Safely in Atlanta...

We have landed safely in Atlanta!

Day 6: Last Day with the Kids...

First off, sorry for not writing yesterday, the internet here decided not to work. I'll double blog yesterday and today now.

Yesterday was a hard working day. It didn't rain, so that means it was hot! We continued working on projects from the previous day, and then did VBS again with these kids. Let me just tell you, I don't think the kids will ever forget the story of Saul & David in the cave! A great time was had by all.

Today was our last day at work and with the kids. Most of us worked, however Mackenzie Sampson and I made an unexpected trip to Poyo. It seems that while working yesterday, she broke a bone in her foot. So we got it x-rayed and set. She's doing ok, but prayers would be greatly appreciated!

This will be my last post until we are back in the states. Early tomorrow morning we leave for Quito to start home. Prayers for safe travels would be great!

In Christ,

jon walton

Day 4: Hard Work & Awesome Worship...

Sorry for the late blogging today, we have had a busy day. 

It started with us rising early to go to work at La Casa de Fe. Today was our first day of construction and as it does often here in Ecuador, it was raining. Hard. We walked there (1.5 miles) in the rain, then began work on various projects... In the rain. Some people were clearing pipe lines from overgrown weeds and grass, some people were cleaning out drainage lines that had gotten stopped up, some people were using shovels and rakes to level land, and some people were helping the teachers at the school to take down their classrooms. It was a hard morning of work, but the rain kept us cool.

After lunch, we had our first day of vbs with the kids. I gotta say, this team did an amazing job at the skit, singing songs in Spanish, playing games with the kids, and working on a craft with them. It was a super fun afternoon!

Lastly, we closed out the day by eating a meal with all the staff at La Casa de Fe. This is volunteers from all over. That was good, but the real treat came afterwards. We all got together and had an amazing time of worship, singing songs and praising our One True King, Jesus. There are no words to express just how amazing this was! They are an amazing group of Christ followers and it was an honor to praise with them.

A couple more days of serving, then we will be heading back to the states. Thanks for all your prayers, as of tonight, everyone seems to be doing good, ankles are healing up and Chris is able to walk pretty well. Keep praying for us!

In Christ,

jon walton

P. S. I'm posting all the pics to my twitter feed. It's just way easier. You can see them by going to twitter.com and searching for "youthpastorjon"

Day 3: A Day of "Rest"

On Sundays here, pretty much nothing work wise goes on. That doesn't mean we didn't get to have some amazing experiences. 

This morning we got to go to church with some of the older kids from Casa de Fe. It was an amazing moment of worship when singing songs to The Lord in different languages!

After that, we grabbed some lunch and then headed back to Casa de Fe for a jungle hike with some of the local missonaries. It was a steep, muddy trail, but it was incredibly beautiful!

Ben got really into it...

Tomorrow, we will start VBS with the kids, and construction. They have several projects lined up for us and I am so excited to get started! A couple of prayer requests:

Mackenzie twisted her ankle today, please add her to the injured list.

Carrie Frederick & Dakota Keller are feeling sick, please pray for them.

In Christ,

jon walton

Day 2: Fun with the kids!

Today we got to hang out with the kids. It was a lot of fun! Some of us played soccer with them, (which turned into a mud fight) some of us took some kids to the park, some of us played with the toddlers at La Casa de Fe, and some of us played frisbee and jumped rope with them. Just spending time with these kids is a blessing. 

A couple of prayer request updates:

Chris bought a cane today and has been taking it easy on his knee. He says it's feeling better, but please keep praying for him.

Lee twisted his ankle today. It is wrapped and he is keeping it elevated.

In Christ,

jon walton

Made It! (June 19th blog)

Our team has arrived safely in Shell, Ecuador. It has been a long 24 hours of travel, but The LORD provided everything we needed along the way. 

A couple if prayer requests:

Chris Hogan stepped in a large, deep hole last night at a bathroom stop and his leg is hurting pretty bad. Please pray for healing!

