Stepping Out Of The Boat

When Jesus called Peter to step out of the boat Peter responded by stepping out of the boat. Jesus didn't call Peter to understand how he was going to walk on water, He just called Peter to step out.

Jesus has called us to trust Him and step out of the boat. I have had had the privilege of being trained for ministry at Calvary Community Church as a volunteer and full time minister for the past 9 years. I will be leaving the full time pastoral staff at Calvary on May 31, 2015.

If you have heard my heart over the past 4 1/2 years it will not be any surprise to you that the Lord has captured my heart for the people and land of India. I have been invited to join the staff of Global Training Network to go train pastors in the majority world. My primary focus will be South Asia.

What I mean by the term "Majority World" is the parts of the world where people do not have access to colleges and seminaries to get theological training; mainly Asia, Africa, and Latin America. It has been reported that 80% of the pastors in the majority world have little to no training.

What I will be doing is traveling to South Asia 4-6 times per year. I am being purposely vague do to the persecution and spiritual warfare that is present in these areas.

I will still be around Calvary when I am not traveling to the mission field or working on raising our support. We would greatly appreciate your prayer as we raise support and go do the work God has called us to. I am including information below as to how you can be a part of our ministry as we seek to build the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

Prayer Points:

• Health
• Safety
• Financial Support
• I would like to take the first trip in July and August.
• I know this is a tall order but the Lord is not just a God of the small stuff.

Here are the ways you could be a part of our financial support team.

You could send a check to:

Global Training Network

7558 W. Thunderbird Rd.

Ste. 1, P.M.B. 449 

Peoria, AZ 85381 

Please put #481 on the memo portion of the check and not our name.

You could visit our support page by clicking on our name:

Brian & Denice Gandy and choosing from the single gift, monthly recurring gift, and the annual recurring gift options.

The least expensive way to give (other than a check) is with the EFT (Electric Funds Transfer) option.

Or you could scan the QR Code with your phone to go directly to our support page.

Thank you for your love, prayer, and support.

Brian & Denice Gandy

Little Graces, part II

A few weeks ago we received a call at the church office. A woman who attends the church had a three year old nephew who nearly drowned 36 hours before and was in the hospital on life support. Things were not looking good for the little boy I'll call Billy (not his real name). She was wanting a pastor to go to the hospital and pray for little Billy.

I took an intern, Jason, along with me. We prepared ourselves, as much as possible, for what would probably be the most difficult hospital visit we would ever make. We sat in my truck praying for the Lord to have mercy on Billy and his family. We prayed for the Lord to give us His strength. We prayed for the Lord to be glorified through us as we tried to minister to a hurting family who had no relationship with God. Then we drove to the hospital knowing God was going to use us...somehow.

We walked into the room and saw the lifeless body of this precious little boy surrounded by monitors connected to him by tubes and wires. His mother stood by his side while his father was standing apart, trying to strike a deal with God for the life of his son. The mood was somber as the nurse went about her duties with love and compassion.

We introduced ourselves and let them know we were from the church and who it was that had called us. We asked if it would be okay if we anointed Billy with oil and prayed for him. The father said it couldn't hurt and they were willing to try anything. They were desperate.

Jason pulled out his vial of frankincense scented oil. The room filled with the sweet aroma as we anointed little Billy's head with the oil. We laid our hands on his little body as we prayed for the Lord to restore him to health and that there would be no lasting brain damage.

Nothing special happened. No thunder. No shaking of the hospital building. No chills. Nothing!

Billy's 15 year old brother took me over to show me what some of the monitors we measuring. This is the brother who was watching Billy when he slipped away and found his way outside and into the pool. As he was showing me the line that measured Billy's ventilator activity, Jason bent over Billy and whispered a prayer into his ear while he held the little lifeless hand.

All of a sudden the monitor went from a small jagged zigzag line to a couple of high peaks with very low valleys. Billy was breathing against the ventilator!

Jason started shouting! I looked over to see Billy's eyes open and he was focusing on all that was going on around him. He was squeezing Jason's finger. Billy's mother started crying as his father ran out of the room to go tell the rest of the family gathered in the waiting room.

It only lasted for a few seconds but it happened. Hope was renewed. Billy had a chance.

I went to visit Billy the next day to see a marked improvement. Billy had to be sedated to keep from pulling at the tubes and wires. The nurse was preparing him for an MRI to see what kind of brain damage he would have.

