Short Trip to Tobo

It is hard to believe that we have been home over 6 years now.  So much has changed… I celebrated 2 years as the local mission pastor at Elmbrook Church, Kellie has been working for 2 years at a local charitable foundation, the 2 oldest kids are in High School, Malachi is in junior high, and we have adopted Hezekiah (now 2 years old) out of the foster system!  (This was the year of the #2)

For many years, you prayed for us, supported us, visited us, and encouraged us as we ministered to the Tobo people of Papua New Guinea.  We did not leave under the best of circumstances, but God has been faithful to heal the wounds and begin the process of reconciliation.  After much prayer and patience, we have decided that at the end of April, Micah and I will be heading back to PNG in order to reunite with our co-workers, the Mankins, and to travel back into the tribe.  I have been communicating with Chad Mankins lately, and he is excited to have us visit.  His family moved out of the tribe and settled in town where Chad continues to plug away at the translation of the NT, which is going very well.

Our plan is to travel into the tribe with Chad for a few days of conversation and fellowship.  I am not certain as to what kind of reception we will have, but after a handful of failed attempts over the past few years, I sense that this is the right time for us to return.  The hopes for this trip would be at the very least, to reconnect with old friends, share stories, and put closure to our time there.  The best case scenario would be to gather as many of the believers together as we could and see the church healed and reunited.  That is asking a lot, but then again, I’ve seen God do more amazing things than that in the past. 

Because you were so invested in this ministry, I am writing to ask each of you to pray for us.  Pray for a good reception.  Pray for healing conversations.  Pray for reconciliation.  I know that our leaving probably hurt a number of people, so pray for receptive hearts.  And most importantly, pray that we would be able to encourage and promote the ministry of the Mankins there in Toboland.  They have had a number of set-backs over this past year, and I’d like our visit to be a shot in the arm for them.

Some have asked how they could give a gift towards this endeavor, for this, we would be grateful, but because this is not considered a group mission trip, I will not be able to provide a tax deductible receipt.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for keeping us in your prayers.

His Clay Pots,

Jason for the Knapps

Year End Review

It has been awhile since I posted.  That is mostly because it has been an amazing and busy year.  Let me describe some of what we have been doing this past year as an immigration office.

This has been our first full year of operation at James Place Immigration Services.  I want to give God all the glory for allowing us the privilege and blessing of being able to participate in the following:

• Interact with 150+ clients from 25 different countries
• Officially take on 90 Immigration cases
• Have 3 volunteers become official BIA Accredited Representatives
• Log an average of 20 hours of work per application
• Meet with one Congressman and one Senator
• Have a site visit from the Congressman's chief case worker
• Participate when World Relief invited church representatives from all over the nation to an Immigration Training hosted by Elmbrook Church, which included a tour of James Place to see how our Immigration Services function
• Have successfully closed 35 cases
• See a number of new immigrant faces at Elmbrook Church
• Receive referrals from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Milwaukee
• Pray with each client at the close of our meetings
• Trust God on a daily basis for wisdom and discretion and watch him provide

What an amazing first year, and I cannot begin to imagine the blessings God has in store for our wonderful group of volunteer staff as we continue to display the love of Jesus to the nations in our own backyard.

Happy New Year!
Jason

Reason #3 - Responsibility

Why should we as Christians be concerned with the immigration debate and desire a change in the immigration law?
Reason #3:  Because it is our Christian responsibility.

"Well, so what?  The immigration laws don't affect me, so what is the big deal?  In fact, I think everyone should just go back to where they came from.  I'm not getting involved in that hot topic." 

It is sad, but this is the stance that many Christians take when asked about their position on immigration.  They become edgy, defensive, and accusatory.  Many think our nation would be better without those who are different.  How selfish.  We should care about the topic because the immigration law affects many of those who are our brothers and sisters in Christ.  And, "...when one part of the body suffers, we all suffer."

