For the past 6 years I've been working in full time ministry. At Youth Inc. we did everything from bible studies, to youth trips, to operating a music club and coffee house outreach. Looking back on all of it I have grown immensely! I have screwed up and failed, ALOT! I have also learned a lot of lessons through my mistakes. My mother always said I was hard headed, turns out she's right.
Emily and I married on Dec. 30th 2006 and had our first baby, Eisley Raine, Aug. 10 2009! Over the past few years as a married man, my heart in ministry has been changing. My passion and intensity for taking care of the innocent, hurting, broken, and unloved children, in Jesus' name has become overwhelming.
One morning in a meeting with some close friends who have a similar heart for ministry, we were discussing plans to start a week night underground bible study/church with aspirations of bringing in bands on the weekends and doing outreach events for rock and skate kids. As we talked, the truth and motive of our plans slowly became revealed. Both the Renders and we lacked the zeal and passion that should be behind God's work. Instead, it was just the "next" thing to do. As the conversation went on, our dreams and passions about ministering to the orphans and widows came to the surface. "You know, why not? we've kept ourselves from debt, we have no ties, we'll just sell our stuff and go!" So that is our plan! The Render family and our little family! Ok, it IS a little more complicated than that, but close though. We are currently praying about where to go and we feel the Lord has put the town of Jinja, Uganda in front of us. We are still waiting on His plans to completely open up to us.
The idea of just going and changing the world, we know, is foolish. We don't want to just run over there with our ideas and culture. And we most definitely do not want to take some "white mans religion." The all so real and all powerful God the Father, Jesus Christ is who we are representing.
Training, and education are important to us. We are currently looking for a ministry to be involved with for the first year or so. There is a school called New Hope Institute for Children and Families where they teach everything from farming the land to dealing with street children, not to mention working on ministers hearts! Please pray for us that God's will and plans for our future are clear and unmistakable. We have a lot of money to raise so please pray about making a donation or being a monthly donor as well; whatever God puts on your heart.