Billy's father called me on Sunday morning to tell me they had taken Billy off all life support on Saturday evening. Billy was awake and alert. He recognized everyone and was asking to eat his fathers burrito. There were no visible signs of brain damage from observing him and the MRI was unable to show any areas of his brain that appeared to be damaged in any way.

PRAISE GOD!!!

God is so good! He has chosen to show Himself strong on Billy's behalf and glorifying Himself by raising little Billy up. I praise Him for letting Jason and myself to be a part of His work. In the business of ministry life God chooses to bestow little graces like this on me. It is not that I am a healer; I had one day where I prayed for three men and all three of them died the following day. No, there is no power in my prayer, there is only power in the risen Savior, Jesus Christ.

He just invites me along for the ride.

YHWH, I AM

YHWH, I AM

You called me to yourself, YHWH, I AM

To meet you in the Psalms, YHWH, I AM

When you look you will find me, I’m YHWH, I AM

I sought you and found you, You’re YHWH, I AM

I’m a Rock, a Refuge, I’m YHWH, I AM

A Shield and Defender, I’m YHWH, I AM

I’m righteous and holy, I’m YHWH, I AM

I’m the Creator, Sustainer, I’m YHWH, I AM

My eye is on the needy, I’m YHWH, I AM

The widow and orphan, I’m YHWH, I AM

I’m for the lonely and imprisoned, I’m YHWH, I AM

I resist the proud and wicked, I’m YHWH, I AM

You are My Counselor, My Inheritance, You’re YHWH, I AM

My Healer and Deliverer, You’re YHWH, I AM

You’re My Strength and My Fortress, You’re YHWH, I AM

My Righteousness, My Redeemer, You’re YHWH, I AM

You’re My Confidence, My Father, You’re YHWH, I AM

My Lord and My King, You’re YHWH, I AM

You are My Portion, My Glory, You’re YHWH, I AM

My Helper, My Shepherd, You’re YHWH, I AM

You keep me and revive me, You’re YHWH, I AM

You’re upright and majestic, You’re YHWH, I AM

You are pure and kind, You’re YHWH, I AM

You are just and blameless, You’re YHWH, I AM

You are the lifter of my head, You’re YHWH, I AM

You forgive my sins, You’re YHWH, I AM

You lead me and anoint me, You’re YHWH, I AM

You met me and revealed yourself to me, You’re YHWH, I AM

This is my first attempt at poetry. I was assigned to write a poem using what I learned about God from the Psalmist. I do not consider myself a poet but I hope you enjoy my little poem.

Bob's Story

BOB'S STORY

THE STORY OF A FATHER'S GRIEVING OVER

THE DEATH OF A LOVING DAUGHTER

PREFIX AND PURPOSE

I fear that if Karen's life and death is not put in writing, future generations will not know her. I believe that would be a great loss. As I talk with friends it is as her passing is the huge elephant in the room that no one can mention. I love to talk of her and the direct point she had for her life, to bring honor and glory to her Savior.

Another purpose in putting these thoughts on paper is a selfish reason. Maybe there can be some closure in some part to this matter of losing someone so sweet and precious in the prime of her youth, so to speak. I must admit that many times I cried, “God, you got the wrong one….what about that drunk or that self centered person ….you are calling the wrong person from us.”

I trust that this story will be factual and therefore truthful. We had times of joy, precious periods of prayer and comfort in seeing our grandchildren, though in heavy sorrow learning to lean on the Lord. There were times of disappointment as we walked a lonely road that we had not been called upon to tread before. As I reflect this painful journey, I must be real as to my hurts and pains.

I will write this from my prospective. If you see something different, please feel free to write your own story.

Vision India Photos

Here is a link to some photos from my trip to India. I will post some stories of the trip as I am able. Enjoy.

https://plus.google.com/photos/108706225526463464309/albums/5712659720221098241

Vision India 2012 Prayer Points

The time is drawing near for our departure to India. I appreciate your prayer for Darrell and myself as we make the final preparations. I am listing our itinerary and some strategic prayer points for the trip. God has provided for us in some amazing ways but we are not fully funded as of today. We are resting in the Lord for His provision. His budget for us is not always our budget. As my pastor says, "Where God guides, God provides."

