The Placater

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Mike

1 Samuel 15:22

²²But Samuel replied,

“What is more pleasing to the Lord:
your burnt offerings and sacrifices
or your obedience to his voice?
Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice,
and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.

I am one of those “people pleasers.” The placater. Keep the peace at all cost! Well…not anymore. I’m learning to change this habit. Why? Because God requires obedience and sometimes the thing God wants you to do is not the thing someone else wants you to do. Thankfully God is slow to anger and rich in love. He gives an off ramp for disobedience and a swift on ramp for obedience. I think what happens for me most times is that I over-think things and end up making a decision that I know is wrong but it will please a person rather than God. Well, I simply cannot do that any more. I must do what I know in my heart that God has told me to do.

Psalm 37:23 ²³The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
He delights in every detail of their lives.

Smiles, Christmas and Birthday

Posted on December 26, 2011 by Mike

I cannot being to express how extremely amazing today was. The ACH kids came over to the Whitcomb house (where I am staying) and we had Christmas together. They came around 1:00pm (8:00am EST) and immediately there was a soccer game, volleyball and trampoline jumping! These are truly great kids that are so well taken of. If you sponsor a child, know that the money you give goes directly to helping that child and that it is truly a blessing! If you currently do not sponsor a child, I would highly recommend it! To do so go HERE.

Next on the agenda was cookie decoration and gifts! What an awesome time! Each child is given a couple of cookies, their choice of frosting, and sprinkles. We did groups of about five or six at a time and rotated from outside to cookies followed by presents. I’ll have more pictures tomorrow of all this! Present time was incredible. They were blessed with awesome gifts. Their faces said it all! The excitement was palpable and the smiles contagious. After a few rounds, we were finished and on to a quick game of volleyball outside. As I was sitting watching and taking photos of the game one of the kids came up and asked me to play checkers. I must admit…he whooped me the first game.

After that it was time for what I can only describe as some of the best food on earth (aka Christmas Dinner). It’s called Papaye. It’s fried rice (trust me it’s not your typical fried rice….It’s way better…somehow I must find a way to bring it to the U.S.) and either grilled chicken or fried chicken. I went with the former. Each child receives their own meal and their choice of Fanta, Coke or Water. It’s so touching to see some of the children eat about half or less and save the rest for later. They were packing it back up and putting it in their backpacks or their gift bags they received earlier. A truly awesome meal. I feel blessed to be able to provide funds for that through many of my sponsors for this trip. If you gave towards this, thank you.

Finally, it was time for them to leave. But, just before their departure, Reverend Whitcomb announced that it was my birthday. Singing of happy birthday swiftly followed and then a group hug. I must tell you that I am forever touched by these kids. They all crunched in and gave me the biggest hug ever. My heart melted. I feel so blessed to be in Ghana and to participate in all of this. God is doing amazing things through AGM and ACH. If ever there was a ministry that does things well, AGM and ACH are it. All the glory goes to God for everything. This mentality is something that I think in the US we often forget. Give God the glory, in all things. I know I am forever grateful for God’s provision for this trip and that everything that has happened and will happen for the rest of this trip is a result of God and all the credit goes to Him.

Days 1 & 2

Posted on December 23, 2011 by Mike

Hey everybody! I’m so happy to be in Ghana right now! Our flight went really well and I’m getting adjusted to the time change (Ghana is five hours ahead of the EST). Below is a summary of the first two days.

Day 1 – Arrival

The first thing that you notice when disembarking the plane is…the heat! I didn’t mind it so much though because I was so excited to land and be in Africa! After finding our luggage and making our way through customs we met with the Whitcomb family and made our way through traffic (yes there is traffic here too) to their home. The Whitcombs have been so incredibly nice and have made me feel right at home. I must admit that ten hour plane ride took it’s toll! I was really tired but I was able to stay up late enough to get acclimated to the time change. It’s so amazing to think I am in Africa and that I have the privilege to do this! God has surely blessed me with wonder friends, family and supporters to make this trip happen. I am eternally greatful.

