The Journey...

"...for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength." Philippians 4:11-13 NLT

I know it has been a while since our last blog entry. Hopefully you will enjoy reading a bit more about our journey and the process God has been leading us through.

This had been a very interesting season for all of us in the Jason Stark family. We have had so many twists and turns, speed bumps and what has seemed like white knuckle roller-coaster moments since our arrival. There have been triumphs, many times of joy and excitement at what God was doing in our midst... as well as many tears of our own, and on behalf of some of our friends here. We have seen God take us where we never thought we could have possibly gone and see Him use us to be a blessing in ways we wouldn't have imagined. It has been hard to sit and write these experiences down in order to share them with you all... 
On the one hand we didn't want to unnecessarily burden others with the challenges and issues we were facing personally "on the field", and we didn't want to share the burdens we carry on behalf of those we minister to... Life outside of "home" is difficult to say the least. For many in Africa there is no release from the heavy burden. We have spent many of our days feeling their hopelessness, walking in their shoes; having in our own lives the same needs that they themselves experience.  As I said, it has proven difficult to put these experiences into words...
What I can say is this; when God calls us, it doesn't mean things will seem perfect or glorious. We have seen that things really don't work out the way we think they will or should. BUT, God has answered our prayers for courage, strength and perseverance... and that no matter what we face personally, we choose to walk out the truth of God, which is that we are blessed to be a blessing. In plenty, or in want, we are blessed in all things, so that we can bless the hearts and lives of others. This, I believe is something that the apostles themselves learned "out on the field". As they went being kingdom focused, with sold out lives, sharing the Gospel and making disciples where ever they went... they came against many trials, but in the end God's will was done. Their lives impacted not only those whom they met personally, but those many who would come on this journey after they were gone. This is our hope and promise from God! All that we have experienced here this year, and will experience in these last 4 months WILL serve God's purposes for many other people. (Yes, those we physically impact through our being here, but also those who will come after us on the journey to fulfill Jesus' Great Commission) We can also clearly see the heart God has given our children for Africa and its people. Despite the struggles we have experienced, our children's hearts and attitudes continue to reveal the bigger picture for our families future legacy. The example of our lives and how we walk it out, in triumph and in failure is so important for our children.... We praise God for the work He is busy doing in their lives in this time!
Below you will find a few pictures to illustrate some of our favorite moments. Hope you enjoy!

We have finally arrived in Hazyview after spending a few months helping an offshoot of YWAM in White River. We enjoyed leading their community ministry meeting every week since Feb. and have been blessed with the platform to encourage and strengthen the hands of those who are here in South Africa laboring for His causes. We have established some great ministry connections and relationships in this time, and look forward to how God will use those friendships/partnerships for His glory & purposes. 
We were also able to begin work with Hosanna Christian Church. God has asked us to focus on building relationships and strengthening the arms of those who are already planted here and working in various ministries in Mpumalanga province. 

Now that we have relocated to Hazyview we will have more time to focus on reaching out to the community here, as well as being a part of seeing Hosanna fulfill it's God given calling to reach their area for Christ. Hosanna is doing this in many, may ways already and we are happy to help strengthen them. We are not only able to encourage leaders, be a part of training and equipping them, but also sow into their orphan ministry and community mobile hospice programs. However, in all of this God continues to call us to focus on relationship building, on encouraging people one-by-one, to be all they are destined to be in God's purpose for their lives. We very much enjoy doing this! Thanks for reading and sharing in our journey. As most of you know Facebook blip-its are the best way to keep tracking with us.

New Year’s Greetings!

What an amazing Christmas season we have all had in the family of God!

We hope that this letter finds you feeling well, blessed and encouraged to make the most of this coming year! Our family has been in South Africa for almost a month now and God has been moving in many ways amongst us here. We wanted to share just a few of the most recent happenings as an encouragement to all of you who have sown your prayers and resources into God’s plan through our lives!

We arrived safely in South Africa as planned on December 7th, with all of our baggage. We had a blessed trip with very few hiccups along the way. Although our last month at home was spent busily trying to work, raise funds, save and organize to make the most of what resources we did have for our missions year, we hadn’t raised enough money to meet the lifestyle we would have liked to call “bare bones living”. We did have the monthly support to pay for our housing and tuition costs… So despite this fact, on we went towards what God had called us to- (with or without our furniture or grocery budget fulfilled.) When we arrived at the school we were asked to stay a few days in a guest room because “our flat was not yet ready for us”. When the flat was ready, we found that it was not only much bigger than we had anticipated, but that the school actually wanted to help us furnish it as well! (It is required by the school that families furnish their own flats) What an amazing feeling it was to honestly be willing to take up sleeping on the hard bare floors and to operate without a refrigerator or other modern conveniences if that was what God was asking of us, and then to see Him provide everything we need and what we never even thought of! Wow, we are daily reminded of Matthew 6:33 (Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.)

