Clay Pots ~ Busy months

You haven't heard from me for awhile. That is because I have been flat out busy. The month of September found me traveling twice a week down to Illinois for further training and "on the job experience" in immigration law. It was a great experience to sit down face to face with people, hear their stories, understand their situation, and help them to apply for an immigration benefit.

September and October are also are busy months in the chimney business, so I have been come home black with soot or concrete dust four days a week. I am thankful to God that he, in his grace, has chosen to humble me... in the village of Lengbati, people put me on a pedestal, hung on my every word, and never let me sit in the smoke or get myself dirty with mud or ashes. Ironically, now I have been exalted to lonely rooftops, hanging on ladder rungs, and filling my lungs and eyes with ashes every day. I am grateful to God for the experience.

The month of October was full of gathering documents and information in the compilation of the application package to be sent to the Board of Immigration Appeals for the recognition of James Place as an Immigration Legal Services site and my own partial accreditation. November will be a month of waiting for the BIA's approval of the application, creating handouts and documents to be used in the office, writing down procedures, learning new computer programs, physically moving into the office space, and getting the word out to the public. I am praying that God would allow us to officially launch early in 2012.

Immigration is a touchy subject in our country today. It seems to be a topic which surfaces frequently in the Presidential campaign, and there are strong and legitimate opinions on both sides of the issue. When I was living in the village of Lengbati, I found myself in the midst of situations where both sides had legitimate arguments which always made the situation 'touchy' and potentially volatile. I find myself in much the same situation with immigration; but I have learned that in such situations, the best thing to do is to fall at the feet of Jesus and beg for wisdom and discretion, and ask for him to give me his heart of love for all people.

Please pray with me that God would do just that... that he would impart wisdom, discretion, patience, compassion, and love to myself and those who are working along side me in this ministry. And pray that God would use us to introduce these needy people to Jesus Christ and the citizenship which awaits them in heaven if they believe.

His Clay Pot,

Jason

Fellow Citizens

In the Bible, Jesus tells us to: “Love your neighbor as yourself”. In a challenging response, a man asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” In his classic way, Jesus answered a question by telling a story. In response to the question of who is my neighbor, Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan in which we learn that our neighbor is anyone who is in need, regardless of race or ethnicity. But this wasn’t a new revelation that started with Jesus; from the beginning, God's heart has always been for all people, and he vividly displayed it when he told Israel: “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. 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. 19:33-34) God wanted Israel to remember their past and how he saved them, so that it would shape how they lived in the present. God’s heart of love has always been for all sinners from all nations, races, and ethnicities and he wanted Israel to be his avenue of grace to the world. All of us, regardless of our race or national origin, are by nature lost and separated from God just as Israel was in Egypt; but instead of leaving us in our helpless, vulnerable condition as outcasts, in the same way that God redeemed Israel, He had compassion on those of us who believed in his Son and made us “… a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles…” (1 Peter 2:9-11). Peter calls those of us who are Christians sojourners or immigrants in this world, and we are immigrants because although we live in this world, God by his grace has given us amnesty into his kingdom and our citizenship is in heaven: “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God…”(Eph. 2:19) Just like Israel, we, of all people, as Christians should should remember our past so it will shape how we live in the present.

In light of this, I am excited to be studying and working my way towards being an accredited immigration representative, which is an avenue by which I can demonstrate love to my "neighbors" by showing compassion to the vulnerable and assisting the ‘aliens’ in becoming not only citizens of our physical country, but more importantly, citizens of the household of God. In the coming months and years, I hope to inform and challenge others to see the white harvest of the nations right outside our front doors.

The garden project has been a success. I am always amazed at the fruitfulness God causes from one small plot of ground. It has been exciting to see the families tend their gardens and reap the benefits of their labor. Many are excited to try again next year and are already talking about what they would do differently. It has been such a blessing to get to know these immigrant families and help them to feel more welcome in our city.

