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