Sharing my heart

I’m writing to you today to share my heart with you. I know there are some of you that are honestly wondering why in the world did we get rid of all our stuff, sell our home, and leave all our friends and even our families. Why go to another country? Can’t you serve God in Texas? How did we get involved with The Brook Ministries? Could it be that you were trying to get away from a job you didn’t like? Were you just looking to retire?
These are all good questions. I just thought it would be good to lay it all out because I feel that many are wondering and I hope that by clarifying some things, that you will take a hold of the vision that God has a hold of us.
Now, Pastor Steve Lucas is the director and he was the first one that God gave the vision to. I remember hearing about The Brook Ministries and remember thinking how awesome a ministry it would be. At the same time, I was planning a trip to Costa Rica to go on a Medical Massage Certification program. I ended up in a tent for ten days all by myself and had extensive time to pray, read my bible, and hear from the Lord. The Lord put in my mind and in my heart a spiritual connection to the body of Christ in Costa Rica. How I understood the Holy spirit speaking to my heart, was that the body of Christ was made up of many parts and that I had a part to play, & that some parts of the body needed some tender care and mostly that the body of Christ needed one another. I had a fresh stirring within me and an expectation that God was doing a new work in me and I couldn’t pinpoint what that would look like. I didn’t know that when I returned home from that trip, things were going to change pretty rapidly.
When Pastor Steve approached my husband Steve about him possibly being involved with the ministry, it was as if Jesus said “Follow me.” I’ve been married to Steve for almost 30 years and I can honestly say that this has been the desire of his heart for many years. It was as if God opened the flood gates and released his purposes for him after waiting for this his whole life. From all our past experiences and up until the present time, the gifts, our personalities, & talents that the Lord has given to us, is a perfect fit with the vision of The Brook Ministries. This is not about us, but a perfectly fit plan that was already set in place.
The ministry of The Brook Ministries gets us excited because we are a part of something God is using to strengthen His church! We are a part of something bigger than ourselves! We get excited at the opportunity to serve pastors and their wives who give so much of themselves to God’s people. We want & will provide for them opportunities for physical renewal, a time of restoration to renew their souls, a time to renew their relationship with their spouse, a time to make new friends, and time to relax with no demands, distractions, or commitments. We all know how important it is to our well being to take care of ourselves. The battles we face as Christians are in the mind, the physical body, & in our emotions. We must take care of our leaders to grow healthy churches. Healthy churches go beyond just inside their own doors. They go refreshed in God’s power to share his love, his grace, and his word to this world who desperately need it. It’s about saving lives. That’s what the vision is all about! We are passionate about being missionaries for building God’s kingdom. This is our part in this life He has given us. We are not wasting time, but providing a time for those to make the most of it so they can be the most for God. And ultimately that’s what we want. We want to give to God the time He has given us and do the most good with what He has given us to do.
That’s why we have left everything. All we have is right now and we are getting on with making a difference for His kingdom. Now, I ask you…..boldly…..will you help us? You are part of the Body of Christ. We need your support in this. We are excited as the next two conferences for Latin American Pastors is fast approaching on Oct 18th thru the 23rd. It costs us $500.00 for a couple to attend and we invite 15 couples to each conference. In 2011, we have scheduled nine Latin American Pastors Conferences and two U.S. Pastors Conferences scheduled for January & June. We have a full schedule and lots of work to do to prepare.
Just as we can’t do this without the Lord leading us, we can’t do this without you. Will you pray and support us with a monthly donation of $20.00-$25.00? That’s all we are asking for. If you can give more that is good. We want you to be a part of our team , to take hold of the vision that is changing lives. Humbly I say, there is nothing more valuable than God’s creation walking in the freedom of their creator. Will you take hold of that and plant it in your heart and give out of the abundance he has stored up in you?
I have another idea of a way to support the ministry by getting others involved with your efforts. Maybe at your job you receive tips from your clients. You could set aside $5 for each tip you receive & collect it and send it to us at the end of the month. You could possibly raise your rates by $5 or $10 and tell your client you are donating the increase to the ministry. They could match it with an additional tip!
There is opportunity for you to pray during the conferences as well as getting involved in our “Vacation with a Purpose.” Check The Brook website for information and to make an automatic monthly donation go to www.thebrookministries.org. I also have a blog www.kellyezell.blogspot.com that I post about living life here in Atenas, Costa Rica.
Please let us know if we can answer any questions you might have about our ministry and how we can serve & pray for you. Again, thank you for your financial support and prayers to this ministry.
Will you do it now? The need is great….and great is the need!
Blessings in Christ,
Kelly & Steve