I’ve discovered after a decade of creating media and declaring your work for  God, things begin to change. A new chapter starts and suddenly your work begins to mature and blossom. I’ve been stretched, pressed down, and shaken. I’ve been left in depression and discouragement. Some nights harder than others. Suddenly, the struggle is over and you rise from the ashes with an unprecedented confidence that comes from the Lord. In a nutshell, it’s worth enduring the painful hours of hard work to see that something you do is declaring the glory of God. Maybe I am not directly on the front lines saving souls; however, the work that is being done has the power to save souls. I’ve come to learn both missionaries on the field and supporting services have a beautiful part in spreading the gospel to the lost and unreached.

A number of mobilizing churches joined together two weeks ago to discuss the progress of our film. The excitement stirred creating anticipation to see it finished. A step forward happened yesterday; our first private screening of the rough draft. It was powerful in it’s clumsy form and moved some to tears. That’s when you catch a glimpse of why we are here. A thorough Q&A session followed producing tons of helpful feed back that will help us shape this giant project into something more effective. We’ll need lots of prayer and support to finish this project. No thing is impossible with God on our side.

So with a weekend of rest, I’ve been attacked multiple times with depression and frustrations. It’s quite common to have these attacks when you give yourself completely over to a project that demands so much from you. I struggled all weekend until today (Sunday). After attending church and throwing my hands in worship of the Lord, my cup has been filled again with His love. After the service I took two of my Kenyan friends to a pricey restaurant that they have never been to. They had such a good time conquering the mountain of food set before them. I laughed and smiled feeling the love of Jesus smiling down on us.

Sharing conversations over lunch, I asked my friend from Kibera what he was most grateful for. He gazed at the ground for a moment in silence. After a moment, he lifted his head and praised God for his life. His eyes were to the point of tears as he told me all sorts of miracles that God poured down on him (including the lunch we were having). Then a huge smile and bellowing laugh came from him as we rejoiced together in fellowship. I was touched to see how much he relies on Jesus. He told me that he wouldn’t make it without Him and I know he wasn’t joking.

So as I sit here and reflect on the journey God has set me on, something tells me I’m nowhere near the end of it. Sure I’ll be leaving Kenya soon, but my work for God has just begun. There are millions out there crying needing to be heard. In obedience to God, I will go. Yes, it is a fight between flesh and spirit every day on the mission field, but when the fruit comes it makes up for all the pain and suffering. The day I dropped to my knees and accepted Christ is the same day I accepted living as a missionary. I just didn’t see it back then. In the near future, I’m looking forward to working in torn countries for His glory expressing his love in media. It’s my calling.

Jared slowly conquering the mountain of food!

Bonfce is truly enjoying the Ethiopian food

Creative moments at the office

Andy embraces the pure art of determining which is his dominate eye

Josh is trying it too, but i'm not sure if he's doing it right?