We Don't Have Plans, We Have Events - Charlie Brewer

"We don't have plans, we have events." - Charlie Brewer

This has been Charlie's explanation of our family plan for awhile.   It makes sense to us.  When we try to make a plan or think of a plan, the "events" always trump the plan......so, we have gotten accustomed to event planning, vs. a plan.  

This was last year at this time in Uganda.

I got a text from Charlie, who happens to be in Uganda at the moment, so he is a half a world away and a half a day ahead and his text said,

 "Happy New Year. Looking forward to another eventful year. I U uuuuu!!!"

 (which IU is the Brewer Bunch way of saying I love you, thanks to Lashae who couldn't say "love" 22 years ago, and it stuck with us all.) 

I can't even imagine more "events" than we had in 2015, but hey, since we don't have plans to look forward to in 2016, we may as well look forward to events. 

Charlie and Kole and Ben are in Uganda and I'm excited to see what the Lord does with these guys.

This is Charlie's 7th time going to Uganda and Kole's 2nd and Ben's 1st.

I don't care if it's your first time or 27th time.....God uses it in different ways.

He is so creative.  :)

He can do the same with us here at home, but there is something about getting out of the comforts and the routine of "our lives" and laying it all down and following God's lead and being open and vulnerable to let Him use us and guide us.

They have a loose outline of what this trip will look like and the things they hope to accomplish, but they know full well, that it will probably be very different than what they anticipate.

I was thinking about how our first thoughts and questions when we hear "mission trip" is:

 what will they be "doing?"

We are so consumed with our to-do lists and our check lists.

It hit me how one of the main purposes of Paul's travels and letters in the New Testament was an encouragement to his brothers and sisters in Christ. 

 He would travel and visit and also write letters to encourage those on the front lines of ministry in  their local churches and communities.I have come to learn and understand one of the biggest parts of what mission trips are all about is to encourage and build up the body of Christ wherever we GO!

These guys will be doing some building, but I can't help but know that God could build whatever he wants with whoever he wants and sometimes, he just sends a few willing "builders" to build up the body as much as build a building.

1 Corinthians 3:9-11English Standard Version (ESV)

9 For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building.

10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

3 Wild (I mean wise) Men Following Jesus

 I am a firm believer in missions right where we live and wherever God may lead us;
 and He is leading these 3 crazy guys to Uganda.

 His plan for His people is to live on mission everywhere all the time.
 It's pretty simple, love God and love people.

  God does all the hard stuff, we just get to follow His lead and experience Him and be a part of what He is doing here at home and wherever we may go.

Charlie had decided awhile back he was going back to Uganda around Christmas time, then Kole jumped on board and said he would go.  We haven't even had a chance to think or plan, we had only made the reservations with the airline and then put it all on the back burner and had a wedding.  :)

The other night, out of the blue, Holly (Ben's mama and my good friend) texted me and asked when the next time any Brewers might be going to Uganda, because Ben would like to know....

I texted back that Charlie and Kole were headed out right after Christmas. 
 Her reply was, "Gulp."

I giggled a little bit, because I know my friend, and I knew she was hoping for
 a real vague - long time away - kinda answer. 

As it turned out....less than 24 hours later Ben is a confirmed addition to the mission trip. 

I am excited to see what God has in store for all these guys as they are on mission together
again.

  We have done ministry with Ben's family quite a bit before.  We used to have a  group of teens that would meet at one of our houses on Sunday nights, and we would feed them (a lot), and they would play and get crazy, and then they would hear from the Word of God.  It was a sweet and fruitful time.
  For some of the kids, that was their first introduction to Jesus, and for others it was just a growing and fellowship time.
  Many of the kids that were part of that group are continuing and growing in their relationship with Jesus as adults.  We have seen so many kids from that group go on various mission trips and get involved in ministry at their colleges and in their churches.

**********

I texted Ben once I knew he was going to Uganda with the guys and I told him how happy I was that he was going, and he texted me right back.

From Ben:  I have been praying for God to give me a task and it was just like, BOOM, here you go buddy! Have fun!!  

I knew that God had obviously gone before and paved the way for this all to come together and happen the way that it did, with the timing the way that it was.  It reminded me that when our prayers match the heart of God, the answer is,
 "YES."
Oh it's such a blast when we respond in prayer to what God is stirring in our hearts and  we ask Him, and He says, "YES, and HAVE FUN!!"