A suitcase was missing at the airport. There were no donations in it, but 2 girls clothes were. Please pray the airport finds it!

We have a full work day ahead of us, pray for strength on our team! Thanks everyone!

In Christ,

jon walton

First Day: Donations and Rest...

Today was a wonderful day. Getting to see old friends is always a blessing, but getting hugs from children you only get to see once a year is amazing. It is a blessing that words cannot fully express.

We turned in all our donations today, toured Casa de Fe, and then just took it easy. We are all pretty exhausted, but at the same time excited. Keep praying for us!

A couple of updates:

A lost bag of luggage has been found! Praise The Lord!

Chris says the prayers are working, his knee is getting better, please keep praying!

In Christ,

jon walton

Fourth Time...

I am incredibly excited as I prepare for my fourth time going to La Casa de Fe in Shell, Ecuador. Someone asked me recently, “Why are you going again?” I am thankful I get questions like that, because it helps me self check my motives. Why am I going?

Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world. (James 1:27 HCSB)

There is something special about serving those who can give you nothing in return. It is the most selfless thing you can do, because to only return you may get back is a simple “thank you.” Try it sometime. You might be surprised at just how amazing it is.

In Christ,

jon walton

P.S. Check back here starting Thursday, June 19th for daily updates on our trip!

Fourth Time...

You Did That To Yourself...

A few nights ago, my foster daughter was mad and pitching a fit because we told her to pick up some of her toys. She picked up her toys, but was determined to show us how upset she was. So, she stood in the middle of the living room screaming, crying, and just being loud. I asked her, “Josie, please stop crying. You aren’t in trouble, you have picked up your toys, you can go play.” Now, I was speaking to her in a nice, calm voice. I wasn’t fussing or raising my voice, I was trying to calm her. All she needed to do was go play. Josie, being 2 years old, for some reason didn’t respond well to my articulate request to lower the amazing volume being produced by her tiny lungs and vocal cords. This was beginning to get on my nerves.

I asked her a second time, “Josie, there is no need for this. Please, calm down and stop crying.” This time, as I asked her I hugged her. I thought maybe if I showed her love she would realize she wasn’t in trouble and everything is ok. This did absolutely… nothing to clam her or quiet her. She wanted us to know she was upset.

A third time I gave her the chance. “Baby girl, please, stop crying.” This time, she decided to respond to my request. Just, not in the way I had hoped. She put her hands on her hips, wrinkled her brow, took a deep breath and screamed, “NO! I’M CRYING! MAD AT YOU, DADDY!” Let me just say, that’ll bless ya!

I had enough at this point. She would not be reasoned with. “Josie, go to your room until you are done crying.” I told her. She turned, screaming as loud as she could and ran to her room. At least she listened. Then, she did something extra. To emphasize her anger, she slammed her door. Now, this wouldn’t normally be a big deal, but we put a child-lock on her door to keep her from wondering the house at night. (We have a monitor system in place, it’s safe.)

I could have went immediately and let her out, but I thought I would let this play out. After about five more minutes of screaming, I went and opened the door to find a pretty distraught little girl on the other side. She opened her arms wide and grabbed me. I picked her up, hugged her, and held her tight. “Daddy locked me in my room!” She exclaimed. “Honey, you did that to yourself.” I told her. I asked her again, “Are you done pitching a fit and crying now?” With a frown on her face and tears rolling down her cheeks, she nodded her head, “Yes.” I wiped her tears, nose and face, kissed her on the cheek, and set her down to play.

This made me think, “How many times are we two year old girls pitching a fit?” Think about it. How many times does God tell us to do something that needs to be done. We refuse, or tell God, “I don’t want to do that.” or “I’m not called to that.” or “God, someone else could do it better.” God may even persist, asking us multiple times in multiple ways, showing us love all along the way. Then, after we continue to resist Him, He disciplines us. When He does, we may get even madder and “slam our door.” We may go to a sin that gives us instant pleasure, or stop going to church, or find some way to rebel against God to show our anger. After our disobedience, the consequence of our sin hits us. What do we do in response? “God, why did you allow this? God, why didn’t you stop this? God, this is Your fault!” No, too many times, we do cause pain to ourselves because we don’t know how to handle God’s discipline to make us more like Jesus.

