Glory to His Name!

Growing up, we used to sing a song that went like this: "Yesterday, today, forever, Jesus is the same. All my change, but Jesus never. Glory to His name!"

I feel like I have been living that "all may change" line lately. Change is so obvious this time of year already. All I have to do is drive down the street I live on to see the world changing. Every day there are fewer and fewer leaves on the trees. At night they all land on my car! And the ones that are still on the trees are turning red, yellow and orange. But it's more than just the leaves in my neighborhood. Change is all around me these days. And while most of these changes are good, they are still scary.

One of the exciting changes happening for us at the moment is our new album. We have worked so hard on it, and we're pleased with the result. We can't wait to see how it might be used.

Our new song "Let It Start With Me" on the album scares me just a little. One of the lines we sing is, "Lord, change the world and let it start with me." I really want to mean that when I sing it. And I think the Lord is taking me up on that! He wants to use us all to change the world, but before He can, he has to change US first. That song is coming alive for us in many ways as the Lord is stretching us and challenging us in new ways.

I am so glad that Jesus NEVER changes. "All may change, but Jesus never!" As a child, I memorized James 1:17 – "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." There is no "shadow of turning" in Him! Not even a hint of shift or change. He is constant and eternal. I am so thankful for this truth, especially in the midst of a life that seems to be in flux.

We have loved getting to meet and spend time with so many of you the last few months as we have put thousands of miles on the old RV. In addition to finishing and releasing our album, we have been very busy on the road for the Start Tour. We'd love to come your way if we have an open date. And check our calendar to see if we're already coming your way. Come see us!

Love,
Laura

Bon Dia! (That's Portuguese for "Hey, Y'all!")

So, as many of you know, we recently returned from a mission trip so Sao Paulo, Brazil. It was a great trip for sure, and we saw God do some wonderful things. But we found out that in many ways Sao Paulo, Brazil, is a very hard place to minister. I thought a good way to share about our trip would be to recount some of those ways. I can think of six.

1 -- To get there from here, you most likely have to fly on an overnight flight. This means that when you arrive in Sao Paulo, you are tired. And by "tired," I mean you have the approximate brain power of a head of cabbage. When our team arrived, all of us, combined, had the approximate brain power of a head of cabbage. We also had the combined approximate smell of a herd of moose.

2 -- The food in Sao Paulo is amazing. Now, I hear many of you protesting, "How does the food being amazing make it a hard place to minister?" That is a great question, and here is how: You are hard pressed not to become a big fat fatty while you are there. This is a place where at the most popular type of restaurant, after guests have feasted on a huge buffet, waiters proceed to bring around at least 41 varieties of meat on long swords. At least it seemed like 41. I stopped after the prime rib. This is also a city known, apparently, worldwide for its pizza. I didn't know this going in, but I soon became well informed. These people will put anything on a pizza. Most of it works out well. Some of it does not (egg and onion pizza?). But hey, nobody's perfect! The part they get right, they get REALLY right. Including the chocolate pizza for dessert, which may or may not have caused me to go into double digits on slices.

3 -- They speak Portuguese. Now, I have nothing against Portuguese. It is a beautiful language. But, like many Americans, my VERY limited second-language experience is in Spanish. They're similar, though, right? Ha! That is what silly Americans think. My knowledge of Spanish was just enough to leave me mildly confused most of the time.

4 -- It is busy and crowded. Now, I realize that most big cities are busy and crowded. But Sao Paulo is REALLY busy and REALLY crowded. During the ironically-named "rush hour," one travels around one kilometer every 5 hours. I might be exaggerating, but not by much. Since we didn't have a vehicle to transport our team, we used city buses. Sao Paulo has 14,000 city buses. That is not an exaggeration. THEY HAVE 14,000 BUSES! And every one of them is transporting 14,000 people at any given time! (That might be an exaggeration.) Seriously, the buses are always crowded. Finding a seat on a bus is like finding a $10 bill in your jacket pocket from last winter. Totally unexpected bonus! Most of the time, we stood up on the buses because all the seats were taken by people who apparently ride around on buses all day, because they never get up. We gripped the ironically-named "safety bars" for dear life until our hands were bruised and our forearms began to look like Popeye's, minus the anchor tattoo.

