tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048019732261458862024-03-19T14:44:20.651-05:00Building Lives InternationalBuilding Lives InternationalUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1446125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804801973226145886.post-76232262090089359962023-06-07T12:29:00.004-05:002023-06-07T12:29:50.934-05:00Artisan Spotlight<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs7xtXtKMj6Oqfqi4DaBCtBjJoejg0jTXyngk_-4hgu72yg585Wc4lv-Z9hLrgD1E6BhwNvdjwpzgFji60DKbyArq8EGRhyo7mS9soQ656qF95STjOx4XbElnMCXPSAXnBbplQoITbvyVYCsp63byQxMZN5jf2ZES2hSil8m2L6FRa-ZRgvObHk7JGlw/s2048/347577307_3324386194445262_2021938347055668744_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1717" data-original-width="2048" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs7xtXtKMj6Oqfqi4DaBCtBjJoejg0jTXyngk_-4hgu72yg585Wc4lv-Z9hLrgD1E6BhwNvdjwpzgFji60DKbyArq8EGRhyo7mS9soQ656qF95STjOx4XbElnMCXPSAXnBbplQoITbvyVYCsp63byQxMZN5jf2ZES2hSil8m2L6FRa-ZRgvObHk7JGlw/s320/347577307_3324386194445262_2021938347055668744_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">This month, we are excited to shine a spotlight on Orlando, a talented Peruvian artist who has been an integral part of Spearman Artisanry for an impressive 11 years! His expertise lies in creating exquisite pima cotton clothing that reflects his rich cultural heritage.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">By choosing Orlando's handmade garments, you become a part of a larger movement that uplifts artisans, preserves cultural traditions, and fosters positive change. Together, we can create a brighter future for communities worldwide.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804801973226145886.post-20180035356689412002023-04-20T14:54:00.006-05:002023-04-20T14:54:46.711-05:00Artisan Spotlight<p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJfR6YuuDH_6p6DjYslHwAffSyyqP7iVr-Fc1nEkC5zk0PGnhdOfyV_KwKcQjOdQMF03v_EDAIjzui-x4r2zYSugdSm7J5ziRw0a1jFU_HFIDFkrQVDUHS0E0XFH3xDb3S38vhKgWqVA4HSi7E3vq7C9wPn6X-_tsMWrS9VBkpysEFrkYpelr9owlxBg/s526/329788461_23853450257780448_5785306829850018084_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="441" data-original-width="526" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJfR6YuuDH_6p6DjYslHwAffSyyqP7iVr-Fc1nEkC5zk0PGnhdOfyV_KwKcQjOdQMF03v_EDAIjzui-x4r2zYSugdSm7J5ziRw0a1jFU_HFIDFkrQVDUHS0E0XFH3xDb3S38vhKgWqVA4HSi7E3vq7C9wPn6X-_tsMWrS9VBkpysEFrkYpelr9owlxBg/s320/329788461_23853450257780448_5785306829850018084_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br />Yeison Javier and his family makes most of our Colombian hats, bags, jewelry and home decor. He uses Irica palm fibers to make his art. Iraca is a tropical palm that is extremely durable and found in Colombia, South America. We are very blessed to have such amazing artisans at Spearman Artisanry.</span><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804801973226145886.post-10991869107568953292023-04-07T10:48:00.003-05:002023-04-07T10:59:02.203-05:00Cooperative in Estelí Nicaragua<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiioSof5vwy99sp23ZAXJuCWZ-nz7pD6Ay6L5_imwjZ1VJXgkbL5KtRQRcjSeZ3Vs9EP3v545KhEF2suTQzjTiO6ejOkABAX3ojWbGfea-b3_Ek4mUNvqqrGEPaE6R66KjH1MHTDgptPXFwfJBPUXOJyLdbaM_ebI3sdmK-rVTbynzMy4UcGZODjPZGJw/s940/3%20copy.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiioSof5vwy99sp23ZAXJuCWZ-nz7pD6Ay6L5_imwjZ1VJXgkbL5KtRQRcjSeZ3Vs9EP3v545KhEF2suTQzjTiO6ejOkABAX3ojWbGfea-b3_Ek4mUNvqqrGEPaE6R66KjH1MHTDgptPXFwfJBPUXOJyLdbaM_ebI3sdmK-rVTbynzMy4UcGZODjPZGJw/s320/3%20copy.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Our mission for our non profit is simple, we strive to provide opportunities to Latin communities using their unique gifts and skills. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">In 2017, Building Lives International began a cooperative in Estelí Nicaragua, making wire wrapped rings and crochet jewelry. Many artisans began coming from nearby towns and we soon felt called to create a place of further income opportunity for this community that we are in partnership with. This partnership continues to grow and we now sponsor artisans to come to the United States in pursuit of further opportunities.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804801973226145886.post-41825403661848737902023-03-27T11:02:00.004-05:002023-03-27T11:02:36.285-05:00Artisan Spotlight<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24g_O395lFNXT4g8VhZ5GJQR_o3B4puOa-gvpJo6oSajG5QlGd2Tt5HzvY_SHSvydRO9SUp4UbdBR-u4V9ZLKW_GxQqvSg0S-a13tNbge18Fuq_nRcJyNo0m7vsQ3pEeA7GWsR3ZRtVx8cHAub-SKy6y5cIk6sJgXArfzZwOnw8Rom0q6ADkN2PDFQg/s940/333997252_894660351804930_6164604812498854513_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24g_O395lFNXT4g8VhZ5GJQR_o3B4puOa-gvpJo6oSajG5QlGd2Tt5HzvY_SHSvydRO9SUp4UbdBR-u4V9ZLKW_GxQqvSg0S-a13tNbge18Fuq_nRcJyNo0m7vsQ3pEeA7GWsR3ZRtVx8cHAub-SKy6y5cIk6sJgXArfzZwOnw8Rom0q6ADkN2PDFQg/s320/333997252_894660351804930_6164604812498854513_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">A generations old trade that has been passed down to Yoan Alan who creates jewelry and home decor from copper. We sell many of his work at Spearman Artisanry and donate 20% of sales to Building Lives International / Tejiendo Vidas Internacional. This local 501c3 supports latin communities, like Yoan's, build schools, homes, and sending students to universities. Come see Yoan's beautiful work and support these communities.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804801973226145886.post-20273101986561989722023-03-11T18:42:00.004-06:002023-03-11T18:42:53.893-06:00We Rise by Lifting Others<p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk8u4KMA2tVqtypfAfpC8GILaxj0sa8QBcbNOJeFnKvuT9E3vUcXVYXqXX7js5PvjG3esR02PRKPb4MsSPgvny8C702KQPoVEv1kybTeRbHrW2Iw0kFQffZVip6h1RCHzC_uKbAjK7q5uqx3lE9BK5pRwgu-AhWa7FYsOUJiL2dLAPqWfGnXSloI71AA/s1080/Anita.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk8u4KMA2tVqtypfAfpC8GILaxj0sa8QBcbNOJeFnKvuT9E3vUcXVYXqXX7js5PvjG3esR02PRKPb4MsSPgvny8C702KQPoVEv1kybTeRbHrW2Iw0kFQffZVip6h1RCHzC_uKbAjK7q5uqx3lE9BK5pRwgu-AhWa7FYsOUJiL2dLAPqWfGnXSloI71AA/s320/Anita.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">While in Peru and in business school, boutique owner Jannett Spearman, dreamed big dreams for building a special type of shop. Through the encouragement and friendship from an inspiring teacher, Anita, Jannett's passion for wire crochet propelled her to create a business honoring fair trade practices for international artisans. To this day, the deep friendship that helped nurture Jannett's dream remains strong and Anita is now the director of Peru for Spearman Artisanry. 20% of ALL sales are donated to the non-profit Building Lives International, directly helping artisan communities.</span><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804801973226145886.post-55197664382675505642023-03-01T13:10:00.000-06:002023-03-01T13:10:04.729-06:00Meet My Friend, Anita!