Journey of Shawn Peoples' Walk in Grace!

Well, this week has been a tough week. We enjoyed our time in PA with the Henz's and Community Fellowship during their Global Awakening weekend. Unfortunately, Haleigh lost her favorite stuffed animal named Ernie when we left. Fortunately, Ray went to the hotel and found it. Wheeewwww. We had exactly 12 hours to relax when we got home before Michelle and I traveled to Kettering Hospital for my surgery. Now after 3 days, I am still sore and a little tired. It has been hard to get motivated these past few days. I have been in and out of sleeping on the couch in the basement and did not get anything done that I wanted to get done. This weekend, we will begin working on letters to send out for support. We need to get some printing done this next week to get those letters out and need to begin to work on our website to give people a glimpse of what we will be doing while starting up the church in Hawaii. So this next week will be incredibly busy. On a different note, pray for Harlan a...

Well, it has been an interesting couple of days here in Hawaii. The enemy put on a full court pressure to get me to tell God no to Hawaii. However, we have fought thru and believe that the invitation is still there. I am amazed at how God is working and what He might do this our church plant. There is a young lady named Ariana that has lead most of her family to Jesus and shared with me that her family wants a church closer to Kaneohe. We are still praying whether to start in Kaneohe or Kailua. So we will put this to God and see what happens. We head home tonight and are looking forward to seeing our kids. I am not looking forward to the drive from Little Rock to Memphis when we land and then Memphis to Ohio on Wednesday. I hope jet-lag doesn't set in until Thursday for me. Then we head to Pennsylvania either Friday or Saturday for a Global impact Celebration. Then home Monday and surgery on Tuesday. I'm ready for October to be here. Thanks for praying for us, keep praying as...

Last night we had an opportunity to join Harlan in his Friday night tutoring and bible study. I got to share from John 17:3 about eternal life being defined by our knowing God. At the end of the study, 6 Chuukese students turned from their sin and turned to Jesus. After eating with the rest of the group, two gang members approached me with the question how do I go to heaven. One said that he knew he needed to become a Christian but didn't know how. After about 30 minutes of questions and answers, they both surrendered to Jesus. I remember just before they prayed, I asked both of them what is worth going to hell for? What they did not want God to take away from them? One answered "his boys". I think we see gangs as this dangerous group of young men who will bust a cap in you the moment you come around their turf. However, it is really a group of boys who are needing community. There is strength in numbers and these boys find strength in being together. After both of the bo...

For most of you when you read this it is still morning here in Hawaii. The Father has been so good to me this morning. Several people have sent us encouragement and given us scriptures that have thrilled my heart. Isaiah 26:3 has been on my heart since Tim Wheat shared it with me through Twitter last night. This morning a song is my theme. Tedashii's "Make War" is where I am this AM. Continue to pray for us today as we war against selfishness, sin and Satan. Here are the lyrics: [Intro: John Piper] I hear so many Christians, murmuring about their imperfections, And their failures, and their addiction, and their shortcomings. And I see so little war! Murmur, murmur, murmur. Why am I this way? Make war! [Verse 1: Tedashii] Bang with me, ba-bang bang, ba-bang with me No more playing games mane Cause this thang can get risky So mane if you into Christ, Take up!! your cross quickly Stand fearless on the front-line Time to come with it, do the right thing Wake up!! And let...

Michelle and I are currently in Hawaii. As we have driving around today, I have been reminded by the enemy how impossible it is for me to insert my life back into Hawaii and reach people bringing them to a relationship with Christ. I have been fighting all night and day with being overwhelmed with how much I cannot do. As we drive around Kaneohe ad Kailua, I see that I don't know this place much anymore. Things have changed and I am not a local kid. The enemy used a good friend to discourage me today. He asked the question whether anyone coming with us had a seminary degree. This always reminds me that I don't have a degree and that I am not qualified (by man's terms) to lead a church. It has been a rough day. I have never felt so out of place here in Hawaii. So as I write, I want to let you know what the enemy has done to me today, not to question what God has invited us to, but to get desperate with me and beg God for some clarity and for us to see where in these towns He...

It has been a little while since I last wrote. I spent my last week as the Youth Pastor at Urbancrest Baptist Church last week. I thought I would be a little emotional when finishing my last week, but I found myself calm and reserved (maybe that was the emotional, for most of you that know me I am not reserved). I have a great excitement for our students and Aaron Taylor, their new leader. I have come to admire him and do feel he will be a much better leader than I was, which is exactly what is needed right now for our students. But enough about that, here is what is going on in our world. Michelle and I are headed to Hawaii wednesday with a couple of friends. One of those, Allie Kappes, is giving up a year of her life to work with Harlan Nakasome and the Chuukese people on Oahu. Allie decided right after our last trip there to spend a year as a missionary. While there, Michelle and I will be looking for opportunities to meet people and see where God is working. We are praying that G...