We have only been here a short time and yet there are many miracles to share:

Our neighbors one by one came to visit us in our first week at the school and with every visit each one of them having a gift to share. One of our neighbors brought us a small hotplate to cook with, another brought several bags of fresh fruits & veggies, one gave us a larger fridge to suit our family, one loaned us a car to drive whenever we need to go to town for groceries, another gave us a washing machine and on, and on! We came in faith, expecting that God would provide for our needs and if we didn’t have something we had already decided that we must not really need it! The Lord is so faithful. We would not ever have expected to have a washing machine or a car to use on occasion, but He knows what we need. God has a plan to bless us because He knows how He wants us to be a blessing to others while we are here!!

What a blessing! Thank you Jesus!

Nice little neighborhood near Hazyview

If any of you have heard about the vision God has placed on our hearts, you know it involves wholeness; the wholeness that comes from a living & active relationship with Jesus Christ. We are passionate about sharing the Gospel, discipleship & mentoring, worship ministry and such, but we are also seeing God consistently teach us many new practical aspects of seeing His peace come to all men. Almost daily we have seen God arrange divine appointments for us to learn more about two specific areas where practical help is desperately needed throughout Africa; (1) sustainable farming methods for rural people living without consistent water supply and/or other necessary resources needed to grow food, and (2) supply of safe drinking water. Over the last 2 years God has been speaking to us about how these two areas are going to be a part of our work in Africa. He has been slowly adding piece after piece of the puzzle to show us what He has in mind. Our first week here Jason had the opportunity to help an orphanage in a poor rural community to get their well working again after it had been out of service for the whole community for over a year. Jason helped one of the students from ASM with installing the pump and getting the water running again. That very week also we had our own troubles at the school with water and saw firsthand what it would be like to be without safe, clean water to drink. It was a learning experience for us but we were blessed to have this issue resolved quickly and unlike many others in Africa we have clean water to drink again in our taps. There are many more coincidences and “chance” connections to speak of; too many to list…

Water trouble! Ak!!

Most recently, we “happened” to be invited to have dinner with a missionary couple from Mozambique who have been working for the last 5 years to help rural communities establish their own sustainable gardens and safe drinking water for themselves.  Joel and his wife had much to share about their experience and were an encouragement to us that the most effective work comes through relationship and the encouraging of others to use their God given gifts for the benefit of their communities. The organization he works for actually partners with our very own Mercy Ships for these evangelistic /discipleship gardens as well. Small world!!! These are just a couple of the things God is doing & teaching us in our time here… if only we could tell you about them all!

The garden here at ASM

 School life here at ASM will soon begin and as a family we will continue to build relationships with old friends as well as new ones. We know that we will be able to open our home as a meeting place for friendship, mentorship and we are hoping for worship as well. As in all things, we will continue to pray and let the Lord direct our path.

Thank you for taking the time to read our update. We can’t express how much we appreciate your prayers and support as we seek to be a part of what God is doing here in South Africa. Each of you have a special place in our hearts, so don’t be a stranger; we would love to hear from you too! If you are interested in receiving more frequent, specific updates & prayer requests please shoot us an email. We would be happy to add you to our prayer partner list. 

With Lots of Love,

On Behalf of Birthing Hope-
The Stark Family

ASM campus road   

View from our back porch

A lovely Mamba... Ha! Too bad it was fried by the electric fence!!

The dam; Just out our back door

Cooking on our little stove/ove

 

A few of you have asked how you can make a donation and where to send care packages:

Donations can be sent to:  

Birthing Hope International Inc.  

PO Box 663 Hayden, ID 83835  

or you can visit our website and donate via PayPal 

(www.birthing-hope.org)

If you would like to send letters or care packages, please send them to:

The Stark Family c/o Africa School of Missions

Po Box 439

White River, Mpumalanga 1240

Republic of South Africa

*please note that if you do send a package you will need to fill out a customs form and designate it as a gift to avoid extra taxes upon our receipt of the item. 

