Summer is almost here!

I can't believe it, summer is almost here!  The kids will be out of school soon, and summer camps are just around the corner. We have been so busy lately.  It has been hard to sit down and get any blogging done, but I am resolved to sit here tonight until I have shared a little. 

Every day has had it's teachable moments, and every week God is proving His faithfulness to us.  We have had the privilege of family and friends visiting. Jason is finding out that every strange or seemingly meaningless job he has ever worked at, has given him unique skills that he uses every day.  For me personally God has me on a journey through His word that offers fresh revelation every time I turn the page.

This week we will be revealing the new name of our youth group, I will have to share that next week so I don't ruin the surprise. We actually have a car wash coming up this Saturday in Salt Springs if anyone is in the area.  We will be located at Bass Champions on Hwy 314.

Jason and I are enjoying being youth pastors, we have some great students.  We are constantly looking for new ways to teach them and reach them.  It is our hope to soon begin a bus ministry to several neighborhoods. We have so many students in our area that need love and acceptance.  It is also our goal to begin to raise up leaders among the students we have now.  Please keep us in prayer as we try to impart wisdom to them and encourage them to grow in their faith in Christ.

I can't tell you how much your prayers and encouragement mean.  Since we are only an hour away from Palatka it is hard sometimes for people to consider us as missionaries, but let me assure you we are.  We go through some of the same things missionaries on foreign soil go through. We work hard and minister to people that are hard to reach.  The enemy uses things like loneliness, depression, anger, discomfort, impatience, fatigue, frustration, bullies, and confusion to wear us down.  It is amazing though, when you call on the name of Jesus how quickly He will answer.

We are still in need of financial support.  I can't express to you how grateful we are to those of you who have been sending money.  Every donation has been right on time to meet a need.  We had paid our phone bill and insurance in advance to help as we moved, but we will soon need to start a regular payment plan again.  We are looking for 20 people, this includes (individuals, Sunday school classes, businesses, church groups, etc.) who can support us at $25 dollars a month.  This will cover our bills and other monthly expenses such as clothing, gas, etc.  However, any amount no matter how big or small is appreciated and blesses us very much.

 If you are interested in sponsoring us please call us at 386-538-4119 if you have any questions.  You may send checks directly to us at the address below. If you need tax credit for your donation please make the check payable to "The Help Agency"  do not print our names in the memo space on your check, send a separate note with the check letting us know who it is for.  If you chose to make a donation on this blog site please send us an email letting us know, david.saltlife@gmail.com

We'd love to hear from you. Our address is 19186 NE 13th St  Silver Springs, FL 34488

Slowing Down and Speeding Up

In the past few months since coming to Camp Sozo we have removed a lot of things from our daily lives, but that doesn't mean our pace has slowed down.  We no longer have television, so we just watch movies together as a family when we have the time.  We no longer have internet in our home so we are not on Facebook and other sites as much.  Luckily we have internet in the office so we can keep in touch more often.  We are also no longer just a few minutes from shopping and school and, so we rarely go anywhere.  At first I think this was a shock to the system, and it took a few weeks to figure out what to do with any spare time we may have.  Now we get a chance to enjoy each other's company and the peace and quiet that surrounds us. The kids spend a good chunk of their time outside and we spend a good chunk of our time with them. 

It was hard to understand that we were missing out on anything since we were so busy filling our time with other things.  My time with the Lord is becoming my most precious part of the day, and our time with the kids is better spent.  I would encourage any one to take some time to get away from the things that are time stealers in your life. 

Even though we are learning the value of our time together, we are very busy as well.  With camps and missions teams coming in and our church being envolved in so much outreach we are at full speed ahead here.  We usually have early mornings and long days.  Summer is only 8 weeks away which will add a whole new dynamic as well, the kids will be at home all day and the ministrie'
s mentor center kids will be here most of the time for day camp.  It should be a ton of fun for everyone. 

