So much to share, but I don't want to over share and just bore you... so here is a video of the Summer MK stuffs!
It was a great summer, full of fun and growth and amazing times with my boys! I'm grateful that Creed and Asher could join me for their first mission trip to Missouri and the MKs first trip since before COVID-19. I'm glad MK is mostly all back and for an amazing time kicking off this year with Sky Ranch and the amazing Greg Pruett as our guest speaker. He spoke on the power of prayer, and it was amazing the impact it has had on the group. We are growing and are now averaging attendance in the 30s as opposed to the 20s. Not that numbers count, but it is nice to have more MKs to love on! I'm finishing up a series on Trusting God this next week and then we are off to the rest of the Fall adventures. God is good and is faithfully using your support to advance his Kingdom here in Dallas. Please keep praying for us and thanks for being a part of this adventure! We are excited to already be planning a return to Jamaica next summer.
Blessings,
Caleb
If you want to support what I do a little or a lot, on a one time basis or with recurring gifts, click on the tab "Supporting the Work" at the top of the page and sign up for Chase Quickpay. You can then send your donation to HCLC - Caleb Robbins Ministry using my e-mail address caleb_robbins@sil.org. If you would like further instructions on setting that up, please click on the link at the top right of the page called How to give. Or feel free to contact me directly! 214 558 8431.
Another way to donate to the ministry is via check. If you write a check to "Holy Cross Lutheran Church" and put "Caleb Robbins Ministry" in the memo line, it will get deposited into my ministry account.
The address is:
Holy Cross Lutheran Church
4400 W Arkansas Ln
Arlington, TX 76016
Diane is my beautiful wife and the mother of my precious children Creed 14, Asher 11, Liam 10, Echo already in heaven, Bella 6, and Serenity 5 years old.
So........ this blog will be more like a vlog than a blog... starting with a great slide show! I hope you like it!
It was so powerful meeting and worshiping and seeing the healing that happened with these amazing refugees in the refugee city of Dzaleka. 55,000 refugees with about 333 coming in every month. This place could look on the outside like a place that God has abandoned, but what I discovered was that God is the God of this refugee camp and His Kingdom is forcefully advancing here!
This song was reinvented by these awesome singers! The Holy Spirit came into the room and we took our normal song and made it one worthy of heaven! I got it on video and I hope you enjoy it! God says "the poor can count on me and so can orphans. I see the trouble and distress and I will do something!" Amen!
Here is some singing from our closing ceremony! Simret (on the far right) from Ethopia and one of the facilitators taught them a song from her culture and language and they added it into their medley. The singing in the closing ceremony was so beautiful!
Here is a time lapse video of the outside of the church that you have just seen the inside of. A little taste of Africa. We were at this venue the second week, the church is in the middle of the refugee camp.
Here is the forgiveness ceremony and a little of the amazing singing. We were gathered around the baptismal in the front of the church.
A testimony of forgiveness from Sheila (with her permission of course). The week prior, we did the ceremony with the refugees we were training to be healing group facilitators with the participants the following week. Sheila didn't want to do the ceremony. She had vowed never to forgive her mom for abandoning her when she was a baby! A voice told her not to come and that she would be uncomfortable, but another voice told her to go anyway. She came to the ceremony and finally forgave her mom for abandoning her to go to Canada with a man who said "I don't want any children, but you can come." She was still young enough to be nursing. She grew up going from house to house in the camp, constantly watching family after family get to leave and going through a lot of sexual abuse from the "fathers" in the families that took her in. She had every reason to be bitter and angry and make that vow, only God had a better plan to set her free and give her the impossible gift of forgiveness. She took it and with a huge smile shared her story and ended it by saying "I'm finally free." She even came to understand why her mom left - her family was starving and her mom and sister told her that leaving was the best option. Sheila came to know God was real when one night after being kicked out of another home and being forced to sleep on the street of a refugee camp all night as a girl, she woke up and hadn't been raped or abused in any way. Her story amazed me and encouraged me and helped me see some of what God wanted to do through me on this trip.