Day 2 – ACH (Agape Children’s Home)

So blessed today to go to ACH and see all the kids for the first time. I took so many photos my index finger was hurting! These are some the most well behaved children I have ever met in my life. Seriously, these kids are something special. We started photos with each of the different class levels while they were in class working. Then we took them outside to take a full class photo and then individual photos. Such incredible smiles on all these faces! If you’ve ever thought about sponsoring a child, consider sponsoring one of the ACH kids. They have wonderful facilities and receive a great education. After our formal photos were finished it was time for some playground time! Yay! Soccer, volleyball, swing sets and a jungle gym were on hand to provide some incredible photos. So exciting to see these young kids so happy! Finally we ended our time that day with lunch. Rice and eggs never tasted so good! This is some awesome food! So thankful! More updates coming soon!

Ticket & Visa

Posted on November 19, 2011 by Mike

I’ve got some exciting news! I have my ticket and my visa! Thank you to all those that have given to this trip. I am so pumped to get to Ghana and start taking photos. I feel so blessed to be able to go and do this. So what’s next? Well, I’m going to continue raising money for The Agape Children’s Home. Specifically for the Children’s Home Christmas Dinner. The cost of the dinner is around $500 to feed all the children and provide them with an amazing meal. With your help, we can make this a Christmas that they will never forget.

Work Hard At Living Biblically

Posted on November 15, 2011 by Mike

I had the privilege today to go to Liberty University to hear Francis Chan speak. (LU’s article on it). In the short message he brought, I felt highly challenged. Here are a few things:

1. “If we believe in Hell, shouldn’t we be talking to more people [about Christ]?” – This one hit me kind of hard. So often I find myself focusing on just good things and how I can serve. Not that it’s a bad thing to do that, it just may not be the most beneficial thing. I often pass by people forgetting about their eternal destination. It’s so easy to do. My prayer is that God stirs my heart to speak when His Holy Spirit prompts me.

2. “Get alone with this Book [The Bible] and read it.” – It doesn’t get any simpler than that. Spending time in God’s Word is one of the best ways (if not the best way) to get closer to God. Chan said, “You need to take ownership of your walk with the Lord.” I couldn’t agree more. Growing up in the church one would think I would never forget this. However, life has a way of distracting me. So often I’ve seen people expect to get everything they need from God on a Sunday morning. This creates a needy, fat, and lazy Christian. I’m just as guilty as anyone when it comes to this. However, the one skill I learned from my time in college is one that sticks with me. That skill is to be a “self-feeder.” I learned how to do word studies, dig deep into scripture, and pull out the meaning (with God’s help and a few commentaries). It’s just a matter of being disciplined and dedicated to spending time with God.

3. Living in the Spirit. – This was another thing that hit me pretty hard. So often we find ourselves asking for forgiveness for the same thing over and over again. I know we all fail. I know that we all have a “thorn in our flesh” so to speak. However, Chan suggested that when you live in the Spirit that the desires of the flesh dwindle. I agree. When we are living in the Spirit, we have more of a desire to please God than to please ourselves. Being sensitive to the Holy Spirit is key.

There was so much more to the message that he brought today but these are the things that stood out to me.

