Posted on 20 Sep 2009
Rhodes Crew
Friends!
We have some exciting news! We now are apart of a wonderful missions sending agency: World Missions Advance! This terrific organization has been an answer to our prayers! They will be organizing and administrating all of the donations. This will be a huge help and will be huge blessing to you, our supporters. You can even donate online!
If you would like to learn more about World Missions Advance, please visit their website: www.worldmissionsadvance.org
Our dear friend, Marek (who does an amazing work in Poland) connected us to WMA and they have been so incredibly helpful. We are learning that being a missionary requires serious organization. WMA will help stay organize with our financial support which will be a huge burden lifted! This truly is good news!
Would you mind helping us organize our database? If you would like to receive email updates, please email us at emailrhodes@gmail.com. If you also like to receive a newsletter in the mail, please email your mailing addess at emailrhodes@gmail.com. This will greatly help us keep our database organized and current.
We also just had our very first Belfast Prayer Lunch this past Saturday! We have decided to hold monthly prayer meetings for those want to gather to pray for Belfast and would also like to specifically support us in prayer. We had such an encouraging time on Saturday with our brothers and sisters in that time of prayer! It was so precious to hear the prayers of others for Belfast! We will be holding another Belfast Prayer lunch on Saturday, October 17, 2009 @ Noon. If you are interested in attending, send us an email (emailrhodes@gmail.com). It would be wonderful to have you there!
Here Is a quick update on the Rhodes’ Family:
-Troy is still working construction. He is blessed to have work!
-Noelle has started a new year of youth ministry at Lamb of God Fellowship! She is excited to have some wonderful new leaders partnering with her in this work.
- Silas has started pre-school! His favorite thing is stringing beads 
- Olive has taken her first steps! Watch out!
Prayer Requests:
-Pray for G.O. Kidz as they begin a new school year of ministry!
-Pray for Ben and Ruth Estes who are leading the new youth ministry at ROCK Church in Belfast!
-Pray for us in all preparations (raising support, obtaining visas, moving, etc.) that our hearts would be focused on the Lord.
Thanks so much for all your support and encouragement!
-Troy, Noelle, Silas, and Olive Pearl
Posted on 3 Sep 2009
The Shankill is an area of Belfast we will be ministering in. ***Photo by our friend, Tom Rose.
I often heard it said, “God chooses the littlest, the least, and the last because He is the biggest, the best, and the first.” I have lived on these words for many years. They have always stuck with me, and especially have encouraged me these last few months as I prepare to move our family to Northern Ireland for mission work.
Since our decision to move to Belfast to serve alongside of G.O. Kidz, it has felt as though someone has come along with a highlighter and highlighted all the weaknesses and disadvantages we posses. Our “lack” of abilities, resources, talent, funds are ever before us. It is easy to throw our hands up to the Lord and say, ” You have made a mistake! You chose the wrong folk for this mission!” (and sometimes we do say this). There is always someone better for the job. It doesn’t take long to look around and pick someone out more talented, intelligent, charismatic, or well liked that we would have chosen for the task He has called us to.
Recently, I was speaking to our Father about how unworthy I felt in all of this. I just felt incredibly inadequate. It wasn’t too far long into my speech about “not being good enough” that I was reminded of those words Jesus said to His disciples:
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.” John 15:16
Jesus chose the least likely lot to be His twelve. Those fishermen were not the most educated men. In those days, a tax-collector would not be what we would call “well-liked”. A zealot may be charismatic but in all the wrong places. This famous group of twelve were not necessarily the “cream of the crop” but He chose them. He chose an ordinary crew because He would bring about the extraordinary through their willingness to follow Him. I am beginning to see that the Father is not so much concerned with our abilities (since He already knows what He is has gifted us in) but is far more concerned with our willingness to follow Him in His leading.
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19
It is Jesus who makes me what I need to be for what He calls me to do. Despite our “lack”, He is faithfully showing the Rhodes family that He is more than enough. The Lord has gifted us with specific and unique abilities to do the work in Belfast. We both have experience in ministering to children and teenagers. Troy has been an intern for G.O. Kidz. He lived in Belfast and has worked with the organization. Noelle has loads of experience in theatre/drama and has directed both teens and kids in productions. Though we see that the Lord has been preparing us for this work years and years ago we can still be tempted to believe there is someone better for the job if we look around long enough. Yet, our eyes need to be focused on Him and our ears tuned into His speaking. It is our willingness to follow Him that qualifies us for the journey not our talents, experience or personalities.
So, we are encouraged that He chose us to go to Belfast, Northern Ireland! We are blessed and so very thankful! We want to encourage YOU, that the Father has CHOSEN you too! The areas in which He is calling you to follow Him into may seem a bit out of your “league” or “comfort zone” BUT be encouraged! He will make you what you need to be for what He calls you to do. He will provide and supply all that is required! Don’t give up and don’t give in to the belief that are not good enough. Remember that God chooses the littlest, the least, and last because He is the biggest, the best, and the first! (gosh, we just love that saying!)
Thank-you for your continued support and encouragement! Please pray for us as we are still raising financial support for Belfast. We have about 10% of our monthly support raised. We have a long way to go but we believe that He is faithful! If you would like to know more about how you can support or help us in any way, email us at emailrhodes@gmail.com or call us at 973-368-3745. Blessings!
Because Jesus IS love,
Troy, Noelle, Silas, and Olive Pearl