Do not despise the Lord’s instruction, my son, and do not loathe His discipline; for the Lord disciplines the one He loves, just as a father, the son he delights in. – Proverbs 3:11, 12

Let’s stop being 2 year old girls.

(Unless you are a two year old girl. Then it’s ok.)

In Christ,

jon walton

You Did That To Yourself...

I'm Tired...

This morning when my alarm went off, it was all I could do to get moving. I turned it off, threw the covers back, but decided to lay there a bit. Bad call as I woke up 15 minutes later. I thought to myself, “I don’t want to get up. I’m tired. I don’t “have” to get up yet.” I could have covered back up and went to sleep, but I knew that wasn’t the right decision.

I rolled out of bed onto my feet and made my way into the living room where my wife was waiting on me. “Where’s Isaiah?” I asked. “Still getting ready.” My wife responded. I went to his room where he was slowly getting his clothes on for the day. “I know you’re tired buddy, but we need to do our devotional before you go to school.” He mumbled, but speed up getting ready. We made the switch to do our devotionals in the morning after my son said he was forgetting them overnight. It causes us all to get up a bit earlier, but he remembers the devotional throughout the day.

I always try to be honest, and that’s the heart of this next statement: I’m not a morning person, and sometimes it really hard to get up when I don’t “have to.” My next thing on my to do list didn’t happen until after 10:00 am. 6:00 am was much earlier than that. I could have rolled back over. I could have chosen not to do the devotional. I could have stuck with “I’m tired” and let it all go. But that would not have reaped a greater reward. That would not have taught my son the importance of a daily time with God. That would not have shown my wife the devotion I have toward being a Godly husband and leading our family.

Sometimes we have to choose what is hard or what we don’t want to do so we can reap the rewards God has for us.

Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. – Romans 12:1,2 HCSB

In Christ,

jon walton

I'm Tired...

That Hurt...

My son and I are starting something new this year that has already given wonderful results. Each night, just before bed we are doing a short devotion together. Its only about a page long and has 2-5 verses with it. It is small, bite size chunks of God’s Word that can be easily absorbed and talked about. Although my son is only 9, this is not a kids devotion. Its an adult devotion someone got me for Christmas and it is wonderful. At the end we have been practicing praying together about God helping us obey what we learned in the devotional.

As we were doing it one night, my son was being unusually goofy. I would read something and he would talk about something completely unrelated and laugh. I would ask him to try and focus. He would for an amazing 3-4 seconds, then be off topic again. I would try to wrangle him back in only to hear a few moments later disregarded laughing. I was pretty irritated as I finished the devotional. (I say “I” because my son really wasn’t a part of it) I told my son to go get ready for bed. He asked me, “Dad, aren’t we going to pray?” I turned my head sideways like a confused dog, looked at my son and replied, “Sure. What will we pray about?” His response summed it all up. “Um….”

I told my son with all the love I could muster, “You know, I am trying my best to train you up so that you love the Lord, but tonight you just didn’t really care. That hurt.” My son hung his head. He realized that his lack of attention to what I was doing hurt both me and him. He asked again, “Can we pray?” I agreed. He then asked God for forgiveness, he asked God to help me forgive him, and then asked God to help him take the devotion time seriously.

I hugged my son, told him I did forgive him, and tucked him into bed.

I would love to say that is the end. It makes me look pretty good. Its not.

As I sat down in my chair, I will admit I was still a bit frustrated with my son. I was putting in time and effort to teach him and he wasn’t putting forth any effort back. Then God spoke to me. “Jon, you have no idea how many times I have tried to teach you, but you were uninterested in what I had to say.”

That hurt.

I prayed the same prayer my son had prayed moments earlier.

My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, listening closely to wisdom and directing your heart to understanding; furthermore, if you call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it like hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God. – Proverbs 2:1-5

If you don’t do a devotion with your children, you really should. It will be great for both of you.

