Dear Morning Star family (and others who may be interested),

I want to give some information concerning the Global Grace trip to Jamaica. We will be leaving Tues., February 19, and returning Thurs., February 28.

Many have expressed an interest in going. Below is a list of things that we need to accomplish, whether or not you can physically go yourself. The total cost for the missions trip will be $500 for adults and $300 for any young adults who might want to go.

You would need to pay Global Grace, and then G2 would cover the following expenses:

1) Airfare
2) Meals on the island
3) Transportation to and from Montego Bay to St. Elizabeth
4) Lodging

This cost does not cover meals on the way down or if we “eat out” while on the island. Also, you might want to bring some “fun money” if we get a chance to do a little sight-seeing or shopping.

Our goal is to re-roof Violet’s house as well as build out an inside bathroom facility. (Violet is a widow in Pastor Perkin’s church, in Top Hill, St. Elizabeth, Jamaica.) Listed below is some of the work that we will be doing:

1) Mixing cement (with a shovel)
2) Carrying cement
3) Forming cement
4) Fixing meals
5) Lots of clean-up

Please pray for me as I work on more of the details. Please call or let me know whether you are interested in going. I am excited about going and doing the project for both Violet and Pastor Perkins’ benefit. We have 4 team members who are committed so far. I would like to purchase the airline tickets ASAP, so please let me know soon.

Serving Him,

Chris

Jeremy and Anouk have come home to Rockford, have taken jobs in town, and are heavily involved in the ministry here at Morning Star. The people we helped to relocate have now moved back home to Louisiana and are expecting another baby. We have sent a couple more teams down and our leadership team are involving themselves in conferences discussing philosophy and practical methodology for mercy ministries.

One of the major developments for Global Grace in recent weeks is that Chris Metras will be directing it now. Chris has left his teaching job and switched to his own full-time painting business so that he could have the flexibility to work for Global Grace.

This Thursday Chris, along with Ben Walsh and John Iverson, will head down to Bay Saint Louis, MS, as a part of Global Grace’s continuing outreach efforts to areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. Along with providing assistance in rebuilding a home of an elderly Christian lady, Chris will be surveying the area and meeting with other pastors to find additional opportunities for Global Grace to minister in the area. Please remember to pray for these men as they travel to the area, that their efforts will be fruitful and that God will open doors for them to minister to both the physical and temporal needs of people and that these open doors will also lead to opportunities to address the spiritual and eternal needs of people as well.*

*Thanks to Pat Berryman for the above text, taken from our church blog, http://msbclife.blogspot.com.

This spring and up through Mother’s Day, Morning Star Baptist Church teamed up with Alpine Bank of Rockford to raise awareness and funds on behalf of the Hawkins family, whose lives changed radically when a tornado devastated their home and left Amy paralyzed.

In a sacrificial decision, Amy threw her body over her two boys to protect them when the tornado hit their home in April of this year. The family was given an Extreme Home Makeover to help them rebuild a home and adapt to Amy’s new needs. Both Jerrod and Amy grew up in the Rockford-Byron area. We have $1,000 to give to the Hawkins family, and Chris Metras plans to deliver it when the next work team goes through Tennessee this weekend.

We promised pictures of our new home that God has graciously provided for us. It has taken us far too long to post them, but nevertheless here they are. God has once again proved that He will provide exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ever ask or think!

God bless,

Jeremy & Anouk

Most people have heard the saying, “God works in mysterious ways”. And when most people hear that statement they probably nod their head in agreement. However, when it is your life in which God is working mysteriously, it isn’t always as easy to nod your head in agreement.

After our mission in LA/MS, we moved back to Rockford, Illinois. Here was our plan: I would get a full time job someplace right away. After I started my job, Anouk would try to find a part time job someplace. We wouldn’t really look for housing until I had my job, then we would decide if it would be better to buy a house or rent first.

Here is God’s plan: Anouk would find a full-time job very soon after moving back to Rockford. I would keep looking. Instead of waiting to find a house until I got a job, we were to rent a house. I would keep looking for a job, and finally get a part time job.