Here is a tour of where I spent my first week! After that is a tour of where I was staying ( a 40-60 minute drive from the camp). I got to drive the first week and that was a lot of fun.
Simon told me his story and it broke my heart. But he is someone who has so much ambition to make a difference. After sharing his ideas with me, I prayed and decided that one way that I can help him is be a voice for him. So this video is his plea for some help to get a festival funded for the camp as a way to bring some hope. I hope to get it cleaned up a bit and repost it, but for now here it is. If you are interested in helping him fund his festival, please reach out to me and let me know and I'll tell you where you can donate.
This kind of thing can get really long, so for now I'll just end with one last story that really touched me and thank you for your prayers and for partnering with me in this ministry! God is doing mighty things and I'm so grateful that I get to be used because you have been used to send me! Together we are seeing God's Kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven!
Koko came from the Democratic Republic of Congo, meaning that he and I were born in the same place! When he was 8 his father abandoned the family and Koko began his long and hard journey of suffering. At 11 soldiers came and sexually abused his sister so badly that she was hospitalized and since has never been able to have another menstrual cycle (causing her much shame and pain and to wonder if she is really a woman). To avoid this happening again his family fled into the forest. During their escape mom was lost and they couldn't go back and find her. He doesn't know if she is alive, but he chooses to believe that they will see each other again. Now Koko lives in a camp with his sister and Aunt and Uncle. He sleeps every night in their shop as security. They have already lost everything in the shop multiple times. He sleeps about 4 hours a day, using whatever time he has after school and chores to study so that hopefully he can get a scholarship someday. He rents a wheelbarrow to haul the gallons of water to his house every day. That money is precious to him, but the chore is very challenging and he was developing some bad symptoms from the toll it was taking on his body. He doesn't want his sister to have to haul the water so he keeps his pain to himself. Koko was the most natural facilitator I have ever met. At 19 he was so full of empathy and hope and humor and ingenuity. He asked me about my life because he knew listening was healing and wanted to give me that gift. He did the "Pain to the cross" ceremony with his sister and cried with her as she took her pain to Jesus. He is planning to raise chickens one day in the hopes that he can get some extra money for his family! I was so encouraged and amazed when he bought balloons for an activity we were doing. He came early and put in the work every day! Koko became one of my heroes and his testimony amazes me and challenged me!
Please pray for Koko and Simon and Sheila and let the testimonies encourage you that we serve a God who does the impossible! His love is reaching and freeing those all around, here and abroad! Thank you for being a part of it!
Blessings,
Caleb
If you want to support what I do a little or a lot, on a one time basis or with recurring gifts, click on the tab "Supporting the Work" at the top of the page and sign up for Chase Quickpay. You can then send your donation to HCLC - Caleb Robbins Ministry using my e-mail address caleb_robbins@sil.org. If you would like further instructions on setting that up, please click on the link at the top right of the page called How to give. Or feel free to contact me directly! 214 558 8431.
Another way to donate to the ministry is via check. If you write a check to "Holy Cross Lutheran Church" and put "Caleb Robbins Ministry" in the memo line, it will get deposited into my ministry account.
The address is:
Holy Cross Lutheran Church
4400 W Arkansas Ln
Arlington, TX 76016
Diane is my beautiful wife and the mother of my precious children Creed 14, Asher 11, Liam 10, Echo already in heaven, Bella 6, and Serenity 5 years old.
I'm sorry that it takes me so long to get these things out.... I have had a crazy busy and fun summer and I haven't even talked about the India trip of joy and delight yet. Oh well, I will take the trips one at a time and get some more news out, but for today we are just talking about India.
Some bizarre stories - the line to get checked in took just about 2 hours and left us racing to get to the plane. When we got to India there was a storm that created havoc and made us 2 hours late to the training. God used this to give the local facilitators more confidence, and the training was off to a weird but great start. I enjoyed the facilities, especially the roof top where I saw so many cool animals and sunrises. Jet lag wasn't that big a deal this time and it was great getting to know people better and feel like God was working and healing and changing lives. One powerful conversation happened on the roof where a participant was washing and drying his clothes. He shared about the hurt he has experienced with his family and the wrongs his Uncle had done. With tears he shared the bitterness and forgiveness that he was working out and through. It was an honor to pray with him.