Clay Pots ~ Ending of an Era

When we came home from Papua New Guinea we wondered where God was leading us and how He was going to use us. He clearly directed our family to minister to the Hispanic population through the avenue of a new ministry that we started (Clay Pots) in partnership with our supporting churches. Its purpose was to plant a Hispanic church. The latest census shows that the Hispanic population has grown to over 50 million in the USA, a growth of 26%. An amazing statistic! As Jason built relationships and made connections with a number of Hispanic families, Hispanic pastors, churches, organizations, business owners, etc., it became apparent to him that the majority of Hispanics did not desire to separate, but to integrate into our society. So as we looked at it, Clay Pots ministry, in its original intention of a separate church plant, needed to be re-evaluated.

In the meantime a large church that Jason was ministering with, adopted the vision of integration. That church was looking at hiring a part time Legal Consultant for Immigrants. Jason applied for the job thinking that it could be a good fit, and we just found out this past week that he was chosen to fill the position. We feel so blessed that they chose Jason as this allows him to continue to pursue the relationships which were built and the ministry that was started, just through different means. Jason will be properly trained and accredited and then eventually will have an office downtown Waukesha. Jason will continue to work part time with Kellie's Dad at Ziebarth Masonry & Chimney Service to supplement our income, and Kellie has been asked back to the public school, part-time, to continue helping out as a literacy teacher. We are so thankful to see God's hand ever so gently moving us in this direction. With this new job, though, we will have to leave our Waukesha Bible Church family whom we have been a part of for over 25+ years. Our hearts are heavy, but we know that where God guides, He will provide (on all levels). He has never let us down and we know that he never will.

We have also moved! We have been trying for the past year and a half to build a home, buy a home, and lastly purchase a foreclosed home. For various reasons, they all fell through. We were disappointed, but God has provided a wonderful place to rent where our family can spread out and enjoy a deck. Our new address is 1609 Dover Dr. Waukesha, WI 53186. Our email address continues to be: jason@claypots.org (or) kellie@claypots.org (or) Micah's is soccerstudjr@gmail.com

We do covet your continued prayers and support as we make yet another transition in life. Pray that we can finish this summer out strong with the garden project, transition well, not worry about tomorrow, and look with joy towards the future. For those of you who have faithfully supported us financially through the many years, there are no words to express our gratitude to you. You have touched our own lives and through your gifts, the lives of others in Papua New Guinea and in Waukesha. Thank you so much! July 31stwill be the official ending of Clay Pots ministry.

That said, we will continue to live our lives as God’s vessels of grace and we will continue to allow God to use our frail vessels as he sees fit. So we will continue to post updates on our blog from time to time. But we will no longer be sending out mass emails. So if you want to keep up with our family, just check out our blogspot: www.claypots.org.

His Clay Pots,
Jason, Kellie, Micah (12), Sophia(10), & Malachi(7) Knapp

Clay Pots ~ Muddy Start

Saturday was a great day! In spite of the rain, there were ten immigrant families who braved the chilly, damp morning to break ground and plant seeds. We started at 11:00 and by 11:30 it had started to rain and things got good and muddy. Everyone's feet were caked in two tons of mud within minutes; but no one left. They all stayed and got soaked while continuing to prepare the ground and planting.

It was great to hear the comments, see the smiles, and watch the interaction. One lady from Burma, and her husband, stayed well into the afternoon... I don't think they left till 4:00, and she kept saying how much she likes to garden and how perfect this was because she had no space for a vegetable garden at home. The Hispanic children that I was working with kept telling me how much they were learning and how much fun this was for them. Their family of 5 are crammed in a small apartment, so they don't get to do this type of stuff. Another friend was happy with the opportunity to get his children together and teach them something useful while getting the headphones out of their ears. On the 7th there will be a group of elderly Hispanics working on a plot together and there is another new family heading out on Friday to start their garden, so it looks like even more people will be spending the summer with all of us.

Thank you to all of you who donated food, time, and tools for the sake of these people. We had volunteers come from all over and we had donations come from as far away as Baraboo! Thank you. You all were a blessing and brought a sense of 'belonging' to those who came. These people are looking for acceptance and community in and among our culture and all of them said how great it was to rub shoulders with all of you.