ITINERARY

2/4  Leave Phoenix
2/6  Arrive in Bangalore, India
2/6  Leave Bangalore for Vijayawada in a prop plane
2/7  Visit a ministry in Guntur
2/8 thru 2/9  Visit ministries around Vijayawada
2/10 thru 2/11  Visit ministries around Khammam
2/11  Leave Khammam for Chennai by overnight train
2/12  Visit a ministry in Chennai
2/12  Leave Chennai for Bangalore by overnight train
2/13 thru 2/18  Visit ministries around Bangalore
2/19  Leave Bangalore
2/19  Arrive in Frankfurt, Germany and visit family in Aschaffenberg
2/20  Leave Frankfurt
2/20  Arrive back home in Phoenix


PRAYER POINTS

God's direction
Spiritual insight and discernment
Health
Our spouses while we are away
Travel - Planes, trains, and automobiles
Finances
The ministries we will be visiting - Rural village and city churches, orphanages, leper colonies
The people God will put in our path


Thank you all for your interest in what the Lord is doing in and through us. I covet your prayer and your encouragement has meant more to me than you could ever know. This is a grand adventure Jesus has us on. Thanks again for being a part of it.

Brian

Vision India Prayer Letter

It all started at a football game. I was sitting next to a friend of mine, Darrell, when out of left field he said, "You and I should take a mission trip to India."

Being a seasoned churchgoer, I mustered up my most spiritual answer, "Yeah, sure. I'll pray about that." Of course I was really thinking: "I don't want to go to India. I never have and I never will. I'm just saying I'll pray about it in the hope that you’ll forget about it by the next time I see you." But, as usual, God was several steps ahead of me in the process.  During the next 48 hours He orchestrated a series of events that not only confirmed my call to India, but also changed my heart toward the people and the mission field there. You can read the full story at my blog, truckstoptheologian.blogspot.com, under the Vision India 2012 post.

I cannot ignore the fire that God has kindled in my heart for the people and land of India. I believe He is calling me to go and see the work He is doing there already, and to show us how we, the community of believers in Phoenix, can be used to further that work.

Darrell and I are going to India for the first two weeks of February 2012. We will be visiting several ministries throughout southern India. From city churches to rural churches in Hindu villages, orphanages, leper homes, and school ministries.  We will even be visiting an orphanage that is raising girls who were rescued from infanticide because the parents wanted a boy.

We desperately need and cherish your prayer support. India is saturated with millions of false gods and idols; behind each is a demonic spirit. Ephesians 6:12 tells us that we do not war against flesh and blood but against "spiritual forces of wickedness." King David said in 1 Samuel 17:47, "The battle is the Lord's." We trust the Lord will protect us as you lift us up in prayer.

Would you please commit to pray for us as we go? There are several specific things that you can join us in praying for: 1) We have a great deal of preparation to do before we leave in terms of logistics, packing and communications with host ministries. 2) Please pray that we receive the funds we need for the trip. 3) Pray for the people the Lord will put in our path while we are there. 4) For our health and safety. And 5) Pray that the Spirit will give us clarity as to the nature and extent of our future involvement with the ministries we encounter.

The Lord has called us to step out in faith, so here we go. I look forward to sharing with you how God uses us, and you, on this trip.

God Bless,

Brian Gandy

briang@calvaryphx.com

602-284-4193

 

Vision India 2012

I have been asked to explain my interest in India, so I will try to put forth a brief summary of what God has done in my heart for this country I've never had a desire to visit. I know you have your doubts, because brevity has never been one of my strong suits, but I'll give it a shot although I make no promises about the length.

It started in October 2010. My beloved sister, Karen, was just a few weeks from finishing her battle with cancer. I was working at the church for just three months and I was feeling as if I was walking through mud. Karen was doing progressively worse and she could take a turn at any time. It was as if we were on a death watch.

Denice and I went to our great-nephew's high school football game. His uncle on his mother's side, Darrell, was at the game. Darrell had just returned from a business trip to India. We talked for a while about his business and how it was going in India. When we were concluding our conversation and I was about to go sit with Denice, Darrell said, "You and I ought to go on a mission trip to India sometime!"

"Yeah! Sure! Let's pray about that." Those were the words that came out of my mouth because it seemed like the spiritual thing to say. But what was going on inside my head was, "I ain't going to India! It is dirty! I have never had a desire to go to India and I don't plan on ever going. I'll tell him I'll pray about it and he will forget all about it by the next time we talk."

That was Friday and Saturday was a new day. Saturday evening Denice and I were at a banquet for a ministry here in the Phoenix area. While the speaker was giving his message, the Lord told me to ask a friend at the next table if he would be interested in going on the mission trip to India with us. "WHAT! I don't even want to go to India!"

"Just ask him," the Lord replied.

"Lord, he's not going to want to go! He's a contractor and he has laid off everybody but himself!"

"Just ask him," was the gentle encouragement from the Lord.

