Following after Him

Well it has been a little bit since I last updated you and so I want to give you a little more information with what the Lord is doing with us as a family.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Katie and Aliyah are both going to school now! Aliyah is attending her kindergarten class and is loving it! For the next three weeks she will be staying another 45 minutes each day so that she can get caught up with the rest of the kids in her class. Her teacher says that she is doing great and is adapting very well. Katie just took her first test last week and got 11 out of 12 right on here spelling test. The only reason why she missed one was because she forgot to do the last one. We are so proud of her. She is also behind in her class, but is working really hard to get caught up. Rebecca is working with her after school and she is learning to read more and more every day. If she gets 100 books read by the end of the school year, she will be able to participate in a pizza party. She has only been in school for one week and already has 7 books read. So there is a lot more to go, but we believe she can do it. Please continue to be praying for the girls as they go to school on a regular basis and pray that they will be able to catch up in their schooling, so far their teachers say that they are doing a great job!

OUR LITTLE NEST

“Our Little Nest” is what we have named our one big room place that we are staying in. The place consists of a walk in closet, a little bathroom which has a shower, sink, and toilet, and then one large room where we fit a bunk bed for the girls, a single bed for Noah, and a queen size bed for Rebecca and I, a refrigerator, a table, and a two drawer dresser. Ok, we do admit that it is not big, but we are tremendously blessed to have this little nest of ours to be living in. The Lord has blessed us in so many ways! I cannot go into too much detail right now. During the morning hours Rebecca and Noah have been running errands, looking for the different things that we need to get our little nest put together and organized. My mom has helped us out so much as well and has blessed us in so many ways! Thank you mom! We are almost finished, still looking for a tall dresser that we can put in our walk in closet, but we are almost there. We have officially been living here for two weeks now. SO THANKFUL & BLESSED!

CC CONFERENCE CENTER 

  Right now the Lord has opened the door for me to volunteer with the Conference Center for a certain amount of hours per week so that we can live here. Every day I have different duties that I am involved in on the campus. Through living here, we are getting to know more and more people as each day goes by. In just a few weeks the Bible College semester will be starting and part of my responsibility will be to oversee the students in the area that they will be serving in and really seeking to disciple them during those hours. I am looking forward to this opportunity to minister and speak into the lives of these students.

Now I have got to admit, this campus is absolutely beautiful! We have been here many times in the past, attending conferences or visiting friends, but never did I ever think that we as a family would be living here. Now I know that it is only for a season, but how blessed it is to be here and to be a part of what the Lord is doing here, no matter what capacity that might mean!

CC BIBLE COLLEGE

This last section will have a lot more information in future write ups, but I have got to share with you what the LORD did last week. He opened up a door for me to be teach a class at the Bible College through the Minor Prophets. I will have to share the story another time, but how amazing is God to answer a prayer of mine on the very same day that I had prayed it. I wasn’t specifically praying to teach at the Bible College, but just putting a desire of mine before Him. Although it has been great to have these past few months off of teaching, I have honestly missed the whole process of studying God’s Word, putting together the studies, and then declaring it to His precious people. PRAISE GOD! HE IS SO GOOD!

So I will be teaching through the Minor Prophets for the spring semester here at the Bible College. That will be 12 books in just 14 classes. For those of you who know me are probably thinking, “YEAH RIGHT – Joey could never do that!” Well, I will be and it is going to be something that I will definitely covet your prayers. Any time you are thinking about us, this will definitely be an area that we ask you to be praying for. Not just for me, but also for the students that will be in the class. At this point I am not sure how many students I will have, but the LORD knows that and I will trust Him with that!

So, like I said, more to come on this…

The Goodness of our God

"I will sing to the LORD, because He has dealt bountifully with me.". Psalm 13:6

Well it has been awhile since I lasted posted on our blog. For two reasons 1) we do not always have the Internet and so we are unable to and 2) we have been really busy and so we haven't really had the time. So now that I am done with my excuses, let me share with you what the Lord has been doing.

MISSIONS CONFERENCE

 As you may know, Rebecca and I had the chance to go to the Calvary Chapel Missions Conference at the beginning of this month at the CC Conference Center in Murrieta, CA. We were so blessed to have the chance to go to our first missions conference together. I have had the chance to go to some in the past, but this time we were both able to go! Thank you grandparents for watching the kids for us!

Our desire in going to the conference was to clearly hear from the LORD on what He is calling us to do in our next steps. We know that we have some immediate steps to take  here in California, but before making those steps, we wanted to hear more clearly for our future steps as well. We will share more with you on those future steps in the future, as we are still seeking the Lord on details with that...