Thank you
Jason for the rest

10 days and Counting!!

Latest count we have 15 Hispanic families from the community signed up for the community gardens! We wish all of you could be a part of hearing their stories and seeing their excitement. They long for a sense of community and belonging in their newly adopted country. To hear how we are meeting their needs physically is a huge part of that as well. For them to be told it really is all free because a whole lot of people love them is speaking the gospel to them.

Soooo we still need your help:-) As more people from the community sign up we have more needs. We need more volunteers to "host" a family. What this means is that we need people to just be willing to be introduced to a specific family in the community. To be willing to exchange phone numbers. To be willing to help when they call. To be willing to give a ride when needed. To be willing to hang out with them at the gardens and let them practice their English with you every once in awhile. I know how very intimidating it is. But I also know what an incredible blessing it is.

We also still need some tools. Check out the garage sale near you...I have been finding tools at really good prices at garage sales!
Here is a list of what is still needed....
3 wheelbarrows
12 watering cans
4 hoses
6 shovels
6 hoes
6 garden rakes
Tomato cages (these wont be needed immediately)

And lastly, the kickoff is May 21st and it will be an all day event. FOOD will be appreciated. Here is a list of some things we are hoping to have laid out for people to munch on:
Bags of tortilla chips
jars of salsa
Icees (they are long thin popsicles in a plastic wrap, they come in a box or bag and you freeze them)
bottled water
apples
oranges
carrots
pretzels
cookies

Please do come out May 21st. Grab a shovel, help hand out seeds, play on the playground, have some chips, or share a smile and an icee with a new friend:-)

Thank you for being willing to sacrifice to show the love of Christ to those around you, Please do email me if you are planning on donating any of the above items so we dont go out and buy what isn't needed.

Clay Pots ~ cement

From the beginning, we were hoping to harness rain water for use on the community garden. I was thinking of a few rain barrels, but I usually think too small. So anyway, when you put Pete Burrie, Keith Knapp, and Reese Braband in the mix, you got yourself a world-class reservoir coming your way. So last Saturday we dug and assembled some forms for some pads upon which a couple of nice donated pallet racks are going to sit. On Thursday, the cement was donated by Ace in Waukesha and Pete was out there to finish it off. When all is said and done, we may even get the reservoirs for free too... at least we are hoping. We are getting there, and looking forward to being able to enjoy using the rain.

Hopefully see you on May 21st for the kickoff, bring donations of tools and seedlings if you have them.
His Clay Pots,
Jason for the rest

Clay Pots ~ Gettin' Ready

Good news! Spring is finally here and that means that people are outside, parks are filling up, and there is excitement in the air. And, about two weeks ago, Paco and I hosted some informational meetings for those who were interested in having a community garden. We have 8 Hispanic families who are ready to go and just waiting for the ground to be ready, and we are anticipating more families in the next few weeks. It is a blessing to be able to offer this opportunity and we are excited to see what God is going to do through it. One family has a desire to spend time with their children and to teach them some useful skills along with building some new relationships in the community. Another family is living paycheck to paycheck and this is going to be a help for them financially. One single mother works two jobs and is raising two teenagers and this is a good opportunity to spend time together with them, do something fun and healthy, and to build some new relationships in the community. My impression so far is that the 'selling point' has been the opportunity to get to know other people and to rub shoulders with English speakers. The Bible says that "They will know that we are Christians by our love..." My experience has been that through acts of love, people not only hear, but see and feel the gospel of Jesus Christ which causes an openness to accepting and believing it.

Our 'kickoff' date is going to be Saturday, May 21st, 11am at the gardens (see directions below). That is when we will divvy out the plots, prepare the soil for seeds, and plant the seeds, etc. Please feel free to just stop by and check it out! There is a nice playground for the kids and a shelter area as well. Bring a picnic and hang out. We will also orientate the participants to the property and link up families to assist each other throughout the summer.