"Lord, he has young children and India is not the safest place for Christians! He is not going to want to go!"

"Just ask him."

So I asked him. He smiled real big and said, "Yeah, let's pray about it!" He had a ring of authenticity in his voice that I had lacked in mine the evening before.

Sunday afternoon I was in the atrium at the church doing a little straightening up before the evening service. The only thing going on was some guitar lessons so there were very few people around. An Indian woman, named Elizabeth, came up and introduced herself. I asked where she was from and she replied she was from India. I told her I didn't know exactly what the Lord was doing but He may be calling me to go on a mission trip to India. She told me that she and her husband would be praying for me. Her smile was radiant.

That evening, during the worship time following the teaching, I was sitting next to Pastor Randy, the man who has mentored me for the past 15 years. He had his Bible opened. Pastor Mark came and talked to him and the next thing I knew, Pastor Mark was on the platform saying that Pastor Randy had a word from the Lord for us.

Psalm 40:1-3
1 I waited patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.
2 He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.
3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear
And will trust in the Lord.

As Pastor Randy read these words my soul was stirred. A pit of distruction- Karen is about to die; Out of the miry clay- I felt as I had been walking through mud; Set my feet on a rock,put a new song in my mouth, and many will trust the Lord.

"Lord, are you telling me that if I go to India you will put my feet on a rock, put a new song in my mouth, and many will put their trust in you? That is a stretch! I'm reading a lot into that. I'm going to need more confirmation than that, Lord!" Pastor Randy came back and sat next to me. A couple of songs later he leaned over to me and said, "That was for you."

That was the confirmation I needed. God had used a series of seemingly unrelated events over a 48 hour period to change my heart towards India. I having been seeking His will from that day forward as to what He is wanting to do with me in India. I could use your prayers. I am totally relying on God to supply the financing for Darrell and I to go to India in February. We estimate we will need about $5000 each for our airfare to and from India, traveling while there, meals, lodging, and money to bless the ministries we visit. Thank you for putting up with my lack of brevity and I pray I have given you a peak into my heart and what the Lord is wanting to do with us. Again, I covet your prayer.

The Desert of Grief

This morning I found myself weeping in the shower, no, not weeping, sobbing. I was overcome by grief. It has been about seven weeks since my dear sister, Karen, passed away. This is the first Christmas without her. She lived in California with her husband and three children, so she was not always here in Phoenix every Christmas, but this is the first Christmas knowing we will never again, this side of heaven, gaze into her eyes that would almost disappear when she smiled.

As I stood in the shower sobbing, the wall was the only thing that kept me from collapsing onto the shower floor. I felt the warm water washing over me and I heard the Lord speak to me. It was not an audible voice, I'm grieving, not psychotic (although the line between the two can be razor thin). Jesus reminded me that He wept for Lazarus as He stood near Lazarus' tomb.

Jesus then asked me why He would have wept for Lazarus. I had to think about that for a while. I don't think it was because Jesus thought He had lost His friend forever. He knew he was going to raise him from the dead. It may have been because of His empathy for Mary and Martha, Lazarus' sisters, and the pain they were going through. But I imagine it was much deeper than that. I think Jesus wept because this was not the way things are supposed to be.

Grieving is a physical reaction to a loss. It can be the loss of a loved one, the loss of dear pet, the loss of a marriage through divorce, or even the loss of one's innocence from being sinned against. Our bodies yearn for the way things are supposed to be. Our soul longs for the time when Jesus will set all things right.

Jesus will come back one day soon, and in that day, He will restore everything back to the way it was meant to be from the very beginning. And in that day He will wipe away every tear from our eyes. Until then we will have death, sorrow, and tears.

Someone once told me, "Grieving is a process, not an event." How true that is. Sometimes it feels like a desert. I am writing this from Canaan In The Desert, a prayer garden in Phoenix. It is a desert garden, not a lush, green, European style garden with green grass, tall hedges, and beautiful aromatic flowers. Right now, there are no flowers. It is cold, dry, and desolate, and that is the way I feel at the moment.

I don't always feel that way. Sometimes I want to be around people and laugh. But sometimes I want to be all alone and weep. I want people to ask me how I am doing and alternately I want people to say nothing at all. I tend to be a logical person, and yet I find myself doing or saying things that are totally illogical.

What I have learned is that people who are living through the grief process need much grace. Grace and prayer. I don't need to be reminded that Karen is in a better place. I know that. I don't need to be reminded that one day we will be reunited. I know that. I do not weep for Karen, I weep for me. I know that sounds selfish, but it is the truth. Karen is with Jesus and I weep for my loss. And that is okay.

