"This will be easy!".......Said nobody ever!

     "Nobody ever said it would be easy!"  Do you know how many times I have heard this? 

     Today we had an amazing outpouring of love and support from our community at our Walking Taco sale.  The generosity of people and kind words carry us through and keep us lifted in this journey.  Nobody will ever understand how much that means because this is such an emotional roller coaster.  You see we honestly feel like this is not a "choice" for us to move and serve.  Because if it was a choice.....we would probably have changed our minds a hundred times by now. 

     Brian and I both have been blessed with amazing families that we are going to miss SO much.  Our daughters Tyler and Sydney are staying in the U.S.  We are leaving jobs that are literally a part of who we are.  We have so many people telling us we are great at what we do and are going to be missed.  Do you know how hard it is to walk away from family and that kind of love, praise, security and appreciation???  

     After we came home today and relaxed for awhile.  My nephew Keegan began to say his goodbyes to me since he is flying to Guatemala tomorrow to spend the summer with is family that is serving there.  He started to walk away and said, "Aunt Jenny....When am I going to see you again?"
I stood dumbfounded.  I've been so busy with all the plans I hadn't even thought that it may be a long long time.  My other nephew (Keegan's brother) Travis is getting married near Seattle, Washington this fall.  I am praying that I can afford to at least have me fly out to attend his wedding. 

                So you are right "Nobody" THIS ISN'T EASY!"

But again.....Brian and I both know this is not a choice for us.  We firmly believe that we were not put on this Earth to live for our own comfort.  We were made to live our lives for Jesus.  Not to acquire more and more but to GIVE more and HELP more. 

If this was a choice ....trust me I would choose to stay right where I am ....close to my adult children that I could see whenever I want, work at the school where I am "Nurse Jenny" and have people boost my ego about how nice I am, we could see our families all the time and especially for holidays and weddings, we could control how much money we make and spend on any given day, we could hang out with our friends.......I could go on and on.

So we choose the HARD path....but the right path for us.  Because easy isn't always right, living for our own comfort isn't what God had planned.  He designed us to be His hands and feet. 

How can I worry about my comfort when there are so many who live like this?  And as a funny side note....I googled,  "Bible verses about living comfortably" You want to know what it said????  No bible verse exists on this subject.  No surprise there....but yep.....confirmation. 

 

James 2:14-17                    

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

So once again.....we still need monthly support.  You see our effort, sacrifices and willingness.  You see our desire to show God's love and bring hope for the hopeless.  We need from you prayers, encouraging words and monthly support.  We have a long way to go.  We literally raise 100% of our living expenses.  We have been blessed with lots of donors but still need monthly commitments so we have that security to rely on while we serve.  We understand that giving $25, $50, $75, etc monthly is a sacrifice.  We will continue to pray for God to give us all the strength. He will take care of us when we take care of all of His treasures.

If you feel you can make this sacrifice to help us further God's kingdom please click on link on upper right hand side of this page under the yellow Go MAD Ministry sign and follow instructions.  Thank you....and God bless you for blessing others.

Philippians 4:19                    

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

20 Reasons You Should Support A Missionary

 

 

20 Reasons why you should partner monthly with us:

1.  Because it's Biblical.
2.  Because you would have just bought somethings silly with that money and possibly have felt guilty.....we are saving you that anguish.
3.  Because you will be blessed more than you can imagine.
4.  Because it is better to give then to receive.
5.  Because you have been wondering what to do with all you extra money.
6.  Because it's a tax write off. 
7.  Because what if it were you who needed help and you waited and waited for someone to help?
8.  Because you want to really STRENGTHEN your faith....ain't no better way then to trust God with your finances.
9.   Because it's a GREAT example for your children.
10.   Because....We NEED you!
11.  Because it's important to God.
12.  Because you can truly Make A Difference.
13.  Because you are tired of hearing me ask for partners!  ;) 
14.  Because we want YOU on our team.
15.  Because you like us...you really like us!  And you believe that God will use us.
16.  Because it takes senders and goers.
17.  Because we believe in this so much.
18.  Because you have known somebody that has been exploited in their lives and would like to join the fight.
19.  Because there is nothing better than seeing a life changed and you knowing were behind it.
20.  Because we want to tell all the people in the Dominican Republic about all the people that love them so much they sent us to tell them how much God loves ALL His people!!!