Please keep us in your prayers.  I am personally endeavoring to get our ministry "on the map" so to speak with new marketing and promotional ideas.  Jason and I are both getting ready to launch some new things with our youth group, and we have many fundraising events coming for all the summer missions trips. Also continue to pray for our finances.  We are looking for monthly sponsors.  As little as $10 a month would be a blessing.  Our monthly expenses are not huge, but there is still a need.  Please follow the instructions below if you are interested.

We love being a part of such an active and loving ministry.  We are learning more and more every day what it means to be the hands and feet of Jesus. 




For those who are interested in making donations or partnering with us please send all checks to 19186 NE13th St   Silver Springs, FL 34488  If you would like the ministry to keep a record of your giving please make checks payable to Help Agency and include a separate letter stating that the money is for the Grennan Family.  If you make a donation by selecting the PayPal link on this blog send us an email letting us know so we can keep it for our records  (jasonandalexgrennan@gmail.com)

Our first month

Our new billboard

Hello everyone! Our first month at Camp Sozo has been an adventure.  The kids are starting to get accustomed to our new schedule, and Violet is even being featured on a few billboards and advertisements for www.sozokids.org.  Salt Life Church is great.  Even though we miss our family at First Assembly, we feel right at home.  I think the biggest adjustment for us may be the role of youth pastor.  We have a much higher appreciation for what it takes to make a church service happen, and with that I must add, remember to love on your pastors.  They have a tremendous job, but it comes with great blessings as well.  It is a privilege to be a part of our youth group in it’s infancy.  We have a great bunch of students.

Camp Sozo is an interesting place
live at times

This month is going to be a whirlwind for the ministry and the church.  We have camps coming in every weekend and the Easter season is upon us, which means tons of outreach opportunities.  Our church will be involved in several large outreaches.  The first is a community-wide rib cook off, in which our church will compete.  That morning the host of the event is going to turn over things to our pastor, he will be bringing our Palm Sunday message right there in the middle of the event.  It is a great chance to bring church to the people where they are, which is the heart of Salt Life church.  We are praying for the Holy Spirit to be working on the hearts of the people attending, and believing for a great harvest. The second event is our Community Easter Egg Hunt.  We will have over 10,000 eggs, food, fun, and prizes.  We are estimating around 1,200 to attend.  It is our prayer that Christ’s annointing will be on everything and that lives will be changed with the message of God’s love. 

 We are calling Easter Sunday, “Fill the House.”  Our church’s vision for 2013 is to Win the One.  Our pastor has challenged us to view church as our training ground and see our time at work, school, even Wal-Mart shopping trips as our church time.  It is our goal for everyone to bring at least one visitor, and hopefully fill the house with double or triple our normal attendance.  We are anticipating God to move in a powerful way.

With that I would like to present you with the same challenge.  Use your time at work, school, going to the grocery store, sitting at a table in a restaurant, etc…sharing your story and your faith with those around you.  Church should be the place we get fueled up and prepared.  Take what you get and do church out in the rest of your daily life.  Let people see Jesus, even when it is hard to respond like He would, make it your mission for others to know Him through you.  You shouldn’t have to tell someone you’re a Christian for them to know that you’re different, just show them you’re different by letting them see God’s love displayed through you.

But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?  And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? Romans 10:14-15

We need your prayers desperately.  Even though we are adjusting there is still a lot that has changed for our family being in a new place.  We are also still in need of financial support.  We need $1,400.00 monthly to cover our living expenses and childcare.  We originally thought that childcare would be covered by a scholarship, but that is no longer going to be available to us.  Please pray about partnering with us and please pray that God continues to provide.  We love you all and thank you for your continued prayer and encouragement.

The best way to send funds to us is by mailing a check.  Our mailing address is 19186 NE 13^th St, Silver Springs, FL 32177.  If you need tax credit, please make the check payable to Help Agency, but do not write our name on the check. Place a separate note in the envelope with information on who the funds are for.  If you would like to sponsor us monthly through direct deposit or make a one-time donation click on the (PayPal) button at the top of the page, again we will need an email sent with specific instructions on who the funds are for since the ministry will be receiving the funds for us through PayPal.  You can send an email directly to us at jasonandalexgrennan@gmail.com.  Thank you again and God Bless!

