DECEMBER 2014 Letter LIVING WELL

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before.

What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.
What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more. Dr. Seuss

The Grinch found out that people were still joyful, even without the presents, the stockings, and the trees. Yes, Christmas does not come from a store; it does mean a great deal more!

MORE

You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at His birth. Luke 1:14

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people.... Luke 2:10

When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. Matthew 2:10

...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

JOY of CHRIST

The JOY of Christmas cannot be separated from the JOY of Christ. He brought JOY but also anticipated the JOY of the resurrected life! Without Christ, we have no joy and no hope.

Jesus’ coming is the final and unanswerable proof that God cares. William Barclay

We give gifts at Christmas out of the overflow of a joyful heart for what He has given each of us with THE GIFT of eternal life. 

YOU

We wish we could adequately express to each of YOU the joy of our heart for YOU and YOUR support of the Lord’s work through LIVING WELL. We pray that each of you will have a joyful Christmas as YOU and YOUR FAMILY reflect on the time Christ came to earth to live in the same way that YOU do. 

Because of YOU, we can continue to minister to couples similar to this one. Rejoice with us in this reconciled marriage. 

RECONCILED

After 7 1⁄2 years, we found that we were not following God’s plan for our marriage. We rarely spent quality time together, and focused on our kids instead of each other. We found that we were growing apart instead of together, and allowed distractions in our marriage. We were not looking to God during our struggles. 

Our sessions at Living Well have taught us more about ourselves, each other, and our relationship with God.... We learned to always put each other first, and how important “oneness” in marriage is.... Thanks to Ed and Donna, we now have a better understanding of God’s word and how it relates to our marriage. Thank you to Living Well for giving life to our marriage.

INVEST

As we approach the end of the year, we ask YOU to seek God about how He wants you to invest in His Kingdom. Our budget depends completely on tax-deductible donations. [TO DONATE]

We are not going to Zambia in January this year. The Lord showed us through a number of ways that He wanted us to stay here, rather than go. We still believe that He is leading us to return with another team in June. Will you go with us? 

We love and appreciate YOU and YOUR support of what God is doing! 

Our love in Christ,

Donna and Ed Edwards

P.S. Please join us in praying for God’s provision for 2015! [TO DONATE]

The water that I will give him will become in him

a well of water springing up to eternal life.

John 4:14b

Living Well is a life source, not a life style.

Give Through Shopping!

Yes, it's true - you can give to LIVING WELL as you buy on Amazon AND it doesn't cost you anything!!

Just go to this link to enter the Amazon site. Or go to smile.amazon.com and search for LIVING WELL as your choice of 501(3)c to designate.

Your shopping experience is the same. And once you have designated LIVING WELL, it will always stay there unless you choose to change it. We do not know who designates us or how much any individual spends, we just get the donation!

The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases.

What an easy way to give that costs you nothing! THANKS in advance!

LIVING WELL

NOVEMBER 2014 Letter LIVING WELL

Pastor Charles speaking

Thank YOU to everyone who attended our dinner and the other events where our friend and colleague from Zambia, Pastor Charles Mutambala, spoke.

No matter how much or how well we try to convey the need and results of ministering in Zambia, it does not match the passion through which a Zambian can convey the situation over there.

Brother Charles spoke 12 times at 3 churches and at two dinners while he was here. The response was astounding!

Pastor Charles preaching

He inspired and challenged all of us when he spoke about what it meant to be a living sacrifice. Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Romans 12:1

THANKS for GIVING during this last year! I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.  Philippians 1:3-5

YOUR support and that of many others continues to amaze us! YOUR giving is making essential improvements at WISDOM Community School and is insuring its continued operation!

Funding for the security wall at WISDOM Community School is complete! Because of YOUR giving, we can proceed with the wall. What a security wall means:

• Enhanced safety and privacy for students
• Enhanced security for school buildings and contents
• Ability to proceed with fundraising for:
• Electric lights in the school buildings
• Electric water pump and water storage tank
• Kitchen building, leading to a feeding program for students
• Playground equipment
• Vegetable garden
• Chicken or pig raising program

Because of YOUR support, we continue to work with marriages. This couple was about to divorce and have a young child. Their marriage is now better than it has ever been and they are expecting a second daughter! Here’s an excerpt from video testimony at our dinner:

• I was desperate to save our marriage. . . . I didn’t know where to start. . . . But you always pointed us to the Word of God . . . . We knew He was for our marriage. I gave Him all my sin, my insecurities, my deficiencies. He took that and loved through me. . . . We learned that all of our needs can be met through God. . . . don’t have to rely on this person to fulfill everything. . . . Learning new techniques and conflict resolution. . . .
  [click here to see the rest of the video]

To learn more about educating a child at WISDOM Community School, click here. YOU can educate one child for $25/month or $300/year. YOU can sponsor one teacher for $225/month or $2700/year,

We love and appreciate YOU and YOUR support of what God is doing!
Our love in Christ,
Donna and Ed Edwards

P.S. Please praise the Lord with us for His provision and blessings! Pray for Brother Charles and his ministry.

To see more pictures of his visit, click here and here.

Zambian Pastor Charles Mutambala at Oklahoma Capitol

Pastor Charles Mutambala has been very interested in government since his four years at a Bible college near Boston. He studied the U.S. style of democracy and constitution. He was a spiritual adviser to a previous Zambian president and participated in writing a new constitution for their national government.

During his visit to Oklahoma, Lt. Governor Todd Lamb graciously met with him and heard the history of the Zambian government since colonialism.

 

Donna Edwards, Pastor Charles Mutambala, Lt. Governor Todd Lamb, Ed Edwards

Pastor Charles in the Oklahoma Senate chamber

Pastor Charles Mutambala Visits Oklahoma

Pastor Charles Mutambala is almost back to Zambia from his two weeks in Oklahoma. We all enjoyed his time with us. In his two weeks, he spoke 11 times to groups at three churches and at two dinners.

We shared Oklahoma with him as he shared Zambia with us.

One of the must see places in OKC - the Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.

    

     

Charles at Cattleman's Steakhouse

   

The God Way for Parents

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Deuteronomy 6:5-7

When our kids were growing up, we wanted to be godly parents and raise them to love the Lord and to live their lives to glorify Him. But how do you do that? 

We took them to church ... A LOT. We read the Bible to them and with them at home. We prayed with them every night, prayed with them before they left the house to go to school. They saw us serve others. But having family devotions was challenging. Talking about the Christian life often lost their attention. We were so busy trying to keep up with their school work, health, etc. How do you stay focused? We felt we were doing what we could, but was it enough?

God’s intention is for parents to teach their children about the Lord. We are to transmit our faith to them as we walk and talk in our daily life.

As parents, we feel very inadequate in knowing how to transmit their faith. For many of us, our parents didn’t do it for us. We don’t know where to start to do it for our children.

In the last 50 years in the U.S., the local church has become very adept in teaching children of every age. As the church becomes more proficient, parents become less confident and involved.

The church has the child for one or two hours per week; the parent has the child for many more hours each week. One hour is not enough! The church does teach the children, but it’s the parents’ responsibility to be the primary teacher and trainer. 

How many hours a week does your child spend learning a sport or a musical instrument or playing video games or watching TV?

How many hours a week does your child spend growing in a personal walk with the Lord? 

There is nothing wrong with those activities if they are not done in place of spiritual training. And the gospel of God’s grace can permeate all that we do if we are intentional about it.

We believe that the history of the world is but the history of His influence and that the center of the whole universe is the cross of Calvary.  Alexander MacLaren

The ultimate purpose of parenting is not to hang on, but to let go; not protection but empowerment. We certainly hope parents don’t interpret that approach as advocating a sloppy, carefree approach to parenting where you put your kids in unnecessary danger. But many Christian parents fail to grasp that God entrusted their children to them to train them up for His purposes, not theirs. J.D. Greear

Where to start ….

Many parents make futile attempts at family devotions, giving up after time demands and whining children interrupt. Family devotions can certainly be part of teaching and training children, but there are many more options. 

Foster deep relationships within the family and church so that: 

1) the gospel can be spoken into their lives in strategic ways and 

2) they can see the gospel lived out in day to day life. 

Good gospel teaching is explaining to kids what they see lived out on a daily basis. It is not preaching it, but walking and talking a gospel of grace. 

Parents begin by looking at the relationship that they want their children to have with the Lord, and ask themselves, “Am I demonstrating that relationship with my life? Am I devoted to the Lord in all that I say and do? Do I value my time and my conversations with my children? 

Is it more important to you that your children are liked by others or loved by God? 

Is acceptance by others a priority over acceptance by God?