5 Days To Go!

This week begins our last week at "home". We have been very blessed to have the chance over the last couple weeks to just fellowship and visit with many of our friends and love ones. We have enjoyed dinners, church meetings and community gatherings with those who are dearest to our hearts. It has been so nice! This last week will be much of the same, but with a greater sense of that "goodbye" for all of us. We know that "goodbye" in the context God's family is only temporary... and as a friend of mine so eloquently put it- "see you soon, here, there or in the air!".

We will be working hard this week to wrap up all the loose ends, to finalize some last minute details and try to prepare our luggage for the long trek. For those of you who want to track with us I have posted our itinerary below:

Saturday 12/3 (6am): We leave for Seattle. 

Sunday 12/4: We will spend the day in Seattle as a family; just laying low, relaxing and enjoying rest together.

Monday 12/5 (8am): Departure! Our flight leaves Seattle and will stop in D.C. for a short 1 hr. lay-over. We then board our flight for Johannesburg, South Africa.

Tuesday 12/6 (6pm): We land in Johannesburg and will make our way to a guest lodge for the night.

Wednesday 12/7 (8am): We will load up a rental car and make the 4+ hour drive to White River to Africa School of Missions.

December 8th - January 15th: We will spend this month at our flat on the A.S.M. school grounds. We will be homeschooling the girls, reconnecting with our friends, meeting new people, getting adjusted to the time, weather and new surroundings. Jason hopes to help out around the school a bit for the first month (which is still tentative)... This will be an important month for reconnecting and establishing new relationships "that side". 

January 16th: Registration day for A.S.M. students

This will be a familiar trip for Jason and I; as we have made it many times over. But, a completely new experience for our daughters; new, exciting, interesting and maybe a little scarey for them too! 

We would appreciate your prayers for the journey, for the safe arrival of our luggage, for the ability for rest and sleep for our girls, for safe flights, divine connections along the way, for favor and smooth progress in the reservations, the rental cars and the drive to A.S.M. We trust that the Lord has already set the path before us and that He will indeed guide us as He always does. 

Thanks to so many of you who have prayed for our family and who have chosen to invest in the work the Lord is doing through us. If there is one thing we know, we wouldn't want to do it without you!

Keep an eye out for our updates via Facebook over the next few days... but when we hit the air for Johannesburg we will be out of reach, probably for most of the month of December. 

We look forward to keeping in touch with you all more regularly when school starts in January.

If you would like to contact us, please see the website www.birthing-hope.org 

If you have any inquiries or questions that can't wait, feel free to contact Laura Keuter (208) 818-7036

Discipleship Material

We would love to bring this discipleship video series with us to South Africa for use in small groups. Do you have this series, or would you be willing to purchase and donate this to Birthing Hope?
Find it on Amazon

We would also like to take a series of Children's Bible stories called "Bible in Living Sound" (available in CD or Mp3 format)
Listen to some samples here
If you are interested and would like to help in this area please just send us an email starkidaho@yahoo.com or give us a call (208) 651-4402 / (208) 651-0548
Thanks!

9 Weeks and Counting!

There are 9 weeks left until we, as a family, will finally board the plane to South Africa... It seems like this journey has taken SOOO long, (6 years in fact)... yet at the same time it has flashed by in the blink of an eye!!
The Lord has been calling us, training us, preparing us, molding our hearts as individuals and as a family for such a time as this... and we are very excited!
Early on this summer, we did send out and post an electronic newsletter describing our journey, our ministry plans and leading from the Lord. Maybe you have already seen the newsletter? Or, maybe you'd like to see it now? In any case, we would love to share it with you...
Please go to our website ( http://www.birthing-hope.org/ ) and click the "Newsletter" link on the left.

Right now we are still working hard to raise our funding (mostly by working in the trades God has placed us in), as well as paying off the remaining debts of the past...  Let me share with you just what the Lord has done in the last 8 months in order to accomplish HIS plans in our lives:

God began to move on our hearts to go to South Africa in 2006, but it was not until 2010 that He made it apparent that it was time to move, and to move fast on an opportunity to attend a missions school, long term as a family. Many of you know that God's plans were a little different than we had first imagined, and although Jammie did go to attend Africa School of Missions for a little while, it was not as long as we had originally thought. Despite the confusing circumstances, we continued to be encouraged in prayer and in our hearts to press onward towards what seemed increasingly impossible---  
1. the prospect of our selling our home (in this troubled economy),  
2. getting rid of more than $40,000 in consumer and construction debt...  
3. not to mention raising the funds for a 1 year missionary work in South Africa and nurse's training for Jammie....