John 14:13-14 (NIV)

¹³ And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

***********

 For part of their time in Uganda they get to help finish building Redeemer House.  There has already been a lot of work going on and wonderful progress, as we have watched progress via pictures sent from Mulando Patrick.
It has taken all of Charlie's self-control to wait until now to GO. 
He is so proud of what they are doing there and so proud of Mulondo Patrick and many others at
 Redeemer House
 for their part in it, and their hard work.

 AND NOW, Charlie, Kole, and Ben get to join a team from xHope, the awesome ministry that takes care of Redeemer House, and come alongside them and help finish what is already going strong.
 They get to encourage and work and use the skills that He has given them to help our Ugandan brothers and sisters.

  Their mission to come alongside the people and what they are building, and share their gifts and talents in Jesus name.

Charlie and Kole will stay an extra week and stay with our bestest Ugandan Jesus loving friends from
 Christ Sanctuary International
  and serve them in ANY way they can.  It gets difficult to do anything for them as they are the most hospitable people on the planet, but maybe just maybe God will show Charlie and Kole something they can do to bless them.
 Charlie will definitely take a day and to go and see the progress on the farm that CSI has and brand any new cows they have added to the herd.

Of course  Simon will be a big part of every single thing they do there.  He will spend every minute with Charlie and Kole.  Simon is our Ugandan son and we love and miss that kid like crazy.

  Charlie will have 3
 21 year old guys to keep up with on this trip.
 I'm pretty sure, Charlie of all people is up for the challenge.
If I know Charlie he will kill himself trying to out work and out play these guys,
 and he will surely put the hurt on them in the process.

People from all over the world can learn and teach each other so much, and when we let God lead and let 

Jesus

 be the focus and the center of

 every project,

 moment,

 conversation,

 and relationship

wherever we live and wherever we GO

 we have a wonderful Jesus filled, God sized 

MISSION.

I linked the xHope web page, in case you want to learn more what their ministry.
I linked CSI web page, in case you want to learn more about their ministry.


 

Mik Takes the Mighty Plunge!!!

God hears our prayers!  Jesus saves!

Colossians 2:11-15The Message (MSG)

11-15 Entering into this fullness is not something you figure out or achieve. It’s not a matter of being circumcised or keeping a long list of laws. No, you’re already in—insiders—not through some secretive initiation rite but rather through what Christ has already gone through for you, destroying the power of sin. If it’s an initiation ritual you’re after, you’ve already been through it by submitting to baptism. Going under the water was a burial of your old life; coming up out of it was a resurrection, God raising you from the dead as he did Christ. When you were stuck in your old sin-dead life, you were incapable of responding to God. God brought you alive—right along with Christ! Think of it! All sins forgiven, the slate wiped clean, that old arrest warrant canceled and nailed to Christ’s cross. He stripped all the spiritual tyrants in the universe of their sham authority at the Cross and marched them naked through the streets.

Today on his very own, to all of our thrill and surprise, Mik stepped up and got baptized. 

 He made his decision and he was ready,

 right now,

 today,

 with no delay. 

  He stepped into that water trough like a boss while Charlie and I stood there fighting the ugly cry.

Baptism is a frequent subject around our house as Charlie has the awesome privilege of helping with baptisms at our church on a regular basis. 

 Charlie loves baptism and is passionate about it.

 I have asked Mik several times in the past what he thinks of baptism...and he has been very honest.

  He felt reluctant and unsure of what he believed. 

 I was thankful for his honesty and it broke my heart at the same time.

  I began praying for him.  I began asking God to reveal Himself in a very personal way to our son.  I began asking God to save Mik and draw Mik to Himself and to reveal His love to him.  

  In the last few months  Mik would randomly come to me with really hard questions about God.

  I knew he had a lot on his heart and in his mind, but I just let the Lord do His thing and didn't pressure him (even though I REEEEEALY wanted to.)  

  Mik has not had an easy life....he has been dealt a lot of pain and  loss and injustice in his young life.  

He wasn't sure how to make sense of all his experience in this life and what he was hearing at home and at church.  

Today Mik decided on his own he would just take the plunge and make a public confession of his faith in Jesus Christ.  

Charlie was so choked up and surprised he could hardly say the words.  

Mik did not take this decision lightly, he took it very seriously and personally and we couldn't be prouder of him or happier for him.

