Our Newest Addition is Finally Here!

We are so excited that God has chosen to bless us with our 7th child, Elliot Jude.  He was born Monday, May 12, 2014.  He has the sweetest personality and I already wonder how I ever lived without him.  His name means "The Lord is my God; The One who is praised."  We named him after the missionary, Jim Elliott, and pray that God would choose to use him mightily for His kingdom.  At his birth, the midwife showed us his umbilical cord and said it was truly a miracle that he was alive.  His cord was tied in a knot which, in many cases, causes stillbirth and his cord was wrapped around his neck twice. We praise The Lord, who knits us together so perfectly and then sustains the life that only He can create.  I feel so completely blessed that we have the privilege of being parents to seven, healthy, awesome children.  I pray that we bring them up in a way that will please God and bring Him glory.

Many people have continued to ask when we will be on the field.  To that,  we can just say, in God's perfect timing.  We are praying and seeking opportunities to speak about the work which God has called us to and are eager to be on the field serving.  But, in all things, we are praying and waiting.  He alone knows the exact minute we are to leave.  We will go through training in July with Reaching & Teaching so that we will be better prepared to work as missionaries.  We are so excited to get to work with such great people who truly love The Lord.

We are needing partners to help us to be able to take the Gospel to the people of Nicaragua. We are not able to do this without your help. We need people who will pray fervently and give to further God's work. You may not be able to go on a trip, but with your gift, you can be a part of what God is doing in Nicaragua.

Taking the Good News

As a homeschooling family, we get the opportunity to incorporate the biographies of missionaries into our curriculum.  This has been the biggest blessing, not only to our children who love to hear the stories, but also to me.  This week, as we were hurrying to finish up the school day and move on to our next venture in the day, we read a story in our book the has really challenged us.  This isn't a new theme, as God seems to be relaying this message to us through Bible study and through our pastor's messages.  God has been telling us to make our time count.  Don't waste any precious minutes because they may be our last opportunity to share Jesus with a soul who doesn't know Him.  Or, Jesus may return and we would be out of time.  He said to work while there is day because night comes when no man can work.  Also, He tells us that the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few, so pray for God to send out more laborers into the harvest.

My eyes and heart were opened as we read this past week about the missionary, Hudson Taylor.  We have all heard the importance of missions our whole lives and some even answer the missionary call, but this story really took hold of my heart and a new fire to share the gospel was ignited.  I  had to share with Rick, who was equally as touched by the story.

Hudson Taylor was a missionary to Ningpo, China.  He had a heart for the people there, but he had a heart for Jesus.  He believed that God would supply everything he needed, he just had to ask.   God always supplied everything right on time, just as he has promised us in His Word.  If you never have read his biography, it is so great.  I highly recommend it.  The part I wanted to share was one particular instance in Taylor's ministry.  He had been preaching in Ningpo for a year with no one taking the gospel seriously.  He was severely disheartened and wanted to give up, when a highly respected Chineseman shared his testimony about how he and his father and his grandfathers had searched for truth their whole lives, looking into Confucianism, Taosim, and Buddhism.  He said they had never found peace in any of those, but that night, this man gave his heart to The Lord.  A few nights later, he asked Taylor how long the people where he was from had known about Jesus.  Taylor told him they had known for hundreds of years.  The man was so hurt and said that his father and grandfather had died searching for this truth and never found it.  He wanted to know why he had waited so long to share it.  This former Buddhist lived out the Great Commission from that point on telling everyone he met about Jesus because he knew first hand the importance of sharing this truth.

I know that a lot of times we get caught up in our day to day activities that lost people going to Hell just don't cross our mind.  But, God is touching someone's heart and causing them to search for Him.   It is our job to be so in tune with Him, that everything else pales in light of what we are to be doing for the Kingdom.  I pray that we would have a passion to see others around us come to Jesus and that we would start in Jersualem, go out into Judea and then out into the ends of the earth.  After all, "The gospel is only good news if it gets there in time." Carl F. H. Henry

Where would God have you work for Him?  Ask Him what you should be doing for Him and He just might surprise you at who you are to be sharing with.

The Vision

God has given us a vision and we want to make sure God is going before us. As I read in "My Utmost for His Highest" it was a good reminder.

"The only way God sows His saints is by His whirlwind. Are you going to prove an empty pod? It will depend on whether or not you are actually living in the light of what you have seen. Let God fling you out, and do not go until He does. If you select your own spot, you will prove an empty pod. If God sows you, you will bring forth fruit.
It is essential to practise the walk of the feet in the light of the vision."

