Clay Pots ~ Christmas 2010

People... we say that they are priceless and valuable, we invest in them, we have profitable or unprofitable conversations with them, sometimes our relationships go bankrupt or we perceive that we received no return on our investment in them. I was reading "Blue Like Jazz" by Donald Miller. In one of the last chapters in the book, the author wrote about Christian love. His point was that we often use our love like a commodity... like money. I stopped to think about this and realized that unconsciously, at times, I did view people as a place where-in to invest my love. And if, perhaps, that investment did not produce a good return (of course, this is in my own estimation of what a good return means), then I would be tempted to remove my deposits of love and place them elsewhere where there would be a good return.

As I mulled on this for awhile, I came to the conclusion that that type of response is human reasoning and human love. It is also a lot of work with not much joy involved. Godly, gospel driven love, however, is not an investment, it is a gift. God loved me, a terrible wretched sinner, so much, that he gave his only Son to me for free. And he gave his only Son to the whole world, out of which there are some that would accept and others who would not. But I don't believe that God looked at His Son's death as an investment; it is a free gift because he loves and appreciates and yearns for all people (regardless of who they are or their backgrounds or what they have done) to be in joyful communion with him. The difference between Godly love and human love is that he does not withdraw his love from those who do not respond.

So as I prepare for Christmas just like all of you, I am struck anew this year with the incredibleness of God the Father's gift of unconditional love and grace upon me. Whether I would have responded or not responded to his loving gift of salvation through Jesus Christ made no difference to him... it is unconditional, and he would have given the gift of the baby born in a manger either way because he loved me. And this is true of all of us. Knowing this makes me feel special and privileged, but at the same time, humbled by the fact that he did this for each and every person on this planet. But what breaks my heart is that this planet is full of people who do not yet know that there is a gift of salvation waiting for them from a loving Heavenly Father. Thus his love motivates me to joyfully love my neighbor in word and deed, and not withdraw it if I don't get a good return on my investment.

May the remembrance of the Christmas story bring joy, peace, and hope to you.
Peace,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, and Malachi Knapp

Clay Pots ~ news

The turned over ground

For our Monday night listener's club, Paco and I are attempting to structure some English lessons for beginners that will be productive, challenging, independent of other lessons, practical, entertaining, and interactive so as to open up the doors to a deeper relationship with the ones who we are working with. Not necessarily easy, but this is the niche we find ourselves in. "Why would you come up with your own lessons?", you ask. Well, because our structure on Monday nights is not a classroom setting; instead, it is built around conversation. So we are tailoring the lessons to lend to conversation and interaction. The attendees are loving it. They love to come every week and practice their English and learn more. The members of the basics group enjoy laughing with each other and learning new things each week. The more advanced groups are able to delve into some deeper conversations about life, culture, beliefs, and many other things. This has been a very encouraging time.

Another very exciting development: Pastor Mario Navarro is hosting a one hour a week Spanish radio program starting on December 13th. His program will air from 7:00-8:00 on Monday mornings on AM1460, if you would like to tune in. This will be a great time for the Word of God to go out, in Spanish, to our community. Please pray that many will tune in and that it will be successful in ministering to the spiritual needs of the Latino community. Praise God for Mario's heart and for those who have encouraged him and donated already to make this a possibility. If anyone would feel moved to donate to Mario in order to sustain this ministry long term, please contact me.

The ground for the garden plot was turned over a few weeks ago! Praise God! We are one step closer to seeing this ministry go forward. Paco and I are planning on getting together this next week and designing and printing flyers and promotional materials for the gardens so we are ready come the middle of this winter when we want to get the word out. Be in prayer that this will meet just as many spiritual needs as it does physical needs.

Christmas is right around the corner. We pray that all of us remember the meaning of the incarnation and how we can model God's love to those around us.

Peace,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, and Malachi Knapp

A lot... for Free?

Sight of our home-to-be on West Ave. in Waukesha

Our family's request to God over the past months has been to own our own home. To us, that seemed like an outrageous request. Jason and I have lived either in mission apartments, rental homes, or bush houses ever since we have been married. For us, there was never a sense of permanence or stability, which inherently comes with the missionary status. It was unsettling to see a "for sale" sign go up in front of our rental home this past month and we knew that our kids just can't go through another move again. So, knowing that God can do miracles, we have been continuing to pray to him about this area of our lives.

We have been looking to locate somewhere in the heart of downtown Waukesha in order to live among those whom God has given us a heart to minister to. The city of Waukesha is full of Latinos and other immigrants so it seemed like a logical place to begin to pray about. Through the city of Waukesha and Jason's cousin, Keith Knapp, President of Paradise Builders God has miraculously provided to us a FREE vacant city lot only blocks from downtown Waukesha where we can build a low income home! A free lot is a wonderful blessing but we still didn't have the funds or approval for a loan to build a home... we had already been denied twice for a loan cuz it is hard to understand how we maintain an income... "You mean, people faithfully give you money every month? What happens if someone ceases to donate?" "Well," we said, "God has always made up the difference." (Living by faith doesn't always look good on the books.) But our God is always at work and he has graciously moved in the hearts of certain individuals at our bank, Waukesha State Bank, and they have decided to take us on as a very special case and offer us an in-house loan. I think that they are in favor of the idea of Clay Pots and want to show it by signing for the loan themselves. Seriously we are telling the truth!!! And if that wasn't the icing on the cake, we have found out that at least two of the other adjoining lots were given to immigrant families! So we believe that God is working to put us exactly where he wants us to serve.