It is true, our current immigration laws and systems need a serious overhaul.  I have to work with what is there every day; and simply put, our system is full of injustice and complication, which leads to broken families, heartache, victimization, subclasses in our society, and a nation that can't seem to offer dignity to those who are different than themselves.

Why does this concern me as a Christian?  It should concern us because, as the hands and feet of Jesus, we have an obligation to aid the victims of injustice.  As those who love our neighbors as ourselves, we should consider the rights of others more than our own rights.  We should put the interests of others above the interests of ourselves (Philippians 2).  It should concern us because we should stand up for justice, fair laws, and righteousness.  We are to be the voice of those who have no voice.  Granted, there are many things about our nation which are not just, fair, or right, but we need to take a stand on something.  Why not take a stand on immigration, since it affects many of those who are sitting in the pews next to us at church on Sunday. 

I challenge those of you who have a heart for immigrants, to act on your convictions.  Contact your representative, inform your peers, speak the truth, assist those who are caught in impossible situations.  Do this in the name of Jesus.

Reason #2: Integrity

Why should we as Christians be concerned with the immigration debate and be supportive of proper change in the immigration system?
Reason #2: Integrity - Our nation is sending a mixed message.

All nations and kingdoms reserve the right to determine who and how an individual can come across their borders. It is a responsibility and necessity of the government of that nation to protect the people of that nation, and protecting the borders has always been fundamental. In ancient days, some cities would build enormous walls and station guards at iron gates to allow the citizens free passage and to keep out undesirables. Other cities would not have walls, and had a more 'open border' policy. There are pros and cons to each scenario. One is exclusive while the other is inclusive.

In my understanding, the reputation of the United States, as a nation, has always been welcoming and inclusive; promoting 'Freedom and Justice for all'. I always considered our nation to have fairly 'open borders', a relatively simple process of joining our ranks - pretty much, just show up. Right? Well, not necessarily anymore. In the past, this may have been true... but that was long ago. In theory we remain open-armed; yet, as one starts to study and learn the immigration laws and policies of our nation, one quickly realizes that, in practice, we are exclusive.

"How can you say that when we have representatives from every nation on the earth living within our borders?" And isn't Emma Lazarus' poem, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free..." engraved on our Statue of Liberty. Yes, this is true.  But, we no longer have an "Ellis Island" approach to immigration, where anyone and everyone (poor, tired, and huddled) can simply arrive on a boat and pass through the border. Now there are long lines - people waiting years and decades - to process into the US... but those people are the fortunate ones who have family members on the 'inside' and who pass admissibility criterion. Unless you have a relation to someone in the US or you have an incredible skill or lots of money, you have an extremely low probability of ever being able to immigrate into our country. 

In reality, we have very little room for the poor and huddled masses. Although I am grateful that our nation welcomes the highest number of refugees of any other nation in the world, I personally think we could do better.  As a matter of integrity, our reality should reflect our reputation.

Reason #1

Why should Christians be concerned with the immigration debate?
Reason #1: Because immigrants matter to God.

Open your mouth for the mute,

for the rights of all who are destitute.

Open your mouth, judge righteously,

defend the rights of the poor and needy.

– Proverbs 31:8-9

"We are called by God to aid the vulnerable. Therefore, we must see the alien and the stranger as individuals made in the image of God, the object of Christ’s love, and as people of intrinsic worth who are in need of our affirmation and support."   - A Resolution of the General Conference of the Evangelical Free Church of America, adopted in 1996.

Christians should care about the immigrant community in our own backyard, because God cares about them. Jesus commands his followers to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind”; and “to love your neighbor as yourself.” God has placed us, as his ambassadors, in this particular community and he asks us to share his love with that community, regardless of race, background, legal status, or country of origin. Immigrants should matter to us as Christians because Immigrants matter to God.

Personally, in the past, I was indifferent to the plight of the immigrant in my city.  I felt that if they got themselves into this mess, then they should get themselves out.  I still believe that everyone is responsible for the choices they make, but I have grown to understand that because people and their situations matter to God, their situation should matter to me.  I should be willing to lend a hand where a hand is needed. 

