Leaving a Legacy

God has really pushed the two of us this week, not only to our limits, but also extended our view of who we thought He was in many ways.

We  found out that we are proud parents of a little girl!  I can't believe that God trusts me to raise a little girl, but I trust He knows best and will make me into the most capable father.  God grant me the grace and energy for children, my living legacy.  Daughter, I love you more than words can describe.  I will do my best to follow after our Father's heart and set an example of what true love looks like.

Just when you think that you understand who God is, He laughs and blows your mind. This week we watched video lectures on living a Biblical worldview. We were taught how to seek after the Father's heart by using an Old Testament structure.  Everything from government to education was covered.  God really knows what He is doing doesn't He?

I am challenged to stop reading the Bible in a lazy way believing that it is all allegory with some history thrown in for good measure.  The videos changed our view of how we approach our ministry.  Too many times have we just expected God to send down miracles without us doing any work. God is big enough to perform this way, but if He is asking me  to join Him in work, who am I to say no.  I am tired of expecting God to rain down manna while I am now in the Promised Land.  He will bless us, but He is asking us to be odeient in action.  

We were so blessed to be apart of the YWAM Ireland meeting on Monday.  It was so encouraging to hear about just how much God has done in this beautiful country in the last 7 years.  It reminded Korina just how God works as well.  Just like Korina, YWAM experienced a death of sorts, a rebuilding on new foundation, and finally a birth. God is so awesome in fulfilling His promises!  Mama B also got to cook an awesome Chicken Tortilla soup that everyone loved!

This week is going to be a memorable week.  We celebrate the lives of two wonderful mothers in our lives.  One of which lives in heaven and the other who is going to be a grandmother for the first time. God brings it into perspective as He prepares a new mother here.  This Thanksgiving, we celebrate motherhood and everything that it entails.  Love, compassion, truth.  Our moms resemble all of these things.  They show us the tender heart of God and showcase His loving kindness.  I am one proud  husband, son and soon to be father, of all these mothers in my life.  All of you add to the legacy that I am creating for my children.  A legacy that will be overcome by God's goodness in my children's heart.  A lifestyle that resembles The Lord in any way I can.

As you prepare to give thanks to your family this week, please keep us in your prayers. We call you all family and want to know what you are up to this week so please let us know.  We need your help with financing our ministry as well.  If all of our readers would even consider donating $15, we would be blessed.  Please click here to help or e-mail us at justin.barigian@gmail.com

How are you leaving a legacy, not only for your children, but for the greater good of all of God's creation?  Live fully, to the highest calling God has for your life, and you will be amazed at the results.  We sure are.

We know that we know that we know

I'm going to be honest with you guys...this was a hard week. 

As our date for outreach approaches and our bank account dwindles, I have allowed my heart to become frustrated with God and his plans for our future. We knew beyond a doubt, through much prayer and confirmation through other believers and scripture and "that still small voice" that God called us here. We knew that we knew that we knew....ya know?! 

So why then did I feel left high and dry by my Jesus? 

I was such a brat. 

God spanked my faithless and doubting butt. I needed it. 

I think growing up I knew, and know, that God loves me, but I didn't equate His love with His provision for me. That was a harsh reality to wake up to. 

The world wants to know how we are going to make it, and understands even less the concept of living on full time support. Attempting to live entirely by faith many profess but few can really understnd until they have to lay down the very thing they find the most security in, their paycheck. I would profess understanding that kind of faith...until this week. I had no idea what it meant to be "all in" until now, until I am responsible for more than just my husband and myself. This baby brings a whole new set of eyes to walking by faith. 

I needed perspective. 

In Hebrews it talks about the many many saints of old and all of the things they endured for the promise of heaven and they did all of these things BY FAITH. Just after that it talks about the discipline The Lord brings for His children. What an honor to be called a child of God, an heir to His kingdom, to be disciplined instead of condemned. God is shaping and stretching my trust in His provision. It's so so hard. 

It can be so easy to think first of the nay-sayers, the ones who think of us as "irresponsible" all for a lack of understanding what true obedience is. The opinions of those who don't really know our heart for obedience can't be our loudest voice in our minds. Jesus beckoning us out onto the water has to be louder to us than anyone else. 

This is stretching us for a lifestyle of living by faith. Our expectation of how God provides expands every day. When I spoke of us expecting God to be bigger to us, I had no idea the brevity of the words I was speaking. 

Still God chose to forgive me for my small mindedness, He put His arm around me and whispered the words "I will" into my ear. 

"I will provide, BECAUSE I love you"

"I will give you a healthy baby, a home, a mission field, a future and a hope. I WILL." 

If the God of the universe tells you He will, He will. 

That needs to be enough for me. His promise is enough. 

So, when I was sick (literally) and tired and overwhelmed, God spoke. I find a new hope for today and His call on our lives. And yes, I still know that I know that I know that we are supposed to be here today.

The future is exciting, and yes, we may be literally insane by your standards but that's ok. You can just pray for us either way. 

For now, we have a healthy baby, a warm place to lie our heads down, food to eat. We have laughter, we have joy. We have so much more than most, it's enough and THEN some. 

Tomorrow we have all of YWAM Ireland here in Sligo for a day of fellowship and prayer for YWAM Sligo. Needless to say I am looking forward to seeing some old faces from my first DTS. We also have our scan tomorrow afternoon! Which means we get to see our baby for the first time since our 6 week scan at the very beginning. School is going well too. Learning new things every day. We have our tickets for Morocco now too! AH! It's really happening! 