5 -- They use that crazy metric system. (See mention of "kilometer" in #4.) They even use it for their weather, listing the day's temperature in Celsius. Since we were south of the equator, it was winter there. (What is up with that?!) We knew to be prepared for some chilly weather. But each day, when the weather report said it was to be a high of 20 degrees, we would panic for just a moment. Then we would all struggle in vain to remember the conversion formula. None of us ever did, although we knew it had a weird fraction in it -- like nine fourths or something like that.

6 -- The people have excellent fashion sense. Our team was rocking the "mission trip chic" look, which consists of jeans or cargo pants, T-shirt or sweatshirt, comfortable shoes, a hat for guys and a hat and or/do-rag for gals. There may or may not have been one or more fanny packs involved. Little did we know that people in Sao Paulo are serious about looking good. There were no jeans, no shorts, no tennis shoes, no ball caps. There were LOTS of button-down shirts, cute tops, perfect hair and high heels. While we were able to engage lots of people in great conversation, I'm afraid it was mostly because the people are just very nice. Also, they might have felt sorry for us.

Now, despite all these reasons, we still had a wonderful trip. We saw God work in the lives of people we encountered. We even saw him change the weather for us! The first day we were there, it rained all day, and our work was severely hindered. The forecast was calling for more rain the next two days. We prayed earnestly and had folks back home praying as well. God answered and there was no more rain the rest of our time there! If you prayed, thank you!

We got to work in a slum. Sao Paulo is a city of contrasts. While the stuff mentioned above is true for most people there -- great food, great fashion, busy, productive lives -- it is not true and barely imaginable for many. We played soccer, sang songs, helped with crafts, painted a wall and even hosted a pizza party in the slum. It is our hope that we showed them the love of Jesus, and that they will continue to want to learn more about Him.

We had a chance to see an urban church doing unique ministry. One of the ministries of Zoe Church we participated in is "free hugs." We would simply go to a busy intersection holding signs offering free hugs. You would be amazed by all the takers! (Especially in light of #6 above. Again, I suspect sympathy may have been the motivation. Perhaps they thought these poor homeless Americans needed hugs.) Some folks would just embrace for a long time and even get choked up. Many people would ask who we were and what we were doing and it gave us an opportunity to share with them and invite them to Bible study. God stoked interest in Zoe Church among many people even while we were there.

We also prayerwalked around the campus of the University of Sao Paulo, where the missionary family we worked with will be focusing their efforts this fall. We said we were "the first ones marching around Jericho." We were breaking up hard ground, inviting the Holy Spirit to work there. I can't wait to hear what God does!

I'd like to thank all of you who prayed for our trip and some of you who gave to make it possible. Your investments will reap eternal reward. Thank you so much.

I'd also like to say a word about our team. We had some of the greatest, most faithful, funniest and mission-minded people with us. It is so humbling to us that God would use us to encourage others to do something crazy like go on a mission trip to Brazil. And even more humbling that they'd want to go with us knuckleheads. We appreciated them so much and we made some wonderful new friends. Can't wait to see where God takes us next!

Love,
Laura

JUMP START

Matthew 28 : 5-6
5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, fear not ye: for I know ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 6 He is not here: for He is risen, as He said.

GONE, FINISHED, DONE.
That's exactly what the Pharisees and others who had condemned Jesus were thinking as He hung lifeless on the Cross. They were finally rid of His challenges to their authority. Never again would Jesus medal in their affairs. After all, who was He to lecture them? They figured Jesus for just another troublemaker who had made waves for them long enough.

They were wrong.

Three days later, the world would never be the same. Three days later, the one true & living God would finish what He started when Jesus overcame death hell and the grave.

As Christians, we are the only people on the planet with the key to life after death. That key is Jesus, the only way, the only truth, the only path to a heavenly eternity. This Easter, remember what He gave up so that we could live. Remember that He is risen. Remember that He is not finished. Remember that He is coming again!

Chad

PUTTING THE FUN IN FUNDAMENTALS



The great Vince Lombardi once began the first practice of a Green Bay Packers pre-season by holding out a pig-skin in front of a room full of burly men who'd played the game for years. He paused to let them quiet down and said what became an infamous line: "Gentlemen ... this is a football."



Of course, it's funny. And in my sports-crazy family growing up, it was a favorite story. My dad would sometimes even come up with his own version when he felt like we kids were missing something obvious. "Kids ... this is a dresser. Your clothes go inside it."



But it's also striking in its truth and effectiveness. We do well not to take for granted our proficiency in the fundamentals.



On a recent Sunday night, I got to attend my home church. It's not often that I get to, since No Other Name is usually performing somewhere. I was glad to hear my pastor bring the Word.



