WD Mission's News and Reviews: ~EYES WIDE OPEN - the Jared Staten Family, Republic of Georgia

An eye opener:

Your Georgian Family

In 2006 Jesus dealt with my heart about going to the Republic of Georgia as a missionary. I quite my job at the U.S. State department, sold everything we owned, and moved my wife and two daughters to Georgia. We were very blessed to be able to use the procedes from our “stuff” to pay for our first year. Selling every thing was the first eye opener. I found out exactly how much junk we had. I was amazed at the amount of things we had, and how little we really used most of it. I also saw how we had found security in things and not in Jesus.

THE BLUR BECOMES CLEAR:

We arrived in Tbilisi and were taken directly to the village of Signahi, which lay two hours outside of the Capital of Georgia. God spent the next six weeks showing me what it means to just survive. After having a job with a six figure salary, and being debt free and able to purchase anything that caught my attention, I had forgotten that survival and the blessings of God had nothing to do with stuff. In Signahi we were faced with sickness, and substandard living conditions. We couldn’t communicate with anyone. and our one link to civilization (my car) was stolen from us. God delivered us, and taught us what really mattered in life.

KHATUNA: Taught us Georgian and we taught her the Bible

LIKA HEALED: Lika was healed of terminal cancer, and was later murdered by the Orthodox church because her testimony was leading people to our church.

JARED AND BODRI: Brat (Brother) Bodri wants to help plant churches in Tbilisi

FIRST THINGS FIRST:

We moved in to the Capital city with all of our pride and delusions destroyed. The only thing left was God and what He wanted.

I began to walk the city streets and pray that God would send me to anyone, anywhere. He brought me so he must have a plan. I was led to start a Bible school in our living room, with six people from a small group of believers we had been introduced to through a mutual friend. I began to teach be the book of Acts. God let me be the book of Acts first. After teaching in a school in one of the smaller cities the Orthodox church there threatened to kill me if I returned, without thinking I told the priest to kill me in front of every one. I would meet him in the town square in six hours (driving time from the capital. God delivered me that day, but I could have cared less. I just followed God and allowed Him to do what he does best. Upon returning toTbilisi I was blessed to lay hands on a dying two year old girl and watch God heal her instantly. I watched as story after story from Acts jumped off the page and into my life. I found that the priority should be kingdom of God first, and nothing else matters.

THE SECRET TO MIRACLES:

There are actually two secrets to seeing the miraculous in your personal life.

The first secret is to die. Paul said I die daily. Acknowledging that the life you are living does not belong to you. You died when you are buried in Baptism. Sacrifice is in death, you can not live your life (do your own thing) and be a Christian to. You are either dead to this world or this is your world. Yes, we are to become radicals for Christ, and even martyrs if necessary.

Second, throw all caution to the wind and step out. Love when they hate, give till you have nothing. Don’t look for comfort in this life; there is none to be found, but in Jesus. Welcome tribulation for it is the blessing of God. Find where God is moving and jump in. The American church has forgotten that sacrifice is a life style not a Dollar. We no longer work to cloth and feed our families, but now we work for toys, and things, what will we say when we stand next to the church of Georgia in heaven. This year two of our church members where murdered by the Orthodox church for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What have we given? They will say simply “Lord we bled and died for you and those around us...” what will we say. “I went to church three times a week, I dressed Holy... I gave an extra dollar...”

I have seen the people in our church scavenge for food so they could eat, and put there last dollar in the offering plate, so the gospel could be preached.

We are so blessed here. We get to go to church when ever we want. We can find brothers and sisters in the lord all over our country. I want that for Georgia. We have decided that by the time our five years in Georgia are done we will have won. 2,980,980 people to Jesus. Why? Because we must. I know that the church in America is great in so many ways but lets not forget our first love, and our first works. Pray for laborers and join in the harvest with us.