As you notice in the picture, the people of Nicaragua are hungry for the Word. It is our desire as in Romans 10:14-15 to go and help in bringing the gospel to them. But also remembering a quote from Elizabeth Elliot, "Wherever you are, be all there".  My prayer lately has been that we would not waste a breath and that anything we do that would bring glory to His name.  We want to "be all there" in the today, in the very breath of where God has our family right now.  It is hard to wait on God's timing when a passion burns in your heart to be where you believe He has called.  But, ultimately, His hand has us here, and there is work to be done in our lives and in the lives of those around us.  It is equally as exciting when you look at it in that light.  What does He have in store for these next months?  We don't know, but we know the One who does.

When people ask us what our timeline is for being on the field, to that we answer, we don't know.  Whenever God gets us there.  We are praying that He would bring things into focus for us, but we know His timing is perfect.

We are so excited to see what God is doing. Churches and individuals are partnering with us. We are thankful for the partnerships, but our hope and prayer is that we will get to work with you on mission trips on the field to see it first hand. God is opening up doors for us to speak at churches. We pray that you would consider teaming up with us finiancally and through prayer.

You can do so by going to this link https://www.egsnetwork.com/gift/gift.php?giftid=8D425B347BCC4D4

Moving Forward

It has been a busy month for the Dardar's.  We were blessed with a FREE mobile home for our family earlier this month and are in the process of getting it all set up.  This is such a huge blessing because our children feel like they have a place to call home and we don't have to worry about where to go when we come home on stateside from Nicaragua.  This may not seem like a big deal, but to me, it is what I have prayed for.  It has really been a test of patience for us because of all the regulations now set up and the red tape to go through.  By God's grace, we will soon be in it though. 

We are now in the full swing of Friend Raising.  Before our family can leave for the field, we have to have 100% of our monthly budget met.  It is a true test of faith as we seek to go in God's timing and trust that He alone knows all of the details.  My mind and heart are greatly encouraged because we have prayed about prayer partners and God has allowed us to partner up with some truly awesome prayer warriors.  They have graciously come alongside us and seek God on our behalf.  This was another answer to our prayers.  There have been several individuals and a few churches so far who have felt the Lord call them to partner with us financially.  There is still a good way to go to be fully funded, but we know that what we are called to, we will be equipped for.  If you feel led to give financially you can go to reachingandteaching.org/missionaries and click on "Donate to the Dardars"

Rick and I are reading through a book "Through the Gates of Splendor" by Elisabeth Elliot.  She was the wife of martyred missionary to Ecaudor, Jim Elliot.  We had the opportunity to go there on a mission trip this past July and while reading this book, the words came alive in our imaginations because we have seen the countryside and people first hand.  The love this couple had for the people of Ecuador shows through so vividly.  The call on their lives radiated through, and even though he has been gone for about 50 years, his legacy lives on through sparking the desire for more missionaries to live out the call of missions in Ecuador.  He said that once he heard the call to missions, his whole life was consumed with living out the call.  He also said that if God is calling you, then you cannot ignore it.  What a great privilege to be used in the Kingdom work of our Lord Jesus Christ.  There is no greater calling in this life.  We may never have great wealth or great comforts, but to know that our lives were poured out for the gospel's sake is the greatest accomplishment that I can dream of.  

While I struggle more with leaving behind family than anything else, it is still nothing compared to what was given up for me on the cross.  Jesus left his home in Heaven and was separated from His Father so that man could be reconciled back to Himself.  It was a GREAT sacrifice that He was willing to make so that His creation could be restored.  What do I have to complain about?  This life is a vapor, a flower that fades in the field.  I pray that we all ask what our part is in this life.  It could be that God is calling you and you are refusing to listen.  Before you say that God would never call me to the mission field, ask yourself, have I even asked God what he would have me do? It is easy to get so wrapped up in what we have going on that we can't hear His voice. 

Thank you so much for your prayers.  It is truly a blessing to know that others are praying for us.  We are excited for the future and for who He will choose to partner with us in the coming months.  Here Am I Lord, Send Me!

Until the whole world hears,

Rick and Melanie Dardar
Romans 10:14

dardarfamily@reachingandteaching.org  

Friend Raising

God has blessed us with a new year, a new day to praise Him.  We are so thankful for His blessings on our family and excited for what He is allowing us to be a part of.   We are currently in the friend raising process and are praying through who God would have partner with us as we seek to serve Him on the mission field.  The calling isn't only for us who are called to physically go to a new place and serve, but the call is also to those who are called to stay at home but serve God through praying  for the work being done and by giving so that the work can continue.  One is not more important than the other.  It is also vital to ministry that God's people spend time in prayer pleading with Him to make His work prosperous.  It is so humbling that He would choose to use His people to do His work.  When we are tempted to think that we can do nothing for God because we feel so insignificant, we should remember that the Bible says in James 5:16, "The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results."  What an encouragement to believers that we are His and He desires to use us to do great things for His glory.