Tech Free
For many parents, it will mean that you put down the devices and go “tech free” when you are with your kids. Dinner time (yes, you sit down to dinner as a family) becomes a tech free zone. Driving in the car around town becomes a tech free zone, interacting with your children without distractions. 

Walking and Talking
You talk about the news of the day in relation to God’s big picture. What does domestic violence have to do with God’s heart for the family and marriage? Why is there never-ending fighting in the Middle East? What do we do about the poor in our city, state, nation, and world?

We wish we had know more when we were young. We were still growing in our faith. We knew we were doing more than our parents did for us. The good news is that our children are now adults; our children and grandchildren do love the Lord. We feel blessed.


Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road......

Read related article: The Center

OCTOBER 2014 Letter LIVING WELL

Because of YOUR support and encouragement, we can continue to go to trainings for strengthening marriages and building marriage and family ministries in churches. We just got back from the D6 Conference (name comes from Deuteronomy 6).

While there, we received a booklet 11 Ways to Give Your Kids a Heart for the Nations. We were intrigued by the ideas. Then, we began to realize that if the parents don’t have a heart for the nations, it is unlikely that their children will either.

Do YOU have a heart for the nations? 

Do YOU want a heart for the nations?

Frankly, we did not when we were young parents. And some people have already quit reading this letter because of the topic. Having a heart for the nations begins by having a heart for YOUR nation and YOUR neighbor. That is where the LORD started with us.

What can YOU do right now to respond to God’s call for the nations? 

YOU can educate a child in Africa. When you do that, your involvement becomes very personal. 

YOU can teach your children/grandchildren about another culture - where they live (geography), what their conditions are (gratitude for what we have), what they eat, how they play, and about their religions. YOU can teach them to pray specifically for needs there, not just globally “for all the starving children in Africa.”

Right now we have a great need to add another teacher at the school. We raise 100% of the funds to operate the school. The school needs to add one more grade; the school needs a teacher who has training with older kids. WE NEED YOUR HELP!

To learn more about educating a child at WISDOM Community School, please go to the school website. For $25/month or $300/year, YOU can educate one child. For $225/month or $2700/year, YOU can sponsor one teacher.

Thank YOU for YOUR continued support! We love and appreciate YOU and YOUR support of what God is doing!
Our love in Christ,

Donna and Ed Edwards

P.S. Please pray for our dinner and the needs of WCS.

The water that I will give him will

 become in him a well of water

springing up to eternal life.

John 4:14b

Living Well is a life source, not a life style.

THE CENTER

Have you noticed that when a child is born, they become the center of attention?

Besides the fact that we love them, they can’t do anything on their own. A baby becomes the center of the life of the family.

We want to make sure that we feed him for nourishment so he will thrive. We bathe, change the diaper, and wash clothes to keep her clean. We put him in bed, hoping he will sleep. When they cry, we attend to their needs.

A baby naturally thinks he is the center of his universe. He is…for a time.

What happened?

Many people in the Baby Boomer generation had parents consumed with making a living, providing a nice home, cars, etc. for their families. After all, those parents grew up during the depression and the War.

So, Baby Boomers vowed to pay more attention to their kids. Those children are now adults having their own children.

Guess what? They are no longer the center of their universe. They are trying to do it all for their children. 

How does a person cope?

How long do we make our children the center of all that we do?

We are about to make some people mad, but here goes.

Many good, Christian parents are working hard at making sure that their children are happy and successful in life. In the process, that child’s extra-curricular activities and interests take precedent over everything that happens in the family.

• The family throws their time, money, and energy into the kids’ music, sports, etc. 
• Sitting down to eat as a family is not a priority.
• Sports tournaments take precedent over church. 
• Getting the kids to all of their activities becomes the top item on their agenda, regardless of the needs of the rest of the family.
• The marriage takes backseat. 
• The child’s spiritual training is left for the professionals and volunteers at church.

When the kids are grown, where is the marriage?

What will the child believe is the most important - 

• his own wants and desires
• others’ needs
• worshiping the Lord?

Is there a problem ….

None of us want to raise a self-centered child. A child is born self-centered. In the early years, we reinforce that idea to take care of the infant. To move away from being self-centered requires deliberate teaching and training.

We want to teach them to be other-centered and, most of all, God-centered.

Self-centered people see themselves as the center of the universe and judge everything as it relates to them. “Everything that happens (or doesn’t happen) in my world is about me.”

