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October Internship Report – Casey and Michelle Jacobs (Eva, Micah, Josh, and Jonah)

October Internship Report – Casey and Michelle Jacobs (Eva, Micah, Josh, and Jonah)

Published September 28, 2017

Emmanuel Baptist Church, Toledo, Ohio

Casey

Ministry Highlights

Planning and organizing a fundraiser for the Togo Medical Missions Project was a great learning experience as well as a huge success! We raised over $3,000 to help cover the costs of our upcoming ministry opportunity in Togo, West Africa. I was blessed to see God’s people step up and get things done as they helped to plan and prepare a Spaghetti Luncheon for over 250 people. Leading and delegating to others was an area I needed to grow in and God helped to see how empowering people to accomplish tasks in ministry requires that we give them freedom with accountability. I was greatly encouraged to see God’s people utilizing their spiritual gifts and to see the body of Christ working together.

Earlier this month our church’s small group ministry got started up again after a summer break. It has been a joy to see our group grow and to see new relationships begin to develop.

Key Prayer Requests

Prayer for final details of the Togo Medical Missions Project. We are still waiting for our Visas and for the final amount of financial support to come in. Pray for safety during our trip and for blessing as we serve alongside of the medical missions team at the Karolyn Kempton Memorial Christian Hospital.

Pray for wisdom and balance as I work to finish strong these last few months.

Pray for wisdom and guidance in future ministry.

Pray for Michelle and the kids as I will be overseas for 16 days.

Pray for continued witness at the hospital, several opportunities for biblical counseling have come up.

Pray for spiritual growth as an under-shepherd of Christ.

Prominent Lessons

Over the past few weeks I have been blessed to work with a number of people interested in promoting one of my upcoming Togo Medical Missions Project. I say this has been a blessing because these several ladies at the church, when presented with the idea, have taken the ball and ran with it. I have served as counsel and provided some direction, but they have been organizing and planning, recruiting help, and preparing to serve this meal to benefit this project. As I have been observing, it is clear to me that these women have a heart for the Lord and they have been equipped to serve him. It is a blessing to a pastor, and the church, when God’s people understand and exercise their spiritual gifts. It is important as shepherds then, to make sure that people understand what their gifts are and then empower them to use them in serving the Lord. This is God’s work, but our responsibilty. In this situation, I was blessed to receive the fruit of someone else’s labor in equipping the saints to do the work of the ministry. I learned that I should go and do likewise, not for my own benefit, although the Lord may bless in that way, but for the building up of the body of Christ.

One of the unforeseen blessings of planning this Medical Missions Project to Togo has been a connection that I have made with a RN in our congregation who is the liason for medical missions donations for a major hospital network here in Toledo. Through this connection we have been able to link up with ABWE’s medical procurement director and have already begun to channel specific medical supplies and equipment to the mission agency for distribution to its many missionary hospitals worldwide. What a blessing this has been!

In addition to serving in this way, Mike has a job with another healthcare system which does not look as favorably on missions as the other. They would much rather throw things away than donate them to a good cause. Well, on Sunday Mike came up to me with a dilemma and shared with me how a group of people at work were willing to “load up his van” with these supplies intended for the trash. Mike was uncertain about what to do. The things being offered were good quality and in demand, but the manner in which he was to receive them violated the authority of his employer. The temptation to serve the greater good vs. doing the right thing was a difficult one.

I encouraged Mike with the reminder that God was already providing for us an abundance through the other hospitals and that acquiring these things in a wrong way was not the right thing to do. He agreed. I also added, the possibility of him losing his job over this would not be a good testimony for the church or of Christ. God proves himself faithful over and over, we should trust that he will continue to do so. Lastly, I encouraged Mike that perhaps his refusal to accept these things and explanation as to why might be a powerful witness to these co-workers that are trying to help him.

I learned from this experience that our people experience all kinds of temptation and that the devil will use any opportunity to tarnish our testimony. Even in a seemingly helpful way, we can be tempted to do things that are not pleasing to God. Deception, theft, under-handed dealings are not the way of God’s children who are called to walk in the light.

About a week ago a co-worker announced at work that her youngest son Brady was recently diagnosed with a very aggressive and rare form of cancer.