<span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw46kESJfrcA0bdKC-XG1-feUbMmkDeKFu-qxstTZyzg5s8BeHIPUmvlaTQ_0voNs1Xk11lQURZcxLQWCvqSuBbTdiyx8ANmD2kcDyOdAZrTJtK9osZmF0iudredKOxD1QG659G65Wo8eeGcjVJ7VtonPFWZapfhnBA4CNt87e_UG8Rx5cBQt9C5ulGQ/s1024/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-02-26%20at%2021.08.58%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="576" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw46kESJfrcA0bdKC-XG1-feUbMmkDeKFu-qxstTZyzg5s8BeHIPUmvlaTQ_0voNs1Xk11lQURZcxLQWCvqSuBbTdiyx8ANmD2kcDyOdAZrTJtK9osZmF0iudredKOxD1QG659G65Wo8eeGcjVJ7VtonPFWZapfhnBA4CNt87e_UG8Rx5cBQt9C5ulGQ/s320/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-02-26%20at%2021.08.58%20(1).jpg" width="180" /></a></div>While living as missionary teachers in Lima, Peru, I became very ill due to mold allergies. My doctor had prescribed medication and suggested that I find a hobby to destress. So, I began to attend a local artisan school and had decided to just take as many classes as I could before returning to the United States. I took everything from business administration, marketing, art, etc. However, the class that I took where I learned wire crochet was my favorite, so I decided to specialize in it. </span><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">One of my teachers was named Anita.
She was simply a delight to learn from, a Christian, and amazing teacher. From that point forward, she was the teacher that I chose to work with. We got to know each other outside of the classroom as well and became close friends. We had so much in common as teachers, mothers, and wives. Her faith was also such an encouragement to me.
Before leaving to return to the States, I asked her if she would like to continue working with me because I knew that I wanted to start a fair trade boutique wherever we moved. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Anita is now our director in Peru. Her focus is on training artisans to make some of the jewelry that we carry and find artisans that supply some of the different merchandise that we carry. Of course, you can also find some of her amazing pieces in our stores as well.
We have been working together now for almost eleven years, not only me, but many artisans have been truly blessed by her. COVID was a huge test for us, but we continued to provide for all of the artisans because our shops, and online store, were able to stay open because of the loyal support of our customers.
I will be forever indebted to Anita. What was once a dream has now become a reality because of her willingness to help others. Please pray for her, her family, and the country of Peru as they go through many political changes. </span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804801973226145886.post-24430015651694721942023-02-06T20:07:00.002-06:002023-02-06T20:07:43.046-06:00Tejiendo Vidas Cooperative<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5hpD2sZn2qp1Vo__A0tmX6nAxFJa0Ei0A2OHy5TqKpYF13CLzjlN1wq1v6E5yATYKxxgvNPJzfe1zplNnczOCe0g8MZ-FElZSGOS4qvG3ZrVDzLBvY6qm-EYLYQW69Fz9aAuO-ergPRicU0rL6Xt4ACKhZpoAIMrQGY-szGs1Htge84Y6SKwQEdxFiw/s1280/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-02-06%20at%2020.31.35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="958" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5hpD2sZn2qp1Vo__A0tmX6nAxFJa0Ei0A2OHy5TqKpYF13CLzjlN1wq1v6E5yATYKxxgvNPJzfe1zplNnczOCe0g8MZ-FElZSGOS4qvG3ZrVDzLBvY6qm-EYLYQW69Fz9aAuO-ergPRicU0rL6Xt4ACKhZpoAIMrQGY-szGs1Htge84Y6SKwQEdxFiw/s320/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-02-06%20at%2020.31.35.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>We are very excited about the growth of Tejiendo Vidas Cooperative which is part of Building Lives International in Nicaragua. This year we were able to welcome Osmara who is our director’s sister. She knows how to crochet very well and has been training the team how to crochet jewelry. It is amazing how this small group has grown, and we have been able to help them make their dreams become reality.<p></p><p>We have also decided this year to support Karol Rivera, who is one of the original artisans in the group. She is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree and we would love to help her achieve her</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCC3cTptJER-ToqHAjyUdafAOUmqOObuFYJUfmSsyCHzANWyy646dzZ83JfpJcp0FJHvazjyTyyKFhO4fr2Q3HUQ81RRb3adpHjQUkM4YRr_Qe7-v0f3D9_NbkBhQONcCewHIt7NsKJdxsH1KQyx9lHYPOMkCMYY_QepoZftyXKqginnf0KdQISjDsTA/s2048/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-02-06%20at%2020.29.56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCC3cTptJER-ToqHAjyUdafAOUmqOObuFYJUfmSsyCHzANWyy646dzZ83JfpJcp0FJHvazjyTyyKFhO4fr2Q3HUQ81RRb3adpHjQUkM4YRr_Qe7-v0f3D9_NbkBhQONcCewHIt7NsKJdxsH1KQyx9lHYPOMkCMYY_QepoZftyXKqginnf0KdQISjDsTA/s320/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-02-06%20at%2020.29.56.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />goal. Part of our goal is to help support the young people, not only in Nicaragua, but around the world, so that they can achieve their dreams in education. <p></p><p>Others in the group include, Esther who graduated three years ago with a degree in environmental science, Exania who graduated two years ago with her degree in education, and Moises who just graduated last year with a degree in international business.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigRUr3nK6lAxj3S94qkCIuJH6bVz0-yo8Jgx-otJDqpm2xc7163F2sTUcR-iIczo_A07A72ddvvBOxVBBiqzeDR99HIuqsWnfD_MVGcRrd5hJSBEnufDQipG7bE3tuZ1AE7QIgzFDWHARidGIYocTs2ZTnMxMlNn27iD3wMMhbzBtEotRYU84tBhC_zQ/s2048/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-02-06%20at%2020.30.25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigRUr3nK6lAxj3S94qkCIuJH6bVz0-yo8Jgx-otJDqpm2xc7163F2sTUcR-iIczo_A07A72ddvvBOxVBBiqzeDR99HIuqsWnfD_MVGcRrd5hJSBEnufDQipG7bE3tuZ1AE7QIgzFDWHARidGIYocTs2ZTnMxMlNn27iD3wMMhbzBtEotRYU84tBhC_zQ/s320/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-02-06%20at%2020.30.25.jpg" width="240" /></a></p><br />On a side note, we are currently attempting to sponsor Moises and Exania to come to the United Stated legally. Please help us to pray that the government will grant them Visas. They, like many young people, do want to come to the United States, but legally. <p></p><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804801973226145886.post-3090454602020204722022-12-23T06:25:00.004-06:002022-12-23T06:25:40.758-06:00Congratulations, Moisés! <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPOYYchMRArqef-v4JThJte85SRZ1oZ4S8c0g4RAyHDKmxUa682EhlZx51aUdpu3erv_Z4QWkIygugsGyhtrFblSn_BFHq3d7gQxJE141mURvZG9i4N2Jvhjq9UXnmVSsQZVsnm7ziw2gc-KvXYS2JfoaKIbTjEvvK5HTTnmgtnARQFxWCcs6S37zK6g/s1600/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-12-22%20at%2016.41.37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPOYYchMRArqef-v4JThJte85SRZ1oZ4S8c0g4RAyHDKmxUa682EhlZx51aUdpu3erv_Z4QWkIygugsGyhtrFblSn_BFHq3d7gQxJE141mURvZG9i4N2Jvhjq9UXnmVSsQZVsnm7ziw2gc-KvXYS2JfoaKIbTjEvvK5HTTnmgtnARQFxWCcs6S37zK6g/s320/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-12-22%20at%2016.41.37.