Please pray about partnering with our family in this ministry.  If God is leading you to partner financially, there is a link http://www.reachingandteaching.org/support.html on this page to give electronically as either a one-time gift or monthly. You can give $5, $10, $20, or what ever The Lord leads you to give.  You can also send a check to Reaching & Teaching PO Box 122, Wheaton, IL 60187.

Needs now:
1. We will need emergency tickets for when we are there in case we need to come back for an emergency. We need this before we can leave. Please pray about giving to this. Thanks
2. Start up cost (furniture, appliance, etc.).

You can email us at dardarfamily@reachingandteaching.org

Until the whole world hears,

Romans 10:14

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Christmas time is here again!  What an exciting time.  Every other year I have been overwhelmed with the gift giving and going from here to there, but this year, I am taking it as slow as I can. I want to remember what this season is all about.  It is about our hope.  The birth of our Savior.  Oh, how much He loved us to come to earth to live a humble life and then die a horrible death in our place so that we would no longer be found guilty.  Then, gloriously, He rose bodily from the grave, defeating death forever!  Hallelujah!  Everything else falls short in comparison to that! 

I am so thankful that we are allowed to spend this Christmas with family.  I can't wait for the Smith Christmas this Saturday, to hear the stories, laughter and singing.  Oh, and don't forget the eating.  My Granny passed down a love for cooking to all of her children, which has been passed down to their children.  It is a feast like no other.  We are also blessed to spend Sunday with my Daddy, Mama, sisters, brothers in law, and nephews.  It has always been a time of anticipation.  It becomes a glorious mess in about 30 seconds.  It's all the children can talk about.  We have to wait until after Christmas to spend time with Rick's family, but there will be sweet fellowship and the sound of children playing and laughing until they are told to lay down and go to sleep.

I say all of this to say how blessed I am.  God has given me an awesome husband, six beautiful children, (plus one that I am sure will beautiful), parents and siblings who love us on both sides, and for that I am so thankful.  This year, I'm taking it all in, a whole lot slower, so that I can remember.  I can know that I am loved and cared for.  We may not always be close together, but our hearts will always have the memories that God has allowed us to make today. 

Next Christmas it will probably be just us in 90 degree weather, listening to Winter Wonderland in Spanish, showing the love of Jesus to the people of Nicaragua so that they may know about His birth, His death and His resurrection.   It is what we have been called to do.  Share His love!  Whether He called you to go around the world for His sake or to go to your next door neighbor, remember to share His love this Christmas season.  

So, when you are tempted to get angry with the crowds of people in stores, busy streets with bumper to bumper traffic, all the parties you "have" to go to, or just the busyness of the season, just take the time to stop.  Stop and be thankful that you have people to buy presents for, people who love you enough to invite you to the get togethers and that you have a Savior who loved you enough to come to earth to give us a reason to celebrate.  Remember, you are blessed!  And remember to pray for a missionary family who is spending time away from their families this Christmas. 

Serving Nicaragua

   Well, we just finished a week-long trip to Masatepe, Nicaragua.  This is the area The Lord has laid on our hearts to serve as full-time missionaries.  It was my first time to the country, although Rick has been several times.  We will be partnering with S.H.E.O. Ministries and are being sent out as career missionaries from Reaching & Teaching.  We are very excited to see what lies ahead for our growing family.  The Lord has been so good and so faithful to us through this process.  His hand has led us step by step as we seek His face.  It is such a blessing to know He desires to use us for His work.

During this recent trip, we were able to accomplish much, although our team was small.  Our two oldest boys were with us and jumped right in and worked hard.  The men poured three cement slabs so people no longer had to sleep on the dirt.  We delivered beds to people, handed out food bags of rice, beans and corn, handed out toys to the children for Christmas, and fed hundreds of people.  It was a big undertaking, but was awesome to see the look on the faces of the children when they received the gifts and food.

The greatest problem in Central America is not poverty, it is sin.   They need to know Jesus and how much He loves them.  They need to be educated on how the Bible says Christians are to live.  We believe God is calling us to this task.  He has on our hearts to build a Seminary to train pastors and  teach women.  We believe with education, a lot of the problems that are occurring will be solved.  It is sad to see such poverty, but if that is our only concern, we have missed the mark.  We are thankful God has teamed us up with S.H.E.O., who shares our belief that we have to teach them if we truly want to be a blessing and help them.  Thank you so much for praying for us.

We are praying for 100 people to committ to $20 month to reach our budget.
Would you pray and see if God wants you to be one of the 100.
Thanks and may God bless you as you pray and team up with us.

THINGS NEEDED NOW:
- Passports for four children

A few things that are always need:
Shoes
Clothes
Hygiene products

What really is needed is battery tools. In some areas where we would like to work, they don't have electricity, so battery tools would be SO helpful. If you feel The Lord leading you to donate, here are some things needed:
- Skill saw
- Reciprocating saw
- Drills
- Grinders

ALL DONATIONS AND CONTRIBUTIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE