Even when we’re weary, life doesn’t quit throwing experiences our way. We might be at the end of our rope, exhausted, angry, frustrated, confused and life keeps going. Life doesn’t give us a “time out” just because we are a little emotional (or really emotional). However, sometimes it seems easy to check out from life when things are stressful, aggravating, demoralizing and confusing. Bottling it up seems easier than dealing with things and allowing ourselves to become numb keeps us functional.

This past week was very difficult here in our home. Amy suffered two episodes that we think were strokes. She sleeps a lot and we have a growing sense that she is going home to be with the Lord very soon. In the four years that Amy has had cancer, we have both felt many things, wrestled with our faith and clung to each other. There have been times where I have indeed checked out. There have been times when Amy and I have asked a lot of questions and doubted. There has been fear, impatience, frustration, stress and anger. The grim reaper has been a regular dinner guest and slept over our house on many a night.

On the other hand, this week will be my largest outreach to date. During the day, through my work with the Lifefaqs Foundation, our team will take UK hip-hop band, Twelve24 in to schools throughout our community sharing a message of hope to more than 3,000 students. On an entirely different track through my ministry f2fmi, we will tour youth groups in the evenings and have a massive concert on March 27th to share God’s love and celebrate all that we have accomplished throughout the week. I am sure we will see salvation spring forth throughout the area in a fantastic new way.

Needless to say, Amy and I are living in a moment with two extremes: both pain and joy. Where do we find the inspiration to move forward? Where do we get the energy to organize and execute some 27 events throughout the week whilst dealing with such a massive life issue? Because Jesus is not dead, friends! As Christians, we believe that when Jesus Christ died for our sins 2,000 years ago, He was making amends for the things that we have done wrong and when He rose from the dead, a new hope was born that there is an escape from the sickness and pain of this world.

This message is what we believe. It is our hope. What better time is there to raise the banner and to declare the mercy of God to the world than when it looks like the end is eminent? It’s not over friends — for you, for me or for Amy. Jesus’ divine blood was spilled so that by believing in Him, not one drop of human blood should be lost in our battle with death when He burst from the ground and life erupted from that empty tomb!

How do we have faith in times of trial? By remembering that Jesus has already defeated death. He has already forgiven any wrong doing we may have done. Because we know He’s already sorted everything out, if we really believe it, we can live intentionally, purposefully and passionately. We can do the unexpected; the opposite of what those who don’t believe would do — we can rejoice in mourning, we can love our enemies, we can clench on to our hope when it looks like all our luck has run out. Easter is coming soon. Let’s remember what that is all about and remember who else is coming soon too.

“Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” -Hebrews 12:3

This March, f2fmi and The Lifefaqs Foundation will launch our most aggressive mission in Southeastern Connecticut to date. Touring schools, group homes, youth groups and churches, Twelve24 will bring their message and music to teens throughout our region. Twelve24 will confront issues that teenagers face today by using their message and personal stories to influence the choices that young people are making. Bookings are coming in left and right and we expect to do more than 15 different missions during the week.

However, all this cannot happen without your help! We need to get the band here and the goal is to raise $2,500 for their airfare this month. Will you help us make history in Southeastern Connecticut? Give your gift today of any amount and it will be applied directly to the airfare of the band.

Click HERE to give a 1x gift through the Lifefaqs Foundation (Paypal) and be a part of bringing Twelve24 for their first USA appearance!

You can also send your check by mail and make it payable to:

The Lifefaqs Foundation
P.O. Box 38
Montville, CT 06353

What is a musicianary, you ask? Good question! Why we haven’t taken time to explain this in all these years is beyond us. A MUSICIANARY is a MUSIC-MISSIONARY. The term is not original… we tried to buy the domain name when we first thought of it. Apparently, others have thought of this term and all the good ones are gone.

How did f2fmi get involved with Musicianaries?
Good question! It all started when Amy and I were living in the UK. in 2004. I was a radio d.j. at the University I attended and was invited to m.c. an event with thebandwithnoname at the end of a schools week in Canterbury. I became great friends with the lead singer, chipK and was impressed with the powerful way the band presented the Christian message. They spoke a language young people could understand using MTV-style performances with singing and dancing in school assemblies, lunch time concerts, character education classes and at Friday night concerts.

On Tour with the Band
After returning to the USA, I received a book deal from Tate Publishing. As a way of cross marketing the book, I named my book after the band’s 2nd album – Schizophrenix. Then, I went on tour with the band for 2 months in 2005 running their sound, doing some preaching and sitting through dozens of auditions. At the end of the tour, there were several recruits and I opened f2fmi in Belpre, Ohio to help musicianaries get to England once they had been accepted in to a band produced by Innervation Trust.

Carissa & Kylie
The first two musicianaries that f2fmi sent to England were Carissa Jardio and Kylie Evans in 2006. Carissa was from Tampa and went to the renown hip-hop church, Crossover. Kylie was part of a dance studio in Missouri, hailing from Lee’s Summit. The two girls raised support in months and the next thing they knew, they had both landed parts in thebandwithnoname as backup dancers.

The Lodz Mission with Passion 4 People International
Another big happening in 2006 was a collaborative NGA mission to Lodz, Poland. I was recruited to direct the mission for Evangelist Brad Butcher of Passion 4 People International. I took thebandwithnoname in to the schools of Lodz leading to a concert at the end of the week for more than 800 students.

Lucy & Jennifer
The next two to go to England were Lucy Wells and Jennifer Elrod. Lucy’s parents are missionaries from England that moved to Atlanta, GA with Operation Mobilization. We sent Lucy back as a reverse-missionary to the country of her birth! Jennifer, also from Georgia raised support to be in an Innervation band. Lucy is our longest standing musicianary, performing in the all-girl pop band, tbc.

Genetik
Musicianaries were coming home before their contracts were up. We were troubled by this because of the amount of work it took to get them over there. The question was raised, “How do we prepare them better so they will stay?” Trainings were introduced. Meetings and phone conferences followed. Paperwork. The answer turned out to be using The Message Trust, another schools work organization, to train our aspiring music missionaries. The Message founded an academy for music and evangelism called Genetik. We began to send our missionaries through their program in order to see if they could cut it in the UK before offering them permanent positions in schools bands.

Ryan & Morgan
Enter Ryan Griggs and Morgan Dinerstein. When I re-opened the f2fmi office in 2007 in Connecticut, I met both Ryan and Morgan at my new home church, Calvary Chapel. Both of them were presented with the opportunity. Both of them went to Genetik. Ryan was offered an internship with The Message and toured for a semester in a new project called Genetik Revolution. When his internship was over, Ryan and the team were offered permanent roles with The Message. The band was renamed Twelve24 and thrust in to schools all over Manchester in the fall 2008.

tbc in the USA
f2fmi changed roles in 2009 from tour coordinator to regional partner. We hosted tbc in Southeastern Connecticut for one of their famous schools weeks! tbc did many shows throughout the week leading up to a main event at Connecticut College’s Palmer Auditorium for 400+. You can read the official Mission Report here.

How will f2fmi Support the work of Musicianaries in 2010?
2010 is already proving to be an exciting year. Both Ryan and Lucy will remain in the UK touring the schools in their respective bands. f2fmi remains committed to keeping them on the field and rallying support for their cause in 2 major ways:

1. f2fmi and The Lifefaqs Foundation will bring Twelve24 to Connecticut in March to tour our schools and reach students in our community!

2. f2fmi is also committed to finding another musicianary for Innervation’s tbc. Are you between 18-24? Do you rap, dance, or sing and have a passion to share your faith? Would you like to become a MUSICIANARY? For more information, click here.