Some warning signs that your home may be child-centered:

• Your child complains that she is bored. “You are in charge of keeping me entertained.”
• Neglecting your needs, household work, or job to entertain, cater to, or indulge your child in his desires.
• Neglecting time with your spouse to be with your children.
• Cooking/meals revolve around children's likes/dislikes.
• Sacrificing your sleep or intimacy with your spouse for your child to sleep when/where he wants.
• Your child is angry when she doesn’t get her way. She dictates what the family eats, TV/movies they watch, or activities they do/don’t do.
• Your child is a demanding when others take care of him.
• Your child doesn’t take responsibility for his attitude or actions. It’s always someone else’s fault.
• You intercede in situations when your child is upset, uncomfortable, or gets her feelings hurt.
• You give in to a child's demands for a phone, other electronic devices, video games, car, etc. even when you know that it's not the best for them, you can't afford it, or that they aren't responsible enough to take care of it.

*We are talking about average American kids; we are not talking about abnormal situations involving physical/emotional disabilities or neglectful/abusive situations.

Coming soon: The God Way and Where to Start

Making Peace?

Peace …. Living It and Making It

The last few weeks have been filled with conflict between religions, ideologies, and races. Hot spots around the world abound! In fact, it's depressing to turn on the news.

Conflicts like these aren't new. We have all experienced these kind of tensions before. That must be why God warned us that there would always be trouble in this world. Regardless of that warning, He calls us to live at peace with others and even to make peace!

After living through the 60's, I remember my years in high school and college as being very tumultuous. We had race riots and turmoil in the Mideast. We had campus shootings, war protests, and assassinations.

The idea of a “peacemaker” brings different images to my mind. I think of the peace symbol from the 60’s. We saw the hippies of our generation with signs that said, "Make Love, Not War." Others may think of the two-fingers-raised-in-a-V sign, politicians, an olive branch, a dove, or even a gun.

God didn't say "keep the peace." “Keeping the peace” is different than “living at peace” with others. "Keeping the peace" usually means someone is avoiding conflict at all costs, rather than trying to resolve the conflict. [A future blog will expand on that idea, especially in marriage.]

In Romans, God tells me to live at peace with others if it is possible.* In other words, God is telling me to do my part to live at peace. "Living at peace" doesn't mean that I leave the relationship to be able to live at peace. I remember a man telling me that he was going to divorce his wife because he couldn't live at peace with her. That solution only shifts the problem; it doesn't resolve anything.

Some people are not willing to live at peace with us. They continue to cause conflict, for a multitude of reasons. Usually, they are hurt, so they cause hurt to others.

For my part, I don’t have to take the bait and get involved in attacking back.

To live in peace, I must take a look at my own life and see if there is something that God wants to change.

To live at peace means that I am not holding anything against anyone. It means that I forgive the hurt. I don’t pursue revenge or “pay backs” or trying to make them hurt in the same way they hurt me.

Only after I have looked at my own life, do I seek to address the situation with someone else. In all that I do, I seek to glorify God with my words and my actions.

God calls us to go beyond “living at peace” to “making peace.” Making peace would certainly include making peace with others personally.

Making peace looks for ways to make peace with the people I encounter every day and to even facilitate peace between people. [More on the process of peacemaking in the next post.]

The goal of peace making is reconciliation. The person may need to make peace with God or peace with himself or peace with others. God calls us to a ministry of reconciliation - peace making.

When people can reconcile on a personal level, they are much better at reconciling with people of other races, religions, and nationalities.

Blessed are the Peacemakers …. 

The followers of Jesus have been called to peace. When He called them they found their peace, for He is their peace. But now they are told that they must not only have peace but make it.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer 

*If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

 Romans 12:18

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 

Matthew 5:9

We can be peacemakers because Christ made peace with us through His death.

...through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.

Colossians 1:20

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

 Romans 14:19

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
James 3:17-18

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 

 Ephesians 4:3

Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. 

2 Corinthians 13:11

AUGUST 2014 Letter LIVING WELL

Would you get in a car or a plane for a trip if you believed that your rate of survival was 50%? 

The myth that 50% of marriages end in divorce has contributed to lower rates of marriage and increased cohabitation today. Couples don’t like the odds. YOU can help combat that myth!

Myth? Yes, myth.