OUR IMMEDIATE STEPS

 These past months we have been blessed by our parents as the have so graciously hosted us and yet we knew that it was time for us to get out on our own, to get our own place, to get the kids back into school, get our own car, etc. etc. etc. While at the missions conference we were able to meet a lot of other missionaries and catch up with a few that we have met throughout the years. The was one couple in particular, Tim and Talisa Rogers, that I have helped in the past down in Brazil, that are also at a transition time in their lives and have been staying on the Bible College campus in Murrieta for the past four months or so. After talking with them a few times, they told us how they would be moving to Costa Mesa at the end of the week. After hearing a little more with what was involved in the place they stayed at on campus and after talking about it and praying over it, I decided to make the steps to see if it was a possibility for us to be able to stay in this place. So on the last night of the conference, at the end of dinner, I talked with Tim and asked him who I would need to talk to regarding this place. After hearing who it was I needed to talk to, I immediately turned to a pastor friend of mine and told him, "We need to get a hold of ____(name not necessary)_______." He then called him and connected him and I on the phone. I told him our situation and asked if it would be possible. He then told me that I would need need to get a hold of another man and relay our situation and his agreement to the situation. If I have not totally lost you in all of this, the answer came the next morning and it was, "Well, we don't have anyone lined up for the place and so you guys are totally welcome to move in as soon as you would like."

Now before I finish the story I want to share with you some verses that the Lord really spoke to us during a time of afterglow on one of the evenings and then again the following morning during our devotions.

"Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."

As we were coming to the end of the conference, we began to think of our immediate steps that were ahead of us and began to worry a little bit about those immediate steps. After surrendering it all to the Lord once again, He was so faithful to speak to us once again through His Word! He is so good to us!

So back to the story! On Monday, January 9th, we began our move to the Bible College campus in Murrieta, California. We have spent the week setting up our little place and getting all of the paperwork together to get the girls into the local public school. So, it looks like the girls will begin Kindergarten and the 1st grade classes at Alta Murrieta Elementary School on Tuesday, as Monday is a holiday. There are still a few steps that we need to finalize with the girls paperwork for the school, but they are going to let the girls begin on Tuesday morning. 

Please do be praying for the girls as they begin on Tuesday morning! 

 I will be meeting with the director of the Conference Center on Monday to see how I will be able to help out on the campus here. This will not be a paying job, but it will help us to live here on campus for free and take care of our meals as well. I will still be looking into getting a job in the near future, but one step at a time. There may be a few doors opening up for that as well, we shall see.

So there is still so much more to share with you, but I will leave you with that much for now. Please do continue to pray for us as week continue to seek the Lord in all that  He has for us in this season! Here is a picture of the kids eating breakfast on our first morning here at the campus!

2011 ---- 2012

Can you believe it? 2011 will be officially over in less than an hour. I have got to hurry up and finish this so that I can sneak out of the house and go spend some time with the Lord looking over many different cities and really present myself and my family to Him!
2011 has come and gone by so fast! I cannot believe that we are already done with this year! It went by so fast! I would have to say it was the fastest year of my life. Is that because I am getting older? Anyways, as I sit here now in SoCal in my parents home, I would have to be honest with you... this is the last place I thought I would be sitting and living at the end of this year! Last year I was bringing in the new year with our friends in Germany with snow covering the ground. Today it was around 80 degrees or more as we departed the Disney on Ice event with my family! What a difference! While I must say that I do miss my friends so much in Germany and do miss what the Lord is doing in Europe, I am very thankful to be with my family during this holiday season in this warm weather. I am thankful that the LORD is in control and is working in many new ways!



2012! What will this new year bring? I am not sure, but it is so nice to know that I know the ONE who knows it all! As most of you know, we are in a season where we are waiting on the Lord and really seeking Him as to what is next for us! We are just two days away from the missions conference that we will be attending. We are really looking forward to go and hear from the Lord and what He has in store for us! I am so thankful that He is sovereign and in complete control. Some of these last days have been hard for us, in the sense that we really want to start making decisions and start having direction from the Lord. And yet I know that I have been told time and time again to wait and not rush ahead. So as we (the Ropers) look into this new coming year, we will have our eyes upon the LORD - for where else shall we go, He alone has the words of eternal life!
I am excited to see JESUS be glorified in our lives! I am excited to enjoy Jesus with my wife and kids! I am excited to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus in a new and living way this year!

HAPPY NEW YEARS TO ALL!

Prayer: Health

Hello Everyone!
We are writing with a prayer request. Noah woke up a while ago throwing up and he has done it a few times. He is now back to sleep and everything is cleaned up.

We do want to ask you to please be praying for Noah and for all of us these next few weeks. As the missions conference is quickly approaching, I have personally been praying for health for us as a family because I know that the enemy would love to get in any way possible. So please do keep this in your prayers!

