"Come to me....and you will find rest for your souls"

"Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease & relieve & refresh your souls.] Matt. 11:28



    The first thing the Lord says in this verse is to come to Him. When I've got a lot going on in my life & I'm being pulled in a hundred different direction, or I'm burdened with worries about my future; I admit that my first instinct is NOT to come to Him. I usually try to handle things in my own strength, and in my own timing. The Lord knows that I tend to be this way and that is why He keeps bringing me back to this verse time and time again.

     The next thing Jesus tells us, after He tells us to come, is that He will cause us to rest. He doesn't tell us to come to Him and He will give us the strength to labor some more. He says He will "cause us to rest." I love the amplified version that adds: "I will ease & relieve & refresh your souls." I believe this is a call to lay our burdenes down, allow Him to take them, so that we may experience His peace which comes from resting in Him. I know I sometimes forget that He's in control of all things, and there is nothing too big or impossible for Him.

     This past week we have been working with New Missions on creating our brochures that will go out to all of our family and friends to raise our monthly support. This brochure tells everyone about "New Missions", the Dominican Republic & about what we will be doing as missionaries in the Dominican Republic. Attached to it is a form that can be completed and sent in to partner with us in our mission to the people of the DR. We also have a copy of this form on our blog. It is labeled as a "Monthly Partnership Form". 

     When I think about the task of raising our monthly support that will provide for our family so that we can do what God has called us to do, I am overwhelmed and overburdened; but God has told me to rest. He is in control, so we are trusting that He will provide.

     Tony and I would like nothing more than to have the opportunity to share with you "one on one" or with a small group of you and your friends who would be interested in hearing what we will be doing and how you all can be apart of it as well. Email us at melissaluther@bellsouth.net or call us at 615-400-4875 if you want more information about meeting with us. Not only can you partner with us in prayer/ monthly support, but you can also partner with us by being a part of a short term/one week mission trip. If you've never been on an overseas mission trip, then you don't know what you've been missing. Join us for a week you will never forget. Go to www.newmissions.org and click on "mission trips/ Dominican Republic" and then click on team dates to see when you would like to come and serve with us.  We look forward to hearing from you. 

Have a blessed day as you come and rest in Him!

Life Coach & Missionary to the DR,
Melissa Luther

We have been officially approved

We just returned on Sunday from our trip to the DR. This trip was for the purpose of Tony meeting Jeanne who is the founder of New Missions, and for him to meet the missionary team. Tony was also given some projects to complete while we were there. They are looking for Tony to oversee the facilities. He will do a little bit of everything. While we were there he installed 3 ceiling fans, did some plumbing work, put up a big sign at the Tent Church, and put together a couple of computers. On Thursday we had lunch with Jeanne and she gave us the green light of approval. While we "knew" that God was calling us to go, it is still good to get that confirmation that this is what He wants for our lives. This is a big leap of Faith. We have never taken such a risk, but God has shown us time and time again that He will provide. He has even already raised up support for us in this adventure. Of coarse, we have a long way to go, but God has been good to show us that He is at work. When we step back and look at this, it really does look pretty crazy and really impossible, but I believe that is just the way God wants it. "For nothing is impossible with God" Luke 1:37 If we could make this happen in our own strength, where would God be in that? How often do we really attempt something bigger than ourselves? I don't know that we ever have. That is why we named this site Wondrous Adventure.

While we were in the DR, we experienced some first. We ate goat for the first time. That is a common meat down there. It wasn't half bad. Leslie even tried it, but she thought she was going to throw up. I was just proud she tried it. We also got to drive the last couple of days that we were there. Now that was an "Adventure". It is totally different from here. They do not apply the same "rules of the road" as we do. There are motorcycles everywhere, and they will jump right in front of you when you least expect it. And down there, if you hit one of them, it is your fault just because you're American. So you can imagine how nerve racking it was. We stayed in "New Missions" mission house while we were there. We had no air condition, which is common for most homes in the DR unless you are very wealthy. You pretty much have to leave all the windows open so you can have a breeze, which means there are mosquitoes. I just lived with a can of "Off". We also didn't have a clothes dryer, so I washed our clothes and hung them on a clothes line for the first time in my life. It will make you really appreciate the things we have here in America. I know I take them for granted. I saw the biggest spiders and cock roaches that I have ever seen in my life. We rode on public transportation, which is a small van with about 24 people on it. I wished I could have had a picture of that. 3 "green goes" with 21 Dominicans. We looked so out of place. It was hilarious! That was just a little bit of our first time experiences. We also enjoyed visiting with members of the church and praying with those in need. The need there is so great it is overwhelming, but again there is nothing impossible with God. New Missions is changing one life at a time, and we are privileged to be apart of that. Jesus is our only hope and theirs too. While we can't possibly meet all there physical needs, Jesus is the only one who can meet their spiritual needs, and it's our job to share that with them.

As our week came to a close, and we had approval, my mind was on all the things that will have to happen in order for us to move. We need for our house and motorcycle to sell, we need to pay off the majority of our debt, we need to raise not only our monthly financial support, but also the money needed to move to the DR, which includes the purchase of airline tickets for our family to get there, a car and scooter, Language school to learn the language, (I really wished I had paid more attention in Spanish class in high school. Ha! Ha!), and first months expenses. As I was thinking about how all this is going to happen, God was very clear that He is the one that will take care of all the details. The last day that I was there, my devotion was:

"Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your ways to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be Still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him..." Psalm 37:3-7a

My devotion is written as though Jesus Himself is speaking and it said on that day: "Trust Me enough to let things happen without striving to predict or control them. Relax, and refresh yourself in the light of My everlasting Love. My Love-Light never dims, yet you are often unaware of My radient Presence. When you project yourself into the future, rehearsing what you will do or say, you are seeking to be self-sufficient: to be adequate without My help. This is a subtle sin-- so common that it usually slips by unnoticed. The alternative is to live fully in the present, depending on Me each moment. Rather than fearing your inadequacy, rejoice in My abundant supply. Train your mind to seek My help continually, even when you feel competent to handle something by yourself. Don't divide your life into things you can do by yourself and things that require My help. Instead, learn to rely on Me in every situation. This discipline will enable you to enjoy life more and to face each day confidently."

What are you trying to control or predict in your future? Let's trust and delight ourselves in the Lord, and let Him meet our needs!

Life Coach, and Missionary to the DR,

Melissa Luther