Welcome to Oceans Ministries

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I love this picture for several reasons. First of all the visual of the globe with water flowing over the world unto the last words of Jesus before he left the earth to take His throne at the right hand of His Father. It speaks of the plan to bring in God’s Kingdom to all the nations of the world by “making disciples.” Disciples who would follow in the steps of Jesus Christ whose mission was to show the world the heart of His Father. A heart  of love that would give up His only Son to bring lost sons and daughters back home to where they belong. There is no greater message on earth that we are called to share.

Second, this picture reminds of all the baptisms that took place under this globe and these words. Where people who were a part of CrossPoint church in Chino, California, made a bold declaration through the work of the Holy Spirit that they have come to join the family through the work of Jesus Christ. As new believers came up out of the water those who witnessed the event would joyfully yell out, “sons and daughters of the King,” to welcome them into their new identity.

The third reason I love this picture is because of the restless warrior standing next to me. Ray Haakonsen, has been a tool of God to show what the heart of the Father and His Kingdom looks like. Ray and his wife Sue founded a care center in Lesotho Africa for abandon babies called Beautiful Gate. In God’s great providence I was introduced to Ray on my first trip to Africa. I watched what true religion looked like as Sue and Ray stepped out in total faith to answer the call to be a “father to the fatherless.” As they followed the Father in obedience not only were hundreds of babies saved from certain death but all who stepped onto the holy ground of Beautiful Gate found their lives forever changed. It truly is a picture of what the Father has done for us, how we have been rescued by His love, saved from certain death, and given a glorious home.

This picture speaks visually of the heart of Oceans Ministries. A calling to spread the message of the Father’s Glory and Love to an orphaned world that is longing to find a real home. May you join this mission with us to make the glory of the Father known “as the waters covers the sea,” (Habakkuk 2:14).

James 1:27

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It was great staying at Beautiful Gate Care Center in Lesotho Africa and being blessed by the directors Bryan & Anita Geurink and three awesome kids, Eli, Faith, and Mercy. During our last trip Bryan shared during a devotion time with our team the powerful words of James 1:27, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this:  to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

The Geurink family live out the words of this text as they provide an environment of love and nurture to abandon babies in Lesotho.  I saw this “pure” and “faultless” “religion” captivate hearts of a group of teachers and leaders from Holland Christian School who walked on to the campus of Beautiful Gate for the first time. As they went into the baby houses and were mobbed by a group of energetic children they encountered the face of Jesus in eyes of each child. As one of the teachers said to me,  “this is Holy ground.” How true those words are. When we love like our Father in Heaven loves us, once abandon orphaned children because of sin, we encounter the place where God dwells. You find the presence of God all over the grounds of Beautiful Gate, as people pour out love to these precious gifts from God and God smiles back through the hearts of these kingdom kids.

Thanks Geurink family for showing us the essence of “Religion that God our Father accepts.”

The Father’s Love Letter

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I just returned back from another amazing trip to Lesotho Africa. One of the the great blessings I got to experience was leading a retreat for Mountain Kingdom Hope students. These are high school students who are orphans and a couple times a year they are brought together from all different schools to worship, study God’s Word, and experience being a family.

We have found out from our previous retreats that the students did not own Bibles. So my sister Cindy contacted a friend who donated a bible for each student. It was overwhelming to watch the students reaction as we handed a Bible to each of them. Huge smiles covered their beautiful faces and they could not restrain themselves from opening it up and reading God’s love letter in their own language.

Throughout the retreat their Bibles did not leave their hands as they treasured it as if it was their most precious possession. I can’t tell you what that picture did to my heart and how it challenged me anew to hold the Father’s Word of love to me as the greatest of gifts.

As I returned from my trip and opened up the Bible in my morning devotions I asked the Father to give me that same passion and excitement for His living love letter as I experienced through these incredible students in Africa. May that be your prayer as well.