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">We would like to congratulate our director in Nicaragua, Moisés, who just graduated with his bachelors degree in Political Science and International Relations. We are very proud of him. We are also thankful for our countless customers, who through their purchases in our shops, allow us to support artisans around the world!</span><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804801973226145886.post-62759586911501087822022-10-04T07:18:00.005-05:002022-10-04T07:18:56.323-05:00Great Week at Liberty University! <p>We would like to thank all of the Liberty University students for a great week on campus! The funds raised will be used for future building projects and scholarships. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='377' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzVoR-luCqXQ5XwtKeeujWlvJeK9YJx5Rq1vbDURrx5SpEuD7ssgm-YMiUcrED90bshCm-Xun_Mkhw0uc_3kQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804801973226145886.post-72142958721389933472022-09-21T15:46:00.005-05:002023-02-07T08:02:55.784-06:002022 Mission Project Complete<p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Our mission project for this year was a house for one of our artisans in Nicaragua and his family. We so much appreciate each of you who support our business and ministry, because without you, this would not have been possible! </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQZqD5ujBEjVch_9WxXQzGhQFSegcxoW9Cpd27FtaXYsxaV7enDZLsFuotecKVyPmIVTpymI2Rq6tAVanWj3DhK0JWRxp5dGE1k1RZKTGCI673weO0UHDwqUt5wLNZflqfh0Xl4v8pVxnNdGbqYrgrYzyfhl9gPykAVi0v4JlSnftknkwU0l0C35LT2g/s1600/2d93e6ef-333f-4ed8-910f-62b6a235dfc0.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQZqD5ujBEjVch_9WxXQzGhQFSegcxoW9Cpd27FtaXYsxaV7enDZLsFuotecKVyPmIVTpymI2Rq6tAVanWj3DhK0JWRxp5dGE1k1RZKTGCI673weO0UHDwqUt5wLNZflqfh0Xl4v8pVxnNdGbqYrgrYzyfhl9gPykAVi0v4JlSnftknkwU0l0C35LT2g/s320/2d93e6ef-333f-4ed8-910f-62b6a235dfc0.jpg" width="320" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrONnuoKp52AYYW8-GWOPO0Ek-UrvLRnU1wfJVHnlwrpYmi_RgtgC3OUeYEMSnzVRLGSeVebbCE9ZLQE6whvPuBv324ez6O-CZGs8vy9muRogugN03OFgiDSbT-oqWEcRo41FnUOLZlZkBfEYEmqjRIuxixbRQx_RS-P32vTWFLYWrlAEjeD5UqLRALw/s1500/280037956_386844513448947_2171564597260748897_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrONnuoKp52AYYW8-GWOPO0Ek-UrvLRnU1wfJVHnlwrpYmi_RgtgC3OUeYEMSnzVRLGSeVebbCE9ZLQE6whvPuBv324ez6O-CZGs8vy9muRogugN03OFgiDSbT-oqWEcRo41FnUOLZlZkBfEYEmqjRIuxixbRQx_RS-P32vTWFLYWrlAEjeD5UqLRALw/w246-h320/280037956_386844513448947_2171564597260748897_n.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcrzz7Ve73Y_P68pI-d-Mn3HCJqtgIpJj-ap3CqLZNLxkRcFJ8VfOJr0Eb0Lb1qdAp0DDNBZGc2BY-CX07FsJ5G4L-b0j4EmkHhJ_9Kl_2dc4ySSmNxak2NBC_u251uLZrZkT1FWAJFIgVR2B8YHKI6JHKV15WNM-EG5DpraR7NNlF2eS6opnUVMkFeQ/s1500/279958476_386844476782284_941516761404251392_n.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcrzz7Ve73Y_P68pI-d-Mn3HCJqtgIpJj-ap3CqLZNLxkRcFJ8VfOJr0Eb0Lb1qdAp0DDNBZGc2BY-CX07FsJ5G4L-b0j4EmkHhJ_9Kl_2dc4ySSmNxak2NBC_u251uLZrZkT1FWAJFIgVR2B8YHKI6JHKV15WNM-EG5DpraR7NNlF2eS6opnUVMkFeQ/s320/279958476_386844476782284_941516761404251392_n.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804801973226145886.post-65747164554235824752022-01-10T13:14:00.004-06:002022-01-10T13:14:38.577-06:00Final Nicaragua Project Update<p>Thanks to all of you and your support of our ministry through Spearman Artisanry, we have finished our mission project for 2021. The patio restaurant in La Concordia, Nicaragua is officially open, it looks awesome, and they just hosted their first event! We could not have done this without all of you. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. The family is ecstatic and this will truly change their lives forever. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8QR6qHyiKA1D7I7sg1_9n8ZTndBAcTxV1jWU93MwtJo9hKb1jKCHKQcnti5_bwta8syaeDQKRzh6kL1nKXPtMeBPX26dGsfh_pt2DnLkhk9e4AUBiGMTf3V2nP9PJfFGz-WWCbA8kSKiavplSrXRUY2O2_qREWds7w9cfegogVhSQzH7WodVXpKXj_Q=s480" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="480" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8QR6qHyiKA1D7I7sg1_9n8ZTndBAcTxV1jWU93MwtJo9hKb1jKCHKQcnti5_bwta8syaeDQKRzh6kL1nKXPtMeBPX26dGsfh_pt2DnLkhk9e4AUBiGMTf3V2nP9PJfFGz-WWCbA8kSKiavplSrXRUY2O2_qREWds7w9cfegogVhSQzH7WodVXpKXj_Q=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhqTqJ4YhhtvNSUhM5vbcUJgf1yvKkeJafDgWAfMMVat5-S9iaKbR1h8Sivt9NakFhQyukWIbX4NbMJPRjYaNNY1SumT47nJkTa_WpeFiJfAxeBd-RY0cs_jKyxy7uXRp6gU8asIUGZI1K9PqoLkQAGIJzU91f9Ubl8ThlN2RDgOKU5IkgCiL9FA1S_Pw=s480" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="270" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhqTqJ4YhhtvNSUhM5vbcUJgf1yvKkeJafDgWAfMMVat5-S9iaKbR1h8Sivt9NakFhQyukWIbX4NbMJPRjYaNNY1SumT47nJkTa_WpeFiJfAxeBd-RY0cs_jKyxy7uXRp6gU8asIUGZI1K9PqoLkQAGIJzU91f9Ubl8ThlN2RDgOKU5IkgCiL9FA1S_Pw=s320" width="180" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804801973226145886.post-11919668612660958452021-09-21T09:19:00.005-05:002021-09-21T09:19:43.990-05:00Global Focus Week<p>We are on the campus of Liberty University this week participating in their Global Focus Week. The funds raised will go toward completing our building project in La Concordia, Nicaragua. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAh-CvnH0Yb9CK7Khcm7jOsv9dBCGRm4XT4fJNd_ljEWFWN7ZdKLmztttdVVnllWYy5F_IAX6KqpygscCYOJ9q9QdzCWpsp4-9XJ0H9atDfoWl00NnmmAZTaVQVF99OKU8Q9RT84hcwXiF/s2048/241468454_554917475716659_5985024681595709896_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAh-CvnH0Yb9CK7Khcm7jOsv9dBCGRm4XT4fJNd_ljEWFWN7ZdKLmztttdVVnllWYy5F_IAX6KqpygscCYOJ9q9QdzCWpsp4-9XJ0H9atDfoWl00NnmmAZTaVQVF99OKU8Q9RT84hcwXiF/w359-h269/241468454_554917475716659_5985024681595709896_n.jpg" width="359" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYIrQ5FVTW8BUAY8Aq5hzfHXbHZP7319qfmmusedaS2NkEj8caOr1QH-hgmFtYPgJMoLtcQ35zlVH7wDjkBHiJwm1F-RhmcNglnCExMCSIo_MCxjIMaRr4ITMFOThyphenhyphenesqmamS1acGqIQgi/s2048/241443039_566225707936539_2316444079905581429_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYIrQ5FVTW8BUAY8Aq5hzfHXbHZP7319qfmmusedaS2NkEj8caOr1QH-hgmFtYPgJMoLtcQ35zlVH7wDjkBHiJwm1F-RhmcNglnCExMCSIo_MCxjIMaRr4ITMFOThyphenhyphenesqmamS1acGqIQgi/w353-h265/241443039_566225707936539_2316444079905581429_n.jpg" width="353" /></a></div></div><br /><br /><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804801973226145886.post-75110109595666018372021-08-14T12:18:00.002-05:002021-08-14T12:18:28.635-05:00Another Nicaragua Project Update<p>Our project is Nicaragua is still coming along nicely. They have finished the outside of the restaurant and are now working on the windows. The work is also continuing inside. It will not be long now. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYVZoHJHk3QLksLUGKd48fPvKG_xFugUD5gI_YUHD0l7_PWGkf6a4DVHdHzk0mnv8i-fBHKFFYenkCN4_R_VUQN6cTClyBZJWNnwdA2uPya2iMimy4N5nIWKb6unMd1SK12I3AiO97bi7F/s1280/3e774c9b-bf5b-4955-bd29-759cdcef93d9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYVZoHJHk3QLksLUGKd48fPvKG_xFugUD5gI_YUHD0l7_PWGkf6a4DVHdHzk0mnv8i-fBHKFFYenkCN4_R_VUQN6cTClyBZJWNnwdA2uPya2iMimy4N5nIWKb6unMd1SK12I3AiO97bi7F/s320/3e774c9b-bf5b-4955-bd29-759cdcef93d9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtdl47yU2FoG1pDd8_QROZnL0jBttKcBYRvAC1C69z92i0tgWVP6k5B0JnhS5PUm_SNzrPr_R1q8db_qk9Lug4nA-oeVPKWPD1FqYmhAEbz9UdtGCLceV4hR4PVVTD7N2yLBvtzgaQjhyi/s1280/e6683d15-f501-48d3-ab06-912ff0d60ff0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtdl47yU2FoG1pDd8_QROZnL0jBttKcBYRvAC1C69z92i0tgWVP6k5B0JnhS5PUm_SNzrPr_R1q8db_qk9Lug4nA-oeVPKWPD1FqYmhAEbz9UdtGCLceV4hR4PVVTD7N2yLBvtzgaQjhyi/s320/e6683d15-f501-48d3-ab06-912ff0d60ff0.