It’s a statistic that we hear continuously in our culture today. Our rate of divorce in the U.S. has never been 50%, even at it’s worse. According to a report from the Census Bureau, 72.5% of women in the 50-59 year-old age group (includes widows) are still married to their first spouse. If we could take out those who are single because of the death of a spouse, the rate of divorce might be 25%. YOU can encourage young married couples!

The effect of the myth is wide-spread discouragement. If I am unhappy in my marriage, I might think that I only have a 50% chance of making it; I must be part of the half that doesn’t. But if I know that 75% make it, then I might be able to figure out how to make it work too.

We have found that the small things that we do or don’t do in marriage can make a huge difference. [See our blog] Most marriages aren’t having problems because of the big issues, such as alcoholism or other destructive behaviors. In the book, The Surprising Secrets of Highly Happy Marriages by Shaunti Feldhahn, the author surveyed many couples and reveals how small things can change the climate of a marriage.

TRY IT! One suggestion from the author of a small thing that any of us can do is: 

• Women: notice the little day-to-day things your spouse does and say “thank you”. Saying ‘thank you’ to a guy is the emotional equivalent of when he says ‘I love you’ to you! Sincerely say thank you several times a day and you will transform your marriage.  
  
• Men: take your wife’s hand when you are walking across a parking lot, or put your arm around her when you are sitting together at church. Those gestures deeply please the vast majority of women on my survey, because it says some important things like, “You’re mine.” That day-to-day reassurance that you would choose her all over again is priceless.

THANK YOU for continuing to support the work we do with couples everyday in our office - strengthening marriages and preparing couples for marriage.

THANK YOU for your prayers and support for WISDOM Community School. Our next project is a security wall around the school property. A recent break-in reinforces the urgency to begin the project. The cost is $22,000.

We currently have $3500 donated towards that project. YOU may give by sending a check, online at our website, or through an electronic transfer. Please contact us for more info. Donations are tax-deductible; 100% goes to the project.

To see more about the school and current news, visit wisdomcommunityschool.com .

Thank YOU for your continued support! We could not continue this ministry without YOU! We love and appreciate YOU and your support of what God is doing!

Our love in Christ,
Donna and Ed Edwards

P.S. Pray for the protection of Wisdom Community School and the funds for a security wall around the compound.

The water that I will give him will

  become in him a well of water

springing up to eternal life.

John 4:14b

Living Well is a life source .... not a life style.

Words and Thoughts

I have been thinking a lot about words lately. Words represent our thoughts - not just about a topic but what we think about ourselves.

The bottom line is that I am fed up with profanity. And you may be thinking - "well, you are just old and uptight." Maybe. But I am not so much offended by it as I am weary of it. I am way past complaining about movies. I am talking about people in my real-life world.

Profanity can be left out of a sentence and it has not changed the meaning at all. It adds nothing to the subject.

Some think that profanity adds emphasis. Some add profanity to show that they are young and hip (as opposed to old and uptight). Really? Is our vocabulary so limited that the only way we can express our emotions is by spitting out profanity? Do I think that others will like me more or think I'm cool if I debase myself by using profanity? 

I am especially surprised at young women who fastidiously present themselves in beauty and elegance - then use four-letter words, demeaning their style and grace. 

A young writer, Galanty Miller, puts it well, 

Profanity isn't shocking anymore. It's not edgy or sassy or hip or rebellious. It's just a sad, tiresome example of our shrinking vocabulary. Thanks, Twitter. People swear when they have nothing to say, but they want to talk. My feeling? You're not getting paid by the word and you're not a sailor. So keep it simple.

For those who have lost their way and need a guideline - if you wouldn't say it to your grandmother, don't say it at all.

If you are under 40 and read all the way through this rant, be assured that I am not trying to condemn you or judge you - I just think that you are more extraordinary than four-letter words.

JULY 2014 Letter LIVING WELL

Thank YOU for sending us!  

“Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on My behalf is welcoming Me." 

(Matthew 18:5 NLT)

Because of YOUR support, we welcomed many children into God’s kingdom!

We ministered to 140 children of Wisdom Community School directly. MANY more gathered around our activities and enjoyed the singing, teaching, and games of Camp Wisdom. 

Our theme was the person of Jesus. 

At the end of the week, the gospel was presented in conjunction with the school’s manager, our colleague in Zambia. 

Many children responded to the gospel! Please pray with us that God will confirm in their hearts what they prayed that day. 

Besides the amazing work in the hearts of the children, God provided through YOU! 

• A completely new classroom building, (three more classrooms), painted, ready to use 
• New latrines 
• More landscaping 
• Classroom posters 
• Camp Wisdom T-shirts 
• Snacks every day for 140 children 
• Puppets 
• Craft supplies 
• Toothbrushes/toothpaste 
• Books 
• Rubber band bracelets 

Besides the children of Wisdom, highlights of the trip:

1. dedicating the new classroom building in memory of Micah Powers and having his mother, Anita, present to see it
2. seeing a new team work together in harmony, using the gifting of each person
3. watching the “mama’s” give an appreciation dance
4. experiencing multifaceted worship in a local church.

The growth of Wisdom Community School astounds us! 

January 2012: 160 children     Now: 305 children

The growth gives us more opportunities to shows God’s love to more children of Wisdom! And we have more opportunities to develop the school! 

To utilize the classrooms, they need at least 45 more desks immediately! The cost is $2, 250. [TO DONATE]

Next year, we need more team members so that we can include all of the children in Camp Wisdom. Make plans now to be a part of our team for June 2015. We welcome adults and high school students accompanied by a parent. Please contact us if you are interested. 

Coming soon - a way to sponsor a child or a teacher at Wisdom! 

Please visit our Facebook page and other posts in this blog for more pictures and info on the mission. Click here to see a picture report.

Thank YOU for your continued support! We could not continue this ministry without YOU! We love and appreciate YOU and your support of what God is doing! 

Our love in Christ,

Donna and Ed Edwards

P.S. Praise for the successful mission and God’s work in the hearts of the children.

The water that I will give him will become in him 

a well of water springing up to eternal life. John 4:14b

JUNE 2014 Letter LIVING WELL

Missionary zeal does not grow out of intellectual beliefs,
nor out of theological arguments,
but out of love. Roland Allen (English missionary, 1868-1947)

Why do we keep going to Zambia and Wisdom Community School? God has given us a love for the Zambian people and for the children at Wisdom. Supporting and developing a school for orphan children in a slum area was never part of “our” agenda. But when we were faced with the prospect of seeing a school close for lack of funding, God clearly told us that He wanted us to be the conduits of His provision for that school and to be the means by which He wants to share the gospel with those vulnerable children. Because of YOU, we can do that!

His plans for us have not changed when it comes to ministering to marriages. Because of YOUR support, we continue to give guidance to those in crisis, preparing for marriage, and wanting to strengthen their marriages. We still see many couples and learn/grow in that area.

If we asked YOU, “What percentage of couples are happy in their marriage today?” What would YOU say? Most people guess in the 30-40% range. Here is some good news for YOU!

In a new book, The Good News About Marriage: Debunking Discouraging Myths about Marriage and Divorce, Shaunti Feldhahn shares that most marriages are happy not hard. “Most married people today enjoy being married to their spouse and, given the chance, would do it all over again.” In her research, she found that 71% of married couples are happy, including one-third being highly happy.

“Well,” YOU say, “what about Oklahoma? What about other research?” Even though Oklahoma has one of the higher divorce rates in the country, 68% of Oklahomans say that they are “very happy” in their marriage. Another 29% are “pretty happy.” Only 3% are “not too happy!” [survey in 2001 by Scott Stanley for the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative]

Does that surprise you? Does that give you hope? What difference does it make if I am not one of the happy ones? The numbers show us that it is very common for people to be happy. If that many people are happy, my marriage can be happy too! Is marriage hard work? Yes, we often have to work hard but we can also have fun in marriage. “May you rejoice in the wife of your youth.” (Proverbs 5:18) “Enjoy life with your wife.” (Ecclesiastes 9:9)

Happiness is not the goal of marriage - honoring and glorifying God with my marriage is the goal. Our marriages are to reflect the relationship between Christ and the church. Certainly, enjoying my marriage would be part of that picture.

Your prayers for our final preparations and funding are greatly needed and appreciated!

Thank YOU for your continued support! We could not continue this ministry without YOU! We love and appreciate YOU and your support of what God is doing!

Our love in Christ,
Donna and Ed Edwards

P.S. Please pray that the Lord will raise up the remaining $1,000 to finance this mission.

To donate to Mission Zambia, click here.

MAY 2014 Letter LIVING WELL

It’s easy to be talk about the work we do in Africa. But it’s much harder to share about the work we do 90% of our time - bringing healing to marriages.

