The Next Adventure

“To belong to Jesus is to embrace the nations with Him.” – John Piper

Friends,

It is with great joy that I am able to tell you about the journey the Lord has me on leading up to this summer.  This August, a team of 9 women from our home church, Bent Tree Bible, will be heading to Goma, Congo to meet with our long-time church partner, ALARM (African Leadership and Reconciliation Ministries).  While there, we plan to lead two concurrent conferences for women in the area.  The first conference will be for the ALARM female staff, and will cover the entirety of the Bible in a single week (I’m still blown away as I type that sentence; what a learning experience for me, as well!).  This Bible survey course will not only teach the women about the Scriptures as a whole, but will also equip them to teach what they learn to others following our departure.  We desire to see the Lord grow their knowledge of Him and faith in Him as we study the Word together.

Concurrently, we plan to host a conference for women in the surrounding community.  The majority of these women are illiterate, and we will have the opportunity to teach them about the Gospel, spiritual life, and the effects it will undoubtedly have on one’s home and family.  It is our desire to see the power of the Gospel radically change their lives, and equip and encourage them to tell others about this Good News. 

If you know anything about the violent history of the Congo, it should come as no surprise to you that this trip is a walk of faith for me.  The Lord is revealing to me the corners of my heart that are controlled more by fear than faith; He has been patient and loving in His revealing and is walking with me through each step of this trip, from preparing to going.   That is why I ask with confidence for you to be part of my team.  I beg for your support, both financially and in prayer.  These two “asks” are vital to my trip, and I’m confident the Lord will provide through you.

As a team, we are each asked to raise $3300 to cover our general travel expenses.  While we are doing this individually, we have a single team account to which all of the money will be funded.  If I receive any overage in funding, that money will go to support my teammates who may fall short.  Any overage we acquire as a team will be given directly to our ministry partners in Congo, ALARM.  With that knowledge, I am humbly asking you to give generously toward this trip and this ministry. (Keep reading to find out how to give financially.)

Equally as important as the finances are the prayers of my team at home.  Will you be part of that team?  I truly covet your prayers for this faith walk, and I trust that God will not only open my eyes to the world around, but yours as well through your prayers and His answers.  If you are willing, would you just drop me an email and let me know you want to join my prayer team?  That way I can be sure to include you in our team prayer calendar, details leading up to the trip, and a great celebration of God’s work following our return.  My email is montgomery.britt@gmail.com. 

I can’t tell you how grateful I am for your support in all ways.  I know that the Lord is faithful, and He will use you to be His hands and feet.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayerful consideration. 

“I will venture to go down into the pit, but remember that you – you who remain at home – must hold the ropes.” –William Carey

By His grace and for His glory,

Brittany

To learn more about the incredible work of ALARM, visit http://alarm-inc.org/

To give…

-       Online:

Visit benttree.org/ministries/missions/global-give/

Click on “support an adult journey”

Just be sure to put my name as the “Participant Name” and select “DR Congo” for the Mission Journey Team

-       By Mail:

Checks made payable to Bent Tree

In the memo line, please write: Brittany Montgomery, DR Congo

Mail to:

Bent Tree Bible

ATTN: Missions

4141 International Pkwy.

Carrollton, TX 75007

Your giving is tax deductible, and you will receive a receipt via mail for your records.

Dear Campbell, Part II

My sweet Cam-a-Lam,

Tonight as your daddy and I laid you down in your crib at bedtime, I felt (as I have so many times since you were born) overwhelmed with love for you.  I want you to know that I wish with all of my heart that as your Mom, I could protect you from the things of the world that you'll encounter as you grow.  I wish I could protect you from sickness, hurt, mean words, false standards, meaningless values, cuts and scrapes, heartache and disappointment.  I wish I could keep you away from the world, and let you be pure and innocent your entire life.  I wish I could hold your heart in my hand and keep it safe from ever being hurt or let down or broken.  But tonight, I am gripped by the reality that I cannot keep you protected from the world, but I can teach you how to approach it, and how to love people even after they hurt you.  And truthfully, Campbell, I want to teach you the most important lesson there is to learn - that God loves you even more than I ever could.  That lesson in itself holds all of the answers to the hurts of life. 