I know all his questions are not answered, but his heart is set to follow Jesus, and as he walks and talks with Him, over time, he will grow in his faith and in his trust.  

God will show himself faithful and trustworthy because that is who HE is and what He does.

I am doubly blessed today!!!

  I have a son who has made the public decision to follow Jesus and I have been reminded that God hears my prayers and answers with the

 love of a good good Father.

1 John 3:1English Standard Version (ESV)

3 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

Happy Anniversary To My Man! 26 Years!

To my Bofriend forever and husband for 26 years,

I love you more now than I did 26 years ago.

 I love you more than I did yesterday.

It has been watching you go thru the hard times and trials of life that have made me love you more.  The good times are good and the fun times are fun, but it's been the trials that have made me see your character come out.  

You don't ever always handle trials with calm patience, but you always work at it.  

You give life your all, and that is when I love you the most. 

Charlie Brewer, you are the hardest worker I know.  

You are the "clean up guy".  

Always the last to leave the party and the last one to leave the job.

I will say that it is when you are seeking the Lord and loving Him that I love you the most. 

 

You rock my world when I see you loving Jesus, and doing things that are out of your  crazy cowboy mind,

 and with your wild Jesus loving heart.

  When you are giving all that you have and all that you are to Him and loving Him and embracing the purpose that He has for your life, you are on fire!

You are a super dad to all our kids....It blesses me, the way that you parent.

And when you are loving on kids that aren't yours and you are giving and helping and teaching THEM, the ones that don't have your last name....my heart beats extra hard. 

 I see something in you that is so beautiful, that is so over the top.

  To me, when you are loving on these kids, and I mean in a sacrificial, over-time, physical, financial, sort of way,

you are the most like

 Jesus.  

You shine the brightest in those times.

 (maybe that's why you have so much silver hair)

Thanks for being my man!  

Thanks for all you do! 

 Thanks for all you give!

Love,  Your girlfriend forever and your wife of 26 years.

PS.  I still must confess, I first noticed you for your tight wrangler butt, and it still turns my head everytime. 

 But now, I check you out from your silver lined head

 (of which according to you, I can claim giving you each and every one)

 to the butt bottom of your denim Wranglers

 (of which according to God and the state of Oregon, I can claim as well.)

  #wranglerbutt

#stillgetsmeeverytime

Good Monday Mourning

It's a "good" Monday "mourning" for me.

It is good because we had a week of fun and blessing and celebrating and family and friends and good food and more of all the above than I can wrap my mind around......

We have a lifetime of  wonderful memories made in a short amount of time.

Cousins had a blast together!

Charlie and Justin working together AGAIN.  

Loving on my girl and my new "GRAND"

Brittany bringing life and laughter to the festivities.

Father - daughter dances are my favorite.

So, today it is good to take a deep breath and process all that has taken place.

Today is also a good mourning because there is adjustment to the new norm.

People have flown out of here like crazy.  I hate good-byes and change is never my favorite.

 We are having to adjust to the new norm of life with  my wife Charsie being married and having a whole new role in her life.

This morning as we were giving the new chore assignments, as we now don't have Charsie to keep us lined out.  I had a huge lump in my throat as I gave her chores to the other kids.  Charsie did a lot around here and it is more obvious than ever now that it's taking several of us to pick up where she left off.

Today would have been the kind of day that my girl came and brought me a special coffee from my favorite place, ordered to perfection just because she is always that thoughtful.  I had to go get my own coffee, but it made me think of her and miss her, but also made me smile and thankful for the 18 blessed years that she was all ours and now we have a new son-in-love that we get to add to the pile and that just makes the blessing pile bigger and better.

I can't wait to share more about the wedding festivities, but today it's just a 

GOOD MONDAY MOURNING!

God Sends An Angel

This beautiful lady with Lashae and Charsie, is Nancy.  

She is what I like to call my "shopping Angel."

When we were adopting Esther, Nancy showed up at church with a CLOSET for Esther. 

She clothed that girl from head to toe with never even laying an eye on her. 

 Esther was due to arrive home, from Uganda, the very next day and I was pregnant and overwhelmed with life. 

 This angel shows up with brand new beautiful EVERYTHING for our new daughter. 

 I will never forget it.

 I was blessed beyond words.

  Everything fit, everything was beautiful, and everything was a gracious gift from a Jesus loving lady with the wonderful gift of shopping and the generosity to use and share her gift abundantly.

