(A Recap)

Yesterday’s post kicked off our recap of 2018’s posts. The testimonies we gather tend to fall into three categories. Obviously, we have stories that inspire & encourage. Some of the stories, though…they’re not always happy. They’re not always great. But, God. Romans 8:28 tells us that God works all things to the good for those who love Him. 🙌🏼 Read on for a few examples!

When did you make the decision to follow God?

(1/3) “After my parents divorced, I hit the rock bottom of all rock bottoms. I basically became my father. I had raging anger, porn addiction…diagnosed with severe clinical depression at 11. I was like, ‘I’ve got no purpose. I don’t have a reason to live. I hate Jesus. I don’t want to live a life if there isn’t any purpose.’ It was bad. It was really bad. My whole family kind of fell apart after the divorce.”

(2/3) “My friend invited me to this youth group. I was like, ‘Sure! I’ll go,’ because I didn’t make the connection that the reason all these kids were getting together was the same reason that my father said that he did everything. I didn’t make the connection. I just heard that they were going to have pizza & they were going to hang out, and I was like, ‘I’m there!’”

(3/3) “When I got there, I felt strange. Like a fish out of water. I just sat through it, and I remember that the youth pastor spoke on Matthew 11:28-30. He was basically saying, ‘With Jesus, you’re not working to get to God. He actually did all the work to get to you.’ I understood, in that moment, that God was the one who put in the effort, and I just had to accept it. No one had ever told me that about Jesus. Ever. I just knew, in that moment – this isn’t just a method to help me through this hard time. This is the reason I’m alive. I knew it. I was born for this man, Jesus. I don’t know anything about Him. I don’t know what this is going to look like. And I honestly don’t care. I just want Him & I want my life to be given to Him for the rest of my life. And I knew that I also wanted to give my life to sharing that message with the rest of the world.” (California)

Sometimes a post is a about a sad event – that we should remember.

“This is a war to end all wars.”
(H.G. Wells, Great Britain)

“Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime.”
(Ernest Hemingway, United States)

“All blood runs red.”
(Phrase painted on the side of the plane flown by Eugene Bullard in World War I)

“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
(Jesus of Nazareth)

Today marks 100 years. 100 years ago, at the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month”, World War I officially ended. Today, we remember. We remember their service. We remember their sacrifice. We remember those who laid down their lives. Veterans, we cannot thank you enough.

“December 7, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy…”
(President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Washington, DC, 1941)

“Today’s a day which will live in infamy.” “Yes, it is.”
(Overheard: a young girl & her father, Arkansas, 2018)

Today marks 77 years. 77 years ago, the United States was changed forever. Today, we honor those who bravely fought. Those who lost their lives. Those who survived and carried the horrible memories of that day with them forever. We remember. Thank you for your service. We are so grateful for our freedoms. ❤️🇺🇸

And. sometimes, our posts are about our own personal struggles. Just another way we try to be transparent & keep you involved in our lives. Believe it or not, our lives are not all rainbows & sunshine. Who knew?!

This process has been…eye-opening, to say the least. God really will peel you like an onion, if you let Him. He’ll chisel away at all the worldly things you hang onto. We’ve worked for over two decades. Worked for stuff. Worked for money. Worked for pride. Worked for a sense of accomplishment. Worked for humanly praise & accolades. Worked because…well, that’s what you DO.

Never have we ever completely, 100%, no holds barred worked for God. This is brand new territory. And, to be honest, we’re not quite sure what to do with ourselves. Because this work is foreign. Jesus often talked about how the world will reject anything that resembles Him, because it doesn’t know Him. He wasn’t kidding. And this has been an enlightening, sometimes painful process. We love God. Love Jesus. Want to be obedient servants…but it’s been a bit of a kick to realize how little we actually relied on Him. Or worked for Him.

We’ve shown up for 9 to 5s. We’ve worked in factories, and as contractors. We’ve owned our own business. But we’ve never done this. We’ve never been full-time employees of the Lord Almighty. It’s…different. Very different. 

Working for God means working from a place of peace. A place of rest. A place of assured hope & comfort. It’s glorious! It also means knowing, without a doubt, that the vast majority of people see you as bat crap crazy. Not so glorious. This is not surprising. We cannot be greater than our Master. And we KNOW this…intellectually, at least. But putting it into real, applicable practice is a whole different ball game.