The next week we did a training in a completely different part of India. It was like leaving crazy busy over crowded land for the hospitality of Elrond and the elves of Rivendell. God worked powerfully there as well and many people found healing for their wounds. It is always so incredible the way that God's word works in people around the world, regardless of who they are. When we read, sing or just hear His Word it changes us!
Here are the amazing pictures from the trainings and adventures. I got to go to some really pretty places and I'm very grateful for that! God loves India and is doing great work there to bring His Kingdom. I'm so thankful that I get to be a small part of it! Please listen to the testimony at the end of this and if you like, watch the silly garden tour as well.
A highlight and very special treat was the long layover I had on the way home in Helsinki. I got to take a train to a ferry and over to an island that was really fun to tour. It was so special getting to see things that I may never get a chance to see again in my life. I love history and the island had some "Hobbit houses" on it, that was so fun!
Here is a powerful testimony by one of the participants! I know it will encourage you!
As always I want to say a huge thank you for making these kinds of trips possible! Thanks for your financial contributions that go all the way over to India and reach lives that are hurting! Thanks for your prayers that cover and protect me and my family while I travel, thank you for your encouragement that spurs me on and picks me up on the really hard days and for being faithful to be there for my family when I can't be. I love you and I'm so grateful for the way that God is using you to advance his Kingdom around the world!
Here is a long... but hopefully fun, video of the second place I stayed and the beautiful garden!
Blessings,
Caleb
If you want to support what I do a little or a lot, on a one time basis or with recurring gifts, click on the tab "Supporting the Work" at the top of the page and sign up for Chase Quickpay. You can then send your donation to HCLC - Caleb Robbins Ministry using my e-mail address caleb_robbins@sil.org. If you would like further instructions on setting that up, please click on the link at the top right of the page called How to give. Or feel free to contact me directly! 214 558 8431.
Another way to donate to the ministry is via check. If you write a check to "Holy Cross Lutheran Church" and put "Caleb Robbins Ministry" in the memo line, it will get deposited into my ministry account.
The address is:
Holy Cross Lutheran Church
4400 W Arkansas Ln
Arlington, TX 76016
Diane is my beautiful wife and the mother of my precious children Creed 14, Asher 11, Liam 10, Echo already in heaven, Bella 6, and Serenity 5 years old.
We are in full garden mode and nothing can stop us! We got a Diane and she is focused and ready. We have begun planting the flowers and the peppers and all the rest and it is wonderful to see God bring things back to life and to feel a little brought back to life ourselves! He is Risen!
I took advantage of a free mulch drop and realized that I had gotten waaaaaaaaaay more than I needed... so my friends encouraged me to Tom Sawyer the whole thing and I did! I gave away FREE mulch on Facebook market place and have reduced my giant pile to almost nothing. Yay for community. Also yay for a back yard that no longer is covered in mud...
Family is so precious and we are in birthday mode, having celebrated Creed (15) and Serenity (6) and Liam being inducted into the National Honor Society. So much to celebrate! Diane always keeps dinner interesting, she introduced fish in all its glory, bones eyeballs and all! We are cooking as a family under her great leadership and taking time to prioritize relationship with each other!
But when dinner just feels like too much work we go to Sonic... sometimes... sort of. Any way this was a fantastic sign that COVID is waning in Duncanville, the playground at Sonic was open and we had a great time watching the kids play tag and running around and getting sandy.
We all want to stay on Diane's good side as she had learned axe throwing recently and is dangerous from about 15 feet now. It was so fun to go axe throwing at a friends birthday party and I love this picture of her so much I wanted to add it to the mix.
Diane and I have battled the crazy busy life and decided to get a date in once a week. We takes turns and just try and make it happen! On one of my weeks, I took us to get pedicures. It was my first time and I was horrified at how much skin came off my feet. It's great to keep it interesting.