Esther had multiple outfits including shoes for all occasions.....

church, home, school, sleep, EVERYTHING.  

It blew my mind and my heart into a hundred pieces.

It was over the top generous!

I was tapped out at the time...in every way, I could not figure out how I was going to muster all that needed to be mustered to get my daughter the things that she needed to start life in her new family, and I had less than 24 hours to figure it out when this beautiful Angel just handed over bag after bag after bag or things she had bought for our daughter.

This "shopping Angel" blessed us with gracious generosity and perfect timing.

Well, Nancy has once again BLESSED us with her gifts, talents and perfect timing.

I am tapped out. 

Without a word from me, to anybody, but to my Lord in the privacy of our own conversation about how I needed......

(I didn't know what exactly, I just knew I needed.....)

He heard me, and He knew exactly what to do,  and he sent

 THE BEST!!!

Nancy, swooped in with her shopping chariot and got my girls for the day. 

She has had a heart for Charsie  for many years, and at the exact right time she has come and taken the girls

 "all things wedding" 

shopping.

Charsie is feeling,

 loved and special and blessed and spoiled.

I'm tired and my wallet is tired, we are both ready for a break.  

Shopping is a challenge for this Nay Nay, even on my very best day.

I'm at the point I don't know what we need or how to delegate, I just know we are not done,

 but I am.

So as I'm telling God, "I need a time-out." 

 Nancy must have been saying, "Put me in God, I'm ready to go!"

He heard us both!!!  And answered bigger than I could ever imagine.

 The gift of this has been a million times beyond the "things" or the "shopping" or the "money" or the "time."

It's just blessing me from every part of my being, and such a reminder that God cares about every single detail of our lives.

He hears, He knows, and He cares!

My girls are feeling like  Princess Bride and Queen Matron of Honor,

and I'm getting to be my 3 favorite things...an introvert, a mama, and a Nay Nay at home with 4 of my favorite little people.

God is GOOD and He gives the BEST gifts!!!  He uses CRAZY AMAZING PEOPLE TO DISPLAY HIS GOODNESS AND GIFTS!!!

 TODAY HE USED NANCY (again).

AKA:  Shopping Angel!!!!

My Worlds Collide

It's so hard to live for God in this country. 

 Your comfort is so important here. 

 -  Pastor Tucker Walugega

Tucker is a dear friend, a gifted preacher and leader, a father, and a husband, but mostly a wild

 Jesus loving, God seeking, Spirit filled man.

Tucker just spent several days with us.  He spent 3 solid days of his time here fasting from food and drink.  Yes, you read correctly...he did not drink a drop for 3 solid days.  I was distraught to say the least.  This Esther Fast, as he called it, went against every hostess and comfort and American bone in my body.

I know we are called to fast and to pray, but we have even made that pretty comfortable most times.  We give up sugar or social media, or maybe coffee or pop, but this man fasted from food and water for 3 days.

He did not flaunt his fasting he only told me so that I knew why he wouldn't be joining us to eat.

Matthew 6:16New International Version 

16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.

He would come out of his room and pray with us in the evenings and act like everything was completely normal.  I was observing him like a hawk and making sure he was in his right mind. 

 He was strong and focused and full of life.

 He said the Lord keeps him strong when he does this.

 He has been doing this fast as often as God lays it on his heart, and he has been in the practice of doing it for 15 years.

 His goal in fasting is to be obedient to the word of God, and to seek the Lord and his presence in his life.

 As he denies and tunes out his flesh, he tunes into the Holy Spirit that lives in him and he is tuned into God's voice. 

 His family and his ministry team seek the Lord individually and as a team even when they are half a world away.

  His wife was fasting right along side him, but she was in Uganda. 

 That is just plain dedication, discipline, and crazy love for the Lord and for one another.

Tucker was pretty quiet for 3 days other than praying.  Sometimes praying with us, sometimes by himself and sometimes over the phone with his wife and with others that needed prayer, but very quiet other than praying.  When I would check on him,

* because I was a total wreck*

he would be fine and never uttered a complaint. 

The thing that just challenged me equally to the 3 days without food and fluid was the fact that he was pretty still for 3 days.  We can live without food and water for 3 days, but we think the world can not live without us for 3 days.  To just step out of the flow of life and seek the Lord day after day after day is so foreign and weird to me.  I get caught up in thinking that the world might stop spinning if I'm not engaged every moment or at least every day.