New Direction (second edition)

 

Our trip to see Jason's family in Illinois this December

We are so excited to share what God is doing in our family this year. The New Year has brought much expectation and revelation of God’s faithfulness in our lives. In 2011 we were offered the opportunity to move to Mexico into full time missions. Not long after that our plans changed due to unstable social conditions in Mexico. Little did we know that while we were wondering what God had in mind after our door to Mexico was closed that He was opening another door here at home.

 




The Houck Family

 

We have been assisting Pastor David Houck, a missionary in the Ocala national forest, with designing websites for Camp SoZo and various other ministries he and his family oversee. They provide food, financial help, mentoring for teens and children, assistance and preventive services for pre-teen and teen pregnancy, as well as pastoring a church. As our relationship with the Houck family and their ministry has grown our hearts have connected with their vision. They truly are the hands and feet of Jesus to people living in rural poverty.  

 

An Amazing Opportunity!

Annual Back to School Outreach

An opportunity has been given to us to assist their ministry full time. We could not be more humbled and blessed to join them in their endeavor to rescue the abandoned, heal the broken hearted, and bring hope to the forgotten. Our responsibilities include…

 

· Youth Pastor

 

· Web design and site publishing

 

· Marketing for child sponsorship program

 

· Assist all ministries of Help Agency

 

 

How Can You Help?

 

· Pray for wisdom and increased compassion as we begin to pastor the youth of Salt Life Church.

· Pray for our children as they transition to a new home and new school.

· Pray for our faith to not falter as we believe for God’s provision.

· Pray about becoming a financial supporter of our ministry.

 



Deer Lake at Camp SoZo, our house is just beyond the dock

 

At Camp SoZo we will be fortunate to have a home and utilities provided to us, but things like gas for our car, insurance, and other living expenses will not be included. Our average monthly expenses should come to around $900. Please pray about God using you in this way. We understand that not everyone can give big, but remember that even as little as $10 a month will help.

 

You can easily process your donation online by selecting the "Donate" button or select "Subscribe" to be a monthly sponsor, if you choose this option please send us an emial with your contact information and the details of how much you are sending so we can forward it to the ministry. (jasonandalexgrennan@gmail.com)
 Funds can be sent to us directly at the street address below.  Checks can be made payable to Help Agency Inc. for tax credit (memo: Grennan) 

 

Phone: 386-312-1193 

19186 NE 13th St

Silver Springs, FL  34488

 

 

 

Getting Ready For Missions!

Many of you already know that we have been approved as Missionary Associates (MAs) with the Assemblies of God. We have felt a call to world missions for a long time and are excited to be able to take this first step in that direction. We will have the amazing opportunity to serve a missionary who is currently established in the field and gain some much needed expereince.

Our official title will be as Resident Deans for the Engage program. You can visit their site to learn more about their vision www.engagemylife.com, but in the nut shell they use college students in their first two years of school to assist missionaries. They get the chance to be in the field while completing college courses. Our duties as MAs would be to oversee the daily schedule of the students and assisting in mentoring the students. We are so excited about this since we love college students. Our heart is to see them grow in their love of God and in the confidence that He has called them to be set apart for a great work.

We have not been assigned to a particular country as of yet, but will hopefully get that information soon. The first step of our journey though, is Pre-Field Orientation (PFO). It will be held June 9-21, 2012 in Springfield, MO. While there we will be involved in 2 weeks of missions training. During that time not only will we receive valuable information about missionary work and be poured into by our teachers, but our children will also be involved in learning about missions and moving to a different culture. At the end of this time we will be commissioned by the Assemblies of God to begin our missionary journey.

Going to PFO now will enable us to leave for the field as soon as funds are raised. The first funds we need to raise though is our expenses for PFO. The cost is $2500 for the entire family, this includes our room and board, tuition, and child care; and the travel cost is estimated at $2250. We will need to have all travel expenses raised by at least June 1st and all other money will need to be in by June 21st.