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKpW2383whIXtPGexA5oubB-9P_gAFBnZXl-PcfeModKKJr6ZxyrNpa5TRrOa-PdpRYOvYuGWjtLmP5Zufq89dkH1Y03tsts5IH5c0sEPVbMYvq5wJ3GUJv5dLZ-iW-_mu7piJD-1kiwDQ/s1280/e4ffee24-f25e-4bfd-9c3b-e092ac1818aa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKpW2383whIXtPGexA5oubB-9P_gAFBnZXl-PcfeModKKJr6ZxyrNpa5TRrOa-PdpRYOvYuGWjtLmP5Zufq89dkH1Y03tsts5IH5c0sEPVbMYvq5wJ3GUJv5dLZ-iW-_mu7piJD-1kiwDQ/s320/e4ffee24-f25e-4bfd-9c3b-e092ac1818aa.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>We just want to thank all of you who support our this ministry by purchasing from our shops at 1219 and 919 Main Street in Lynchburg, Virginia. </p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804801973226145886.post-25690038587469863932021-05-16T10:11:00.007-05:002021-05-16T11:21:39.700-05:00Nicaragua Project Update<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOq8ayKreRlQ7VJbynv93DKZBVtACYakMNV3TYUh6ImO-DoE5S6Vv7NDAab4qryu3xSkLV53k7lISMqaUWQ20nN6EZs_rrYg5SMIKaFZCg5-Kj9LUxPficanlYL7dXm-V7WjLDgQNhVGv9/s1280/WhatsApp+Image+2021-05-15+at+5.04.48+PM.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOq8ayKreRlQ7VJbynv93DKZBVtACYakMNV3TYUh6ImO-DoE5S6Vv7NDAab4qryu3xSkLV53k7lISMqaUWQ20nN6EZs_rrYg5SMIKaFZCg5-Kj9LUxPficanlYL7dXm-V7WjLDgQNhVGv9/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-05-15+at+5.04.48+PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>We would like to give an update on this year’s mission project in Nicaragua. As we have shared earlier, we are currently in the process of building a patio restaurant for the family of one of our artisans. <p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjCxQyu0l04y9RYZAE98tcE5_ukMMlRUthmuFqe2AMe3FmIYnDSqio77Od3dBuC0gP1sWq_6dg9jZvdhbZyewW5Cn6Tq_YfcAYZWzmXzJXI8miriC34zzmeHlZQ4lA_dxyif6s5cndcbe5/s1280/WhatsApp+Image+2021-05-15+at+5.13.17+PM.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjCxQyu0l04y9RYZAE98tcE5_ukMMlRUthmuFqe2AMe3FmIYnDSqio77Od3dBuC0gP1sWq_6dg9jZvdhbZyewW5Cn6Tq_YfcAYZWzmXzJXI8miriC34zzmeHlZQ4lA_dxyif6s5cndcbe5/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-05-15+at+5.13.17+PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>In the past, the family has always cooked, sold, and delivered food from their kitchen to the surrounding community. As the project progresses, we are hoping to have the grand opening in July of this year. <p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh87IYG-kQ8zZ_ZVaulLxAgND7u5Bum57iFMxTc7K2B0o3AZn8TZy6CxYgJ6U3bTnn-aAro_0yBFQsC3tJsSiA-bOOPlhU8xoU5yjGr9bvdvbUULC1FxnVuxPQOanrxCg5fJIS26l-wTnej/s1280/WhatsApp+Image+2021-05-15+at+5.12.20+PM.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh87IYG-kQ8zZ_ZVaulLxAgND7u5Bum57iFMxTc7K2B0o3AZn8TZy6CxYgJ6U3bTnn-aAro_0yBFQsC3tJsSiA-bOOPlhU8xoU5yjGr9bvdvbUULC1FxnVuxPQOanrxCg5fJIS26l-wTnej/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-05-15+at+5.12.20+PM.jpeg" /></a></div>Again, we would like to thank all of our costumers who support our business and help us to make projects like this, and others, a reality for families in third world countries.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804801973226145886.post-13914962574673778922021-02-04T13:56:00.004-06:002021-02-04T13:56:55.188-06:00Our New Director in Nicaragua<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNPEdGCoQjatkXo8FsayOOF2Mhx7p16E4Y5NYjDWuR0cZbop5fMkEjHhkIIvy7EZZUq1vw3tE3G28PW6zXGyot3EPd8qIeFFvEKi82Qd0oZeflKcCDCJF1hALqIEf_7O2Jn-E9nGjSRsUS/s1024/Moises.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNPEdGCoQjatkXo8FsayOOF2Mhx7p16E4Y5NYjDWuR0cZbop5fMkEjHhkIIvy7EZZUq1vw3tE3G28PW6zXGyot3EPd8qIeFFvEKi82Qd0oZeflKcCDCJF1hALqIEf_7O2Jn-E9nGjSRsUS/s320/Moises.jpg" /></a></div>My name is Moises Rayo Garcia. When I was ten years old I worked as a car watcher for a pizza shop here in Esteli. I eventually ended up helping a lady with cleaning at her house, doing miscellaneous chores and washing cars at a nearby car lot. It was there that I met Mr. Luis, Mrs. Spearman's father. He offered me a job helping him. I did not have a father, so Mr. Luis and I became very close. I appreciated him helping me through my years of high school. He became a father figure to me. Sadly, when I was in my 11th year of school, Mr. Luis passed away in 2018. It was then that Mrs. Spearman offered me a position that required me to live and watch over her mother. Part of my new position required that I drive her mother around and I didn't have a license, so she paid paid my way through driving school, and I have been living in her home ever since. Through the Spearman's support, I finished high school, and am now a university student with only two years left in my degree in Political Science and International Relations. I have already completed an associates degree in Human Resources. <p></p><p>This year has been very tough for everyone, Nicaragua is no exception. The Spearman's have offered me the opportunity to be the director of "Tejiendo Vidas International" which is a ministry that helps artisans throughout the world. She came to Nicaragua in December and trained me to be able to teach other artisans wire wrapping techniques. My job now is to find and train other students, so that we can help them finish their schooling like I did. Sadly, most students here in Nicaragua end up dropping out of school because of the economic situation here. I am grateful for the opportunity and especially the blessing of being able to help the youth in my country through this position.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804801973226145886.post-4064286076596622992021-01-27T17:51:00.003-06:002021-01-27T17:52:23.894-06:00Mujeres Central de Cooperativas<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRpyYr-bT45yMZSGjERZz7LRI0a7-3Qzcc8D_KJL3C8ofCLawXJQrjGwdO24Y5brvvqdaJIu1q9KvRxPwShyphenhyphen1IWRYpZnY6kv7X0sNfxE0Hsr6Y9_HXcNI3tzMCNjcpdko6pjUQKSEdxK2I/s1024/137521836_4609782325705202_3290017267144586353_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRpyYr-bT45yMZSGjERZz7LRI0a7-3Qzcc8D_KJL3C8ofCLawXJQrjGwdO24Y5brvvqdaJIu1q9KvRxPwShyphenhyphen1IWRYpZnY6kv7X0sNfxE0Hsr6Y9_HXcNI3tzMCNjcpdko6pjUQKSEdxK2I/s320/137521836_4609782325705202_3290017267144586353_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">Jannett just recently spent some time in Esteli, Nicaragua visiting a fair trade coffee maker called Las Diosas who uses the profits and premiums from their coffee sales to provide health and education for women and children for a ministry called Mujeres Central de Cooperativas. We are now carrying their coffee in both of our locations in Lynchburg.</span><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804801973226145886.post-80892904465937733962019-09-21T13:02:00.001-05:002019-09-21T13:02:26.418-05:00The Journey Has Begun! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghioSF_9s_VOlHfPvAVcxuZsbHxz_H0XopphcFhkFliXOIvM63IXqIm46Xldx0HbjlXdfQxJPZ34JevgFOR_hTcwQCm7BnG2Q_TY3sDmbcwDOrLnSTbmzhLHgMQnWC7fGoyRZRRAq1bhQD/s1600/70791967_3264484316901683_5413918066016780288_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghioSF_9s_VOlHfPvAVcxuZsbHxz_H0XopphcFhkFliXOIvM63IXqIm46Xldx0HbjlXdfQxJPZ34JevgFOR_hTcwQCm7BnG2Q_TY3sDmbcwDOrLnSTbmzhLHgMQnWC7fGoyRZRRAq1bhQD/s200/70791967_3264484316901683_5413918066016780288_n.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