So when I get nervous about how we may not always have the support we need to pay our mortgage, I have to stop and laugh. We can't deny that God is making this happen in pretty miraculous ways and so I just better hold on for the ride realizing that he is answering the prayer we have been praying for so long. I feel safe and secure knowing that God is in charge of cities, banks, governments, and people...I tend to easily forget that. I am confident that some day next year you will be receiving an invitation to our house warming party and what a joyous party that will be! Our heart's two-fold desire has been met by God through His people in ways no one (at least I) could have imagined. We consider this opportunity a demonstration of the miraculous grace of God... who knew that he would have this in store for us when we left PNG a year ago? Could you pray for wisdom for us as we move forward with this? That we would continue to trust in God's provision. That we could find good deals on building supplies. That we could cut costs as we and volunteers do certain aspects of the project. That our hope of breaking ground before the snow flies could be a reality... I guess that could be any day now in Wisconsin:-)

Thankful for God's purposeful movement in our lives,
Kellie for the family

To support this ministry,
Send a check to:
Clay Pots
S53W24079 Glendale Rd.
Waukesha, WI. 53189

Clay Pots ~ Gardens and Help needed

"You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God." (Lev. 19:34) "If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you.” (Lev. 23:35). I find this second passage very interesting because even though God is talking about how the Israelites were to treat their own ‘brothers’ (people from their own country); it assumes that the Israelites were supporting and caring for the stranger and sojourner (or immigrant)… and allowing them to live with them. “You shall… as though…” Wow, no segregation here, the Israelites were actually supposed to be hospitable by housing those of other cultures in their own homes, according to God’s design. I know that this does not apply to us across the board, but it is a glimpse into the all inclusive and loving heart of God for all peoples everywhere, and it gives me encouragement to think outside the box in how we as the children of God can care for the immigrant among us.

I told you in my last letter, that I would inform you of ways in which I believe God is directing his servants to trust him, live the gospel, and care for the poor and needy. Here are two ideas which we are in the process of planning and organizing for next year with the Biblical hope (confident expectation) that God will work mightily.

Community Garden Plots: (We gotta come up with a better name than that:)) As humans, we all innately have a desire to create something or tend nature. Next summer we are going to try to use this innate desire by offering free garden plots to low income families in order to meet a physical need and in order to build relationships. The concept is simple: we allow immigrants from low income housing and apartment complexes to plant a garden free of charge on our church(s) property. We provide seed and water and tools, and they commit to tending their own gardens through the summer and then they take home all the produce. I have seen this type of project hosted by a local church in Ohio (the pic of it is above)… they had at least an acre of land divided into 20 or 30 small plots which ministered to the physical needs of those who were displaced or less fortunate. What a blessing we can be by simply using our unused property! As to date we have approx 40 interested families!

English Classes: As a follow up to this, Paco and I are in the process of planning a way to spring-board off this project with winter English Classes. We would like to offer these free classes to anyone from any country (Latino or otherwise) who would need/desire it. The course would run through the winter and be followed by another summer of gardening if the idea catches on.
Of course, both of these projects require many of God’s servants to labor together for the sake of the gospel. I am praying that God will provide immensely in this way. Pray that God would open the necessary doors and that he would make this project successful. Pray for the planning. Pray for community desire. Pray for open hearts to the gospel. Pray for laborers.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?: Do you have garden tools that you would be willing to donate? Would you be willing to donate/plant seeds and/or donate seedlings? Could you give a financial gift to help pay for rain barrels, sheds, tools, seeds, hoses, etc? (see below on how to do that) Some of the people are going to need transportation..have any ideas? Would you be willing to help prepare the ground? Volunteer to help with English classes? Donate $ for materials needed for those English classes? MOVERS. There is a volunteer call list of people through James Place willing to help immigrants and low income residents move from one apartment building to another or one house to another. There were 37 families that needed help moving this past year; 11 of those had to be turned down due to the lack of volunteers. Would you be wiling to add your name to the list? E-mail us. Call us. We can't wait to hear from you!