I've become overwhelmed tonight with the fact that the lesson of God's love and sacrifice for you and for the world is in fact what matters most.  Your daddy and I pray for your salvation every single day.  We've prayed for your salvation since before you were born.  And we pray that your life would have great impact on the world because of your realization of God's love for you.  He loves you so much, Campbell.  In fact, thanks to you, I can better understand God's love for me, too.  Sometimes I think it's funny how a lot of people don't get to have a more complete understanding of God's love until we get to be parents ourselves.  

We often go through so much life with so little insight.  

But thanks to you, your daddy and I can understand a little bit better how much God has lavished His love on us, because we feel such overwhelming love for you.  Thanks for helping us learn that lesson.

I pray, Campbell Grace, that you live a life that is worth something greater than the values of the world.  I pray you have courage when confronted, that you will always be wise beyond your years, and that you will love God far above everything else.  I will always do my best to protect you.  But I will also always do my best to trust God for your protection, because His hand controls all that I cannot. 

I truly love you, sweet baby.  I can't wait to see who you become.

Love, Mommy

Dear Campbell

Our Sweet Campbell Grace,

Tomorrow you will be one month old.  One month ago you came into the world and changed our lives forever.   One month ago, the doctor put you on my chest and our eyes met for the first time.  One month ago, you turned us into parents and a whole new adventure began.

The day you were born, your Daddy and I learned a lot more about love than we thought we could.  Because of you, we better understand how our Savior loves us, and loves you.  We are so grateful that He has entrusted us with you.  I have to admit, it makes me slightly terrified to think about raising you.  Over the last 10 months, we have prayed for you; for your health, for your salvation, for your life.  And we have also prayed for us; we've prayed that we will consistently point you toward the Cross; we've prayed that your Daddy and I will know how to instill value in you that isn't measured by the standards of the world; we've prayed that God will guide and direct our steps each and everyday, and that we will never count you as solely ours, but always as God's child that He has entrusted to us for a time.  

We will let you down sometimes, Campbell, but I pray that you will never doubt our love for you, and more importantly, that you will always know of the Father's great, extravagant love for you.  

You smiled at your Daddy for the first time yesterday, and I got to watch you fall in love a little with the first man in your life. Cam, don't ever forget how much your Daddy loves you.  You are so lucky to have him as your Dad; he's the best there is out there, and you and I are both the luckiest girls in the world to have him.  He's crazy about you.  Don't ever forget that.

We count ourselves as the richest people in the world because of you.  You have already brought us so much joy, and we are so blessed to have you, Campbell Grace.  Even in just one month, we have loved watching you grow.  We have loved getting to know you and getting to know ourselves and each other better because of our adventures with you.  We can't wait to get to know you better, and I am so lucky to have a front row seat to your life, beautiful girl.  I love you with my whole heart, and I always will.  High five to surviving one month together, my peanut.  We can do this.

Love, Mommy

Around the World and Back

Hello again, our sweet family and friends!

 

First of all, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your prayers for us during our adventurous month.  The Spirit’s work was evident throughout both of our trips, and God’s guiding hand consistently kept us in His care, allowed us to accomplish His work, and return safely from our time away.  We sincerely believe that God heard and answered our prayers for His glory, so thank you for surrendering us before His throne often.  We are eternally grateful.

 