The Hispanic Health Resource Center's Latino Senior program is going to cultivate their garden out there this summer too. They are anticipating about 15 people to be a part of their program and we are looking forward to serving them in this simple yet meaningful way.

Praises: We have a volunteer to make a sign! There is a group of guys who are going to fabricate a rainwater system next weekend! Free wood chips have been delivered on site for 'cleaner' pathways! Some tools have already been donated!

Pray: That all the rest of the little details will be sorted out in a timely fashion. That a few more families will sign up. That those who are fabricating the rainwater system will have it come together without much difficulty. We are still in need of a couple wheelbarrows, watering cans, tools, and some starter plants (tomatoes, green peppers, & Broccoli) That May 21st will be a beautiful day!

If there is a specific way that you would like to be involved, please call me: (262)501-8487.

By grace,
Jason for the Knapps

Directions: 164 and Glendale Rd.

Clay Pots ~ On Our Doorstep

When I was in Guatemala, I saw various brightly colored clothes. There were many different patterns, but I didn't learn the significance until after I returned home. Centuries ago, when the Europeans came and conquered Guatemala they assigned a different color or pattern to each people group so that they would know from the color or pattern where the other is from. It is important to note that those from Central America are a conquered people; I am from a different background, not one where my ancestors were conquered. Therefore our two cultures view life very differently.

I recently went to a conference called "Missions on your Doorstep" where I met with and heard various personnel from World Relief and other churches who minister cross culturally here in the U.S. It excited my heart to meet others who share the same vision of uniting churches within communities to minister to the masses of immigrants who are flocking to our country... the mission field is right on our doorstep. So with the many people groups represented in the U.S., the question I am pondering lately is, "What is my response as a Christian to be to this situation? And how should understanding some of their cultural background also effect my response?"

Spring is fast approaching (finally!) and we are in full swing making preparations for the garden project taking place this summer. We have been encouraged by the number of interested immigrant families and we will be having an informational meeting for them at the end of this month. Also, there is a list compiled of those who want to participate in a "Home English Club" where Anglo families go into the homes of immigrants and help them practice their English. Kellie and I along with other volunteers have been invited to come into their homes for this purpose. We are excited about this invitation and thanking God for opening up this door!

It has encouraged our hearts to see several churches from Waukesha county come together to support Clay Pots. We are praying that this will continue and that a network of churches can be established so that together we can reach the world on our doorstep. Thank you for supporting us and for living this verse: "He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing. So show your love for the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt."

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

Clay Pots ~ coffee

Some of you might know the amount of work that goes into a simple cup of coffee. Then again, maybe you don't... I didn't. Even after living in Tobo where they grew coffee, 'washed it', dried it, hulled it, and packaged it up (weeks of work), it didn't strike me as that big a deal until I went on a tour of the Azotea Coffee plantation outside of Antigua a few weeks ago. There, on sight, we were able to see the process from start to finish: from planting the seed, transplanting the seedling, harvesting the ripe crop, shelling the two halves, drying the beans, hulling the parchment off, roasting, shipping, grinding, to the finished product: a pleasing, sweet-smelling, delicious cup of black coffee. Seems like a whole lot of work and a whole lot of time for one simple product which we consume every day. On our tour, we were told that 1 coffee plant, which only produces one crop a year, produces only enough coffee for approximately 40 cups! Wow, how many plants worth have I drank this year already?

The preparation process for coffee is intense, requires just the right climate, and entails numerous steps before one can enjoy the final product. This encouraged me with the ministry I find myself in. Just like hurrying up the process or skipping a step in the production of coffee would produce a product not appropriate for consumption. In the same way, I need to be faithful to patiently accomplish the steps necessary to see the appropriate final product of ministry, which is changed lives. This includes learning the language, understanding the culture, compehending the needs, and knowing and loving the people. This all takes time, but it is time well spent when we become "the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing". (2 Cor. 2:15)

Pray for us as we prepare for the gardens this summer. Pray for us as we are being invited into people's homes. Pray that my Spanish will progress and that I will be faithful to practice it and use it. Pray that the aroma of Christ coming from us, like the aroma of coffee, would have an attractional characteristic.