Thank you for your prayers. His Clay Pots, Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, and Malachi Knapp
FINANCIAL DONATIONS:
Send a check to:
Clay Pots,
S53 W24079 Glendale Rd.
Waukesha, WI 53189
(if you are specifically wanting to donate to the Garden Plots, attach a note specifying Community Gardens)

Clay Pots ~ Noah

Jason and Jeronimo trying to figure out English

As I have been reading through Genesis in my quiet time, I have been impressed with the fact that life is a messy vapor which is rarely characterized by white picket fences, booming economies, and harmonious relationships. The story of Noah, for instance… we often look at that story as a cool children’s tale, full of animals, a solid family, and primitive yet amazing boat architecture. But we fail to remember that God was grieved with the fact that he even created mankind because they had become so evil in their murderous actions. And we fail to remember that the point of the story is that God massacred hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions of these people in one gigantic cataclysmic flood which covered the whole earth. Only Noah and his family survived by the grace of God. But…
Would you have wanted to be the only one left on the face of the planet? Talk about Post Traumatic Stress… the nightmares of screaming people, waters engulfing everything you see, death and carnage everywhere, and then the suffocating misery of waiting in an enclosed boat for almost a year. I bet there were some pretty miserable days filled with depression and little to smile about. How about loosing your home and everything you once knew and loved, being displaced, and starting over from scratch? Oh, and wait, there is no one there to help you or council you… only your wife and children (who are looking to YOU for strength and to answer their questions), because everyone else was obliterated.
How could anyone go on after that? That doesn’t sound like fun to me. Noah’s life was not one of comfort, but one of sheer survival… God purposed that Noah’s life would serve one purpose… to preserve the human race. And because Noah believed God’s promises, God rescued the human race through Noah (or as we say in Tobo: ‘on the road of Noah’)
All I am saying is that life is not always cut and dried, and even when God is blessing us or fulfilling his promises to us, it can seem as if he is really torturing us. You would think that he would work in a predictable way that would require the least amount of suffering and pain, but that is not His way. Think of Noah and Jesus and Joseph and Paul, etc. As his word says, it is through the pain and suffering that we truly find and experience Jesus who is our comfort, grace, and salvation.
I believe that he is at work here in Waukesha ‘blessing’ the church and carrying it on to maturity even though it could seem at times that there are more negatives than positives. But God can use the economy, the housing struggles, loss of jobs, poverty, injustice, illegal actions, and imperfect relationships to bring about his ultimate goal… which is to save as many people as will believe from every ethnic group, cultural background, and native language from every nation under heaven.
Sometimes I feel like I am Noah, sitting on that boat waiting… waiting for something which God could miraculously do, but chooses not to. Building relationships within a community takes time, and establishing trust within a community who normally would not trust you is even more time consuming. But God continues to open doors and we continue to see his leading and provision as we seek to reach the Latino community here in Waukesha. In my next entry, I am excited to inform you of ways in which I believe God is directing his servants to trust him, live the gospel, and watch Him as he rescues many.
His Clay Pots,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, & Malachi Knapp

Clay Pots ~ Support needed

"That All May Hear and Believe!" We consider this to be our assignment no matter what zip code God assigns us to. At this time, we have no doubt that God has assigned to us Waukesha to minister in one of the fastest growing Hispanic areas in the nation. Since Jason was in high school he knew that God had called him to make disciples of those who are less fortunate and we knew as a couple that we would follow that calling until He called us home. This is Jason's heart beat and we are honored and humbled that God has chosen to use us.

Our ministry, under the name Clay Pots, involves networking and bringing people and churches together that are wanting to reach the Hispanic community with Christ and to help guide in cross cultural relationship building and discipleship making. It involves bringing Hispanic pastors and individuals together in the unity of the Spirit to work together to see this goal accomplished. It involves being in a constant mode of building relationships with the unbelieving Hispanic population and learning and understanding them more. In the fall or early winter, we are hoping to start some small group Bible studies with unbelievers! I, personally, am always amazed at how quickly Jason can build and establish trust a relationship. In addition, this ministry involves bringing an awareness to the community around us resulting in compassion for the sojourner and stranger in our land. The Hispanic population is exploding here and Jason desires to bring people, churches, and communities together to recognize and meet that need.

Since we have come back to live stateside, our funding has steadily decreased. In American standards we are living at poverty level. However, we know that our income is considered rich in many other lands and even here among many of those who we seek to minister to! That said, we are seeking God for continued monthly donations to Clay Pots. In Luke it says that "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few". Because of the donations we receive, Jason is able to devote himself to what God has called Him to do and work amongst the "harvest fields" of unbelievers, strangers, and sojourners. God has told us to go and trust that He will provide our needs according to his bounty through his people. I love how God established long ago that he would provide for his servants and build his kingdom in this way. God knew that as He asks you to give, His church continues to be built among all nations. Thank you for trusting God that your donations are being invested in something eternal.

If you would like to support this ministry and God is laying it on your heart to do so, then you are an answer to a specific prayer! We need you! God planned for us to need you.

You can send checks to "Clay Pots"
S53 W24079 Glendale Rd.
Waukesha, WI 53189. (You will receive a tax-deductible receipt.)