Our church is in the beginning stages of a major effort to make contact with each and every house in our immediate community. Leading up to the events we have planned, my pastor thought it would be a good idea to give us a refresher on the fundamentals of sharing our faith. It sure was good for me to hear it. Perhaps it will help you too.



He started out by reassuring us that even though we live in a fallen world that often seems hostile to Christianity, people are still as interested in spiritual things as they have ever been. And he reminded us that no matter how many books are written or programs developed, the number one method of sharing Christ is one person talking with another person.



He then gave us seven simple ways to be on mission. Here they are:



1 -- Pray. Seems simple, but prayer is so often neglected. Of course, we should pray for the lost in general and for people in our lives who need the Lord. But Jesus also commanded us to pray for workers. In Matt. 9, He tells His disciples to pray for workers to reap the harvest. Pray for helpers to come alongside you and help reap the harvest of people in your own circle. Pray for workers to be sent to the farthest reaches of the world where the name of Jesus has never been heard.



2 -- Know the Gospel. Does this mean we have to have everything memorized? No! That might be great, but it isn't necessary. Perhaps you could write down some key scripture references (like the "Romans Road") or John 3:16 on a note card and keep it in your wallet or in your Bible. Keep it simple. Practice it with a friend or in front the mirror. Write down the highlights of your own testimony and be ready to share it. Everyone loves a good story.



3 -- Be Bold. Easier said the done, for sure. How many times have I lacked the courage to turn a conversation toward spiritual things? In reality, most people are open and would be happy to talk. Take a lesson from the characters in the book of Acts. Not a coward among them!



4 -- Follow the lead of the Holy Spirit. Remember in number three when I mentioned that I've sometimes lacked the courage to turn a conversation toward spiritual things? Have you been there? That is the Holy Spirit's prompting. Don't ignore it.



5 -- Give. My pastor says there are three types of people: Goers, Senders and the Disobedient. If you are not going into "all nations" as we are commanded, and you are not giving so that others can go, then you are disobedient. It is that simple. For most of you, that giving will be through your church. To paraphrase Romans 10:14-15, how will the nations hear unless someone preaches to them and how will someone preach to them unless WE send preachers?



6 -- Go. This one and the previous one are dear to our hearts. As No Other Name has become more aware of what God is doing around the world, we have been thrilled to be a part of it and it's been our joy to encourage others to get involved too. But it's sometimes easy to think that if you didn't have to take an airplane to get there, it's not "missions." Don't make that mistake. Sometimes your "Going" can be across the street.



7 -- Trust God. Perhaps the most fundamental of all and yet probably the most difficult. Never feel like you are responsible for what another person does with the Gospel. You are not. Only God can draw someone to Himself. But He has promised that sharing His Word is never in vain.



So, there they are. I hope you get some courage from these simple steps. Thank you to my pastor for keeping it basic. And thank you for allowing me to recap it here. It's not really plagiarism if you give attribution, right?



No Other Name has been very busy the last few weeks. And every place we've been, we have been treated better than we deserve. We are so humbled by all the friends we've made. We love God's people!



We'll be using these simple steps very soon while we share Jesus in Sao Paulo, Brazil! I can't believe it is only about 10 weeks away. Please be praying for us and all the ones who will be joining us. Even now, pray that our spirits would be bold and the hearts of those we meet will be softened.



Love,

Laura

Fit to be Thai



Hello, all!

I'm writing this on the RV after a great night at New Hope Baptist Church in Mayfield, Ky. It's nice to be only a couple hours away from my bed. It's a lot closer than we have been these last several days.

If you've been following us on Facebook, you got to see a little bit of our adventures in Bangkok last week. It's hard to believe that's where we were just a few short days ago.

We were there to shoot another music video with the International Mission Board. The song is one we wrote called "Let It Start With Me," and the theme is just what you'd think. It's basically a prayer for God to use us to accomplish His work in the world. Often, in order for Him to change the world, the first thing that needs to change is me -- my heart, my attitude.

We got to visit some exciting places, and we can't wait to see how it will all come together in video.

We flew out of Nashville knowing that the last leg of our flight to Bangkok would take us through Tokyo. The day before, we had awakened to the news of the terrible natural disaster in that area and the subsequent concerns about high levels of radiation at nearby nuclear sites. Our hearts were heavy as we watched the footage out of Japan. On our flight from Atlanta to Tokyo, I looked around at a lot of worried faces and wondered if some of those people were on their way to look for lost loved ones or check on family property or hometowns.