Peace,
Jason

Clay Pots ~ Guatemala part 3

Well, it has been quite a week. Took that hike up the volcano, met that guy at the restaurant, got a list of 200 new verbs that I need to learn, am grasping a few new concepts in Spanish, watched from afar as you all went through a crazy snowstorm, put in over 8 hours a day of studying, took a 32 mile mountain bike ride through the rugged mountain terrain around Antigua, visited the capital city of Guatemala and spent time with Paco's brother, attended a new church plant endeavor out in a pueblo, watched the Packers WIN the Super Bowl, and now I am trying to process it all.

Some things that hit me this past week: As I looked down on a huge city thriving with life from an enormous volcano where it was like I felt the fiery hot breath of God, I was humbled with the thought that we are not quite as significant and important as we think we are. With one breath of his nostrils, God could rend the earth and consume an entire city of millions of people.

As I biked through some of these small towns and saw the poverty and rough existence, the dry barren gardens, the delapitated houses, I was reminded of my time in the tribe in PNG and I realized what an amazing act of love it was for God to come down and be born, live, and die as a human... most of the world does not live with white picket fences, sanitary clean roads, and glimmering grocery stores. God came and lived as a poor man among the poor, he got dirty with those who were dirty, and he bled with those who bleed.

As I walk the streets of Antigua, watch the drunk pee on the wall in front of me, answer "no" for the 30th time to the offer for 'weed', and see men and women chase after anything in this life which can give them a temporary 'fix' for the ache which they feel inside, my flesh initially is repulsed, but my spirit is filled with compassion and a prayer that everyone could find the relationship they crave in Jesus Christ.

And as I witnessed the desire to plant a church in a new pueblo, I was reminded that relationships founded on godly, sacrificial love are what build trust and draw people to Christ. It takes time (maybe years) to spread the kingdom in this way, but we are each called to influence our own little corner of the world and proclaim Jesus to those we meet. And as in any family, growth happens one birth at a time as God gives the miracle of life to what was once dead.

So, although God could have consumed us or could have said, "no, they are rebelious, they rejected me, why should I love them?" and then just left us to rot on this rough planet; instead, he took on flesh. He became poor, dirty, and bleeding, he was filled with compassion and prayed for the hopeless around him, and then he gave of himself in sacrificial godly love in order to innitiate a relationship with us. Now that is a story worth listening to!

See you soon,
Jason

Clay Pots ~ Guatemala part 2

My Spanish studies are going well. Two weeks down and two to go! I passed the grade "A" level test on Friday and am moving on to level "B". I appreciate my teacher and his patience. Also, he is going to try to teach me all the vocabulary he can for gardening and cultivation so I can better serve in the upcoming project this summer. What a nice guy!

The following paragraph is in answer to my prayer that God would use me in small ways... I wanted to attend a church today, but my contact fell through and so I found myself out and about today on my own. Well, I thought about going on a mountain bike ride with this outfitting group, but the only trip going today was a 32 mile trip… too much for me today since I just hiked down a volcanoe last night (I was in awe of the omnipotence of my Father in Heaven). So I was like, “Well, where should I go for breakfast since I am famished?” So I went to this little bakery that had some good prices. There were absolutely no tables open except one right next to the cash register. So I sat down there by myself. It was a table for three and I felt a little strange taking up their whole table for only me, but I was hungry and ordered eggs, beans, coffee, juice, and a plate of fruit. Well, this older gentleman (probably my father's age) comes walking in and was looking for a table too and couldn't find one, and so I offered him a spot at my table. Suprisingly, he actually accepted and sat down. He is down here learning Spanish too and so we practised for a few minutes on each other. Then God just opened the door and before I knew it, we were having the greatest conversation which lasted for the next two hours about his life and divorce and kids and about our backgrounds and how difficult life had been up to this point. I told him a bit about who I was and what I was doing here and opened up and told him about some of my struggles but how Jesus has made all the difference in my life. We talked about immigration, our country, and something that he thought our country lacks… and that being an understanding of ‘grace’. So we talked about grace and the grace of God through Jesus Christ. He was appreciative of our conversation and I offered to pray for him before we left and he accepted. So I prayed a short prayer of blessing on his family, kids, and studies abroad. He thanked me and we parted. I was very blessed to be able to sit and chat with this guy… and to share Jesus with him during an incredibly deep conversation - considering we were strangers. I think that he just needed to hear about grace and Jesus today. May the Spirit of God work in his heart to draw him to himself!