His Clay Pots,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, and Malachi Knapp

Clay Pots ~ Successful weekend

(I thought I took pictures, but the card was not in the camera)

God is amazing! I had very little faith and very little hope that this past weekend was going to be of any significance. On Monday we actually had very little stuff for a garage sale, and we switched the location from church to our home. But through the course of the week, our driveway was a revolving door, and our garage started to pack out. By Wednesday it was so packed that we had to put things into our living room. Then our living room was so full of boxes that we had to put stuff in the kitchen. So Thursday morning it took us almost 2 hours to put everything out on the front lawn and in the driveway.

What we didn't expect was that God was going to bless us and also a whole lot of other people as well. We priced everything to go: 50 cents here and a buck there... $10 here and $20 there. From 8:00 on Thursday morning till 6:00 on Saturday evening, there was a steady stream of people that stopped on our busy road. I saw up to 30 people at a time rummaging through the items. We estimate that probably 75% of the customers were Hispanic or African American. I think that English was spoken maybe 50% of the time... some knew only enough English to give us the money and leave. And people just kept on coming... many from the Hispanic community living in the apartments not far from our house.

On Friday, two of my Hispanic pastor friends came by and gathered some things for their families, we told them to take it for free, but they wanted to get rid of me and send me out of country to learn Spanish, so they put in some money too:-). One of them was able to invite some people to his church and he helped me by translating for a lady and we were able to help find her exactly what she was looking for. By Saturday afternoon, we had pulled in over $1000 and so at 4:00 we put up a "Free" sign on the road. One man stopped by on his motorcycle and was falling all over himself in gratitude as he took some in-line skates and other things for his children for Christmas. Another person was gathering things up in a box and said, "No one has ever given me anything for free before. This is amazing!" Another man from Mexico and his family stopped by from Milwaukee and he took two boxes of clothes which he said he was going to take to his needy family next month in Mexico. Soon everything was almost gone. So we boxed up about 12 boxes of clothes and took those off to Hope Center in Waukesha where they hand out clothes to needy people for free. The rest of the items (a few cups and knickknacks, material and odds and ends) we put in boxes on the curb and we have had a number of cars stop by and dig through it. One man's junk is another man's treasure! I heard them going through the stuff at 10:30 last night and 6:00 in the morning.

We are grateful to all of you who donated. It was a blessing to not only make enough money to pay the room and board for learning Spanish, but we also helped a number of needy people and were able to donate the left overs for those who will need those clothes come winter. Thank you, you are a blessing!

By Grace,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, and Malachi Knapp

Clay Pots ~ Loving others

Welsen with homemade crutches

Over the past few months, many of you have asked how the believers in Tobo are doing, which missionaries are in the tribe, and what is happening over there. Here is a story from the Mankins who are still working with the believers in Tobo:

“Our considerable time spent in chapters 12 and 13 of Romans alone has been very profitable for the believers here. We have seen a few instances where they have gone above and beyond the cultural norms of helping each other out in the context of family and clan relationships, and also helping those who will then owe them. This “payback” system, (good for good and bad for bad) is prevalent in our area as well as much of the country of PNG. So it was encouraging when Welsen and I went up to visit a lady in the village named Bula.

Bula is lame and her legs and feet are much too weak for her to get around without aid. This confines her to her house and porch, and she has to sit and shuffle back and forth on a rough plank bench leading to her outhouse. In spite of her circumstances, this very kind lady has an excellent sense of humor and an infectious laugh. When Welsen and I got to talking about her plight, we decided that maybe there was some way to help her. So we scrounged up some leftover plywood pieces, some nails were thrown in and her grown sons were all to glad to take it from there and build her a narrow plywood covering the once splintery and uneven plank bench pathway. They even had enough for a nice sitting platform just on her porch to allow her extra comfort when she scoots out from the smoke-filled house to sit and take in the fresh air from time to time.

But as we were discussing what to do, Welsen did not stop there. He suggested that we try to make some wooden crutches for Bula! I donated a couple of old tin cans for the feet, and he selected the wood and carved them himself. So on the Sunday after our church meeting when we first carried up the plywood, we also brought the hand-hewn crutches along with us. Welsen, Ambux, and Musanggi (Asa Selep, or “Grandpa Finger”) and I all pitched in to help, drawing more than a few curious stares from the villagers we passed. When we arrived with the wood, Bula could not contain her tears as she expressed her gratitude. I paused to see what my brothers would say in response and was rewarded with a display of gracious humility as they deflected her praise from ourselves and all to God.

And I too stood there and gave grateful praise to God for, you see, though generosity is very prevalent in Tobo culture, the type of help that we gave was not something that most Tobo people would ever dream about. The typical response would be, “Ah, it’s her sons’ responsibility. Let them take care of her,” or “She’s not in our clan,” (implying also the following: “There is nothing we will get in return, no prestige or big status will come to us from this. She is not a big man in the community either, so is it worth it?”). But of course you readers and I all know that the Spirit of God uses the Word of God in His children to cause them to do good works that transcend and exceed all expectations from the clan and the culture at large. It is one thing to discuss on a Sunday the fact that the Spirit will lead us to help people even if they are not closely related to us or prestigious community members, or to get a big name publically or curry extra favor with God and man. Yes, it is one thing to say these things, and entirely another thing altogether to put these words into action. What a great example of some young believers living out what they’ve been learning from Romans.