I really enjoyed getting to speak in a church recently and share a little about my life growing up. I wanted to share these pictures with you of one of my early sermons at a church in Africa, I think I was 18. The other picture is of me in (I'm guessing) 6th grade... but I'm not sure. Who knew that little guy would have such a cool future and would still be preaching :).
MK is going really well and it is a privilege to be in person and mask free and back to doing so many fun events. We went camping and made homeless bags and go to coffee shops and Mondays are always fun with the great games my leaders come up with.
Right now we are finishing up the year and getting ready for our summer program. We have graduation coming soon and the pool opening and all the fun May stuff. It has been so long since we have been able to do these events!
I'm going through a series called "Failure to Launch" with my Seniors and it is going really well. I'm trying to answer the problem of adolescents failing to transition to adulthood. One of the issues we are talking about is how to develop internal motivation instead of relying only on external motivation, like setting your own alarm to wake up instead of relying on mom or dad to get you up.
Please be praying for me in May! I hope to go to Asia for 2 weeks to lead a Trauma Healing workshop and that is the beginning of a busy traveling season for me! I covet your prayers as I seek to parent better and lead MK well and re-enter a somewhat unfamiliar rhythm of life that I like to call Emerging from COVID.
Thank you so much for your partnership and prayers in this ministry! I couldn't do this without you and need your prayers and support to continue on! We see His kingdom come together in the harmony that God provides! You are amazing and God is working and doing amazing things because of you!
God is teaching me a lot about healing from some of the wounds I've received these last few years as I've watched some dear MKs walk away from their faith and seen some relationships get broken. I love the poem "If'" by Rudyard Kipling.... "If you can see the things you gave your life to broken and stoop and build them up with worn out tools"... I feel like that is a season I'm in right now. I'm learning to delight in my weakness and to know God in that place, the place where Christ's power rests on me and hope gets reborn. Thanks for your understanding and faithfulness to walk with me through all this!
Love you all so much!
Blessings,
Caleb
If you want to support what I do a little or a lot, on a one time basis or with recurring gifts, click on the tab "Supporting the Work" at the top of the page and sign up for Chase Quickpay. You can then send your donation to HCLC - Caleb Robbins Ministry using my e-mail address caleb_robbins@sil.org. If you would like further instructions on setting that up, please click on the link at the top right of the page called How to give. Or feel free to contact me directly! 214 558 8431.
Another way to donate to the ministry is via check. If you write a check to "Holy Cross Lutheran Church" and put "Caleb Robbins Ministry" in the memo line, it will get deposited into my ministry account.
The address is:
Holy Cross Lutheran Church
4400 W Arkansas Ln
Arlington, TX 76016
Diane is my beautiful wife and the mother of my precious children Creed 14, Asher 11, Liam 10, Echo already in heaven, Bella 6, and Serenity 5 years old.
I hope you enjoyed that slide show! I got to play it at the talent show fundraiser that the MK just hosted and when I spoke at church to let my congregation know what we have been up to! I'm so grateful that we are finally able to meet regularly in person in our normal venue again and I'm pumped for all the things that God is bringing back this year as we get more and more used to COVID-19 and learn how to live through and around it. I have a mission trip, a camping trip, and Camp on the books already this year and it feels so so good... please pray for God's favor in all of these endeavors.
The picture just below shows how powerful it is to have Nick lead us in worship and to feel the Spirit moving! We haven't had a regular worship time and leader for awhile and I'm so grateful for Nick stepping in to help. Maybe one day we will have an MK team from the group leading us again. Worship is so powerful!
I got to help lead another Trauma Healing Equipping. It was great to be a part of the weekend training! I loved the other leaders and was grateful to be able to move them along in their training. The group was so fun and full of spiritually rich people. It was fun to be used by God in this way.