I (Brittany) returned from my time with World Relief in Cambodia just over one week ago, and I feel like I finally have processed some of my thoughts and emotions from my time there so that I can (somewhat) clearly share them with you, our sweet prayer warriors.  What a whirlwind it was!  I found myself consistently picturing a world map in my head, attempting to fathom where in the world I was, and trying to grasp the adventure I was on.  Cambodia is unlike any place I’ve ever been; the country is so completely broken by the devastating effects of the last 40 years, and yet the people are so full of love.  I consistently felt the juxtaposition of the brokenness of the country, and yet the presence of Christ in a small yet powerful group of believers.  The work of God is being done there, little by little, in an attempt to reconcile the people of Cambodia back to Christ.  The people of Cambodia struggle with some of the most apparent wickedness and brokenness in our world: child labor, human sex trafficking, HIV/AIDS, genocide, etc., and to even get to experience coming alongside those who are working to stop these problems was life changing.  World Relief works primarily in prevention of the furthering of these issues, along with other issues, such as everyday health concerns for the Khmer people (i.e. malaria, dengue fever, etc.).  Our team of five (all from our church, Bent Tree Bible Fellowship) got to spend some great time with the World Relief staff in the surrounding villages educating children, teens and adults on these prevention strategies and overall education on these issues.  This time spent “on the field” (in the surrounding villages) is what the staff do every day, both in the morning and the afternoon.  Their programs are high energy and highly relational, and the Good News of Christ is integrated into these friendships.  By educating the people of Cambodia, World Relief hopes that lives can be saved, illnesses prevented, and tragedies stopped.  Ultimately, it is their prayer that those they interact with might fall in love with Jesus.

 

In addition to this time on the field, interacting with the Khmer people, our team spent the afternoons teaching the World Relief staff how to speak English by way of photography.  This skill-based education has a two-fold purpose, the first of which being that speaking English will be of great advantage to the staff in countless ways.  Additionally, the story of the Cambodian people is one that needs to be told.  The story of their country and the countless tragedies it has undergone are utterly unknown around the world; with the work that World Relief and other ministries in Cambodia are doing, their story of reconciliation is only beginning.  Through photography, it is the hopes of World Relief and its partner churches (like Bent Tree) that the world might know more about how to come alongside Cambodia for the glory of God.  Our ESL/photography classes were also incredible opportunities to build relationships with the World Relief staff and spend time encouraging them and the amazing work that God is doing through them in their homeland.  As it so often happens on trips like this, our team left feeling like we had received the encouragement and refreshment rather than giving it.  Lord willing, we were all recipients of a greater understanding of our loving Father and His abundant grace.

 

While I was in Cambodia, Cody returned to Uganda to spend time at the Village of Hope, a village that was started by a member of our church and has taken in close to 200 children who were orphaned in direct relation to Joseph Kony and his rebel army, the LRA.  Many of these children were child soldiers themselves, abducted from their families and forced to kill.  Now that they have either escaped or been left for dead, they are orphans whose lives could have been utterly destroyed by such wickedness.  But by God’s grace alone, the Village of Hope has given these children a new home and a new family.  These children, ranging in age from infants (often the effects of young women being raped by rebel leaders) to 17 years old have experienced the love of Christ and His saving grace.  The purpose of sending teams to the Village is for encouragement, discipleship and the coming alongside of the kids and staff at the Village however possible.  And, like my time in Cambodia, their team left feeling encouraged and excited for God’s work. 

 

When Cody and I were at the Village of Hope last year, we spent a lot of time with a girl named Brenda.  Brenda is about 15 years old, and we bonded instantly during our time there.  When Cody and his team arrived at the VOH this year, the kids had lined the streets singing welcome songs as they always do when teams arrive.  Cody immediately saw Brenda in the lines, and ran to give her a big hug.  At that moment, Cody’s trip, which was only just beginning, was made worth the voyage, as Brenda’s first words were “you didn’t forget about me.”  This was a great reminder to me as I sat down to write this letter.  It’s hard to say how many kids we prevented from getting HIV/AIDS in Cambodia, or for Cody to say how many people were encouraged by their visit to the Village of Hope.  We weren’t performing direct Gospel presentations, and we don’t have a count of salvation decisions that were made, but God used our time in big ways around the world.  And this is from nothing that Cody or I or our teams did, but entirely how God used our obedience to go and do as He called us, just as He used your prayers in our hearts and lives. 