God is alive and well and continuing the good work which he began in the Tobo believers. Continue to pray for them. Pray that their love for God would grow deep within their souls and that His love and grace would abound into abundant fruit.

So all may Hear,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, and Malachi Knapp

Clay Pots ~ Garage sale and Uno

Clay Pots, as a ministry, is going to be hosting a garage sale to be located in the Waukesha Bible Church parking lot. The times are going to be from 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. on Thursday August 19th, Friday August 20th, and Saturday August 21st. We are raising money for a couple things. We would like to send Jason to a Spanish immersion school in Central America this winter. We and the Hispanics we work with, feel like this will be the very best thing to give Jason the needed concentration and time to go from conversational Spanish to complete fluency so he can begin teaching small group Bible studies, etc. And we would like to use the $ raised by the garage sale to purchase some curriculum to be used in small group Bible studies. If you have anything you would like to donate or get rid of, you can give us a call at 262-501-8487 (Jason) or 262-501-8206 (Kellie), and we will arrange the details with you. Or feel free to just drop things off by the barn in the church parking lot. Thanks to all of you who have already been donating items, it is greatly appreciated.

It has been a privilege to be able to be used by God in the lives of people around us. We were able to donate some items to help a needy church with their garage sale and are looking at ways to help them with a homeless shelter, Jason has been invited over to a man's house in order to help him practice his English, and the lines of communication with another couple have opened up and trust is being built. It is great to be meeting new people and hearing their stories and hearing what it is like for them, and some of the difficulties they face in the U.S. We can empathize with them as to what it is like to live in a foreign culture and feel it an honor as they start to trust us and ask us to be a part of their lives and families. Our children have been a big part of this as well as we were invited over to a birthday party for a 6 year old Mexican boy that Malachi has befriended. The two boys play "UNO" together with his mom to help them learn English. When I told Malachi to be sure not to be bossy during the game, he replied, "dont worry mom, I cant tell them what to do, I cant speak their language:-)"

Pray that we can continue to demonstrate Christ's love in tangible ways.

His Clay Pots,
Jason, Kellie, Micah (11), Sophia (9), and Malachi (6) Knapp

Clay Pots ~ Good Picnic

Last Sunday was a great day. We were really busy that day and came home exhausted, but we were praising God because it really was a lot of fun serving alongside Christians from all over the city, meeting new people, building on new relationships, and investing more time in solid relationships. I was particularly encouraged that two Hispanic families in particular whom we have been working to build a relationship with showed up, ate, and spent some time mingling with people there. It was hot, but it was perfect weather for a picnic and we are thanking God for the great weather that he gave all of us.

We were all encouraged with the diverse crowd that came... there were hundreds of people there from all walks of life... there were churches and aid organizations, rich and poor, homeless and congressmen, Hispanics, white Caucasians, and African Americans. It was encouraging to see all the people mingling and talking, laughing, and sharing the love of Christ. 'Feed My Sheep' did a great job in providing and cooking the food. The water and lemonade were flowing, the watermelons were sliced and diced and devoured, and the barbecued hamburgers and hot dogs were a real treat to all those who came. Local bakeries and businesses and people donated tons of deserts and cookies, which was also a huge hit. I don't think anyone went away hungry. Overall, the picnic was a great success in that Christians from all over the city came together to manifest the love of Christ to those who were there... with no strings attached.

Be praying for those relationships that were established or built upon during that time... that God would use them to draw people unto himself.

Thank you for your prayers and for all of you who came down to help out.
His Clay Pots,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, and Malachi Knapp

Volunteers Needed

James Place, Elmbrook, New Beginnings, Hope Center, La Vina del Senor, and other churches and agencies are hosting a huge community picnic for the downtown Waukesha/Hispanic community in order to display the love of Christ; and we as Clay Pots are helping as well! We need volunteers! So would you be willing to volunteer? Bring food? Or just come, mingle, and smile?

Details:
When: Sunday July 18th 12:30-4pm (Come any time!)

Where: Frame Park in Waukesha.

Food: Bring cookies, bars, or watermelon to share. Bring your own chairs & blankets.

What: There will be Children's activities, volleyball, ultimate frisbee, playground, music & more!

How: Volunteers are needed to help with activities, set up, tear down, and Spanish speakers.

If you would like to volunteer to help, you can sign up at www.elmbrook.org/events/concerts.asp. Look for the Community Picnic and click the 'Volunteer' tab. You will see a list of who is needed yet.

See you there!
Clay Pots,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, & Malachi Knapp

Clay Pots ~ Three + One

Have you ever moved to a new city or state? Wow, what a transition time. You feel alone, out of sorts, a bit lost, you don't know where everything is or where the good stores and the good deals are. You feel that you waste time and money, and sometimes you sit and wonder if you will ever fit in in this new place. And yet you speak the language and know the culture for the most part. What if you had to move to another country where you knew very little of the language and had few or no friends there to greet you?