After writing the "facts" down on paper we could plainly see it was impossible; especially with all of the snow and storms that were present far into the normal Idaho building season. Again, we as a family sat down to pray; seeking the Lord's wisdom and will for us. We just knew that God was calling us onward despite the "facts"!
So, over the last 8 months we have worked, and labored to make money and to save as much as possible. We have sacrificed and gone without many things- all the while watching the Lord grow our hearts and fill us with joy. When Jammie returned to the U.S. at the end of February, we were $509,000 in debt.... Now today we have only a little over $3,000 to go to being debt free. Unbelievable!!!
We can hardly believe it ourselves! In a few short weeks we will be debt free... It's amazing! It is no grand work of our own... and only possible because of the Lord's plans for us. God provided more work for Jason this year in construction than in many of the prior more "prosperous" years of building in Idaho!

All things are possible with God! Praise His name!

We must also thank the many friends who have come alongside us-- thank you! (You know who you are.)
Many of you have made donations to Birthing Hope, given towards our supply needs or prayed for us the whole way through and we are extremely thankful. We are very excited to start this new season of life, but also sad in many ways to leave so many special people... We will miss you all more than we can say.

The next 9 weeks will be spent continuing to work towards our financial goals of becoming debt free and funded for the next year. Currently we 1/4 of the way to meeting our monthly support goal. We do have our tickets and most of our travel costs & supplies covered now. Yay! We also will be visiting family and saying our goodbyes, as well as continuing to minister in the places the Lord has planted us. It will be a sweet season of cherishing the relationships and opportunities the Lord has given us here in Idaho.... What exciting times!

Most of our detailed updates in the future will be here on the blog... so bookmark us or sign up to follow our journey. Thanks for checking in on us- God bless you.
On Behalf of Birthing Hope International Inc.....

Jason & Jammie Stark

15 weeks! Really?

Summer has been really hoppin' around here and as the saying goes "time flies when you are having fun"... and BOY, have we been having a fun summer!!

Birthing Hope has been enjoying making new friends in the community here in Idaho, as well as preparing for the things to come this next year in South Africa!

*We hosted our first Pampered Chef fundraiser; What a treat and a time of fellowship! We hope to have 1 or 2 more before the year's end.

*Last month we had the pleasure of participating in the 1st N. Idaho AIDS walk; along with our friends from A.G.A.P.E. Now that was fun!







*We took a few families on a wilderness trek in Montana: We were physically challenged beyond the norm, but also very blessed by just being able to spend some quality time with some of our best friends. As well as taking some kids and adults on a "one of a kind" adventure!!

*We have been laboring hard to meet our financial goals for the 2012 mission's year in South Africa, as well as to fund our African Single Mom's Tuition Fund. We have not yet raised adequate funding for either of these, but are assured that God is blessing the work of our hands.

As we said, we have been having a very purposeful and fun summer with the people we love the most...

Ahhh, the Lord IS GOOD!

We now have our plane tickets (all five of us!!) and are poised for departure on Dec 5th 2011... This means we have 15 weeks left! Now we enter into "crunch time"- Not in the frantic scramble we often see around us in the world, but a time of peace; even greater focus on God, His direction and daily walk for us, as well as the important time with those ministries and individuals we know and love here in Idaho. 

After all, we have not overcome all these obstacles and hurdles in the last 5 months by any of our own doing! Thank God He has a plan and is faithful to complete it in this world!

As we enter into this season of focus and strategy, we want to ask for your prayers:

1. That God would grant us the endurance and enthusiasm to finish this stretch, even as we did in the beginning (2 Corinthians 8:10-13) 

2. That the Lord would grant us continued favor in our fundraising and final business ventures

3. That the path God has set before us would be clear- in all things

4. That provision would be abundant for Birthing Hope's single mother's fund & that we would have the ability to be a blessing (finances or not) during our time in S. Africa

5. That God would grant us the opportunity to share Jesus where He has not been named

6. That our children would be blessed even during such a huge life transition and that they would also have the opportunity to share God's love

7. That our relationships here in Idaho would only grow while we are away working in South Africa

Thank you so much for your prayers and support along the way!

In case you are interested in our newsletter: --> Stark Family Update

Or, email us at any time; we would love to hear from you! EMAIL US