At the Tokyo airport, you'd have never known there was so much devastation and chaos such a short distance away. Flights landed and took off on time and things were organized. What little concerns we'd had about connecting there were soon alleviated and within a few minutes, we were on another plane and in the air again, headed to Bangkok.

We got to our hotel about midnight Bangkok time, which was noon Nashville time. You'd think such a time difference would have kept me awake all night, but after about 30 hours on an airplane, I was asleep in no time.

The next morning, I was up early sitting in the hair and makeup chair and going over wardrobe. The guys got to sleep in a little later, since they don't wear quite as much makeup as I do.

Before long, we were headed out to the city. Wow, what a city. It's sprawled out over miles and miles -- tall buildings, busy freeways, elevated trains, and crowded streets and alleys everywhere you look.

During that first day, we visited two Wats -- Wat is Thai for "temple." We saw the breathtaking, colorful towers built to honor the Buddha. We saw hundreds of people there to worship or just to sightsee. And we sang about Jesus. Any time we would turn on our speakers, roll the cameras and start singing, we would draw a crowd. And each time, the people were friendly and open to hearing our song about Jesus.

The heat the first day was really oppressive and the humidity was even worse. Once I'm pretty sure I came close to passing out from heat exhaustion, but after some rehydration and a few minutes in the air conditioned van, I was ready to go.

Later on, we got to ride on a river boat and see the city from the water. Every city looks prettier from the water.

The next day began at a minimum security prison for drug offenders. No, Sam did not get caught with anything in his suitcase. We were actually invited to come visit the prison.

It was unlike any prison I've ever seen. It's on a huge tract of land and includes several buildings of all types -- residence halls, office buildings, food buildings and factories. On every square inch of ground between buildings, something is growing -- fruit trees, flowers and vegetables of all types. The prisoners eat much of what they grow and sell the rest at market. The gardens are immaculate and beautiful.

There is also a fully functioning woodshop, which Sam thought was very exciting. The men were making tables, chairs, planters and other items which they sell. I think Sam would almost be OK with going to prison if it meant he could work in a woodshop all day.

We arrived just in time to sit in on their choir practice. That's right, they have an audition-only choir of about 60 men. What a treat to hear them! The director really knows his stuff and they have a beautiful sound. Later this year, they will combine with a choir from a women's prison and perform for the king and queen of Thailand. One of their selections for that concert? Amazing Grace.

We did a little video shooting in the prison as well. There is a line in the song that goes, "Use my hands to set the captive free." That line took on a special meaning during those few minutes.

The next day, we visited a Christian center in the heart of the city. It's a multi-story building where people of all ages and walks of life come to learn English. They have built a ministry using the Bible and Bible stories to teach English to Thai speakers. Many high-ranking government officials in Thailand are now followers of Jesus because they learned English at this center. God is doing a mighty work there. From the roof of their building there is a tremendous view of the city. We got to shoot some video up there as well. I can't wait to see how that turned out.

Later the third day, we shot some video on a bridge over a busy street and then a little more right in the middle of a busy street! We called it the Frogger portion of the video. Wait till you see it!

Along the way here and there, we did a little shopping and a lot of eating. If you like Thai food in the states, you've got to have it in Thailand. Flavorful, fresh and super spicy. And everywhere you go, Coke in the bottle! (If you've known us very long, you know how special that is for us.) We loved it!

Also throughout our time there, we kept checking on things in Japan. We knew our itinerary was taking us back through Tokyo, but every time we heard an update, they were urging more and more strongly for people to avoid going to Japan at all. We knew lots of folks back home were praying for us, and we decided not to worry about it. God would take care of it.

Within hours of our leaving, our flights were rerouted through Seoul, South Korea. We were thankful to avoid Tokyo, but our hearts were heavy for the ones who were there and suffered so much.

Our flight out left at 1 a.m. Bangkok time (1 p.m. Nashville time), and as you might imagine after three hard days, we were like zombies trying to get to our plane. We had a long layover in Seoul and another long one in Chicago before finally making it home at 5 p.m. in Nashville the next day -- 29 hours later.

Our trip was a whirlwind. We saw so many thousands of people who've put their hope in a false god or who simply have no hope at all. And as always, we saw how the one true God is at work everywhere, drawing people to Himself. I can't wait to go back.

Love,
Laura