As far as pregnancy goes, baby is a mover and a shaker. I am feeling great, never did get that second trimester energy, but not nearly as bad as it was. My ribs are expanding which I wasn't prepared for. It's a constant dull ache until it's sharp pain for a few seconds at a time at night. All normal for a person of "my short torsoed stature" I guess. If that's all I can claim though I would say all is worth it. 

Thank you for those of you who take the time to read these and pray for us. You are appreciated and needed. God bless you all until next time- Team B

Futures

Hello all!  First of all, we apologize about not updating as much as we would like, it's been a pretty busy set of weeks here in beautiful Sligo.  Second, we are realizing more and more each day just how much our supporters mean to us and we think of you all very often.

We recently had a visit from a gentleman named Abner, who is working in Lebanon preaching the gospel to refugees fleeing from the war.  He also works with the YWAM base there and it was great for the team going to Lebanon to meet him and ask some great questions.  Abner (originally from Brasil) was speaking on the importance of evangelism to Muslim believers and how to hold a discovery Bible study.  A discovery Bible study is a great tool to use when digging deep into the Word.  It is essentially just using the Scripture alone to see what God is saying.  Abner also challenged us to hold true to the Word of God.  He said that we will have to compromise either the world or the Holy Spirirt.  His teaching was very impactful because it caused us to really check our motives when we choose to do what we do.

While Abner was here, we also had the chance to participate in the Children's Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) holiday Bible camp.  Think of it as a vacation Bible school held during the final week of October.  We were the main staff for the duration of the camp and really had a great time with the children.  We played games, helped out with songs, memory verses and Bible teachings.  The camp ended with a party for children of all ages on Halloween night.  It was fun to see all the kids dressed up and watch the Jungle Book as well.  Sorry that we don't have pictures throughout the week, we aren't allowed to post pictures of the children, but know that Irish children are darling!

This past week we had one of the best weeks (in my opinion).  Maged, the base director from the King's Lodge in England, came and spoke about hearing the voice of God.  We absolutely loved his style of teaching and what he had to say about drawing closer to The Lord in obedience.  He spoke out of so much love and obedience for our Father that it was difficult not to enjoy this week.  The Holy Spirit fell so heavy upon all of us as we dug deep into Scripture and practiced hearing the word of God.  It is so encouraging to know that each believer carries the authority of the Holy Spirit and is able to clearly hear His voice.  It is not always easy, but with some practice, we can hear God's voice beckoning us into a deeper relationship with Him.  Don't we serve an amazing God?

One nugget that I really want to leave with you all from this week is a quote that was shared with Maged some years ago.

     "Our God is the genius communicator.  His ability to communicate is far greater than our inability to hear." 

Powerful words spoken by a man who is truly on fire for The Lord.  I hope they encourage you.

The title of this post is "Futures" and for good reason.  Korina and I (plus Baby Bean!) really want to share our vision for our future within ministry.  We know a lot of you read this blog, but may not know exactly what our long term plan is for our lives.  I'm hoping to clear up some questions now.

We are currently attending a DTS at YWAM Sligo in Ireland.  This school has been years in the making for our lives and we know each and every day that our Father has clearly called us here.  We will be leaving for our outreach in Morocco the second week of December and will be returning to the states in late January.  Once back in the states, we are planning on staffing with YWAM on a full time basis.  We are continually praying for direction as to which base we will attend and God has revealed and confirmed many moves for us in the near future, so please continue to pray.

We have a heart for the lost.  God has fostered this compassion for people  in our hearts in many ways; through jobs and experience He has intentionally placed in our lives.  I love food, but even more importantly,  I love to teach.  I feel that God has given me the ability to portray clearly information and I love to help explain difficult things to people who are asking for more.  This gift has been prayed over me for many years and I finally see it coming to fruition.  I want to lead my family in the footsteps of Christ, asking Him what step to take next and walking in faith as we are obedient to the Father.

Korina, as many of you know, has a strong mothering spirit.  God has revealed to her that she will be a mother to and of the nations.  This is very exciting as she gets ready to mother our first child.  Her strong faith causes others to draw close as she loves them like a  mother does.  Others draw to her for advice regarding many different issues.  Her goal is to continue to allow God to reveal this capability in her and her family as walks out in obedience to His will.

We are continuing to step out in faith in every aspect of our lives.  Any decisions we have been making in regards to our lives, have been taken up to The Lord.  God speaks to us in amazing ways, and it is exciting to see glimpses of our future.  For this to happen, we also need your help.  We need your prayers all the time that we hear God clearly and follow His will.  We also need help financially.  Outreach costs for us are currently $2700 that is due by the first week of December.  Beyond that need, we are seeking out monthly supporters who want to joins us in seeing the nations changed.  Once we graduate DTS and return to the states, we will live off of full support from generous donors who believe in what we are doing.  Please pray and consider joining our team as we impact the nations.

None of what we do can be accomplished without the help of our supporters.  God gave Korina and I each and everyone of you for a very specific purpose and we look forward to discovering that together. Please continue to pray for us regarding the health of our little one, our finances, and our futures.

If you would like to partner with us financially, please visit here to make an online donation.  For tax deductible purposes, please send checks to Singing Waters Christian Center, PO Box 1544, Avalon, CA 90704 with a sticky note attached with our names on it.  PayPal is  probably the best options, you can send money to justin.barigian@gmail.com.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God." Philippians 4:6

Be encouraged by this Word.  When we seek Him, He hears us.  Best of all, He will respond!