As our government is deliberating over a new immigration bill at this very moment, I believe that we as Christians, who are also citizens of this country, should make it our loving act of hospitality do what we can to welcome immigrants.  This could be done through advocacy: writing a letter or making a phone call to our representatives voicing our support of changes to the immigration system.  It could be pointing the immigrants we know toward those who can help them comply with the complex and confusing law.  Or, it could be as simple as listening to their story and sharing the love and forgiveness of Christ in a non-condemning way.

As followers of Jesus, we should be the most compassionate, forgiving, and accepting people because we are the recipients of the compassion, forgiveness, and acceptance of Jesus Christ.

Last supper

I was going to begin writing a series of posts regarding why we need Comprehensive Immigration Reform, but being as it is the beginning of the Resurrection weekend, and because this fits in with what I will say in the future, I thought I would jot down a few thoughts that God has impressed upon me today and get to the other topic later on. At the end of the gospels, we see Jesus eating his last supper with his disciples. During this supper, he institutes the bread and wine. A perfect picture foretelling his own sacrifice on behalf of all unworthy sinners. His death was the ultimate act of selflessness... dying on behalf of someone else. Some of us would possibly die for the sake of a close family member, or a spouse, but how many of us would die for our enemies? And just before Jesus breaks the bread and pours out the wine, he demonstrates another very tangible way of being selfless... of being a servant - by washing the disciples feet. Jesus did for others what they should have been doing for him. Two pictures of humility, service, love, and grace. And yet, I often skim right over these two pictures and end up right where the disciples were a few minutes later - thinking and arguing about "who would be the greatest". They totally missed the point, and I often miss the point too. In fact, often my heart is so deceitful, I can serve someone and, upon reflection, find that my motive was to make me "the greatest"... just like the disciples were arguing about. Jesus didn't concern himself with being the greatest. He simply knew that he was the Son of the Greatest in the Kingdom, and that was enough. That should be enough for me. Then Jesus says, "A new command I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another." What does this love look like? Just like Jesus' love - a love so great, that he died for his enemies. A love so great that he suffered in the place of those who rejected (and continue to reject) him. A love so great that he served the very ones that he created to serve himself. When I think about this - I have to admit that I have so far to go. My love is childish, selfish, and pitiful. This world is dying to experience a love like this, and they are looking for it in all the wrong places. Jesus said, "By this all people will know that you are MY disciples, IF you have love for one another." The only way that the world is going to see Jesus, is if we demonstrate his love... by dying for our enemies, by suffering for those who rejected us, and by serving the ones who should be serving us.