Adios,
Jason

Clay Pots ~ Guatemala part 1

Well, I have been in Guatemala for a full week now... and my, what a full week it has been. My first full day here was filled with attending a fairly wealthy and 'modern' church in Guatemala city, seeing (from a car) the poorest section of Guatemala city, visiting Paco's parents for lunch (pray for Paco's Mom who is very ill), and then driving to a smaller city called Sumpango, where I attended a newly planted church (within the past 5 years) which is in the advanced planning stages of planting another church fairly soon in a neighboring city. I finally arrived at my host family's home in Antigua a bit after 8pm, exhausted and trying to get prepared for classes the next morning.

I have class from 8-4 minus two hours for lunch. My teacher is a very nice guy named Julio who has been teaching Spanish to foreigners for 20 years. We have managed to have some pretty interesting conversations even during this first week as we covered about 18 lessons in 5 days. I say 'interesting conversations' because he is not allowed to speak English (and he really does not know it super well anyway). I think we are one of the more lively pairs (every student is paired up with an individual teacher) as I had him dancing in the hall to a spanish song on you tube called Buenas Dias Senior Sol. We also got pretty animated when I started telling him about Milwaukee in my very broken Spanish, but was able to get across the idea that Harley Davidson and Miller Park are two icons in my home state... the Cerveseros (Brewers) are a pretty popular team. The studies are coming along really well and I am satisfied with the progress we are making.

Thank you to all of you who have been praying and have made this possible for me. Thank you for remembering my wife and children at home too. We talk at least once a day via video chat, so that makes the separation a little easier.

Adios,
Jason
Jason's e-mail address: jason@claypots.org

Clay Pots ~ Immersion School

Thank goodness for Llamas

It is hard to believe that it is halfway through January already. I have had a busy week, but I wanted to catch you up on what is going on so that you can be in prayer. First of all, I am heading out on Saturday for Guatemala for 4 weeks of immersion Spanish study. I will be attending a school during the day and staying with a host family during the evenings. I am hoping that I can accelerate my Spanish study during this month and come back with the ability to carry on simple conversation, talk on the phone, and be able to build on that base during this spring and summer's activities in Waukesha. Be in prayer for Kellie and the kids as they will be home alone for that month; and pray for me, that I will learn quickly and retain it all; and that I will be a blessing to those I come in contact with.
Another thing which you can be praying for is the Common Ground garden project. God has really been at work with this and I am getting pretty excited about how things are starting to come together. As you know, the ground has been turned over, which is a good start, but there is still a long way to go. Some friends of mine have really jumped in and done some amazing work. Through them, a local tree trimming company has graciously donated free wood chips (which I believe will be a big help in cutting down the mud and in retaining moisture) and we have a means of acquiring llama manure as our fertilizer this first year. I don't know much about llamas, but I have read enough to know that they make the best manure for gardens! Also, I have been looking into sources for seeds and have found what I believe to be a very reasonable source. Remember, we want to be able to provide seeds for the participants free of cost. In my ideal world, I would like to purchase these seeds this year, and then harvest our own and save them from year to year afterwards and never really have to pay for seeds again. The total cost for slightly under the amount of seeds we need will be around $450.00, but if I wanted to have excess (which I think would be a good idea), then I am estimating the cost to be $615.00. If you feel that helping us purchase some seed would be a way in which you would like to participate in this project, please contact me through email (because I will be out of country for awhile) or send a check specifying the garden project to:
Clay Pots
S53 WW24079 Glendale Rd.
Waukesha, WI 53189
Keep praying about this up-coming year. I think God has big things in store and look forward to updating you as we find out more. I will try to send out an update or two from down in Guatemala. See you all in a month.
Peace,
Jason for Kellie, Micah, Sophia, and Malachi Knapp