I have had the privilege to begin building relationships with three Hispanic ministers here in Waukesha. Each of them arrived from their home countries to the Waukesha area in the past 3 years and each are here to minister to the Hispanic community. As a foursome, we have been meeting together once a week for prayer and fellowship. God has knit our hearts together in a wonderful way through prayer. We pray for our families, for our community, for the gospel to go forth, for area churches, and for the growth of the Hispanic church here in Waukesha. Without fail, every time we get done, these men thank each other for coming and say to one another how much of an encouragement this is to them. They have testified to the fact that they felt alone in this town, but how this meeting has encouraged them greatly to continue on because others are here for the same purpose.

I, personally, do not think that it is coincidence that three men from three different countries arrived in the last three years to head up a Hispanic ministry for three different churches in the city of Waukesha. God is doing something here and we are praying that he uses us to encourage and empower these men to see his kingdom expand. Thank you for making this possible for us.

Pray:
That God would bind our hearts together in love and unity to serve his purposes.
That God would continue to open doors to new relationships with unbelievers.
That God would stir the hearts of the unsaved community with a desire to hear His word.
That I would continue to learn Spanish quickly.

His Clay Pots,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, and Malachi Knapp

Clay Pots ~ Sojourner

Malachi's first fish. "I will make you fishers of men."

When Jason came to me about making Clay Pots into a ministry to reach the sojourner and 'stranger' in the United States I actually had hoped that something would change his mind. I was pretty sure we had put in our time as church planters and we were entitled to a normal and average life. As far as I was concerned it was time to "play it safe". Little did I know that God was about to change my mind!

Unless you haven't gone to a store, restaurant, or outside your own back yard in a while, it is pretty hard to ignore the fact that you don't just hear "English" being spoken everywhere you go. In fact, there are many places I go to that I feel that I am the outsider. It got me thinking. Both our ancestors came from Germany and Ireland. At one time, Jason's ancestors spoke only German and they came to the States for a better life for their family. As I thought about this, I couldn't help but sympathize with them and what they went through as they moved and adjusted to a strange and unknown land which was so unlike their own. I know what it's like, I've done it myself.

I wonder who the people were that reached out to them? Who surrounded them with acceptance, love, and help? I assume that there were people who did. I know that as their descendant I am considered an "all American" but they were not and they went through much heartache and struggle in leaving their country and being strangers and sojourners in a foreign land so I, their descendant, could have all of this. I do know there were German/English speaking churches for them to attend where they could feel safe and grow in their faith. This is a key element since Jason's heritage contains Christians as far back as he can figure; they handed it down to their children praying that their children would do the same. So, I think we know what we are meant to do with our freedom as Christians and as Americans: we are to be the ones reaching out and sharing the gospel to immigrants, strangers, and foreigners because someone did it for our families first.

If you are questioning whether to support the Clay Pots ministry I would encourage you to seek out your past, your history, and your heritage. Ask yourself who reached out to your family when they came to this country? Was there a church that spoke their language so that they could attend and feel safe and loved as strangers in a foreign land? This is the job of the church and our cities need that again. They need churches speaking their heart language and Christians reaching out and helping them settle. I ask that you support Clay Pots so that we can encourage and empower churches to reach out to Hispanics in our own town... and then, and because our God is a very big God, we wont stop there but keep on going to more nationalities. Send people to our webpage. Pray for us. Reach out to your cities.

"You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt." Exodus 23:9

His Clay Pots,
Kellie for Jason, Micah, Sophia, & Malachi Knapp

www.claypots.org


You can send checks to:
Clay Pots
S53 W24079 Glendale Rd.
Waukesha, WI. 53189
(You will be sent a tax deductible receipt)

Clay Pots ~ new direction

Mother and Daughter on Mother's Day

Over a decade ago, we chose the name "Clay Pots" when we first started out as missionaries and church planters because we knew that we were simply vessels... inadequate to accomplish anything apart from the grace of God. 13 years later that sense of inadequacy hasn't changed, but we believe that God has asked us, as his vessels, to go in a new direction. This direction is utterly impossible on our own, and yet we know our God is a God of impossibles!

Jason has seen the need for cross cultural church planting here in America. The world is coming to us and there is an amazing opportunity for our local churches to reach the world in our own communities! Our goal is to see individuals from these different ethnic groups become disciples of Jesus Christ here in, what is to them, a foreign land. Our prayer is that they could take this life giving message back to their own countries.

To facilitate this endeavor, we are making the name 'Clay Pots' into a ministry of its own whereby those who are interested can partner together with us to see these communities reached. It will also allow us to be funded to put in more of our time and energies into seeing this goal become a reality.

So where are we starting? With the approx. 16,000 Hispanics of Waukesha, Wisconsin.

What is our goal? To band together with local believers (Hispanic and non) to reach out and build relationships with the unsaved Hispanics in our town. Through relationships, we then hope to lead them to Christ and have in home Bible studies/ cell groups from which a Hispanic congregation could be birthed.