We can all get excited about bringing an education to orphans in a slum in Africa. It’s more painful to hear about hurt and destruction happening between couples in marriages.

Our hearts are tugged by the sight of children with no shoes, tattered clothes, and dirty faces. It’s often distressing to think about the agony of conflict - mainly because we have experienced the agony. We don’t want to feel that again, even if it’s empathizing with another.

YOUR continued support of LIVING WELL means that we can continue to see couples and guide them in strengthening their marriages. YOUR prayers fill our hearts and our spirits, as we rely on God’s wisdom for the right words and direction for each couple.

The most common obstacle families face is not being able to communication in a healthy way, which leaves a lot of unresolved conflicts. We believe that the heart is the root issue, but many times, people need skills on how to speak/listen and what to do when they are overwhelmed with emotion.

Because of YOUR support, we are able study and learn new ways to teach/train couples and are also able to meet with people who are in financial distress and cannot contribute to the cost of their sessions. We could not continue to do what we do without YOU!

As a way of thanking you for your support, we are giving you a link to a page that summarizes important ideas about communication. We all struggle with communicating effectively with those that we love the most. Regardless of how articulate we are in the business world or with friends, those skills are often left outside the doors of our homes.

We are in the last month of preparations for Mission Zambia 2014 and we are excited about what God is doing at Wisdom Community School! Since our last letter, developments are:

• Two new team members - our pastor, Bill Hulse, and his daughter, Hannah
• Classroom Building #2 progress - walls are up, roof is going on
• Local authorities require us to build more toilets for the students, new latrine building is in progress (cost of $2500 was not part of original project, we are building by faith)
• Electricity is now available in the area - we are having lines run to the school
• Planning and preparations for Camp Wisdom is near completion
• Funding is about 57% complete - $6000 still needed

We are running to keep pace with the success that God has given us at Wisdom Community School. The school is growing rapidly and opportunities for growth and development abound.

Your prayers for our final preparations and funding are greatly needed and appreciated!

Thank you for your continued support! We could not continue this ministry without you! We love and appreciate you and your support of what God is doing!

Our love in Christ,
Donna and Ed Edwards
P.S. Please pray that the Lord will raise up the remaining $6,000 to finance this mission.

TO DONATE

Amazon Gives $$$ to Us as You Shop

From now through 3/31/2014, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate an extra $5 for each customer who makes an eligible purchase at smile.amazon.com in support of LIVING WELL. This is in addition to the regular donation of 0.5% of the purchase price.

LIVING WELL

Letter LIVING WELL

Evangelism.

What do you think of when you read that word? Our church is emphasizing evangelism this year - a worthy emphasis. Easter is approaching, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ is on our minds. Why do we evangelize, what does it mean, and how do we go about it?

We evangelize because Jesus told us to (the why). If you have experienced the good news of having your sins forgiven because of Jesus Christ (the what), wouldn't you be excited to share the peace and joy that you have in your life now?

I (Donna) started doing yoga a few months ago, really enjoy it, and know that it has done wonders for my balance and flexibility. I discovered an app that is very good and that I could use at home in the mornings. I tell all my friends about my yoga experience and the difference it has made. Most of us are willing to talk at length about something we love and enjoy. Why wouldn't we talk about Jesus with that same excitement? 

The how of evangelism is a broad topic with lots of different opinions. Our belief is that God uses your passions and every day life encounters for you to share the good news. 

We have found two major ways that God has given us into peoples’ lives and hearts. Because of your support for us, we are able to pursue these passions and callings.

• First - through our marriage and financial counseling and classes. We are humbled that the Lord would use us to share about who He is week after week.
• Second - through the ministry of Wisdom Community School. We learned last year that, even though they sing about Jesus, they really know very little about Him. 

This year, the theme of Camp Wisdom is the person of Jesus Christ. We will teach about Jesus as a Man, God, a Servant, Savior, and our Friend. 

Because of your support for our ministry, we can continue to share the gospel daily in our office. Because of your support, we can take the gospel to the children of Wisdom in a slum in Zambia.

We have our team for Mission Zambia 2014. We have 11 team members from four churches and a wide-range of ages and talents. Those joining us on the team are: Alan and Donna Borkenhagen, Shelby Dunkle, Jacquelyn Edwards, John and Darla Holinsworth, Amanda Hyden, Mary Kay McCormick, and Anita Powers. Please visit our website page for pictures/info on the team.