We have approximately 77 days until we move and we know God can work miracles.  We still need a huge amount of monthly supporters.  No matter what the amount or which reason you related to above....it all goes to glorify God's kingdom. 

www.gomadministries.com  Click on Make a Donation.  Go to drop down box 'Program Designation' and choose Brian and Jenny Bland. 

Matthew 28:19–20

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with youi always, to the very end of the age.”j

I want....I want....I want!

  Most of us as kids would have temper tantrums at some point in our lives and yell, "I want____" (fill in the blank).  I want it ....I want it ....I want it!!!!!  As we grew we stopped having temper tantrums but we as a whole haven't grown out of the, "I want" stage.  What I have noticed about myself in my journey in faith is that my "I wants" have changed.  But sometimes....I want to have a tantrum because I want these so very badly!

I WANT all children to have a safe home.
I WANT all people to have food....every single day.
I WANT people on House Hunters to stop complaining about not having a big enough closet.  I want them to just stop buying things they don't need!!!
I WANT quality heath care for everybody.
I WANT us to give to needy BEFORE we give more to ourselves.
I WANT children to keep their innocence and not be used as sex slaves.
I WANT all God's children to TRULY LOVE each other.
I WANT everyone to have an education so they have a choice in what kind of work they can do.
I WANT EVERYBODY TO HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS!!!
I WANT us to treat people how we want to be treated.
I WANT all of us to work together as "senders and goers".
I WANT people to teach their children that true happiness is giving to other's NOT receiving want they want for themselves.
I WANT to get my way on everyone of my wants!  :)

Why I am going to miss my life in Le Roy!

 

As we get ready to load up the van tomorrow and head to O'Hare I thought this post was worth a re-run. 

     

     The fondest memories we will take with us of our "Life In Le Roy" for the past 13 years.

Beautiful pictures that will forever run through my head -

 My children jumping on the trampoline in our backyard with all the neighbor kids.  The laughter, static hair and remembering Taryn breaking her arm.  (Thank you Kim for not suing!)

 Maddie at age 2 running down the street naked as can be and all the neighbors out watering their flowers and laughing at me in my flip flops try to catch up with her.  And at age 3 when she couldn't find her sister's when they were on the front porch and she took off out the back door and ran a few houses down and began knocking on doors.....thank you Linda for bringing her home!

 So many ballgames, softball, basketball, baseball, volleyball, cheering at football, watching and listening to the marching/pep bands.

 The bunnies we would find in the yard and try to raise.

 Going to the swimming pool....riding bikes.

 Friends that got me going back to church....Life Saving Decision!!!!!

Going to the Princess Theatre where my Mom went when she was a little girl.

  Parades, parades and more parades.  Playing bells at the library.

   Le Roy Fall Festival!!!!!

 All the amazing teacher's that loved, taught, nurtured and help me raise my children to be the wonderful people they are!

 All my friends that I know I could call and in an instant and they would be there for me.

 Best veterinarian and staff ever....Dr. Bane and girls!

 The football camps, cheer camps, golf camps, volleyball camps, church camps, brownies, girl scouts.

 The musicals....oh the musicals!  I will miss watching my kids perform....those were truly SPECTACULAR!  Thank you Mary!

 Band concerts, chorus concerts, plays.  Thank you Bridgette!

 People helping when we took in our 3 foster kids and needed beds, clothes and toys to make them feel loved and like they truly belonged. 

 The closeness of the community when disasters stuck our town.

 The homecomings, the proms, the graduations and award ceremonies.

 Roma Ralph's pizza and for employing the girls!

 Trick or Treating!

 Going to the IGA and Dollar General and always seeing friendly faces. 

 The short lines in the drive-thru's. 

 Only ONE stop light!!!

 The safety of my children walking wherever they need to go. 

 The Cross Guards who kept my kids safe and SMILED and WAVED....every....single....morning without fail!  You ROCK Dixie, Linda and Kathy!