What are you doing now to reach that goal? Learning Spanish, learning culture, being a part of different community outreaches including volunteering at free English speaking sessions, and most importantly building relationships with the Hispanic community by bringing them into our home.

Why are we telling you this? We need you. Just like we couldn't go to PNG and plant a church among the Tobo people without a support group, we can't reach these people within the USA without you and your support. We greatly desire to give this our all in order to reach different ethnic groups (beginning with Hispanics) and disciple them to carry this on in their own ethnic context as they live here and/or travel back and forth. Would you consider partnering together with us in this endeavor?

If we support you, what will the $ be used for? The $ will be used to support our family and for all ministry costs.

What if you don't get enough support? Will you still do this? We want to say, "Yes, God has asked us to do this and we will do it regardless of support." But if Jason must work a full time job, then obviously he won't have the time to devote to this ministry. So the more we are supported the more we can give ourselves to this. At this present time, Jason is working part time for Kellie's dad 3 days of the week with www.ziebarthmasonryandchimneyservice.com while at the same time, moving forward with Clay Pots and making contacts the other 4 days with our current support level. If that level decreases too much, however, he will look for a full time job, and do this in his spare time.

Just Hispanics? No, we dream big because we have a BIG God:-). Our desire is to see all different kinds of ethnic groups reached in the years to come!!!

What about NTM? As of the end of May we will resign from New Tribes Mission as we have seen God direct us out of that ministry and into another. We have been involved with NTM for 15 years and are thankful for the many things God taught us during our time in the mission. We are eternally grateful for the experiences, the people we were able to meet and work with, the lives we were able to be a part of, and the privilege of planting a tribal church by the grace of God. Not a day goes by that we don't pray for our dear Tobo brothers and sisters in Christ. The space they contain in our hearts will never go away. We are resting in God's faithful guidance and sanctification in their lives as they continue to grow in his grace. We are confident that he who began a good work in them will be faithful to bring it to completion. We have come to understand some of Paul's heart and love for the churches he was privileged to plant. It is difficult to be away from them.

Obviously this e-mail cannot contain all the details and if you would like more information on Clay Pots we have a brochure, information, etc that explain this ministry and all of the ins and outs of it (i.e. vision statement, goals, etc) please don't hesitate to contact us or our home church (Waukesha Bible Church).

His Clay Pots,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, & Malachi Knapp

Checks can be made out to Clay Pots and you will be sent a quarterly tax deductible receipt:
Our new business address is:
Clay Pots
S53 W24079 Glendale Rd.
Waukesha, WI. 53189

Our Home Address:
1352 Dopp St.
Waukesha, WI. 53188

Phone #'s
Jason 262-501-8487
Kellie 262-501-8206

NEW e-mail address:
jason@claypots.org
kellie@claypots.org

Clay Pots ~ Identity

My Oldest Boy

Identity. We will do anything to gain it, sell our souls to maintain it, and suffer greatly to secure it. And yet we are often rarely satisfied with the identity we possess. Since my family and I have come home, I have had to struggle through this topic in my head. What is my identity? Who is Jason Knapp? Am I a missionary? Is that what I really am? Am I a member of a certain organization? Is that where my worth comes from? Am I a citizen of a certain country? Is that where I find my security? What are my accomplishments? Do I find my fulfillment and maintain my reputation by accomplishing those? What happens if all of that is changed or stripped away? Then what?

God has been revealing to me, in ever increasing clarity, what it really means to be a follower of Jesus Christ... what it means to be a Christian. I know, that sounds so basic and simple. But we humans really are a simple and base people, we often just pretend that we are more than we really are. The Apostle Paul learned this, a man who thought he had found his identity in his nationality, his title, his accomplishments, his reputation... he learned that all of this was but a pile of stinking dung in comparison with his true identity: "Being found in him (Jesus Christ), not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ..." (Phil 3:8-9) And in Galatians, Paul makes it even more clear when he says, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me..." His identity was Jesus.

The answer to the identity question is simple yet profound: I am in Christ. He is my identity. I am a Christian. It does not matter what I do, where I am from, who I associate with, what my accomplishments are, what organizations I am a part of, or what I own. What matters is that I am a believer in the Way, the Truth, and the Life, Jesus Christ, and that in him is found freedom, life, security, fulfillment, and acceptance. I will not labor for a position, I will not work to maintain a reputation, I will not struggle for a title, and I will not fight for security because all of this is given to me freely by grace through faith in my Savior, Jesus Christ. I am a Christian, and nothing else! I will only labor to serve HIM, work to praise HIM, struggle to give HIM glory, and fight for faith in HIM! The alternative is not just worthless, but repulsive.