 So many things will be accomplished in his life and in his ministry and in his family's life because he has been quiet and praying and seeking the Lord.  He accomplished more by seeking the Lord and listening and studying the Word of God than if he had worked his head off night and day for those 3 days.

On the 4th day, Tucker got up and drank hot water with honey in it and then finally ate some food.

GLORY TO GOD!!!

  I felt relief for him and for me. :)

I was so afraid he might die or go into kidney failure on my watch.  I had no idea how to explain this to God or the authorities....kinda kidding kinda not.  

The thing that challenged me and blessed me was that he does this often, but he does it in our country, in our culture, in his country, in his culture...wherever and whenever he happens to be when God calls him to do it.

He was humble and gracious as we kept the kitchen in high production the whole time, and he never wavered.

  He could use the excuse that it is a bit extreme for American culture, but he understands and realizes that whether he is here in America or in Uganda or in China he is an alien in this world. 

 He is a follower of Jesus Christ, and he is a citizen of heaven and that is the culture and the country he conforms to. 

Philippians 3:17-21The Message (MSG)

17-19 Stick with me, friends. Keep track of those you see running this same course, headed for this same goal. There are many out there taking other paths, choosing other goals, and trying to get you to go along with them. I’ve warned you of them many times; sadly, I’m having to do it again. All they want is easy street. They hate Christ’s Cross. But easy street is a dead-end street. Those who live there make their bellies their gods; belches are their praise; all they can think of is their appetites.

20-21 But there’s far more to life for us. We’re citizens of high heaven! We’re waiting the arrival of the Savior, the Master, Jesus Christ, who will transform our earthy bodies into glorious bodies like his own. He’ll make us beautiful and whole with the same powerful skill by which he is putting everything as it should be, under and around him.

I asked for Tucker's permission to share this, he humbly consented, as he does not do it for attention or praise for himself.  He is a teacher and an example of how to live and is willing to be used to encourage others.  He gives all the praise and glory to God and wants others to experience the presence of  the Holy Spirit in their lives.

Romans 12:1English Standard Version (ESV)

A Living Sacrifice

12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers,[a] by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Adoption - It Changed Us!

Today we celebrate ADOPTION.  

November is Adoption Awareness month and today is

 Orphan Sunday. 

 I have been reflecting on what God has done in my life and in our whole family through adoption.

Back in 2010......

God had it on my heart to adopt,

Charlie did NOT have it on his heart (yet).

At.all!

 Charlie went to Uganda and met Esther, and God put it on his heart to adopt.

 BIG.TIME.

God provided for every single thing we needed to go get our girl.

The money, the courage, the faith and perseverance, the joy, the people, the paperwork, the mountains MOVED that needed moved!

All.of.it!  

We learned the beauty of saying "yes" to God.

We got blessed in ways we can't even count or explain.

We got a daughter and a whole new life and family.

We  got to be part of what God was doing.....and it changed all of our lives for the better, and forever.

We can not imagine our lives without our Ugandan daughter.

Then in 2013....
God  blessed us with Mikiyas, the most amazing Ethiopian son.  

We have learned that saying "yes" to God comes with 
huge challenges and huger blessings.

Adoption has opened our eyes and our hearts in ways that we were blind and closed to.

Adoption is by far one of the hardest things and the greatest things God has allowed us to be a part of. 

 There is not one day that goes by that we don't rely on the Lord for strength and LOVE to parent.

If we would have said,
 "no"

 it's too hard,

 too expensive,

 too scary,

 too risky,
too......(any other excuse)

 we would have missed out on some of God's biggest blessings to us and to many others that have fallen in love with these kids.

 These kids have brought us all closer to our Lord and to one another.

 It is not perfect and the story is not over, but it is crazy amazing, and I wouldn't change it for the world.

Adopting has brought the gospel to life for me; and the scriptures about God adopting me into his family, have new meaning. 

We have been graciously blessed with 2 adopted kids to raise (so far), and we have adopted Claiborne and Simon into our hearts as if they were ours.

  We provide what we can, when we can, and we love them and pray for them as one of our own. 

Ephesians 1:3-6English Standard Version (ESV)

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us[a] for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

Romans 8:15English Standard Version (ESV)

15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry,

 “Abba! Father!”

I can't imagine my life without one of these kids.

  I am so grateful to God for putting each of these adopted loves in my life and in my heart.