 

So once again, thank you for your prayers.  I obviously could write so much more about our trips, as could Cody, and we would love to continue to share with you our lessons and take-aways as we process them.  What we truly want you to know is this:  God was and is faithful.  He was faithful to us on our trips, and He is faithful to us in our reflections and growing now.  We are praising Him for His faithfulness in our travels, in our work overseas and in providing a prayer team of warriors like you.  His fingerprints are covering our trips, and for that we are so grateful.  We can’t even begin to tell you how encouraging it was to know that we had a faithful prayer team back home, lifting us up to the Father daily.  The Lord used your prayers, not only in Cambodia and Uganda, but also in the Montgomery family.  Thank you for being an integral part of our team.

 

We love you all very much, and are looking forward to being on the same team in ministry with you again soon.

 

For His glory and by His grace alone,

Brittany and Cody

Join Us

 

“I will venture to go down into the pit,

but remember that you – you who remain at home – must hold the ropes.”

William Carey

Hello sweet family and friends-

What a year it has been!  This time last year, Cody and I were just returning from our first adventure in Africa, having spent an amazing two weeks with ex-child soldiers/orphans in a small village in Uganda called the Village of Hope.  The Lord did some incredible things through our time there, both in our hearts and lives as well as in the Village, and He has continued to do great work throughout this past year.  In May, I graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with my Master's in Cross-Cultural ministries, and have been hired at our home church, Bent Tree Bible Fellowship, as part of the missions team there.  Cody is continuing to thrive and grow in his work at Senior Care Centers as their Wellness Director, and the Lord has taught him some incredible things through his time there.  We are in such a sweet and exciting place in our lives and in our marriage, and yet another adventure is about to take place.

In just a few days, I will be departing for a 3 week trip to Cambodia with a small team of 5 from our church.  While there, we will work with World Relief Cambodia to serve the people of Cambodia through Bible studies, time together and an ESL/Photography class.  This ESL class will be the first time we are utilizing the idea of teaching a skill (photography) in order to help the people better learn the English language.  Additionally, with such a great desire for the story of Cambodia to be told, there is no one better than Cambodians themselves to tell of their country and story through pictures.  We will be conducting two weeks of teaching with travel on either end, and much time with our dear friends at World Relief.  Their efforts to share Christ with the people of Cambodia are incredible, and I am so humbled to serve alongside them for a short time this summer.  To learn more about the history of Cambodia, World Relief Cambodia and the work they are doing, as well as ways to get involved, visit www.worldrelief.org/cambodia 

While I'm gone, Cody will be leading the team from Bent Tree back to the Village of Hope this year.  He will be taking a team of 11 to Uganda to continue relationships and work with the children and staff at the Village.  Their focus this year with the kids will be emphasizing that they are God's Workmanship.  As you may remember from last year, these are kids who have been greatly impacted by Joseph Kony and the LRA, many of them having been child soldiers in the rebel army.  All of them, staff included, are continuing to feel the repercussions of Kony and his rebel forces sweeping through their country and their homes.  The team's desire is to love on the kids and staff there, supply resources to the Village and teach ESL, computer training and science to the kids and various staff.  To learn more about the amazing work that the Village of Hope is doing, or to get involved, please visit www.villageofhopeuganda.com

And so, sweet friends, would you join us in our efforts?  We are in great need of prayer - daily, consistent, surrendering prayer before the One who holds our trips in His mighty hands.  Join us in our travels, in our work, in our journey for the furthering of the Kingdom through your prayer; we desperately need it.  While our exact agendas are somewhat unknown, below is a prayer calendar with simple requests for each day.  If you would be willing to join us for this adventure, please pray as you feel led, using the calendar as a general guide.  We are going with confidence and humility, grateful to be used by Him with the knowledge that He doesn't need us in order for His work to be accomplished.  We believe that through prayer, you can be as much a part of our team as those we will travel with.  Your faithful support means the world to us, and we are so grateful to serve with you.

If you would like more information on our trips or ways to get involved, feel free to email or call before we head out (my team and I depart on Thursday, July 5 and will return on Sunday, July 22; Cody and his team leave on Thursday July 12 and will return Tuesday July 24).  Thank you so much for reading and praying.  Overall, we pray that the people we encounter might not meet us, but Christ instead.


With hearts full of gratitude, and by His grace only,

Brittany and Cody

July 4: Pray for spiritual preparation for the journey ahead
July 5: Brittany leaves for Cambodia; pray for safe and easy travel
July 6: Brittany arrives in Cambodia; pray for safe travel and health
July 7: Pray for rest and easy adjustment to the culture
July 8: Pray for quick friendships to form with the Cambodian people
July 9: Pray for the ESL/Photography class to be communicated and received well
July 10: Pray for team unity
July 11: Brittany: Pray for rest and energy for the team;
Cody: pray for spiritual preparation for the journey ahead
July 12: Brittany: pray for spiritual growth of the team members as well as the Cambodian people;
Cody leaves for Uganda; pray for safe and easy travel
July 13: Brittany: pray for spiritual and physical endurance
Cody: pray for safe travel and physical and spiritual rest
July 14: Brittany: pray for open eyes to see the needs of the people
Cody arrives in Uganda; pray for quick friendships to form with the Ugandan people
July 15: Brittany: pray for special prayer times through the villages and with the Cambodian people
Cody: pray for opportunities to speak truth to the kids
July 16: Brittany: pray for good communication and receptive learners
Cody: pray for continued team unity and spiritual growth
July 17: Brittany: pray for opportunities to love people well
Cody: pray for the kids' understanding of being God's workmanship
July 18: Brittany: pray for growing friendships with the Cambodian people
Cody: pray for a vision for the future of the Village of Hope
July 19: Brittany: pray for the Holy Spirit's clear presence and guidance
Cody: pray for reliance on the Holy Spirit and for unbelievers to understand the Gospel
July 20:Brittany: pray for loving goodbyes as the team parts
Cody: pray for reliance on the Holy Spirit and for unbelievers to understand the Gospel
July 21: Brittany departs for DFW; Pray for safe and easy travel and spiritual rest
Cody: pray for continued opportunities to live as God's workmanship
July 22: Brittany arrives at DFW; Pray for the transition home, gratitude for the trip and continued spiritual growth
Cody: pray for reflection, prayer and fellowship as a team
July 23: Cody departs for DFW; Pray for safe and easy travel and spiritual rest
July 24: Cody arrives at DFW; Pray for the transition home, gratitude for the trip and continued spiritual growth

A Theological Snack - Know God's Will

GET ON BOARD. train's leaving...now.

Today, I sat in one of my classes at DTS listening to my teacher speak through the book of Colossians, a book that is more often than not overshadowed by it's sister book (only because it covers many of the same topics and issues with the same approaches) EPHESIANS. I mean, let's be real...which do you hear a sermon from more, little old four chapter Colossians or BIG BAD ATTACK AND DOMINATE EVERYTHING EPHESIANS? As if the answer isn't obvious...

But, as I'm sure we would all admit, Colossians is a vital book (if for no other reason than the fact that it's included in our Scriptures, is God-breathed and inspired, yadda yadda) which tackles many tough questions about life's many mysteries. The one that struck me most today is one that EVERY God-fearing believer struggles with at one point or another, and one that I happen to be wrestling through at this very moment. How do we know God's will for our lives? How do I know what God wants for me after I graduate seminary in May? What is God's plan for our family? Where should I go to college? What job is in God's will for me? blah blah blah blah blah.

Such important questions that literally can change the course of our lives. And the problem is...the bigger the question, the more impact the choice has, and the harder it is to find a solution. So often we pray "Lord, what is your will for my life? Your will be done, not mine." Such a valid, Godly prayer. In fact, even Paul prays this prayer for the people of Colossae:

"And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding..." (Col. 1:9)

Read the above verse, and we, as entitled Americans hear Paul praying "Lord, give the people in Colossae the knowledge of your will in everything they do." As Paul goes on, we learn, however, the the people of Colossae, the people of Dallas, Texas, the people of Uganda...already know God's will. We already have the answer to the question, "God, what is your will for my life?" The answer is in verse 10.