Clay Pots ~ Grandpa Knapp

On Monday, December, 27, 2010, at 10:35 am, my Grandpa, Kellogg Knapp, went to be with his Savior, Jesus Christ. This post is a tribute to him.

I believe my Grandpa was great because he found his greatest satisfaction in relationships. He was not concerned with worldly possessions, he knew that they only brought worry and trouble; instead, he possessed a wealth of friendships and relationships, and this brought him joy and peace. His first and most special love was for Jesus, followed closely by his love for his wife Lucille. Now, I would not consider Grandpa a book smart theologian who knew all the aspects of and defenses for all the doctrines in the Bible, but he was an experiential theologian that knew Jesus, loved him deeply, and knew that he would see him someday when he finally passed away. His comments about his Savior were often short and sometimes subtle, but they were frequent, interspersed through almost every conversation, heartfelt, and full of thankfulness to his Lord. Grandpa lived his theology and loved his Savior.

Grandpa had a way of making every person he met feel special. He always had time for people, they were never a bother to him, never inconvenienced him, and you always felt like he would rather talk to you than do anything else at that moment. I loved that about him. And… as everyone can testify, he was extremely funny.

A special bond that I believe I, personally, shared with my Grandfather, was the fact that both of us, in the prime of our lives, went overseas for the sake of something bigger than ourselves, for a cause. Psalm 102:18-22 – We both believe in freedom. A freedom for this generation and the ones to come to have the opportunity to worship the true God and his Son Jesus Christ. And we both believe that true freedom from our sin, freedom from the punishment of eternity in hell, and freedom from the cares of all the garbage in this life comes only through belief in Jesus’ substitutionary death on the cross for us. Without Jesus, we have no hope in this life or in the life to come… Grandpa is EXPERIENCING this freedom and hope in full right now, whereas I continue to believe… that lucky dog (as he would say). Grandpa made every opportunity (even at the possibility of loosing his life in WW2) for us as a family to be able to first believe, and then to declare the praises of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Because this belief permeated his entire life, he exuded a quiet confidence in life. Growing up, I knew that my Grandpa wasn’t afraid of anything in life or in death, and I believe that this is because he knew that he belonged to Jesus whether in life or death and that Jesus would never let him go, no matter what the circumstances. This caused him not to worry about much, and that is why I believe that he was always smiling… confident that his life was in Jesus’ hands. Well, his confidence spurred me on to travel overseas and live among a primitive people group who were in spiritual darkness and who did not have the light of Jesus shining in their lives. But before I left, I remember sitting at Grandpa and Grandma’s kitchen table, worrying, and asking them if I should continue on this crazy journey and head overseas… everything was so unknown and I was fearful. They sat there over ice cream cones and told me about how God will never let you down; how God is your only back-up plan. They told me about how God had provided for them during the depression, after the war, and while raising three kids. They told me that if God was leading me to do this, that I should not fear whether or not he would provide, but to go trusting that he would. So I took my family, and we went… and we never lacked!

These are the qualities of my Grandfather that I wish to aspire to: To continue to live my life for Jesus, in dependence upon him, not worrying about the things of this life, but investing in the lives of others, to demonstrate to everyone in my life that they are special, because they ARE in the eyes of Jesus, and to not be afraid of new challenges in life because I am confidence that the same God who cared for my Grandfather is caring for me.

I love you Grandpa! I know you are now in the arms of Jesus and the Father is saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” I pray that you are enjoying a hunting trip with your best friend, Jesus. And I pray that each and every life that you touched is like a gem which you can cast at the feet of your Savior because I know that you would rather give than receive. God bless you!