  All the people who have supported us by hosting fundraisers, garage sales, donated items to raise money, given us platforms to share about our ministry, churches who loved, supported and prayed for us, friends who gave us rides, apartments, TJ for letting us wear out our welcome, neighbors who came to our rescue and tons of families that trusted me to take care of their kids at school.

 Raising my family in Le Roy was one of the best decisions in my life.  We have TRULY been blessed.  I will never forget the feeling of living in a small town full of big hearted people. 

 I will take the warmth and love that I have been given and share it with the children that long for that feeling of safety, protection and the knowledge that people will step in and help them at any given moment. 




 "Living in a small town...is like living in a large family." - Jenny Bland :)

Perspective

 

 I woke up and did a load of laundry this morning in my bargain $25 washing machine after ours broke down!  It proceeded to flood all over the floor because it didn't detect when it was full.  As I mopped the floor I cried and thought,  "Why me????"  I'm trying to save every last penny for our call to missions.  Why does everything have to go wrong when I'm trying so hard to do good.  And then it hit me as if someone slapped me up side the head....A friend just posted about "Perspective" because today is Good Friday!  Jesus came to live among us and do good and what did we do?  We tried Him, beat Him, tortured Him and crucified Him.  He accepted this so that we could live a life of forgiveness.  So forgive me Father for pitying myself when there are so many in this world without a 1/8 of the luxuries that I live with. 

And a remarkable side note.....as soon as I stopped crying and realized that I have a personal Savior that loved me enough to die for me.....Brian noticed that a part had come unplugged that caused it to overflow. He plugged it back in and it works beautifully.  So thank you Jesus for blessing me when I remember to give my life to you!

"No Fear In Missions" by Sydney Bland

      My sweet daughter Sydney wanted to encourage me after my last post.   She wrote this paper for her Social Work class.  I couldn't be more proud if I tried!  I am one blessed Mama!

 

The other day I was laughing with a few friends about the things we used to be afraid of.  My biggest fear when I was five was E.T.  The little alien who simply wanted to make it back home had me absolutely terrified.  Cruelly, my parents got me the movie for my fifth birthday and I hid through the entire film.  Recently I have been thinking of how my fears have changed over the years, going from E.T. to going to the orthodontist, to entering high school, to having to leave high school, to growing up and learning how to walk in God’s path.  But a fear that has been drawing more of my attention is one that is not my own, but belongs to my parents.

            My parents decided about a year and a half ago that they would quit their jobs and go into the mission field.  They have notified their jobs, sold our house, and have been accepted as full time missionaries in Go MAD (Make A Difference) Ministry.  There they will be helping to run a health clinic at a school and working with sex trafficking slaves.  One would think their biggest fear for all of this might be safety, financial support, or leaving behind their old lives,  but recently the biggest one they have been fearful of is having our friends or family turn their backs on them.  While many people have been fully encouraging and uplifting, there are also quite a few that do not agree and that have not been afraid to share that with my parents.  Needless to say, not having the support of some close friends and relatives has been very difficult on them.  I did not understand why anyone would not be supportive of their listening to and obeying God, and I quickly realized that the only way to know how to handle this situation would be to turn to God.

            God has placed 1 Thessalonians 2:4 on my heart lately.  In the New Living Translation this reads, “For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News.  Our purpose is to please God, not people.  He alone examines the motives of our hearts.”  This passage has brought joy to my heart.  In this I have seen three truths as to why we should not be fearful to follow God’s call into missions, or of other people’s objecting words.  These are because God trusts us with His message, we are working for God, and lastly because God knows our hearts.

            The first truth that God trusts us with His message is both extremely joyous and overwhelming when first heard.  God’s message is the greatest news we will ever here.  The One who is of highest power, who created the earth and everything in it, has not only conquered death through His beloved son, but has made it so we never have to be apart from Him.  God has the victory and loves us, and has sent His Spirit to live with us and guide us.  Nothing we ever hear will be able to beat this.  Not only has God told us this, but He trusts us with this message.  God calls us and commands that we tell the world of the best news we have ever heard.  Psalm 96:3 says “Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples!” It is God’s plan for us to spread this message like fire.  Hearing that we are God’s plan can seem very intimidating at first, until we remember that God will guide us.  His Spirit is with us, so we need to remember that it is God working in us to complete His task.  That is the only way we are able to accomplish it.  When God calls us to missions He is not only trusting us with His precious message, but is fully equipping us to deliver it.