We just MLK day off from school and work (mostly) and filled it to brimming with family activities! Diane got the kids to write down all the things they wanted to do and they did almost all of them. Here was the hike we went on at the end of the day just before I had to go to the Talent Show, which was amazing! We have an MK who is a concert-level Pianist...it was truly awesome! We have so many cool talents in our midst.
Diane and I take turns planning a date for each other each week. She took me to a great Ethiopian restaurant where I got to meet Dak Prescott. It was so special, what a great wife!
One of the highlights of the new year was getting to go on the college retreat. They planned it and pulled it off and I just got to go and enjoy it. During one of our sharing times, Andrew washed all of our feet. It's awesome seeing true servant leadership in this group. It really meant a lot to me to share this time with these amazing young adults. I left feeling very encouraged.
We recently went on an adventure to IKEA to get some big boxes for the kids to play in. Since we didn't get them any interesting Christmas presents we thought we owed them something. They begged to sleep in them over night... but they don't insulate too well when it is 20 outside... and the security locks are dubious. We also thought it was cool that some furniture came with the boxes.
One of the coolest family traditions that I married into was this candle light ceremony! We all talked about our year and our hopes for the next year to come. It was so special hearing my family share about their love for God and desire to keep following him more in the new year!
Other Christmas fun! We slept in the garage, we had a great time with my parents and Diane's and we ate and drank and celebrated an amazing birthday!
I wanted to see if I could spend an hour with my family just reading and enjoying some quiet fun together without the TV or games or anything. I've heard about this and that introverts kind of like it but I had never thought that the 7 of us could do it. We did enjoy some great times in the morning being together in body and giving our attention to the Lord. It was nice to feel together while doing devotions and I was so impressed with my girls for being able to enjoy the time so much!
One of the coolest events we did as a family was drive through of the zoo lights. An hour of fun, seeing some amazing combinations of lights and video, so awesome!
And then of course we did our annual Hobbit/Lord of the Rings party. It was good for my heart (as it always is) to be around so many awesome friends for this beloved event! What great movies and fellowship!
We threw a great Christmas party for the MKs this year! We had a picture station and here you can see the cool people I get to serve with. I got a gnome in the White Elephant gift exchange...I've found that I really like decorating with gnomes.
My girls got to meet Buddy the Elf from the play "Elf-The Musical" that Village Tech did. It was such a cool show and so much fun!
I loved getting to hang out with the amazing MJ when she came back for Christmas break! We could have talked for hours! She is so cool.
The classic Christmas parade is back! Yay!
Finally a picture of the MK family hanging out at a coffee shop on the first Friday of the month. I'm so grateful for this ministry and that you make it possible! God is working and doing amazing things in and through this group and you are a part of that! So thankful for you!
This verse really inspired me recently, I've never considered how gentle it isn't. A spur isn't a gentle tool, but it does give a great image of how important it is that we live in community and care about the people around us. I hope you take the time to watch the clip that I've included after the picture, it creates a cool image of what it can be like for us to live in community, really caring about moving forward together! Those who go together go far and the race is long! Thank you for all the ways you have spurred me on and continue to spur me on! The walk is important and sometimes I need a really good spur to the side to encourage me to be what I need to be! Grateful for you!
Love you all so much!
Blessings,
Caleb
If you want to support what I do a little or a lot, on a one time basis or with recurring gifts, click on the tab "Supporting the Work" at the top of the page and sign up for Chase Quickpay. You can then send your donation to HCLC - Caleb Robbins Ministry using my e-mail address caleb_robbins@sil.org. If you would like further instructions on setting that up, please click on the link at the top right of the page called How to give. Or feel free to contact me directly! 214 558 8431.
Another way to donate to the ministry is via check. If you write a check to "Holy Cross Lutheran Church" and put "Caleb Robbins Ministry" in the memo line, it will get deposited into my ministry account.
The address is:
Holy Cross Lutheran Church
4400 W Arkansas Ln
Arlington, TX 76016
Diane is my beautiful wife and the mother of my precious children Creed 14, Asher 11, Liam 10, Echo already in heaven, Bella 6, and Serenity 5 years old.