Flee To God

What is the Christian response??  I read a doomsday article the other day, written by a Christian.  The longer I read, the more my heart raced, and the more I became fearful. In the end of reading the article, I began to panic and think, “I need to take care of myself and my family. I need to move out of the city and into the country. I need to purchase tons of guns and ammunition. I need to buy gold and silver. I need to be self-sustaining. I, I, I.”  After awhile, I settled down and pondered the Scriptures.  This is what struck me:  first of all, I should not live in fear, and I should not make decisions out of fear - that is not a Christian's response.  Secondly, aside from the fear, there was really nothing sinful with those thoughts… they were wise/prepratory thoughts.  But I would argue that this train of thought originates in this worldly kingdom and not of the Kingdom of God.  These thoughts, taken to the extreme, take God and his great commission out of the picture. God did not say, “If you have a prospering economy, freedom of speech, and the right to bear arms, then go and make disciples of all nations.” No, he says, “Go (in whatever context you find yourself in – freedom, communism, socialism, dictatorship, Muslim, prison) and make disciples of all nations.” For me, as I read the Bible, God always sends his people to where the lost people are in order to see a harvest. God never tells us as Christians to flee, hide, or disassociate from the masses. In fact, his own incarnation is an example of what we as true Christians are to do: we are to boldly go where the lost are, we are to dwell among them, and we are to demonstrate through words and actions what is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Another example is Jeremiah; he was sent by the Lord to Jerusalem… a city which was about to go into siege, battle, famine, and complete economic and physical destruction.. talk about doomsday.  I am sure wisdom would have told him to flee.  But as he obeys God, the Lord says to him, “Behold, I make you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land. They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the Lord, to deliver you.” Wow, what words of commission; powerful words, empowering words, bold words, specific words just for him! And yet… isn’t this what the Lord Jesus said to us before he ascended into heaven? After he has told his disciples just what kind of world he was sending them into and that people would hate, mock, reject, and kill them for his sake, he says to them, “Go…” Go into the unsafe contexts, go to where the people are; go to the sinners, the lost, the forgotten, the marginalized, the victimized, and the victimizers, go to where your enemies are, go to where the poverty is, go where there is trouble, go to the sick, the diseased, the dying, go to the sinners and drunkards, go to the refugees, the orphans, the hungry. “Go and make disciples of all nations… teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” As citizens of his Kingdom, God has placed a call upon all of us in all times… and it should compel us to do the opposite of what the world would do… to go to and dwell in the city, to immerse into the culture, to cultivate the tough issues; to be all things to all people so as to win some. We are as medics; we are to boldly run into danger to care for those that need salvation while at the same time everyone else is fleeing the battle.  If we flee and protect ourselves, then what chance do the lost have? We are to give and receive nothing in return. We are to love when hated. We are to bless when cursed.
The kingdoms of this world are founded on security, physical prosperity, and pleasure, and the wisdom of this world is based on fear of the future. Jesus’ Kingdom is founded on the intangibles of trust, love, mercy, and joy, and its wisdom is based on hope in a secure future.  Joy is far different from pleasure. Love and mercy are not prosperity. And trust is not our insurance-based security. Let us flee to God! He is our King, our Savior, our Provider, our Protector, our Ruler, our Healer, and our Confidence! And in fleeing to him, we may find ourselves in the most hostile environment on the planet. 

Fog

When we were living in the Tobo village in PNG, the only way to travel was by foot. The weather where we lived was tropical, cold, and it would rain… boy, it would rain. One year, we recorded over 3 meters of rain. But these were not just cloudy and rainy thunderstorms that were there and then gone… they were monstrous clouds which sat on our mountain tops causing it to rain down and sideways and sometimes even up. There were times during the year that we would not see the sun for weeks… just endless fog where visibility was less than half a mile. It was maddening.

Often, when I would hike those slippery mountain trails in the dense fog, not able to see more than a few hundred feet ahead of me, completely drenched, water dripping from every leaf and blade of grass, it would seem that the tortuous trail would never end. Up and down, up and down, puddles, ankle deep mud, slippery stones, thorn trees. Those endless hikes did teach me something about life though – I can never see very far ahead of me at any given time, but as long as I stay on the trail, relying on Jesus, be it tortuous or flat and easy, I will eventually arrive at my destination – and the destination is always worth the journey.  

He leads us on by paths we did not know; 
Upward He leads us, though our steps be slow, 
Though oft we faint and falter on the way, 
Though storms and darkness oft obscure the day; 
Yet when the clouds are gone, 
We know He leads us on. 

He leads us on through all the unquiet years; 
Past all our dreamland hopes, and doubts and fears, 
He guides our steps, through all the tangled maze 
Of losses, sorrows, and o’er clouded days; 
We know His will is done; 
And still He leads us on.
- Nicholaus Ludwig Zinzendorf

When we left PNG back 3 years ago, I could not see very far ahead of me… the trail ended in a dense and drenching fog… and the trail went up a steep mountain. Three years later, after arriving at a lookout thousands of feet higher, I have broken through the clouds, there is some sunshine above my head, and the trail I just hiked is slowly becoming visible as the fog is fading. Each turn and curve, log bridge and water crossing, had its purpose.