It was clear to all how tragic this news really was. Within a day she took a leave of absence and rushed her son over to the Cleveland Clinic where they immediately began more testing and started chemotherapy and radiation. The people at work have been shocked once again as cancer has hit close to home. We have seen 4 co-workers die of cancer in the last 5 years. So needless to say, our department has been having a tough time dealing with this again, especially as we see it affect the life of one of our children.

In many ways I am like the ‘unofficial’ pastoral care counselor in the surgery department and God has used my witness, testimony, and theological training to serve these people in times of need. In the past week I have been dealing with real life questions such as: Why would God allow a child to get cancer? How would you (being a Christian) deal with this kind of news if it was your child?

This has been a real challenge, but also a tremendous blessing to be able to speak the truth of God’s Word into their lives at this delicate and fragile moment. Having discussions, real candid conversations with unbelievers about why we have things like death, cancer, hurricanes, and the like. In every instance I have conscientious of God having appointed me for such a time as this. In the process I have been able to share the Gospel a number of times and have been able to speak of Christ and his provision for life’s greatest problem, sin.

Having these opportunities, and the training to deal with them pastorally, has really give me pause to consider the mission field God has already put me in. I’m learning that I should worry less about where God might send me and focus more on how He might use me where I’m at. Working bi-vocationally has shown me how great the need is for Christians to have a presence and a voice in our secular culture. Real life ‘spiritual’ medics in the battleground of life. I’m thankful that God continues to use me where I’m at, perhaps He already has me where He wants me.

Key Goals for the Next Month

Go to Togo! Complete the Togo Medical Missions Project by serving there from 10/20 to 11/6.

Finish writing the Discipleship Curriculum for our church.

Begin preparations for my last two Applied Bible Analyses.

Explore the opportunities available within the hospitals Pastoral Care department.

Michelle

Ministry Highlights

In September, I started a women’s study on “Adorned” by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth.  Originally, 6 ladies my age were going to attend but once I started reading the book, I realized that inviting some older ladies was advised.   I am thankful for God’s leading in this and as I chose to be a prepared leader and started reading it before the study began, there was enough time for me to invite those older ladies.  God is teaching me to be prepared and think through how our discussion would go and how I should challenge the group.  This is His study so I need to keep going to Him for wisdom and guidance.  The first week or two I was experiencing some anxiety about leading, feeling weak and inadequate but as I choose to rely on God each week through prayer and trusting Him, He has strengthened me and humbled me, which is a great place for a leader to be!  This study has been a huge blessing to me as well as the ladies attending.  In fact, one lady’s husband came up to me in church Sunday and said how blessed his wife has been because of this study and that it has been refreshing to her.  Praise the Lord that He can use a weak and needy sinner like myself!

Moms Matter started up again this month.  My continued desire is to be an encouragement for the servant team.  They are in the early stages of motherhood and are often discouraged.  Since I am not too far removed from that stage, I can easily relate to their cries for help and am trusting God to equip me and to help me be intentional about building into these young moms.

Soul Care started up as well.  We have the exact opposite problem we had last year.  We have a very full group and are excited to see how God uses it in our lives as well as those attending.  I’m sure there are challenges that come with a large group but we are thankful for it.

I already mentioned the Bible study I am facilitating on Thursday mornings at my house.  This has been an amazing growing experience.

Key Prayer Requests

We need wisdom for our future after internship.  Pray that God would guide us to where He wants us to be and that we would finish this internship well, despite all the challenges we have faced.

Pray that I would continue to trust God for strength in the ministries He has put me in.  I often feel inadequate.  Also that I would trust Him for the results, as I do my part, that I can trust Him to do His part.

Time management – pray that I would continue to work on balancing priorities and ministries, remembering that my home comes before ministry to others.

I am teaching another Coffee & Canvas event in November and need wisdom on what message to give to the ladies and then find a painting that reflects it.

Prominent Lessons

God is still teaching me the same lessons…

Keep persevering even when I don’t feel like it.

Prayer is vitally important to living the Christian life.  We need to prayerfully depend on the Spirit of God to accomplish His plan.

I am so thankful for God’s immeasurable and unending grace!!!

Key Goals for the Next Month

Start meeting with Ellen Snyder.

Being intentional with who God puts on my heart to minister to.

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