See more info on our mission needs and details of the mission at this link. We count on your prayers and support to accomplish God’s mission through Living Well.

More exciting news! The concrete foundation for Classroom building #2 is complete! The walls of the building are going up now. We can hardly wait to see the building that the Lord provided through you. Our construction team paint the building on our mission trip. [see picture]

Thank you for your continued support! We could not continue this ministry without you! We love and appreciate you and your support of what God is doing!
Our love in Christ,

Donna and Ed Edwards
P.S. Please pray that the Lord will raise up the $14,000 that we need to finance this mission.

Worship Together in Kitwe

One of our favorite parts of the Church in Africa is their worship. They sing with their whole bodies and they pray like they mean it.

Before the wedding cake time, they sang a song that is traditional song and dance at weddings. We don't really know what is said - but they were having fun singing it!

MARCH 2014 Letter LIVING WELL

Your prayers produced much fruit! We had a great trip to Zambia and encouraging feedback from our February events. We hope the details will encourage you as well.

We have immediately launched into gathering a team for our June mission.

We can still use many more people to minister to the kids at Wisdom Community School (WCS). If you are interested in being a part of our team, please let us know ASAP! We have to finalize our arrangements by March 6th. Whether you work on the building/grounds, help with the Bible camp or minister to the teachers, we have a place for you! We train all of our team members. [see details]

February Events: We taught 18 couples at a retreat on Valentine’s weekend. The group was very interactive, attentive, and gave good feedback on their experience. On February 21st, we led the Together Forever event at our church. Ed and his team cooked for 200! Everyone had a lot of fun and were very encouraged in their marriages. We filmed two TV segments for the local TBN. And we added four new couples to our counseling schedule. Thank you for your prayers! We have one more event to teach on February 28 - then we can rest!

Only through your prayers were we able to actually get through all our mission agenda in January. See more info on the enclosed sheet. Our mission was:

Ed and Austin, the lead pastor who
organized the local pastors in Kitwe

Dedication of Well

• Pastoral Marriage Conference in Kitwe - very interested and involved couples. One couple was making plans to divorce but God healed their marriage that week. The pastors organized themselves to continue to meet bi-monthly to encourage and support each other in developing marriage ministries and strengthening marriages. [more pics & info - teaching, renewing vows]
  
• Dedicating new water well at WCS (donated by Lakeview Baptist in Guthrie) - the water is so clear and clean, it’s being used daily by the school and community.
  
• Giving Christmas gifts to the students of WCS (donated by Berean Class, PCBC) - God multiplied what we brought because the kids multiplied from the year before!

  

  Children at WCS showing gifts

• Presenting textbooks and school supplies (donated by PCBC Awana children) - we expanded their textbooks and supplies tremendously.

  

  Darla Holinsworth with AWANA Club donation

• Church ministry - preaching once and teaching two evening sessions on marriage and parenting; they are asking us to video our sessions so that they can be used more extensively in churches.
• Teaching fire safety, emergency skills to WCS and others (by John Holinsworth)  

  

  A volunteer demonstrating how to safely
  put out a skillet fire with John Holinsworth

  
  At one meeting a man attended who had been to one of his trainings last June. He testified that he got choked on some meat and used the Heimlich maneuver on himself and was able to breath again!
• Training marriage educators in Nairobi 

  

  Edwin and Caroline

  We spent several hours with a young, energetic, godly couple. We shared our materials and experience with them and have set up a long-distance mentoring relationship, as they seek to strengthen marriages in Kenya.
  
• Meeting with contractors for classroom building #2 - we selected the contractor for next classroom building and construction has begun! Thanks to you, our supporters, we were able to begin construction immediately! [pictures of construction]

Wisdom Community School is exploding with students!

When we first visited the school 2 years ago, they had 160 students. Their school year begins in January. At enrollment time this year, 143 children came to enroll in 1st grade! They do not have room for that many students; they narrowed it down to 80. The community recognizes that the school is growing and developing and providing a great opportunity that their children would not otherwise have. 

We also got to meet with the 7th grade students that you, our supporters, helped sponsor to go to the public school.

7th grade students from WCS

Thank you for your continued support! We could not continue this ministry without you! We love and appreciate you and your support of what God is doing! 

Our love in Christ,

Donna and Ed Edwards
P.S. Please pray for the team that the Lord wants to send to work at WCS in June.