May we truly "know HIM and the power of his resurrection, and may we share in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death…"

His Clay Pots by Grace,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, and Malachi Knapp

Clay Pots ~ Settling

We know that it has been many weeks since we last sent out an update and for that we apologize. We desire to keep you all "in the loop" as to what is happening in our lives and yet we ourselves have felt very "out of the loop"… thus we have not had much to say. We have been back in the States for about 8 weeks now after our sudden departure from Papua New Guinea. I believe that we are still in a process of grieving this departure, and yet we are resting in God's immeasurable love and care for both us and the Tobo church. I am not too sure if this hole in our heart will ever be filled until we get to be reunited with are precious friends and fellow believers in heaven! Without internet, phone, or mail, it will be very difficult to communicate with them, but when we do hear from them (or about them) we will be sure to pass it on to you so you can be in prayer on their behalf.

We figure we still have a few good years left here on this earth, and we don’t want to waste them… so we have been earnestly seeking God as to where and how He would like to use these Clay Pots again. We are confident that it was His direction that brought us as a family back home to settle in Waukesha, WI where our families and home church are located. Even though it should feel normal to be here, I think we are still going through some aspects of culture shock and the frustration of transition. We hope that in time it will feel normal to be a permanent American in America again. Kellie is homeschooling the kids (5th grade, 3rd grade, and Kindergarten) to finish out the school year and we hope by the time the next school year starts, we will know where we are living, and they will be able to attend a school. For now we are renting but are dreaming that some day we might own a small home of our own.

As we seek to move forward we have watched God close some doors and yet, ever so slightly, crack open a few other ones. We have timidly walked through one of those doors and at this point in time are carefully pursuing something that we are passionate about: Cross cultural church planting! The foreign population in Waukesha is very substantial. We believe that with evangelism, discipleship and teaching, God could raise up more disciples of Jesus Christ from within different ethnic groups which are living in our own cities and towns. And then, if God so directed, they could in turn take the gospel back to their home countries. I have been asked to "survey” this need as the missions elder for our home church and the more I look into it, the more I am convinced of this need, and the more Kellie and I are drawn to it. Everything is still very much in the "survey" stage and at this time, I have been having many meetings in order to evaluate from all angles what is best and what is needed. We ask that you pray about this with us. That God would give us clear direction as to whether or not this is the direction he wants us to pursue full time. As we see it, like the Tobo people, there are many foreigners who need people to build relationships with them and love on them with the love of Christ.

To be honest it would be nice and not as ‘unknown’ if I were to apply for a full-time job, be given a paycheck, and know where my family was headed in the weeks to come. But as we seek to follow God's will for our lives He has given us a peace to wait on His perfect timing in regards to this new adventure and direction He may be guiding us into. To live and walk by faith is a most rewarding but often ‘unsettling’ place to be! Thank you for living and walking with us on this journey. Thank you for your prayers.

Until He closes the door,
His Clay Pots by grace,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, and Malachi Knapp

ClayPots ~ Transition

Yes, we have made it safe and sound to the cold and wintery land of Wisconsin. It was a bit of a shock to our systems to go from 100 degree humid weather to 15 degrees and extremely dry, but it is good to be home. What an encouragement it was to us to be greeted at the airport by a loving group of family and friends. We were a little groggy from the flight and overwhelmed to see so many faces, but we were very thankful for the demonstration of grace and love. Thank you to all of you who braved the cold weather and snowy conditions to come and make our return special and memorable. It meant more to us than you will know, and it was exactly what our children needed… they felt right at home as they saw their friends and were able to connect again. Thank you!

Also, when we got back to the same rental house we had last time, there was food in the pantry and fridge, “new” sofas in the living room, beds for all the kids, 2 television sets, desks, dressers, lamps, closets full of clothes for all our kids, and a tree propped up by gifts in the basement which our children opened and found to their surprise that the gifts replaced all the toys they had to leave behind or sell in New Guinea. Not only that, but two days later, we were given a vehicle! How does one show gratitude and say “Thank you” for all of that? Words are not sufficient. Thank you to all the family, friends, and church body who gave of your time and energy and money to help us in this transition. We are truly overwhelmed with your generosity and humbled by your service to us. May God continue to richly bless each of you.

Many of you have asked what our plans are. We ask that you pray for us as we seek the Lord’s will in this transition. Our hearts are to continue to serve our Lord and Savior and to reach the lost. We also still have an undeniable desire to plant churches and see true disciples of Jesus Christ raised up. I am sure you all have experienced this at one time or another, but I told someone the other day that there is no experience on planet earth that compares with watching God save a hopeless sinner and raise him to new life in Jesus. Then to watch the Spirit mature that believer in seemingly no time at all is a blessing beyond compare. It is all to the praise of His glory!

So please pray for us as we wait on the Lord’s direction in our lives. I believe that it is God’s will that we settle here in WI and establish a ‘home base’ for our family. We are encouraged that God is still at work in us and he still desires to work through us. So even in settling here, the sky is the limit at this point as far as ministry opportunities, so be in prayer that God would open and close doors appropriately. We are anticipating that we will be able to share with you what God has for us within the next month or so. In case you were wondering, we are still members of NTM so the financial aspect still remains the same as it was… we are just not in PNG. We greatly appreciate your patience with us during this time.

His Clay Pots,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, & Malachi Knapp