What would YOU do?

What would you do with $10?

We took a quick little survey on facebook asking this question and here's what we got:

-put gas in my car

-give to an adoptive family

-put in my wallet

-video games

-treat the family to DQ

-help someone in need

-itunes gift card

-mission trips

-diapers & wipes

-vacation

SO, what would YOU do if someone handed you a $10 bill right now? 

We've looked at our budget a LOT lately... like a lot, a lot! It started when our small group went through the book Radical by David Platt and I was SMACKED in the face... wake up! If you haven't read it, do it! Oh and read '7' by Jen Hatmaker too... it'll get you thinking! Back to my point here...

The Lord just KEEPS convicting me regarding money... I look around and see so much abundance in our daily lives in the US that sometimes I don't know what happened or where to begin or WHY we think we need so much! It takes me back to the conversation I had with a Liberian man who was a street kid and now runs an orphanage and church in the sticks, often walking 10+ hours to rescue children... he looked me straight in the eyes and said...

I'm just not sure American Christians get it... we actually PRAY for our daily bread... and trust that God will provide. Once we got a glimpse into life in America, we started praying for you all more often... that you would truly have FAITH and stop relying on your pocket books and credit cards!"

Can you say GUT PUNCH?!?!?! 

So we started doing what we could to cut things out... trimming here and there where we could... our small group Bible study has been SUCH an example to us of loving extravagantly, giving everything, and making the name of Jesus known... they continue to challenge us each and every day and we are SO thankful that we've been able to walk the last couple years of life with them! Are we perfect? NO! Not at all... do we screw up? YES, absolutely! We'll be the first to admit it.

My point here is this... how can EACH OF US free up $10 a month for the Lord? 

 Starbucks run

Chick-fil-A lunch out

switching to a cheaper shampoo (dry hair is cool, just check mine out)

foregoing soda

gas station run

Whatever it may be, how can you be more intentional with your finances? Ask the Lord to show you what HE wants you to sacrifice in order to give more and make HIS name known! 

As you are asking God to show you what you can sacrifice, do so with joy... this challenge is not intended to harbor bitterness or anger in our hearts... so if you find yourself grumbling as you drive past that favorite coffee store, stop yourself and choose JOY... thank Jesus for what HE did for you... and that you even have the OPTION compared to so many! 

Would you prayerfully consider as you make these sacrifices being a part of our team? 

Help us to love on 35+ orphans each day that have no one to call mom or dad

Help us share Jesus with the 150 children that attend the Christian school we'll be serving at each day

Help us give HOPE to the 60+ children that come to the feeding program we'll be serving at each day

Help us reach out to the Solola community with the TRUTH of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior!

We need YOU! It's as simple as that! 

We currently have 11% of the monthly commitments we need to GO... but need to be at 75% before we can uproot our family... every dollar counts, every dollar matters, and every dollar gives us the opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus to the least of these! 

Would you consider making a $10 monthly commitment and INVEST a small portion of what He has given you back into His Kingdom?

CLICK TO JOIN OUR TEAM!

Love in Christ,

Dan, Christi & Malakai Aweke

How ONE was called!

A dear friend Bridget (the very one that introduced Dan & I) contacted us about a week or so ago expressing that she'd be praying about how God would use HER to help send us!

And she had a GREAT idea that I just have to share!

Bridget reached out to a blogger she'd been in contact with and asked this blogger if she would share our story on HER blog to reach more readers.... GENIUS I tell you! It is truly incredible how many messages and emails we've been receiving from people we don't even know... well, it's because of amazing friends like Bridget!

She saw a need...
She knew that the Lord calls us to GO and make disciples of all nations...
And that her role right now is a sender...
She asked the Lord how she could help...
In the midst of her crazy schedule of wife, mother, professional, and hubby in college...
And HE showed her a way!

This led her to connect us with dear Callie over at Through Clouded Glass... which, I might add, is a very thought-provoking blog. Poke around for a while, you'll find something that will challenge you!

Callie shared a story yesterday about a conversation she had with her sweetie about their role in missions... a conversation that resulted in them wanting to support missions in a more meaningful way... someday... when they could afford it! Shortly after, Bridget contacted them and the rest is history!

