Today marks roughly a month since the launch of Paint by Faith and my decision to step down from my job to dedicate full time to raising support for this ministry. To date, we have completed one community mural, sold a sermon painting for $250, received art supplies donations for our EpiCenter 'Jesus + Art' workshops (which we'll be hosting in the coming weeks) and received $200 in donations from a truly wonderful sister in Christ. It's been a month of comprehensive preparation, desperate prayer and hopeful searching for partnerships and provisions, and though we are still quite a ways away from meeting some of our support goals for the El Salvador, India and Kenya missions, I can say wholeheartedly that God has been faithful and true.
We just returned from a Vision 2 Hear mission trip in Miami where we hosted worship performances in two schools for their spiritual emphasis week. By the end of the week, at least 50 kids made a decision to ask Jesus into their life. We also connected with a ministry leader who is interested in helping us connect with another art ministry in Miami, which as some of you may have heard, is one of the art capitals of the world - there are some possible affiliations here with artists that are connected to Art Basel, the world famous art festival held in Wynwood every year. This could be a great opportunity to share and learn about some of the needs, struggles and ways to reach out to Miami artists.
On mission trips, some administrative things tend to slow down as the focus shifts to the field. It's been challenging to find the right balance between person-to-person ministry and administrative coordination, such as organizing outreach and networking. Without the person-to-person work, the outreach and networking can be rather pointless and straining, and without the outreach and networking to help fuel and support the person-to-person ministering, the work will likely end up being short sighted and fizzled out.
We continue to ask the Lord to help us count our days and make the most of what He's provided, and we thank you from the depths of our heart for your witnessing and support. We ask you to keep praying for us, and feel free to leave any comments below!
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