We are very excited that Angela has been able to raise enough support to go to Spain as a guidance counselor to missionary and third culture kids. Also, we are so appreciative to our loyal customers who made it possible for us to be a part of her journey.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804801973226145886.post-76868803715839276782019-09-04T14:33:00.002-05:002019-09-04T14:33:38.420-05:00Monthly Artist Spotlight<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2OYtmU2v6ZJnRcFReCp97AUMKwpSB-aDE3uWZqEAJWmeYELj_oGuk7RPmXZJyaei1T6QYmQEHE9E4Lytmk_x7sBwRxWfO-R3VAIGlJTwArUvchnX5SdkLpfZFNNSQJswFXevW80Md6txB/s1600/70378085_3227380470612068_7320558459366146048_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="960" height="123" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2OYtmU2v6ZJnRcFReCp97AUMKwpSB-aDE3uWZqEAJWmeYELj_oGuk7RPmXZJyaei1T6QYmQEHE9E4Lytmk_x7sBwRxWfO-R3VAIGlJTwArUvchnX5SdkLpfZFNNSQJswFXevW80Md6txB/s320/70378085_3227380470612068_7320558459366146048_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Diana Ferrell serves desperately poor women and families in Uganda through Compassionate Women Initiative (CWI). Thanks to her vision, guidance and oversight about 300 to 500 very sick children get medical attention and treatment monthly. Thousands of helpless widows every year are learning life and job skills.<br />
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CWI partners with Wise Choices for Life (WCFL) to inspire a change of thinking among the youth, women and men. That they can make an informed decision on Sexual and Reproductive matters.<br />
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The CWI Craft Studio is one of their sustainable projects. The Craft Studio specializes in making cards with the uniqueness of beautiful multicolored Kitengi materials. The Studio also designs crown earrings, bracelets of beads and threads, scrunchies, headbands, and Kitengi animals. The purpose of the studio is to raise support for the CWI ministry projects so that CWI will not have to go to outside sources to continue its ministry into the future. The Craft Studio gives back to the community by offering free craft training to unemployed or underemployed women in the communities. These training can help empower women to generate their own income or add to their income to earn a living to help their families.<br />
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Here at Spearman Artisanry, we carry several of the items made by this ministry here in our Lynchburg locations as a way of supporting the work of Diana and the work of CWI.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804801973226145886.post-28827762600563641732019-07-17T12:14:00.003-05:002019-07-17T12:14:44.951-05:00Compassionate Women Initiative in Uganda<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6I7O4I3maEfhdBg0QqeQZKCD7JARA06LeAcSTRSBJpPlk-Uz5emTA1hN0IL3wE2t8KMMTIygp7MpSWcyEFybCbcQSZDEYC8WTESq8UaK6_r45l0jnQQMI2u_I8Y4MLt2D_P_6j6qAhRD6/s1600/Cards.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="542" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6I7O4I3maEfhdBg0QqeQZKCD7JARA06LeAcSTRSBJpPlk-Uz5emTA1hN0IL3wE2t8KMMTIygp7MpSWcyEFybCbcQSZDEYC8WTESq8UaK6_r45l0jnQQMI2u_I8Y4MLt2D_P_6j6qAhRD6/s200/Cards.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPqQdtFKsQrYYpqtAd86ToIjiNjt78LGqysuPVf-yuOm0IGaFaTXgiGC1-mNXOakbvNL3YtIw5HIl8qr8byXVNZc2Gh8gZ_7AHWUnBtnF4p02Uk85wRlLOZYbUhCxp-FwqZit8Xhu0lzJE/s1600/cwi-mission.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1550" height="123" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPqQdtFKsQrYYpqtAd86ToIjiNjt78LGqysuPVf-yuOm0IGaFaTXgiGC1-mNXOakbvNL3YtIw5HIl8qr8byXVNZc2Gh8gZ_7AHWUnBtnF4p02Uk85wRlLOZYbUhCxp-FwqZit8Xhu0lzJE/s320/cwi-mission.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">We have cards for every occasion thanks to Diana Ferrell with Compassionate Women Initiative in Uganda. Through her ministry, desperately poor women and families in Uganda get the medical attention and treatment that they need. Also, thousands of helpless widows every year are able to learn valuable life and job skills that include poultry farming and their craft studio. Every card you purchase goes toward helping this ministry (http://cwimission.org).</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804801973226145886.post-60471429097082114542019-07-11T12:28:00.000-05:002019-07-11T12:31:14.896-05:00We are Proud of Angela<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ4MIjvH6vNnk0_lhDbqg_8o3DYhimU9G_uKV8V9QXnMKfBKOT5ttXxg9_gBJSusI_GPjNKuQga0LKA9zaE55IV5RuZrWXv6lKlqBeSLGFiihme_SKJ5rBsWwfnccOnK4vXfxdeJMbiIMn/s1600/Angela.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="682" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ4MIjvH6vNnk0_lhDbqg_8o3DYhimU9G_uKV8V9QXnMKfBKOT5ttXxg9_gBJSusI_GPjNKuQga0LKA9zaE55IV5RuZrWXv6lKlqBeSLGFiihme_SKJ5rBsWwfnccOnK4vXfxdeJMbiIMn/s320/Angela.jpeg" width="242" /></a></div>
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We had the privilege of being able to teach Angela as a high school student at the International Christian School in Lima, Peru. Wonderful family. Now, we have the honor of being able to financially support her as she pursues of calling to Missionary Kids (MKs) and Third Culture Kids (TCKs) from expatriate families through the guidance department at Evangelical Christian Academy in Spain<br />
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She just recently wrote to us and said, "Thank you for your gift! Because of your contribution, I am one step closer to starting my ministry in Spain! I praise God for you and for your desire to support me and give towards the work He is accomplishing through international Christian education. Please pray for me as I continue to raise support and prepare to move, settle, and begin work in Spain.</div>
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If you would also like to support Angela, please use this <a href="https://eepurl.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=df8f9ddbac486ab6a59e405ff&id=ee58bf5864&e=6ea7e264e5">LINK</a>.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804801973226145886.post-39858691533785591562019-07-05T10:56:00.001-05:002019-07-05T10:56:44.289-05:00Land Purchase! <div class="_5pbx userContent _3576" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-testid="post_message" id="js_4o5" style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 6px;">
