Let me start by saying that this blog I`am posting has nothing to do with “Going Beyond the Call”.  No, this post would be better defined as  “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak!”

One of our families traditions developed while we lived in South America was to spend the week between Christmas and New Year`s on the warm beaches of Ecuador. Along with all the shrimp you can eat, during the sunshine and lazy days we had football games on the wide white sandy beach.  This was the first year in several that Barb and I were there for the tradition and especially because my natural athletic 17 year old grandson was playing, so I played.

I have not walked since. My right leg will not work.  And, it really hurts. They say I  will heal but right now that seems really far off.  It hurts to lie down,  to sit, to walk on crutches… life is the pits right now.

So, was there a lesson? Yes!  Stay in shape, keep fit and work out!  The problem was not my grandsons, or even that I accepted the invitation to play.  The problem was I am out of shape and have not done anything like this for years.

If God ever has special assignment for me to “Go Beyond the Call” it will come very sudden without a a lot of advance warning and no time for preparation. I need to be ready to respond to the opportunities.  I need to be spiritually fit! Kind of like Mary and Joseph! I don`t like the idea of being a gimpy Christian!

What`s your resolution for this new year?  Is it to get in better shape physically?  Maybe we should consider trying to get in better shape spiritually as well,  so when God does call you to go Beyond the Call you can be ready!

Ron

Barb and I left the states the end of November to spend December in Quito.  Some have asked what will you be doing?

The first week we were involved with a ministry some people at HCJB started 10 years ago called Extreme Response (www.Extremeresponse.org). It started by targeting the poor in Quito, especially those who live at the dump. Now it has ministries in over a dozen countries and put on “Christmas parties in Jesus name” in 8 countries this month.

We started right away packing 10,000 bags with food, beanie babies, school supplies and toys to give to the children and young mothers at 9 events around the country that we put on.  70 volunteers came from the United States and Canada to help. The older women received bags of food.

The Parties consisted of games for kids, face and finger painting, crafts, food distribution and message of Christmas in song and drama.

Here is a sample of my face painting skills.  I never knew I could do this. The kids loved it and gave me a chance to talk with the kids about Jesus while I painted hundreds of flags, hearts, butterflies, stars or rainbows on their beautiful faces.

Right after the parties Barb and I attended concerts that HCJB Global put on in the city to usher in the Christmas season and to celebrate Ecuador`s birthday (like our 4th of July). We put on concerts in high schools, the President`s Palace and the national theater with the National Symphonic band.

Each concert had a clear cut presentation of the story of Jesus and many people were deeply moved. Our Spanish radio people will do the follow-up.

The Choir of 70 people was made up of HCJB Global staff from the hospital and radio stations.  Right after that HCJB Global opened it`s facilities to the city and had an open house for three days. People sat in on radio programs, toured the hospital and met their favorite announcers and pastors.  Thousands of people visited. Many gave financial gifts to help pay for the radio ministry this coming year. It was wonderful!

So, that brings us to today… sunny and warm.. they call it a gift from God at this time of year, “The Summer of the Child” right in the middle of the rainy season.  It should be this way until Christmas!

This is Ron in Quito, Ecuador saying, “Have a wonderful Christmas!”

Last week in a staff meeting, I reminded our staff about the ten lepers who were “cleansed” by Jesus in Luke 17.  I told of visiting a leper`s village in Brazil with my oldest son on his 13th birthday. Boy, did these lepers ever need to be “cleansed”.  They were living on the side of the Amazon River in rags. There were hundreds of them. They were so poor. Most had already lost fingers, noses and toes… with lots of dead skin remaining along with the odor of dirty skin. We walked with them to their church where we were to conduct a service.  Between the heat, the smell and seeing the missing parts, it was a hard walk.

When they found out that my son was 13 that day, they decided they wanted to give him gifts. One by one they stood and hit the pages of their Bibles with fingerless hands in order to turn to the verse they wanted to share with him for his birthday. Then they would stand and read it out loud to him. Neither of us has forgotten that day.

The ten lepers in Luke`s story all left cleansed, but one came back to say “Thank you” and he was made well. I think he had his missing parts restored while the other nine just had their dead skin removed. What a difference that “Thank you” made.

God loves it when we say thank you to Him and to others. Can I encourage you to pick a person each day to thank for what they mean to you? Just one person that you can acknowledge to let them know you care. Maybe that daily process will make us all well.

Have some wonderful, thankful holidays!

Ron

Welcome to the “Beyond the Call” blog site! I would really like to hear from you, so please, use this site to talk to me.

I want to hear how God has used you! To me going Beyond the Call means, you do something He tells you to do and when you obey God`s call amazing things happen and lives are transformed! So, what has God done through your life recently that has caused you to be amazed?

Write it out and let me share it over the air with over 1000 communities in America and in several languages around the world. It will be a big encouragement to everyone!

Thanks for checking us out!

Ron