I just LOVE how God uses us in the midst of our every day, busy lives, right where we are! 

Check out the first part of the story here... and she'll be posting part two tomorrow!

Would you consider helping us in this way by sharing our story on your blog? 
Do you know another blogger that would be willing to do so? 
Would you share our story on facebook or twitter? 
How about ask your small group or Sunday school class to allow us to come share our story in person? 

We are currently at 11% of our monthly commitments... and we need 75% before we can go! Please continue to pray and ask the Lord to raise up the Body of believers to help send!

Good-bye is NEVER easy!

Saying good-bye is one of the hardest things... we've seen this in more than one way lately! If you think of it, please pray for the Pontiac Bible Church family... there have been some tragic deaths recently that have really shaken us!

Our dear friend Leah at Lifesong for Orphans wrote this amazing blog posting sharing about our journey on the Lifesong blog... check it out here! Now some of you are thinking, wait... they have months before they leave... yes, we do... but this momma is about to pop! So, we had such a special time together last Friday celebrating all that the Lord has been doing through Lifesong and they blessed me with an amazing gift and a card that I couldn't read AT the party... cause I knew I'd lose it... THE BIG UGLY CRY type of lose it! :)

So, my last day is officially March 9th with the Lifesong crew... and it's definitely bittersweet!

Lifesong Family - there are on words to describe the impact you've had on our lives! Serving the least of these with you has been amazing.... seeing the Lord work through each of you is SUCH a blessing... I honestly pinched myself so many times and was just in AWE of the fact that God would allow us such a blessing to work with such amazing, selfless people! Your hunger for the Word and your passion to spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth is contagious, beautiful, and unlike anything I've ever been a part of before! May God continue to bless the work of your hands! 
-Christi

Our Home!

One of the biggest hurdles to this journey of faith that the Lord has called us to is selling our home. Along with doing so comes a lot of fear if we are really honest!

Would you please join us in PRAYER as we ask the Lord to send a buyer to purchase our home?

If you are local, would you please share on your blog, facebook page, bulletin board at your PTO meeting, or plaster on your forehead for all to see?!?!? :)

Here it is y'all... please send us an email at ucherek1 AT hotmail DOT com if you have any questions. We'd love to chat with you, just don't feel comfortable sharing our phone number on the world wide web, so we'll be glad to respond with that individually! :)

Details:
Just outside of Chenoa & Fairbury, IL (located in Weston)
Yates Township, McLean County, 0.58 acres
Prairie Central School District
1,512 square foot, 2 story
4 bedroom, 2 full baths
full, unfinished basement
vinyl siding
1 car detached garage
NEW in 2008: septic system
NEW in 2009: central air, HE furnace, HE 80 gal water heater, copper plumbing throughout, 200 amp electrical service, most windows, hardwood flooring & ceramic tile, blown-in insulation in exterior walls
NEW in 2010: roof, back porch, concrete sidewalks, gravel driveway, new carpet throughout
*Completely remodeled throughout, including kitchen, bathrooms, and all fixtures

Front of Home: 

Side View:

Back Porch:

Sidewalk to garage & driveway:

Back Entry: 

1st Floor Bathroom: 

Kitchen: 

Dining Room: 

1st Floor Bedroom: 

Living Room: 

Front Entry: 

Stairway: 

Upstairs Hallway: 

Upstairs Bedroom #1: 

Upstairs Bedroom #2: 

Upstairs Bedroom #3: 

Upstairs Bathroom Photos Coming Soon! New tile is currently being installed! 

*Serious inquires only. Thank you so much! 

Part 4... will you take the step? GIVEAWAY

If you missed out on the first parts of our story, check them out here: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3

Will YOU take the first step? 

In our last post we shared about this little sweetie that turned our lives inside out and helped us to see Christ's love in a whole new way!

You see, God tells us to love each other unconditionally... those that may get on our nerves, co-workers that we don't work easily with, etc.... BUT we've never before been challenged with loving someone 24 hours a day, 7 days per week, that pushed us away, rejected us, and did NOT want to be in our home. This sweet boy has taught us more in the 8 months that he's been in our home about Christ's love for EACH OF US than anything else in our lives! He has blessed us more than we will EVER be able to bless him!