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We were blessed just recently to be able to purchase a piece of land for Moises Rayo and his family in Esteli, Nicaragua to build their own home. A special word of thanks to all of our supporters for helping make this a reality.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804801973226145886.post-64421168798627368482019-05-29T09:05:00.000-05:002019-05-29T09:07:43.863-05:00The Extent of Our Faith<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1TzGkHfzHapbI5TFtZ5FR5q6OtcK4TptOAgYxDPcfobJ7ly652DChfKHAaI_Yra7hVJpPh687xvKi1meWNEN1_ArzRoueVQnw1Twg8XYLSF0GfEAId-jNINeOYfZVVu-DUqrTmJAU-XUN/s1600/coin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="806" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1TzGkHfzHapbI5TFtZ5FR5q6OtcK4TptOAgYxDPcfobJ7ly652DChfKHAaI_Yra7hVJpPh687xvKi1meWNEN1_ArzRoueVQnw1Twg8XYLSF0GfEAId-jNINeOYfZVVu-DUqrTmJAU-XUN/s320/coin.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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In today's study from Matthew 17:3-27, we take a longer look at the Transfiguration, the healing of the demon-possessed young man, and the apostles continued inability to see the impending crucifixion.</div>
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You may hear the audio study on <a href="https://soundcloud.com/directional-ministries/matthew-part-81"><b>SoundCloud</b></a> or see the video study on <a href="https://youtu.be/1ijohVd1PZw"><b>YouTube</b></a>.</div>
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<b>Moses and Elijah</b></div>
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<b>v.3</b> <i>And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. </i>Why Moses and Elijah? Most would contend that they represent those who go to heaven (Jude 1:9; 2Ki 2:11). Some, like Moses, will die to get there; while others, like Elijah, will go without dying, i.e., the rapture in 1Th 4:13-18. Another might be because they represent the fulfillment of the Law (Moses) and the Prophets (Elijah). This is why they are considered to be the two witnesses of Rev 11:3-13.</div>
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<b>The Supremacy of Christ</b></div>
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<b>vv.4-5</b> <i>Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.</i> In effect, Peters statement about building three shrines was putting Jesus on the same level as Moses and Elijah, which drew a strong rebuke from the Father. Why did Peter make this suggestion? Apparently, he didn't even know why! Mark tells us in Mark 9:5-6 <i>"Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah"-- (6) because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid."</i></div>
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<b>The Apostles Reaction</b></div>
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<b>vv.6-8</b> <i>And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. </i><i>And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. </i><i>And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.</i> The apostles react in abject fear. Getting rebuked by God is not exactly on anyone's list for the day. However, I am sure that the Transfiguration served as a reassurance for the apostles as to Jesus' identity.</div>
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<b>The Question about Elijah</b></div>
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<b>vv.9-13</b> <i>And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead. </i><i>And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? </i><i>And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. </i><i>But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. </i><i>Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist. </i>Again, he reassures them that Elijah will come before the Second Coming, and he will in Revelation 11 as one of the two witnesses. He again, reiterates that had they accepted John, he could have been Elijah.</div>
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<b>Too Tough to Handle</b></div>
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<b>vv.14-16</b> <i>And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. </i>This boy was might have had epilepsy. The symptoms are certainly the same. However, it was apparently demon possessed as well. Of course, that is not to imply that everyone today who has epilepsy is demonized. Notice that the disciples were unable to cast this demon out. </div>
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<b>Jesus Rebuked the Demon</b></div>
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<b>vv.17-21</b> <i>Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.</i> Now Jesus does what his disciples could not. He furthermore tells them that their unbelief hindered their ability to cast the demon out. Apparently, in this case, they did not even have the faith of a mustard seed. </div>
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He also says that <i>"this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting."</i> Most likely the Devil merely knew the extent of their faith and succeeded it. Makes you wonder if the Devil knows the extent of our faith? I am going to go with, yes, he does. </div>
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<b>Somber Announcement</b></div>
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<b>vv.22-23</b> <i>And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men: </i><i>And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.</i> This is another somber announcement for the disciples.</div>
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Notice that the Lord offered them the bad news but with the good news as well. Of course, they still did not totally understand what he was truly saying to them.</div>
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<b>Jesus and Taxes</b></div>
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<b>vv.24-26</b> <i>And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute? </i><i>He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers? </i><i>Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free. </i>The questioning goes along these lines…of who do the kings of this earth take taxes? Do they take them from their own children? No! They take them from strangers. Conclusion: if the king does not tax his own family, then the Father would not tax the son since it is His temple.</div>
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<b>Lest we Offend</b></div>
