Wednesday, November 21, 2018

A Small Thanksgiving Appetizer

     The time has come once again for us to gather around the table with our families and feast upon a seemingly endless supply of turkey, stuffing, and pie... oh the pie! As the time approaches, I thought I would take a moment to send out a little encouragement, because I know the holidays are not always a happy time for everyone.

     We have much for which to be thankful: family, homes, jobs, health. I don't take for granted that everyone has all the same things for which to be thankful, but we all do have something... even things we rarely consider in America. I never realized how much I take for granted until I spent a considerable amount of time in a third world country. More often now I remember to appreciate things like electricity, indoor plumbing, and the ability to drive to the corner store for a fresh bottle of water.

     Thankfulness doesn't always come easily, though. Often a family emergency, heath crisis, or financial burden can rob us of our joy and happiness replacing them with bitterness. I've been there...  However, it is in these times of hardship that thanksgiving is the most important. Scripture says, "In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Acknowledging our blessings and more importantly the Giver of our blessings not only demonstrates humility and worship but also enables us to receive peace and contentment. After all, true peace and joy only come from God through Christ who paid the debt of our sin so that we owe nothing for salvation when we trust in Him. He's the God who loves. He grieves when we grieve and rejoices when we rejoice.

     So, let me encourage you to give thanks. Let's take the time to consider our blessings, to know the Giver of blessings, and give thanks.

     Blessings,
     Nick

Saturday, November 17, 2018

November 1, 2018 Ministry Update

     The psalmist said, “Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish thou the work of our hands upon us.” I am thankful as a missionary… as a Christian, to have a home church who lets the Lord establish our work. October certainly was a month for Kingdom work. It’s a month of changing leaves, cooler weather (for other states), and children excited about getting lots of candy. As many churches prepare for fall festivals of different sorts, I am thankful that the Lord has also established the work of our hands, giving us the opportunity to morph a simple fall festival into a community wide celebration known as Family Fest. I praise God I got to serve as nearly twelve hundred souls filled our campus. What a great opportunity to serve the community! Available were trunk or treat, pony rides, free concessions, inflatables, prize drawings, and a gospel presentation. Everyone also left with a packet filled with information about our church and school, an activity book, a gospel track, and more. This was a fun activity, but most importantly, it was a way to connect with folks who might have never considered attending a church service. Every relationship has a starting point; I pray many were started that day!

     October was also a great month for the Guyana ministry. The Lord provided several new church contacts, two of which are definitely interested in becoming financial partners. Please pray as we work on scheduling a day to present the ministry to these churches. I am also excited to announce that one  new church and one new family have decided to become financial partners. The Lord is definitely at work in His people leading us to share, give, and pray together. As members of the body of Christ and the Guyana Ministry Team, please remember not only to pray for me, but also for one another. Even though many of you have never met, we each play a crucial role in multiplying disciples in Guyana!

     Here are some specific prayer requests:

  • Wisdom in my next stage of deputation - I believe the time has come for me to leave my job and dive into full time deputation. Pray for enough funds to come in to sustain myself and/or side opportunities that will not hinder ministry progress. Pray also as I look for new health insurance as my current plan is through my job.
  • My dad’s health - My dad is still suffering with the loss of strength in his legs. He has a neurologist appointment soon.
  • Revival - Pray for revival, growth, and strengthened spiritual discipline that I will walk with the Lord in holiness and accomplish the work of my hands which He has established! Pray this for my family as well.


     Thank you for your continued prayers and financial support! Know that your sacrifice is fruit added to your Heavenly account!

     Blessings,

     Nick LaRocca

October 1, 2018 Ministry Update

     Let me be the first to wish you all a very happy Fall on this beautiful 90 degree day in Louisiana! If you know me, you know I greatly prefer Summer time; any temperature below 70 degrees is too cold for me. Though I do love Summer time, this past Summer was not an enjoyable one as a whole. After a profitable yet personally difficult trip to Guyana, I found  myself in a proverbial pit, out of which the Lord lifted me with His wonderful grace and mercy. It is actually quite a long and amazing story - too long to include in this update, but perhaps I’ll post it in my blog soon.

     While in Guyana, Greg Mann introduced a wonderful new discipleship training program called The Timothy Initiative which we will be incorporating into our ministry. TTI is a great tool which provides accountability and training for believers to effectively share their faith. I encourage you to check it out at ttionline.org, because it is a practical tool for any ministry setting. During this trip, a minister from a different denomination came to our trainingsessions and our church services. Rejoice with us, because that man got saved!
    
      Recently, I traveled to Florida on my quest to raise monthly support, and I must say it was a very profitable trip. The initial reason for the trip was to attend a wedding in Jacksonville, but there was also a pastor in central Florida who wanted to meet with me the next time I would be in the area. I was unable to schedule a church at which to present, but I decided to take a week to simply travel through the state and connect with new churches. I am blessed with several wonderful friends in Florida who either opened their homes to me, introduced me to their church, or both. After spending the week driving through FL and popping into church offices, I was able to make over twenty new missions contacts. All of these promised prayer support, and some are in the process of discussing my presenting at their church for consideration of financial support. 

     In the last weekend of September, I had the wonderful opportunity to present and preach at Victory Bible Baptist Church of Vidor, TX. A couple years ago, my church received so much help from so many after the Louisiana flood, and it was on our hearts to be a blessing to others who would go through similar circumstances. I was blessed to be able to go with a team from my church to help VBBC after Hurricane Harvey last year, and this year with their facilities back together, Pastor Carl Green invited me to return to share the Guyana ministry. It was a joy to see them again and to see how far the Lord has brought them!    
    
 Please keep praying as I raise support! I currently have 23% coming in, but 47% pledged in total. I am expecting to hear support decisions from two more churches in either October or November, so that is very exciting! Please pray for my dad; he has been facing some health issues since the Spring that have effected his mobility. It has been not only physically difficult but emotionally draining as well. Pray also for my back. I have been suffering with pinched nerves for quite a while now, and traveling for long hours certainly does not help. Finally, pray that I will stay spiritually strong and filled with Godly wisdom to be the man God has called me to be and accomplish what He has called me to accomplish. 

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.” ~ James 1:5-6

Thank you all for your continued prayers and support; you mean very much to me. As always, if I can be a help to you in some way, do not hesitate to ask!

Blessings,

Nick LaRocca