As I embark upon the first full year of Immigration counseling, and as Kellie continues through this year at the elementary school, I can see God’s hand guiding us all through the journey to this point. We can see the huge need in our city for immigration assistance and Christian teachers with compassion and faith.  We have been met by an even greater spiritual need permeating every nook and cranny of our city, be it among the immigrants or the young children on the streets. God has a very unique way of preparing people for the work he has planned for them, and yet, if we had not lived through those dark months in PNG, I am not sure we would have kept trudging along in the foggy past few years. But what a unique ministry He has put us in!  We are so grateful to be used by God; I have been able to demonstrate Jesus' compassion to over 30 immigrant families and Kellie has been able to demonstrate the love of Jesus to scores of school children.

“…pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ… that we may make it clear, which is how we ought to speak."

BIA Recognition and Accreditation

I have come to the understanding that God is never late, he is never early; he is always right on time.

A little over a year ago, I submitted an application to the Board of Immigration Appeals for their recognition of Elmbrook Church’s community center, James Place as an immigration counseling office and for my own accreditation as an immigration representative. The recognition and accreditation are necessary if a non-profit is to counsel people in matters related to immigration law. This was a direction that the leadership of James Place felt we needed to go because we were seeing a great need in the community for competent, legal, and inexpensive immigration counseling.

We were very optimistic and excited to begin this new way of serving some of the most vulnerable in our community. But, unfortunately, our first application was denied. So, I addressed their concerns and sent in another application… only to have that denied as well. Well, I figured we hadn’t struck out three times yet, so with the aid of an experienced Immigration attorney, we filed one last application.

Meanwhile, preparations for the office were in full swing and things were finally where they needed to be by the end of September… we were ready to take clients. A handful of volunteers had spent numerous hours in preparation of the office and procedures, and I thought it would be good to have a time of appreciation. So we got together on our normal Friday morning ready to pray yet again for God to move our application a bit further down the line. Just as we sat down to have some coffee and snacks, my telephone rang. I could not get to it in time, so I listened to the message. The timing could not have been more perfect: It was a call informing us that our application had been approved and that we would receive notification in the mail on Monday! So I set the phone on the table and hit ‘speaker’; you should have heard the excited laughter and exclaims of “How ‘ironic’ that God would choose to give us this news on our celebration day!”

Not only was the whole team together and the office finally fully prepared for clients, it was also the week before Harvest Fest, the mission conference at Elmbrook Church. God had everything planned out from the beginning… too early, and we would not have been ready (we have already been able to help almost 20 clients in the first 3 weeks), too late and we would have missed a great opportunity to present the ministry at Harvest Fest. Instead, it was precisely when God wanted it to happen – October 11th, a year to the exact week from when the original application was filed.

Thanks to all of you who have been praying with us concerning this. This is a great opportunity to demonstrate the love of Christ and it is exciting to be one of the ones God is using to do it.

Jason

Prayer for Quick and Favorable Response

I want to encourage everyone to be in prayer this week specifically for God to give us (James Place/Elmbrook) a favorable response from the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) regarding our application for James Place to be a recognized immigration counseling agency. And please pray that they would also grant me partial accreditation so that I can legally counsel clients. I received verification that the BIA is in the process of adjudicating the application THIS WEEK. Pray that there would be no hindrances, that all the information and documentation would be clear and understandable, that they would find no reason to deny the application, and that God would be honored in this process. In light of last weeks seminar at James Place, where 60+ immigrants came to receive information regarding an immigration benefit for their children, there is a huge need for this service in our community and an incredible opportunity for these people to experience the love of Christ (possibly for the first time) as they come to James Place. The main comment I heard last Monday was, "Thank you for giving us this information. It is so kind of you to care enough to help us in this way." With an approval from the BIA, we would be able to help each of these people with the next step: applying for and receiving this new benefit. Thank you all for you prayers regarding this matter. Dependent upon Him, Jason