PLEASE PRAY FOR:

• quick recovery for Noah
• a peaceful night's sleep and rest for everyone
• protection for the rest of the family

Thank you all and God Bless you!

Love,
The Roper Family

Christmas Story - through kids eyes

I just saw this and thought I would share it with you all! I thought it was great!

Merry Christmas to all

Merry Christmas! It is Christmas morning and I am the only one awake at the Chapman house. This will be the first Christmas in 4 years that we will be spending with our family. We are very thankful for this chance that we get to have with them this year! I went to bed late last night, but right before I went to bed I read the Christmas story out of Luke chapters 1 & 2. So I woke up this morning really thinking and meditating on the fact that GOD became flesh and dwelt among us! I mean, really stop and think about that - I cannot put into words (of any language) how thankful I am that He did this for us! So here are a few verses that really came to my mind...

"For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." 

Luke 2:11

"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory"

1 Timothy 3:16

"but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men."

Philippians 2:7

"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel"

Isaiah 7:14

"For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Isaiah 9:6

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

John 1:14

These are just to name a few, but they really ministered to me this morning! I pray that you are blessed with them as well! Merry Christmas to all and may we enjoy JESUS today!

10 Years of Engagement!

10 years ago I asked Rebecca to marry me!

What God is Doing

Hello Everyone! Merry Christmas! Frohe Weihnachten! I know that it has been a while since I posted last, so I want to share with you a few things that the Lord has been doing with us and a few things that are coming up.
First of all, I want to share how super blessed we have been to be able to spend time with our families. The kids have been able to play with their cousins so much! I believe all of the cousins have been enjoying it! Just the other day, the had the chance to make Gingerbread houses and decorate them with tons of candy! Each of our kids made their own and so needless to say, we are trying to keep them from the candy and keeping them occupied with other things.

GOD'S WILL

Over these past weeks, Rebecca and I have been reading this book together. It was a book that my mom had sitting next to our bed when we arrived in CA. When I first saw it, I knew that I would want to read it. A few weeks back, Rebecca and I had the chance to spend a few days with each other down at the beach without the kids and so we brought this book along and began to read it. I cannot tell you how much the LORD ministered to us through this book. We were reminded of many things and challenged in other ways, but one of the major points that stood out to me was the fact that our God is a Sovereign God and is in complete control. As we are in a time when we are waiting on the Lord and seeking Him for His direction for us, how reassuring it was to know that the LORD is in complete control! In fact, one of the times when we were reading through the book, Rebecca commented, "We are right where the Lord wants us."
I can honestly say that we are continuously asking the LORD to show us and to tell us what is next for us and yet the common response that continues to come to us is to "Rest, Trust Me, I am in control, etc."
So we ask that you would continue to pray for us as we continue to seek Him and to TRUST in Him. How encouraging it is to be reminded of the following verses,

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

CHRISTMAS TIME

It is Christmas time! Now I have got to be a little honest. It is a little anti-climatic here in SoCal during Christmas. I say that because for the past 3 years we have been in a "Winter Wonderland" during the month of December being in Germany. We actually had a White Christmas. When we listened to the song that is often played during this time of year, "Baby it's cold outside," it was actually cold outside. I have spent most of my days in December wearing shorts, sandals, and a t-shirt. So I am not saying that one place is better than the other, but that is why I say it is anti-climatic, there is no snow outside. BUT I do love wearing my shorts and sandals in the month of December! It's great!
So, IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME! One of the greatest times of the year! A time when we will be getting together with family and relatives, some of whom we have not seen in many years! We are really excited about that!
The reason why this is one of the greatest times of the year is because we will have the opportunity to share the GOOD NEWS with the world! That's right! The Gospel of Jesus Christ - the fact that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son (john 3:16)- the fact that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (john 1:14). People are in need of GOOD NEWS, and we disciples of Jesus have got the greatest news in the world! So let us be faithful this Christmas and display and proclaim Christ!

MISSIONS CONFERENCE

From January 2-6, 2012, Rebecca and I will be attending the Calvary Chapel Missions Conference that will be held in Murrieta, CA. The theme of the conference will be, "I will build My Church." We are really excited and looking forward to going to this conference. It will be the first missions conference that Rebecca and I will be able to attend together and we are really praying that the Lord will clearly speak to us at this conference. So we do ask for your prayers as well for us. May the Lord speak in the sessions, ordain conversations, bless the fellowship, be glorified in the worship, and so much more! Once again, please do be praying for us during this week. I am not putting all of my hope in this conference, but we will be going EXPECTING the LORD to speak to us!

God's Glory & Our Joy

Identity Issues | God’s Glory and Our Joy from Reality on Vimeo.