, workers comp insurance, overhead costs. etc.) I will go over our detailed budget with you if you desire.

Q: How do we give?

A: Electronically from your bank account, credit card or on line at http://www.agapeflights.com/. We have pledge cards available with details for EBT’s (electronic balance transfers). Checks can be made out to Agape Flights (Anderson family in the memo) mailed to: Agape Flights 100 Airport Avenue, Venice, Florida 34285

New prayer requests

2009-02-21T15:02:00.000-06:00

As we begin on this journey we have many prayer supporters who have offered to lift us up in prayer. For all of them, here are our new prayer requests. We will update them as the need arises.

Anderson Family Prayer request
( 2/19/09 )
Quick healing for the girls from bad colds
Doors will open for us to build support
Quick and easy sale of house
Patience as we run this marathon of team/support building and remembering this is not a sprint
Our families, that they will come beside us and walk with us on this journey of faith
That our home church of Parkview will join us with support
That the work of Agape will help spread the gospel and love of Jesus to many hunger and needy people

Praise reports
House showings are coming in fast. There is a lot of traffic on the house sale.
We are continuing to have good business with selling household items
Many supportive friends have come alongside us to help
God has lead us to some very encouraging teachings about “going out” since we have started this process and it has fed our souls.

Thanks to all who are lifting us up in your prayers. We appreciate you.
Never give in!
In His service, Lance and Lynn

Why call this "Stepping out of the boat"?

2009-02-11T10:46:00.000-06:00

For the last 2 months Lance and I have struggled with the decision to go on this adventure. Even though we knew God has something planned for us, we didn't see right away that Agape was the way He wanted us to go. We prayed and waited until one day we decided that "stepping out of the boat" of our comfort zone was what He was asking us to do. We had never seriously considered the idea of going into the mission field. We felt that with being mission support was our role or even working for a mission organization. Afterall, we have two little kids and moving them into the mission field would never work, right?? God said "wrong". After praying about this decision for some time, we realized that everything we have done so far was preparing us for this move. We finally realized that it was time to step out and do what we thought could not be done. And it is true, we can not do this on our own, we are only capable to do this with His help. '"With God all things are possible."(Matthew 19:26) We have been questioned many times already on how we think we will raise support in this economy and in these times, but it is not up to us. That is up to God. We are only being asked to be obiedent and follow His call on our lives. He will create the funds, the house sale, and the logistics. We are to be His servants and His hands and feet and do as we are asked. So we will. We will face the challenge with confidence and keep our eyes on Him.

We also had to make this decision based on our faith in His timing. We were hesistant and questioned whether it was the right time. But at one point we decided that we needed to look at the scripture and learn from the lessons of others. When Jesus asked Peter to step out of the boat. Jesus wanted Him to step out now. Peter did not wait until God said, "Come when you are ready..." He said to Peter, "Come." (Matthew 14:29) If I was Peter I would have waited until the water was calm, but that is not what Jesus wanted. Jesus wanted Peter to trust Him now, in the moment. We believe that God wants us to trust Him now also. He wants us to step out during His timing, not ours. We would love to step out when our finances are solid and we have a way to finance ourselves but that would not be stepping out in faith of Him, that would be stepping out because of ourselves. We feel this His time for us and He is calling us now. With that in mind, we are ready to start what some think is "crazy", "impossible", and "are you nuts?".

With all that said, we are ready to "step out of the boat." Step out of the boat of our plans and our timing and trust Him. If we stay focused on Him, we will stay above the water and be safe. If we lose focus, we will fall like Peter. We also "step out of the boat" of our comfort zone and do something that is not familar to us. Raising support and reaching out to others for financing is not something we do easily. So we will be stretched as we accomplish this task. But in stretching, we will grow and we look forward to growing because we know the end result will be worth the work.
Never give in!
In His service, Lynn and Lance (Grace and Hope)

The beginning of the adventure

2009-02-10T19:23:00.000-06:00

Welcome to our blog. We have just started on an adventure of faith and we would love to share our story with anyone who wants to hear. But to start this adventure we have to start from the beginning. My husband and I are heading out to do mission work at Agape Flights in Florida but as we get started we need to let you know how this all came about.

Lance and I have received many blessings in our lives; physical healing, material possessions, friendships, family, children and a good home. In November of 2008, things changed in our world when Lance lost his job. This was a very interesting day in our home, despite the dire looks of our circumstance, we were joyful and confident. Because of our faith in the Lord and His timing, we knew this was opportunity not a challenge. We went to the Lord with expectant hearts and waited to see where God was leading us. As the job applications came and went, we realized that God’s ability to close corporate job doors was pointing us in the direction of doing His work. With a seed planted the previous summer by our neighbors we allowed God to show us to Agape Flights where we learned all of Lance’s previous job/computer skills were needed to support His missionaries in the fields. God is challenging us through this experience to step outside our comfort zone in many ways, but we feel that when we are stretched is when we grow the most. We have placed this entire situation in His hands and we are doing our best to complete the task He has set before us. We know that none of this is possible without Him so we are watching Him work and listening to His calling in our lives as we move closer to Him and we enter deeper into His service.

We hope you will all join us on this adventure. We are so excited and we can't wait to see what God has in store for us. So if you are up for a little adventure and like to see what God can do...just stay tuned and prepare to be amazed.

Never give in!
In His service, Lynn and Lance