After our first trip to Ethiopia, we both knew the Lord was calling us to overseas mission work. Our hearts were once again broken by the plight of the orphan, the vulnerable, and the outcast...

As we returned home... we were broken-hearted. Not only had we left our son on the other side of the globe, but we also left a country and people that we had grown to love dearly in one short week.

We again started to pray.... we KNEW God was calling us to serve overseas and we made a commitment that we would take steps of faith as He opened doors!

So we continued to pray... 4 LONG weeks after our first trip to Ethiopia we returned to be re-united with our son and bring him HOME forever. Our hearts and minds were consumed for many, many weeks with helping him transition, being the consistent in this life, and making sure we were doing all we could to bond and attach with this sweet boy. However, we still prayed whenever we could for the Lord to reveal HIS plan. We could NOT return unchanged!

As the Lord does in HIS time, He started to open some doors and slam others shut... we soon knew that He was calling us to Guatemala to serve full time! We had a few different options for serving in Guatemala, but felt particularly drawn to Eagle's Nest International and the work that they are doing. You see, our hearts are to serve the orphan, show them what a family is, to reach out to a lost community, to bring hope to the hurting, and love like we've never loved before. We took a trip this past December asking the Lord to give us clarity as we served together and HE made it abundantly clear that we are to serve at Eagle's Nest.

For many of the children living at Eagle's Nest, it is the ONLY home they have ever known... it is where they will form their idea of a 'family' even though we all wish they could be in a family rather than an orphanage. For others, Eagle's Nest will be a refuge and a safe haven where they can learn about Jesus and His great plans for their lives!

We plan to move to Guatemala, Lord willing, this coming June to serve at Eagle's Nest International. Some of the ways we will be serving include providing holistic orphan care to the 35 children living at the home and will continue to bring in more children as we are able. We have a fantastic opportunity to reach out to the community through the Manna feeding program, a sports ministry, and a new music ministry that Dan will be launching! In addition, we'll serve the Sololá community through outreach and evangelism, a Christian school, and New Birth Church. We're incredibly humbled that God has provided so many opportunities to minister to those in need! 






Along with this step of faith comes a lot of uneasiness if we are really honest with ourselves and with you! We're doing all we can to sell our belongings, sell our home, and prepare our hearts! We've also humbly asked many of you to consider reaching out to your pastor, small group, or Sunday school class to allow us the opportunity to share this story... knowing that God can use it to plant many seeds! 

We need you! It's as simple as that! 

We can't go until we have 75% of our need in monthly commitments so that we can effectively minister to the Sololá community and care for our family! That's where YOU come in! 

Would you consider giving $10 and telling 10 of your friends? It's that simple! 

We need your partnership.... through prayer, through giving, and through telling others! 

Even if you can't give... do you have 10 friends that you could share our story with? 

NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY - 

*** This giveaway is over. The winner is ANN MARIE RONSMAN!! Congrats Ann Marie, you are truly a blessing in our lives! 


To sweeten the pot a bit, an amazing friend, Dawn Patterson has created the BEAUTIFUL necklace below... AND THROWN IN A $50 FUNKY FISH GIFT CARD!!! 

This necklace is not only handmade, it is also a beautiful reminder of the NEST or place of refuge each of us is so privileged to have... a safe home is something we often take for granted... our prayer is that each time you put this necklace on you will pray for each of the children living at Eagle's Nest and that as you wear it in public, it provides many opportunities for you to share about God's heart for the orphan! 

For each FIVE DOLLARS you donate, you'll be entered into a drawing for this FABULOUS necklace and gift card! 

Click HERE to donate. 

*IMPORTANT: Please come back and leave a comment or email us at ucherek1 AT hotmail DOT com to let us know you've entered the giveaway! 

Giveaway will be open from now until 2/29 at midnight and we'll announce the winner on March 1st! 

Thank you Dawn for your amazing generosity and your heart to spread the Gospel to the nations! You are truly a blessing to so many!