            The second truth that we are working for God is very applicable in our daily lives.  The verse says that it is our purpose to please God, not people.  This should come as a huge relief.  So often we put our worth into pleasing others, especially as a young female.  One of the last things we would want to do is upset someone or have someone not like us.  But this passage states it pretty clearly that making sure others are happy with us is not what is important.  I have found that a great majority of the time when we please God we end up pleasing others as well, but God wants the focus on Him.  Jesus tells us that our most important commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  He calls this the first and greatest commandment, then tells us the second is to love your neighbor has yourself.  While Jesus is not disregarding the importance of others, He shows us that still God is greater.  We are to love people, but listen to God’s voice above theirs.  We need others to partner with us as God’s Kingdom and to pray for us constantly, but ultimately God is our authority.  This means that, without a question, our call to missions from God should be trusted and obeyed over other people’s doubts or offending words.

            The last truth that we see in 1 Thessalonians 2:4 is the truth that God knows our hearts.  Our God is all knowing, more-so than we could even imagine.  God knows the motives of our hearts, and that means that only He has the ability to judge our actions.  We do not have to be fearful of other’s thoughts or opinions, because they do not know our hearts like our God does.  Other good news that goes along with God knowing our hearts is that this means God knows what we are capable of.  He will never send us into anything that we are not able to handle, or that we are not able to handle without His help.  When applying this to God sending us as His messengers, ultimately this truth should leave us fearless.  God will equip us when He sends us to spread His message.

            If anyone has any doubts about obeying their call from God to missions, I sincerely hope this verse would clear that up for them.  God has given us the greatest news of His victory and trusts us to tell the world of it, expanding His Kingdom to the ends of the earth.  He tells us that we only need to focus on pleasing Him, because He is our King.  All the while God lets us see that He completely knows us, making it so we can put our full trust in Him.  No matter if God is sending us across the country or calling us to stay and serve in our own community while praying for those going afar, we can put our complete faith into the plan that God has for us.  We can be fearless in doing the work of our God.  No fear of ours’ or anyone else’s can prevent the spread of God’s Kingdom.

           

FRUSTRATED!!!!

 
 Please Jesus help me understand! Give me the right words....Give me strength to smile, walk away and pray for the judgmental comments of other's.  Help me only see myself as YOU see me!


    I do not see how people sit in church and listen to scripture after scripture and then tell my family that we shouldn't move and that we should stay here and help "our own".   I totally want to vomit when I hear the words "our own"!  We are ALL God's children.... aren't we????  I don't know about you but I don't remember filling out a questionnaire before I was born asking me my preference on what country I would like to live in!  And by the way....I love the United States and all of our agency's and churches that are helping in this country although it's not perfect....our basic needs are WAYYYYYYYYYY better off that 3/4 or more of the world. 

I recently had someone say right in front of my children, "You shouldn't leave, you are so loved and respected and safe here.  There.... you will probably get a gun pointed at your head."   

SERIOUSLY????  

 I have to say I have never walked up to somebody and gave them my opinion on where they should work, who they should or shouldn't help AND place fears into their children's heads!!!! 

You will also NEVER hear me say that I think you are wrong for staying here and not moving overseas.  Everybody has their roles and it's their personal relationship with Jesus that will answer your own calling on who to disciple to.

No where in the Bible does Jesus say, "Stay warm and comfy and safe in your home.  Do not trust me to take care of you....lean only on yourself to meet your needs." 

What the Bible DOES say is:

James 2 14-17
<sup>What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.



The Bible also does not say, "Only take care of people in your own country and let them know about my love of specific people."

It actually says:</sup>

Matthew 28:19-20

¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Mark 16:15   
And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.


I know I am not going to solve the world's problems by myself, but if I can open a few eyes along the way to aiding what I consider my brothers then I will say to my God one day, "My faith in you was the best thing I could show them."