So, where are we at now? In God’s gracious plan for us in our beautiful new home. The job that He gave to Anouk is a great job. My job situation has been a little more difficult (you should have seen some of the looks I have received when people look over my resume). This coming Monday, I am starting my new job as a chaplain for Wesley Willows – a retirement / nursing home facility. The job was offered on a part time basis due to the fact that there is another person that they are considering for the position. Originally, the position required a Master’s of Divinity degree (oops, I forgot to pick one of those up at Wal-mart last night), and the other candidate has an M.Div. I will work part time for a month while they determine if they should offer the position to the other candidate or to me. I am only praying for God’s will to be done.

God has given me a backup plan as well. Target is opening a new distribution center in DeKalb, IL. I have been offered a position as a warehouse worker. The job won’t start until May 31st, and if the chaplain position turns into a full time position, I can back out of the Target position at any time.

Seeing how God works is indeed mysterious at times, but it is always better than what we deserve. Take our house for an example. We have a house filled with beautiful wood trim that has never been painted (that is a miracle in itself!). The rent is far cheaper than what we were expecting to pay, and the owners have given us a free first month of rent! God used them to bless us.

“God works in mysterious ways” – true, but I have always liked a good mystery . . .

(there will be pictures of the house within the next few days)

We are now in Rockford, Illinois. This will be our new permanent home unless God moves us elsewhere. While we are looking for a home of our own, we are staying with my brother and his family.

If you want our updated information, please send me an email at jeremy@globalgracemissions.org

Thank you for your prayers and support.

As Pastor Bixby and I flew home today, my soul was rejoicing. The Shepherds’ Conference officially ended with the celebration of the Lord’s Supper yesterday. I was privileged to enjoy first class music from the likes of Christopher Parkening and also enjoyed a great time of reflection / repentance before the Lord. It had been approximately 6 months since I last participated in publicly proclaiming Christ’s death through the Lord’s Supper.

As I thought about it, the Lord’s Supper is a fitting way to end the conference. The Lord’s Supper is a celebration of Christ and His work on the cross for my sin - the same theme that was displayed throughout the conference. As I listened to preachers proclaim the eternal truths of God’s Word, I saw Christ. As I benefited from approximately 600 volunteers from the church serve us pastors, I saw Christ. As I listened to the music, I saw Christ - in short, Christ and His Word was the focus . . . I like that.

I want to publicly thank all those who organized and served at the Shepherds’ Conference. You all have been a blessing to me and about 3,500 other pastors - thank you and grace to you.

Today we only had a half-day of meetings. Two general sessions and then we were free to do whatever we wanted for the rest of the day. After listening to Al Mohler refute Bishop Song’s assertion that Christianity must change or die, Ligon Duncan spoke on The Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. Both sessions were good. Before this conference I had never heard either of these men preach, so it has been good to be exposed to different preachers.

After lunch the guys and I headed up to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. I have some family that live out this way, so we all met at the library. It was good to see the family as well as the library that commemorates a great president’s life.

(My family: Uncle Doug, Aunt Doreen, Cousin Logan, Kristin, Leah & Reid)

A grand slam home run. . .

This morning one of my newest favorite preachers preached a message that knocked the ball out of the park. It wasn’t a message that just “preached to the choir”; it was a message that reaffirmed the reason for my existence. I am here to glorify God and I glorify God by doing what He has called me to do – preach the Word.

The text that Steve Lawson chose to preach from was Nehemiah 8:1-12. He entitled the message, “Bring the Word!” It was a time of motivation for me to get back into my books and boldly proclaim its rich treasures. He said, “The only true reformation is one that comes from that Word of God.”

Pastor Lawson was passionate, he was sincere and he was 100% right. I appreciated his emphasis on the public reading of Scripture as we all as his reminder that we need to be authoritative. A favorite quote is, “There are enough clowns in the ministry for us to add to them. . . a lot of the pastors where I am from look like they fell of the wagon of Hee-Haw!”

I am getting convicted, challenged and reenergized . . . . and there is more to come!

(And yes, the disclaimer from day one is still in effect!)