"So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord..." What is the will of the Lord? A worthy walk. Does God have specific plans for our lives and are those details played out in various decisions? Absolutely and unavoidably, YES. But the will of the Lord? That we live a worthy walk. So what does that look like? Well, go figure, Paul answers THAT question for us too! (he should be a writer...)

1. bearing fruit in every good work (vs. 10)
2. increasing in the knowledge of God (vs. 10)
-side note: see also Jeremiah 9:23, 24 which tells us not to boast in earthly wisdom, strength, etc., but to boast ONLY in knowing and understanding the Lord! What powerful words.
3. strengthened with power (not just any power...ALL power)(vs. 11)
4. giving thanks (vs. 12)

Something interesting about these four characteristics is that (take a deep breath...I'm no scholar on the Greek hooplah, so hang in there) they are all characterized by what is called "present participles". This basically means that the effects go on and on and on and on and on and on...you see where I'm going. When we are living a worthy walk, the evidence will never cease. It didn't stop at Paul's writing to Colossae, and it won't stop at the end of our lives, and it will continue on until Christ returns and His plan is fulfilled!

Tackling the questions and issues of life should literally fade when held up to the light of this passage. When we are seeking the Lord and His will, the fruit is in our life to prove it (not necessarily works, but the fruits of the Spirit - Galatians 5:22-23), we are increasing in our knowledge of God (not just wisdom, but true knowledge of who God is), we are strengthened in His power and we are giving THANKS to Him. These evidences show when we are inside His will. Does this plainly answer the question "what is God's will for me when I graduate?" Yes and no. No, it doesn't place a job and a plan in my lap, but it does pretty clearly lay out my next steps...trust...pray...seek knowledge of who God is...trust...pray...learn more about Him...trust...pray...When we are living a worthy walk, we are living God's will for our lives.

Praise the Lord that His plans are greater than ours, and that all we must do is seek Him and press into who He is. While the journey may not always be easy, we will never walk alone.

Summer Lessons via PICTURES

WHAT A NUTSO BANANA SUMMER IT HAS BEEN!!

Sure, nutso banana sounds like a crazy ice cream sundae or something you would find in fried form at the Texas State Fair (which can't get here soon enough), but today it is description of the Montgomery Summer O Fun! Lessons from the summer are as follows:

1. If a piece of clothing cost less than $10.00 and the tag reads "dry clean only"...disregard said tag. Just wash it normally and hang dry. A $10.00 shirt is not worth the trip to the dry cleaner.

2. Even setting a goal like "RUN A HALF MARATHON AT THE END OF THE SUMMER" is not enough to make me want to run. The half marathon is in two weeks and I'm basically just excited for it to be OVER. I hate running. I will never be a runner. And I'm perfectly ok with this fact.


3. Texas is hotter than Africa. LITERALLY. The heat. never. endssssss. here. Not to mention, at least it RAINS in Africa. It doesn't do that in Texas.



4. People in NYC aren't that nice. But Wicked is the BEST. SHOW. EVER. And my sister and I are always good for a laugh.

5. However, asking said sister to take a picture of you holding the Statue of Liberty in your hand is just an opportunity to make you look like a dumbie.

6. Africans love harder than any people in the world. Even when they have been through trials that none of us can even imagine, they have overwhelming hope and joy in their Savior. The Lord doesn't need us to minister to them, but praise God that He allows us to be a part of His plan!

7. Also, brushing your teeth with a water bottle is not as easy as it looks. I think I had toothpaste on my chin everyday, all day.

With all of those lessons (I know, with only four months, how could have I fit 7 whole lessons into my brain without it exploding? amaze balls.), I still channeled my inner Chef this summer. I'm crazy for cooking now! So up next, I will provide for the world my own personal recipe of

BRITTANY'S DELICIOUS AND HEALTHY CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS THAT TASTE EVEN BETTER WITH SOUR CREAM BUT ARE A LITTLE LESS HEALTHY THEN BUT I THINK IT'S WORTH IT BECAUSE I HATE HEALTHY FOOD ANYWAYS!!!

I know it'll be hard, but try to contain your excitement and get some sleep between now and the next post...