All this chatter to say this: please pray for us, brothers & sisters. We’re new to this gig. We’re going to mess up. We say things like “bat crap crazy” – which probably isn’t allowed, once you become missionaries. 😬 But we’re committed to working willingly at whatever He calls us to, no matter how insane that seems or feels. We’re praying for you, too. Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing – may we all remember that the only boss that ever matters is the One who willingly gave it all up for us. ❤️ We are blessed, indeed. (Arkansas)

Hello, everyone! Robin here, just checking in & giving a quick update. Things are absolutely crazy. We’re still packing, getting ready for Christmas…and we threw in a trip to Ohio, just for good measure. (Actually, we were helping the Young Grandma move, but whatever. We’re always up for a road trip! 😂) Yesterday, we took advantage of the beautiful weather to make one last family getaway trip to Silver Dollar City Attractions. It was wonderful. I couldn’t stop crying.

I am completely, 100% excited about where God is leading us. Completely, 100% ready to go. And completely heartbroken to be leaving. ‘Bittersweet’ is the word that comes to mind. As of tomorrow, I will have lived all 37 of my years in the beautiful Natural State of Arkansas. It’s the only home I’ve ever known. And I’m leaving. I’ve visited Silver Dollar City for as long as I can remember. I grew up running up & down those hills. My mother remembers when they opened their first roller coaster. My grandmother spoke of parking on the town square to “do a little shopping.” We’re steeped in the Ozarks, y’all.

I was baffled by my own tears, yesterday. I don’t get it. How can I be so sad about something I’m so happy about? And – just like that – His peace washes over me. Without a doubt, following God’s call has been one of the greatest joys of my life…but it is not without any and all pain. It is not free of sadness or wistfulness. It does, however, expose my own weaknesses. My own struggle to cling to that which I know & understand. My choice – the only choice that makes any sense to me at all – is to focus my thoughts on what is true. He is for me. His plans are for good. His ways are better than mine. Always. ❤️ We’re ready, God. 13 sleeps left. (Missouri)

Finally, there are the posts that are just…sad. Heartbreaking. Sometimes, we just have to mourn with those who mourn.

“Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.” – Romans 12:15

Yesterday, the world lost a beautiful person. Those closest to her called her Ginny. She was a spunky thing. She had vibrant, sparkling blue eyes and the most beautiful smile. She was an encourager – we only met her a few times, but she showed up to our Campfire Ministries Kickoff event back in October. “I’d like to pray for you…” ❤️ Some people are just the best.

We didn’t know Ginny particularly well…but we didn’t have to. We know her family. We know she loved her Jesus. And we saw Him in her. When Jesus really, truly lives in you, one can’t help but recognize Him in your life. In your words. In your very essence. His light shined through Ginny. It was a breathtakingly beautiful light.

Her light has gone out in this world. The one we know. And Ginny’s family is grieving. We grieve with them. One of the goals of Campfire Ministries is to give a voice to those who are willing to share what God has done & is doing – but it’s also to create a platform. For us. For this beautiful, broken family of believers. We want to create a place where we’re happy with those who are happy, and we weep with those who weep.

Please join us as we pray for Virginia Stamps’s family. I Corinthians 1:4 says, “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” God is so good to comfort us when we are hurting. Please join us as we gather around this family, and help them the only way we can. May the love of Christ flow through us & spill out onto others – as it did through Ginny. It’s the best way we know to honor her memory. (Arkansas)

That pretty much sums up the types of “sad” posts we’ve made so far. People tell me all the time, “Oh, you don’t want to hear my story. I don’t have a great testimony.” Yes, we do. You may not have a great testimony…yet. Just wait. He’s not finished, yet. 🙌🏼 Are you in mourning? In pain? We’re here for you. We’ll pray with you. And we’d love to hear your story.

We’re currently sharing the stories we collected from the end of October through the end of 2018. Any words in italics are ours. The rest were recorded quotes from others.

I’m going to compile the rest of 2018’s posts into another post or two, then tackle 2019’s to date, before moving onto new testimonies we’ve gathered. I hope you’ll stick with us. God is writing the most amazing story. Through each of us. #GatherRound #ShareTheStories #SeeWhatGodHasDone #FromSeaToShiningSea

Interested in sharing your story? Like what we’re doing, and want to help keep the campfires burning? Want to offer a word of encouragement? We’d love to hear from you!