Does the grieving process ever end? I don't know, I'll let you know if I ever get there. But I hope it does not. Oh, I don't want to stay forever in this phase, but I am afraid that if the grieving ends totally I will never be able see her face or hear her laugh again.

So if you see me and I am not my normal jovial self, extend to me the grace I need, and say a silent prayer for me as I am in the Desert of Grief.

The Saga of JoJo

JoJo was a bean, but not just any bean, JoJo was a coffee bean. He was born, or came into bean, in Colombia, high up in the mountains. He blossomed as a youth and thought life just could not have been any better than hanging around on that coffee tree with his buds and twin sister, LoLo. You see, the fruit of the coffee tree, called cherries, have two seeds, or beans, inside and are very particular. They like high altitudes with about two hours of direct sunlight per day. It can’t be too hot or too cold. It can’t be too wet or too dry. They don’t do well if they are too far from the equator. They are quite particular and quite pampered.

One day, a man named Juan Valdez, came to visit JoJo. Juan had visited with JoJo many times before and he had come to look forward to these days because Juan made him feel so special. But this day was different, Juan did not come alone, as before, he brought a friend. He brought his donkey, Paco. Juan looked at JoJo carefully. Then he reached up and plucked poor frightened JoJo right off of the branch that JoJo had called home for so long and placed him in a rough gunnysack hanging from Paco’s back.

JoJo was confused at first. “Why me? What is happening to my life, my plans? I thought Juan loved me!” These are but a few of the thoughts and questions that were swirling around in JoJo’s mind. It was as if his world had been turned upside down and he had no one to talk to. He tried to talk to LoLo, but she was no help, she was consumed with her own pain and confusion.

Soon, JoJo was taken to a shed where he was put through the ringer. Although this part of his life was uncomfortable, he came through it with a new sense of freedom. The flesh of the cherry was removed and now he could breathe a little easier. He did suffer a bit of separation anxiety from his sister LoLo. JoJo saw life and the world in a whole new way now. This must have been what God had created him for. “I think I would like to travel and see the world,” JoJo said to himself.

JoJo was very excited when he was told he would soon be on a ship to America. “A cruise!” JoJo exclaimed as he could hardly contain his excitement. Our young protagonist soon found himself in a large bag, confined inside a cargo container with a few million other coffee beans. JoJo was an optimist though and he was determined to not let his life be ruled by his emotions. Even though he was missing out on the endless buffets and the ice sculptures, JoJo thought that he could use this time to meet new friends and maybe God could use him to comfort some other beans. JoJo would tell the other beans of the bright lights and big cities that he had heard about and soon everyone in the container could hardly wait to arrive in America. Some were looking forward to this new chapter in their lives, while others were just hoping against hope to finally get some peace and quiet as far from JoJo as possible.

It wasn’t long before JoJo found himself in a big shiny stainless steel drum that would continuously stir the beans. A Mixer! JoJo was finally in his element. He soon met other beans from all over the world like Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, and even Kenya. All the different cultures and languages! JoJo could not have been any happier. That is when JoJo noticed that it was starting to get uncomfortably hot. Was this the bright lights in the big city that he had heard about? He noticed that he was starting to change. He was sweating quite a bit and his skin was starting to get oily. He was also losing weight and bulking up at the same time. What a tan he was getting and what was that smell? “This must be LA Fitness!” he told himself.

JoJo had come through this latest ordeal not only with a new outlook on life, but he found that he was bolder and stronger. He made a decision that he would serve God, no matter what came his way. He was starting to notice that he was being treated as some kind of celebrity. He was now living in a store where he and his new international friends were almost worshiped. He was learning a lot of new words, such as, “venti,” “cappuccino,” and “espresso.” JoJo was having fun just saying these new words when life once again took an unexpected turn. JoJo found himself in a hopper slowly sliding down towards a grinder. Soon his life was shattered into a thousand pieces. He once again cried out to God, but it was as if the heavens were as brass. No answer came, only more pain. Hot water came showering down upon him and he felt as if every bit of his life was being drained away. It was as he was being poured into a cup that the Lord spoke to him in the stillness of his heart. “You are no longer JoJo the coffee bean. This is the purpose for which I created you. This is your destiny. Your name is now Joe. And I love you."

It is only through the crucible of pain and suffering that we can become all that God has created you and I to be. It was A.W. Tozer who said something like, "I doubt that God can bless a man greatly until he has wounded him deeply."