Assumptions

Posted on November 8, 2011 by Mike

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If you haven’t already, watch the video I posted here before reading.
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How often do you assume something? I must admit that I assume just as much as the next guy or gal. These views are often a result of numerous things (upbringing, society, friends, family, etc). I do my best not to assume anything except that I assume that I know nothing. Assuming nothing allows me to feel comfortable asking questions. Instead of trying to act like a know-it-all, I’d rather just be me and take the time to learn. I think the same thing can be said in our spiritual lives. We assume that just because something is good, that it’s what God wants us to do. Or on the other hand that it’s too good and God would never ask me to do something so audacious. My decision to go to Ghana was based on prayer. I’ve spent countless hours praying about this trip and God has blessed me. Just like in the video above, we tend to think, ‘I don’t have what it takes.’ Yes you do. With God’s power and His Holy Spirit, you can do anything. Is it scary? Sure. Doing things for God can be that way. For me, I know this quickens my spirit to trust God all the more. My trust increases and my doubt decreases. I begin to think differently. In my heart I know that God wants me to go to Africa over Christmas. He’s made that very clear to me. I believe that God sets up opportunities for us all the time. Alas, because of our natural assumptions about ourselves, we shy away from doing something that will grow us and bring us closer to God. I’m not perfect. I’ve shrunk back from stuff that I know God wanted me to do. The beauty is this: God never stops. He keeps presenting us with more and more opportunities to share the Gospel. Ultimately that’s what this is all about. Sharing the Gospel. I challenge you to take time to allow God to speak to you about this. Ask God to help you be a bit more radical every day for Him. I think you’ll be surprised at what you’ll find. I know that I’ve been pleasantly surprised and my life will never be the same because of it.

Plane Tickets & Yellow Fever

Posted on November 7, 2011 by Mike

I’ve got to say that I am extremely excited! I just contacted my travel agent about the flight. I’m having my seat held for a couple of days until I can get a check out to them. This is becoming a reality so quickly! I would have never imagined that I would be spending Christmas in Ghana! So cool. I’m seriously about to jump out of my chair I’m so pumped. But I’m going to wait until I have the tickets in hand before I do that dance. I had the privilege to spend some time with Rev. Rick Whitcomb the past few days. We got to talk about church and how things have changed over the years. It was great to hear stories about Agape Gospel Mission and to see the passion and heart that Pastor Whitcomb puts into everything he does. He’s a cool guy and I’m so excited to be working with them this Christmas.

On Wednesday morning I’ll be getting my yellow fever vaccine. Some people say needles bother them. They don’t bother me. Not sure why. This is a requirement though in order to get my visa to Ghana. As soon as I get that shot, I’ll be heading to the post office to mail off my forms and await their swift return. Once that’s done, there’s not much else to do but pack! I’ll be continually raising money for AGM. Any monies that are received above and beyond the cost of the trip will be used for their ministry. Thanks to all of you who have given already!

Last but not least, I still need your continued prayers. Pray that God uses me to my full potential while I am there. Pray for the orphans of Ghana. Pray for travel safety. Pray for the Holy Spirit to anoint this trip. Thank you so much for your support and prayers!

One last thing…check out this video: CLICK HERE

I’m going to Ghana…

Posted on October 12, 2011 by Mike

Hi! I’m Mike, I’m going to Ghana December 21, 2011 through January 2, 2012. I’ll be working with Agape Gospel Mission in Accra, Ghana. The Whitcomb family asked me to join them as they minister this Christmas season for a few weeks. How could I say no? I’m excited to have the opportunity to serve and to help them where they have need. While I don’t know all the details on how they need me to serve yet, I do know that they would like me to take hundreds of photos.
While it may not seem like a lot, photos are huge to a ministry. Pictures inspire, encourage, raise awareness and raise funding for ministries. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. They show smiles, pain, needs and the love of Christ in action.
A picture can inspire action, prayer and financial support. It is one of those things that can be multiplied!
While I may not have much to offer, photos are one thing I am passionate about. Please help me tell the stories of Christ’s love in action in Ghana.
Here’s where I need your help:
1. I need your prayers! Please pray that the Lord works in my heart to prepare me to see and capture each image of the ministry in Ghana through His eyes.

2. I need financial support. I am willing to go, I am excited to go and I am trusting God to provide!

I need to raise around $1300 to make this trip happen. Any amount that you can donate is much appreciated! Thanks in advance for your prayers and your support!

mikecunsolo.com

Author Archives: Mike