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<b>v.27</b> <i>Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee. </i>However, Jesus saw no reason to offend them (they were already all over him and he apparently saw no reason to provoke them further) and told Peter to go and cast in his hook and look in the mouth of the first fish he catches to find the tribute money for him and Peter. It's just a little curious to me that Jesus would be concerned about offending them now.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804801973226145886.post-66602389096495071162019-05-25T10:23:00.000-05:002019-05-25T10:24:52.163-05:00The Transfiguration<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAtu0kw__QXeGs6tQTEcfW6FlpzSAC2YpFI2VZGYCCUesWDD0xEcxSfc6kvqHl5JCg-M_A7v8KsTCYaPkwpVwoURmqUW5EiCoPJrAZcFUzANcmuc1YefqKG1XcbY_dySc92uKqAahOkwJz/s1600/Transfiguration-Raphael-1518-20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="524" data-original-width="750" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAtu0kw__QXeGs6tQTEcfW6FlpzSAC2YpFI2VZGYCCUesWDD0xEcxSfc6kvqHl5JCg-M_A7v8KsTCYaPkwpVwoURmqUW5EiCoPJrAZcFUzANcmuc1YefqKG1XcbY_dySc92uKqAahOkwJz/s320/Transfiguration-Raphael-1518-20.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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In today's study we look at Matthew 16:21-17:2 and see what it really means to follow Christ and the significance of the Transfiguration.</div>
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You may hear the audio study on <a href="https://soundcloud.com/directional-ministries/matthew-part-80"><b>SoundCloud</b></a> or see the video study on <a href="https://youtu.be/DtLYl4Z1j1k"><b>YouTube</b></a>.<br />
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<b>Official Rejection</b></div>
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<b style="font-weight: bold;">v.21</b> <i>From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. </i>The Kingdom is being rejected and now our Lord turns his attention toward Jerusalem and his crucifixion. This must have come as a total shock to the disciples as that they were not looking for a "Suffering Messiah" but a "Reigning Messiah."</div>
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Notice, "and be raised again the third day." They probably did not hear this because they had to be reminded later. Luke tells us that even though they did not fully grasp what he was saying here, they ultimately did (Luk 24:6-8).</div>
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<b>Peter's Rebuke</b></div>
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<b>vv.22-23</b> <i>Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!" But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." </i>Here we see Peter's misunderstanding. Understand that Peter's reaction was out of total love for his Lord. However, unbeknownst to him, he was being used by Satan to keep Jesus from the cross. Just goes to show that you do not have to be possessed by demons to be used by Satan.</div>
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Notice, "for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men." In other words, you're thinking worldly instead of spiritually.</div>
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<b>Call to Denial</b></div>
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<b>v.24</b> <i>Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. </i>After announcing that he was going to Jerusalem to die, he encouraged his disciples to be willing to do the same. That is totally against our nature. Second only to our desire for air is our desire for survival. And yet, the Christian faith is about death and denial. Both of those fly in the face of our flesh.</div>
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<b>The Paradox</b></div>
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<b>vv.25-27</b> <i>For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. </i>This is the great paradox of the Christian faith. John 12:24 <i>"Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." </i>In other words, the command here is that we look past the present and look to the future.</div>
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<b>Shall not Taste Death</b></div>
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<b>v</b><b>.28</b> <i>Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom." </i>What did this mean? The answer is in the next chapter.</div>
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<b>The Transfiguration</b></div>
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<b>vv.1-2</b> <i>Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. </i>Here we see the transfiguration. It's curious as to why the Lord only took these three apostles. Why not the rest? Maybe it's because these three would prove to be the pillars of the church? Maybe it's because they needed to see with their own eyes to believe while the other did not?</div>
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The word "transfiguration" means that Jesus begins to shine so brightly that it was very difficult to even look at him. Much like when Moses came down from Mt. Sinai. David Guzik says that this was not the miracle of the transformation. The miracle was that our Lord could keep his glory under wraps for as long as he did. This is the fulfillment of the last first of the last chapter!</div>
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However, there was some confusion that came from it later because some felt that some of the apostles would live to see the Second Coming of Christ. Later John 21:22 compounded the issue.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804801973226145886.post-91438464151983101382019-05-23T11:03:00.001-05:002019-05-23T11:06:23.132-05:00Peter's Confession<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixgQ_9X-aUm0VKmZYCdUza1Na-TOsRrQo_BXGanCCk-vnVD1J3FeEj48Xe-A4OhiVlacqYzNE4bIV9aXBtQsCzeuH5nS4BuHH4km-D8ixQCErbd5QoHkr_E1UdEbHLIBDH-sdsX8VcEFRv/s1600/Peters-Confession.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="487" data-original-width="360" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixgQ_9X-aUm0VKmZYCdUza1Na-TOsRrQo_BXGanCCk-vnVD1J3FeEj48Xe-A4OhiVlacqYzNE4bIV9aXBtQsCzeuH5nS4BuHH4km-D8ixQCErbd5QoHkr_E1UdEbHLIBDH-sdsX8VcEFRv/s320/Peters-Confession.jpg" width="236" /></a></div>
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In today's study from Matthew 16:13-20, we take a look at Peter's Confession to determine exactly what was being said and which interpretation is the correct one.</div>
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You may hear the audio study on <a href="https://soundcloud.com/directional-ministries/matthew-part-79"><b>SoundCloud</b></a> or see the video study on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USbb26bwdjo&t=35s"><b>YouTube</b></a>.</div>
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<b>The Great Confession</b></div>
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<b>vv.13-16</b> <i>When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." </i></div>
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Here Peter confesses Jesus as Messiah in response to the Lord's question. Notice that Jesus was not really concerned with what others thought but what they thought.</div>
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<b>The Correct Answer</b></div>
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<b>vv.17-20</b> <i>Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ. </i></div>