In Christ,

jon walton

That Hurt...

Reminder...

Reminder...

Loved...

Over the weekend I got sick. No, let me say that differently so you get a better picture of it. Over the weekend I was attacked by a gastrointestinal evil being that wreaked havoc on my stomach forcing me to sit in the bathroom in misery with a distinct feeling that someone was stabbing in the stomach with an ice pick all night Saturday night. Yeah, that’s a better description. It was so bad I knew there was no way I would make it to church Sunday morning. I hate missing church. Sunday is my favorite day of the week because of the connection with fellow believers worshiping God together. But never the less, I made the necessary calls and covered everything and set up to spend the day at home.

What happened that afternoon into the next day was incredible. I got text messages, phone calls, and even a video from people telling me they missed me and that they were praying for me. I was seriously moved. This isn’t the first time my church family has called out to me like this either. They have been there for me and my family numerous times. Every time people show love to me or my family, I think about this verse:

By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. – John 13:15

So, let me publicly say thank you to my amazing church family and friends. You are a witness to those who are watching and an inspiration to me to show more love to those around me. You are awesome!

In Christ,

jon walton

Loved...

Relationship...

There is a gas station and market not far from my house. I live about 20 minutes out if town, so I stop by this market quite often for gas. After a while, I tried some of their food from the grill they have inside. It turns out they have amazing burgers and subs! So, I began to frequent this little market. I even got to know the people who work there by name.

Now, because of the bad economy, lots of people steal gas. This lead to, as i’m sure you are aware, the pre-pay standard. At pretty much every gas station you have to pay before you can pump your gas. While I understand this policy, I have to admit that it’s a bit of an inconvenience. If the gas station doesn’t have a pay at the pump option, you have to go in. If you want to fill up, you have to guess how much it will cost. If you over estimate, its a headache for all parties involved. The same was true for this little station I visited. But then something changed.

See, after a while, I developed a relationship with the people who run the station. They trust me. Now when I pull up, I just wave at the people inside and they turn on the pump. After I fill up, I walk in and pay. They know I won’t drive off, or try to get away. I have cultivated a great relationship with them.

Now, this is not going where you think it is. I’m not going to ask you if God can trust you. God already knows you. He knows how much He can trust you with. My question is this: Do you trust God the way that market trusts me? Do you trust Him enough to give Him special permissions in your life? Do you trust Him not to take the things you love with out good reason? Do you trust Him to pay you after He takes something from you?

LORD and King, you are God! Your words can be trusted. You have promised many good things to me. – 2 Samuel 7:28 NIrV

In Christ,

jon walton

Relationship...

Far Too Busy...

In our American culture it is easy for me to get wrapped up in everything that is going on around me and neglect some of the most important things. The busier I get, the more I tend to focus on what is right in front of me instead of the bigger picture. I think we can all fall victim to this. As humans, we tend to give the “squeaky wheel the grease,” but just because that is our natural inclination doesn’t mean we should hold that as a constant life style. I know when I do that, I miss out on thing God wants me to see.

Look at Mary and Martha from Luke 10:

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42 ESV)

When we get wrapped up in what we think is the most important instead of turning to Jesus for guidance as to what is most important, we will most likely regret what we missed. Mary knew how important it was to keep Jesus the priority, even over the customs of her culture. Martha failed to see this, and as a result she missed out on time she could have spent personally with Jesus, the Savior of the world! After Jesus was crucified I bet Martha wished she would have spent that time at the feet of Jesus instead of doing chores.

What about you in your life? Are you so busy you are neglecting your time with Jesus? Is your prayer time or studying time the first thing that gets cut when your calendar gets full? I have to admit, I haven’t been writing in this blog as much because I have been so busy I haven’t felt like I have had time to reflect on what Jesus has been teaching me. I don’t like that.

“Lord, help me keep You a priority in my life. May my time with you be the first thing I run to, and the last thing I cut. May You be glorified by how I spend time with You. Amen”

In Christ,

jon walton

Far Too Busy...