Waiting

If you are like me, you sometimes wonder at God's time frame. I can get easily confused and frustrated when I try to make him fit into my schedule.
I haven't posted to this blog in a few months because I have been busy with establishing this Immigration Office at James Place. I had put in an application for accreditation to the Board of Immigration Appeals in January right before I wrote my last blog post. I have been patiently (or not so patiently) waiting since that time to receive their decision. I wanted to wait to post again until I had an acceptance letter in hand. In April, I found out that they had misplaced the file and they finally found it mysteriously under a pile on a desk. Then finally, I received their response on Monday. They denied our request.
So all that waiting and all that work believing that God wants us to open this immigration counseling office this spring, and we get a "no". (That is the second "no" by the way). I could say that I think it is all a conspiracy; and it would be correct - a giant conspiracy by Satan to thwart and destroy anything good and godly in this world. But I also know that God is sovereign, and I believe that with all my heart... he works through people who make bad decisions and use poor judgment. This process has shown me just how graciously patient God is with me, so I need to be patient with others and patient as I wait on Him. But it has also taught me to move beyond my culture and my personality. In America, we don't wait for anything... everything is instant gratification: from microwave ovens, to movies on demand, to credit card spending, to fast lane check out lines and fast food restaurants. It is hard to wait when our culture boasts "time is money" and every second that passes by we calculate just how much money or opportunity we just lost. To me, it is becoming a stressful way to live... and God doesn't always work within our "you can't buy back lost time" culture. He is so much bigger than that, so much wiser. I have been learning to understand his Kingdom culture more; which is comprised of a host of values and beliefs which are contrary to my birth culture.
So, I hope to have good news soon, but until then I will rest in the fact that God has it all under control and remember the truth that the best things in life come to those who wait... the best tasting food must be waited for - it can't be made in a microwave oven.
Will you pray with me that we can receive this accreditation in HIS timing? Thanks, Jason

News from Tobo

I know that many of you still pray for the church in Tobo and are interested in hearing updates as to how things are going back in Lengbati. I received this update from the Williamsons a few days ago and thought I would post it so that you could be in prayer, both for them and the believers in Tobo. God's ways are not our ways and his thoughts are not our thoughts; but we can rest in His sovereign plan, convinced that his love never fails and that his kingdom will not end. The following 2 paragraphs are from Williamson's update:

"In December we met with our NTM leadership, church planting consultants, and teammates about the condition of the church and the concerns we have with its growth. Nisae and I have poured our hearts into the believers here and have given much effort into seeing them grow in maturity and adapt a Biblical Worldview that is lived out among their unbelieving community. What we have seen in response has not been what we have hoped and prayed for, but rather our efforts have been met with resistance and callousness. The believers have closed the door themselves on our family’s ministry among them and ultimately on what the Holy Spirit wants to do in their lives. At the conclusion of our meetings, we all decided that it would be best to take a step back from the Church here in Tobo and allow them some time to decide for themselves if they are going to follow after the Lord or not or continue to live in the shadow of their prideful community.

Nisae and I have done everything possible to spur on growth in the believers’ lives and to facilitate the possible reigniting of the church. We’ve built friendships, laughed, cried, admonished, preached the Word and modeled it, pursued, and encouraged each believer in hopes that God would use these efforts to produce fruit in their lives. However, the Lord has not chosen to bring about a harvest at this time and we think that leaving the Tobo church on their own is now what is best for them, and us. Therefore, with the support of our leadership, consultants & teammates, we have decided to move out of the tribe in February and live in Madang (the town where our support center lies). After we’ve put a stop to our teaching in Tobo and explained why we are moving out and the reasons we are all stepping back from the church, our co-workers, Chad & Janeene Mankins, will continue to live in Tobo to translate God’s Word and other materials in hopes that down the road the church will reignite and desire growth."

Please lift up this situation before the Lord. Thank you for your prayers, they make all the difference.

Peace,
Jason for the Knapps

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