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In response to Peter's confession, our Lord tells him that that knowledge did not come from flesh and blood, but from God the Father. Of course, this has generated much controversy as to what it actually means.</div>
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Notice, <i>"upon this rock, I will build my church."</i> Either the Lord was a. gesturing to himself as the rock, or b. he was referring to Peter's actual confession or, c. he is referring to Peter himself. We do know that Christ is indeed referred to as the rock (Isa 28:16; 1Pe 2:8). Also, Paul said in 1Co 10:4 that they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ.</div>
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I think that it would be a little absurd to say that a literal rock followed them in the wilderness. Instead, it means that God provided for them while on their journey. Literally, in Exo 17:6 during their first year and again in Num 20 during their last year. Paul is saying that Christ is the provider of life just as that rock from beginning to end.</div>
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Now others will say that Jesus is referring to Peter's actual confession. After all, to be a part of the Kingdom Church and even the church of our day, one must believe that he is indeed the Christ.</div>
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Still other's will say, no Jesus was referring to Peter and upon him, Christ would build his church as a reference to Pentecost. We shirk from that interpretation because of how the Roman Catholics have twisted it, but I believe that it has merit for sure.</div>
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Notice, <i>"I will build my church."</i> The church belongs to our Lord and not us.</div>
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Notice, <i>"and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it." </i>This is a promise that no matter how dark it gets, the church will always survive.</div>
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Notice, <i>"and I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven." </i>This is not to say that everyone gets in has to come through Peter but that Peter would be used to open the doors to the kingdom to both the Jews on the Day of Pentecost (Act 2:38-39) and the Gentiles (Cornelius) in Act 10:34-44.</div>
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Notice, <i>"and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven."</i> In other words, Jesus was giving Peter and the other apostles the ability to set boundaries authoritatively for the church, e.g., the Jerusalem Council (Act 15:22); Paul when speaking on marriage in 1Co 7:10; 1Co 7:12.</div>
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Notice, <i>"Then charged his disciples that they should tell no man."</i> Again, Jesus doesn't want to rush the cross because he has things to do before then.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804801973226145886.post-50937507969881452532019-05-18T21:48:00.002-05:002019-05-24T09:41:24.831-05:00Thoughts on Acts, Part 6<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In today's study from Acts 3:18-26, we again talk about who Peter was addressing, Israel's failed national repentance, and discussed what would have happened had they repented.</div>
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You may hear the audio study on <a href="https://soundcloud.com/directional-ministries/thoughts-on-acts-318-26"><b>SoundCloud</b></a> or see the video study on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYZGTH9xs4w"><b>YouTube</b></a>.</div>
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<b>Times of Refreshing</b></div>
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<b>vv.18-19</b> <i>But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, </i>The times of refreshing is referring to the Kingdom. </div>
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<b>Times of Restoration of All Things</b></div>
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<b>vv.20-21</b> <i>and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.</i> The "times of restoration of all things" will take place during the Tribulation. cf. the Title Deed of Revelation 5. This also clearly indicates that Peter understood that even though they did repent (v.19), it would have been followed by the Tribulation before the Second Coming. He knew Daniel 9 and the 70th week would take place next.</div>
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<b>A Prophet of Deliverance</b></div>
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<b>vv.22-23</b> <i>For Moses truly said to the fathers, 'THE LORD YOUR GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN. HIM YOU SHALL HEAR IN ALL THINGS, WHATEVER HE SAYS TO YOU. AND IT SHALL BE THAT EVERY SOUL WHO WILL NOT HEAR THAT PROPHET SHALL BE UTTERLY DESTROYED FROM AMONG THE PEOPLE.' </i>Just as Moses delivered the nation from bondage then, Jesus will do the same for them if they would accept it. </div>
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<b>These Days</b></div>
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<b>v.24</b> <i>Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days. </i>Notice that Peter says that the prophecies were for "these days".</div>
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<b>v.25</b> <i>You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, 'AND IN YOUR SEED ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED.' </i>Again, Peter is not addressing Gentiles at all! "Our fathers" is referring to Israel! The bottom line is that God's plan was to use the nation of Israel to reach the nations (Deu 32:8; Isa 42:1; Isa 49:5-7; Isa 59:20-21; Isa 60:1-3 (Mat 5:14); Zec 8:23).</div>
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The Abrahamic Covenant was threefold:</div>
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1. Nation - Israel</div>
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2. Land - Promised Land</div>
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3. King - Messiah and Savior</div>
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From that point, God would use them to reach the nations. </div>
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<b>National Repentance</b></div>
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<b>v.26</b> <i>To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities."</i> It is very clear that Christ came to the Jews first. Notice that the call was that "every one of you from his iniquities". God was asking for national repentance, not necessarily individual. Had they done it, the Tribulation would have taken place, they would have preached to the Gentiles, and the Second Coming. Of course, they did not, Rome came in forty years later and destroyed the city and the temple and scattered them throughout the nations and the Times of the Gentiles came in. </div>
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