Please pray about supporting us... and please pray for us! It is a huge step of faith for the entire family, but we know God has called us.

For more information on giving you may contact us by email jasonandalexgrennan@gmail.com or call 386-538-4119 We hope to have a link set up soon for auto-pay.

Life has been a roller coaster! I have been trying to make time to go to work, spend time with the kids and Jason, and to spend time with the Lord every day. Going back to work is not easy, but we are adjusting. I feel like so many things are constantly changing in our lives, but that's okay. Our love for the Lord is growing and we are learning to depend on him more.

This goes to all our family and friends...please keep us in prayer. Jason and I are both starting a new job, and God is already showing us people we can pray for and love on. I miss being home with the kids though and they are having a little bit of a hard time as well. We are still waiting to hear from AG World Missions on whether we are accepted or not. We are also continuing to pray about where we should go. Our prayer is that we will be in just the right place for our talents to be used and our hearts to be stirred. We have gone through so much in the last couple of years it seemed like the foreign mission field was only a distant idea, we are thankful that God is calling us to serve him full time.

In the mean time though, God is connecting us with other missionaries that we are able to pray for. Even my sister Cherie and her husband are getting ready to leave for Haiti this week which will be a planning trip. They will get to see the school they will be administrating and get to see where their house and the orphanage will be built. They are so excited! This will be the first trip to Haiti for their girls. I know they will fall in love with it just like their Mom and Dad. They are already excited about getting to meet the kids and helping them out.

I hope that over the next several months, as I try to keep up with blogging more often, that everyone who reads this will begin to get a picture of how faithful God really is. We see it every day in our own lives and I feel like I get just a little picture of how much God loves us when I see his hand of mercy and grace active in our family.

New Direction!

For the past year Jason and I have gone through a lot, and now we feel like God has put us in a place to step out. We both feel our family is called to serve on the foreign mission field. That calling has been on the horizon of our relationship and goals for the past 7 years.

Lately our life has been a literal roller coaster. From getting accustomed to having 3 children, to Jason losing his job. We have finally been able to get involved in RUSH (our youth group) more actively by teaching Sunday School. For months Jason's schedule has made it difficult to be involved, but God has heard the desires of our heart and has given us an opportunity. We have lost our second vehicle, but God has given us a home closer to things which makes it easier to get around. Although frustrating at times we can see that God is concerned about our needs. I have been so overwhelmed it has been difficult to find time to write, but I am confident that I will be able to share more often in the days to come.

To give an update on our status...we are in the application process with Assemblies of God World Missions and would appreciate everyone's prayers. Pretty much all our information is in and we are coming to the end of the process. We hope to hear soon how the next several years of our lives will be spent. Either we will be accepted and begin to prepare for the mission field or we will be doing what we must to be in a better place to be accepted. We do know that we have some debt that must be payed off before going on assignment and could use prayer that God will preform a miracle in that area. We have been steadily working on it and God has given us resources and wisdom to see it happen. In the past few years we have managed to wipe out a lot of past debt and are on our way to being debt-free.

When we are accepted we will be going with a program called "Engage" www.engagemylife.com We would be going as leaders/house parents and can't wait for the opportunity to do what we feel God has designed us to do.

The mission of Engage is to provide opportunities for students to pursue ministry experience while acquiring higher education. It seeks to fulfill that mission by:

• Providing regionally accredited education through partner schools.
• Creating cross-cultural ministry experiences on the mission field.
• Teaching students to be Christ-followers.
• Collaborating with national churches.

An even greater asset to this opportunity is being able to continue our education. Jason has been trying to complete his Pastor's Credentials and I am re-enrolling in school to finish my degree. This will open a door for us to be more available for ministry in the future. We will also be able to get a better job upon returning which should enable us to return to missions sooner. If accepted to AG World Missions we will be leaving the states for 2 years to work with the Missionaries of Engage. Please keep us in your prayers, and keep all our Foreign and Home Missionaries in your prayers as well.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read about what God is doing in our hearts. Love you all!

(Some text borrowed from www.engagemylife.com)