I'm Sorry...

If we are not careful, any of us can become ensnared by the enemy’s traps. They are not always so noticeable. Satan is tricky and would love nothing more than to trick you into your own destruction, even if on a small, temporary level. He knows our weaknesses, he knows how to hit us, and he is waiting to catch us off guard. It can happen to anyone.

I have been dealing with a lot of stress lately. I can’t disclose it all, but there has been an exorbitant amount on my plate. I have lots of great, Godly friends I can turn to, but to be honest I sometimes really stink at that. I tend to try and do it all on my own. (Just for the record, that is never a good idea.) In trying to take care of it all, I had unknowingly began to slowly change my attitude. I had become short with people, taken things the wrong way, and just gotten to be a jerk of a person to be around. Its not a good place to be.

However, what was coming next was an even more uncomfortable place. I got convicted by Jesus durning prayer, then confirmed of my state by a friend. This triggered the next step which usually comes easy for me, but this time was very difficult. I needed to ask forgiveness from some people and say, “I was wrong. I’m sorry.” Yet in all of this, God blessed me.

I was making my final apology to a close friend. Someone who I had been close to. A prayer partner that I respect greatly. It was because of this respect that it made it so much harder to say, “I’m sorry.” I respected them so much, yet I knew over the past month I had been disrespectful. Those are always the hardest. I waited for a good moment, then began to ask for forgiveness. I told them the reasons I had been stressed, why I had acted the way I had, but also made it clear that I had no excuse to be disrespectful. I couldn’t even look at them during the apology. I just looked down at the computer I was standing at, fiddling with the mouse pad. Then I finally mustered up the words, “I’m sorry.” Then I just stood there with my head hung low and waited for it. You know the feeling. Waiting for what I deserved. All the “I told you so” and “You know better,” but God blessed me with this person. I heard words I didn’t expect. “Jon, you have such great potential. We all do. Don’t let the little things be the big things that distract you from doing God’s work. Everything’s good. We’re good.”

And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ. – Eph. 4:32

Remember that. Be kind and forgiving to those who ask forgiveness. Because sometime very soon, you will be the one asking for forgiveness.

In Christ,

jon walton

 

P.S. To the person whom I asked forgiveness and you chose to give me encouragement instead of condemnation, thank you so much.

I'm Sorry...

You Never Know...

It is amazing to me how God can use what you do for His kingdom in the most unlikely of ways. You may think you are serving in one area of ministry, but God will use it for something completely unrelated. It happens more than you would think.

Recently, I was going through a very stressful situation. I was getting ready to take the witness stand in court for the first time in my life. I know this may not seem like that big of a deal, but for what was on the line I was very concerned. Adding to the stress were some of the people involved. They were people who just liked to stir up drama and trouble where ever they went. (I really don’t understand people like that…) As if I wasn’t shaken enough, they were doing all they could to make the situation more tense. I was not amused.

I was sitting in the car with my wife before we went into the courtroom stressing and praying about the situation when all of a sudden Paige (one of my youth) singing a song for our KidStuf service popped in my head. She does a great job at it. It was there, like a song playing on repeat in my head… And that was all I could think about in that moment. I wasn’t stressing anymore, I wasn’t so concerned about taking the stand, and I even started singing along to the music in my head! I texted Paige right away and told her the situation and thanked her.

You never know how God will use what you give Him, but He will always use it for good! What are you giving God?

In Christ,

jon walton

You Never Know...

Back In TN...

We have landed safely in Knoxville and are on our way back home. Special thanks to Northport Baptist Church for taking us and picking us up. It has been an amazing trip and I am already thinking bout next year. Thanks for all your prayers and check back later for more pictures!

Back In TN...

Atlanta Again...

We have landed in Atlanta. Everyone is safe and sound. I’ll update one final time when we get back in Newport.

Atlanta Again...

Getting Ready To Board ...

We are getting ready to board the plane in Quito. I’ll update again when we get to Atlanta. Thanks for the prayers!

Getting Ready To Board ...