Navigation
- Home
- About Us
- Contact Us
- Newsletter
- Prayer Points
- Where we've been
- Where we're going
- Vacant Positions
|
Bookmark Us! -- OUR BOOKS -- "Read all About it!" |
The Ala Family
Rommel, Janene, Colleen,
Stephanie, Jefferson & Nicole.
Serving the Lord in South East Asia.
Subscribe to receive free newsletters by email
February newsletter Online
PDF
March Special Testimony Update Online
PDF
September newsletter Online PDF
November newsletter Online
PDF
December newsletter Online
PDF
Janene and Rommel had both been discarded and rejected by those who thought they were beyond redemption. However there were those who extended Christian grace, as did our Lord, who restored them for the ministry to His Glory.
They believe that when the shepherd of the flock is refreshed and encouraged, the repercussions are felt throughout every life that he/she touches from that point. There were people who made that difference for them, that is why they are still in active service today.
They desire to be that person for others so they too will not depart from their call to ministry believing that God is asking too much of them. They share a passion for those who are struggling in ministry largely because they have both been victims of burn-out. We have lived the depressive and debilitating disease of discouragement.
They have asked the questions:
Does God care about this situation?
Why is the Christian life and ministry so different and more difficult than what I thought I’d signed up for?
Why Eagles Rest?
The name comes from the book of Isaiah, chapter 40:28-31 where it says:
28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.
|
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. |
Our Target Group
READ AN EXCITING TESTIMONY ABOUT EAGLESREST FROM A PASTOR FROM MYANMAR
As the target group will be God's wounded Asian laborers of ministry, these verses hold beautiful promises of hope.
Eagles are known for their strength, they are mighty 'warriors' but they still need a place of rest far away from danger, a place where they can evaluate things from a distance. While waiting, an eagle has time to meditate.
Verse 28 tells us that no one can fathom the understanding of God.
Sometimes we feel that no one could possibly understand what we are going through. God assures us that He does.
In verse 29 we are promised ‘strength for the weary’ and an ‘increase of(the) power (of the Holy Spirit) for the weak’.
Verse 31 likens the result or fulfillment being evident as despair makes way again to hope in the LORD and He renews our strength enabling us to ‘soar on wings like eagles’.
*The wounded are just eagles in rest mode, being renewed and restored.
Pastors and Missionaries, by nature, are pioneers. "The tendency is just to push, push, push, to the point where burnout is a fairly common thing. They're doing it out of dedication, a love for the Lord, a passion for the lost, a love for people, but often, don't know how to put necessary boundaries in place and have balance in their lives."
The term "burnout" was first coined by New York psychologist Herbert J. Freudenberger, who was involved in the free clinic movement in California in the 1970s, to describe severe drug addicts. Freudenberger, who experienced burnout himself, began to study burnout in physicians, clergy, childcare workers and others.
He began to observe similar problems and symptoms and came to define burnout as "a state of depleted physical and mental resources." A burned-out person becomes fatigued and frustrated by striving to reach an unrealistic goal or by devotion to a cause, a way of life, or a relationship that has failed to produce the expected reward.
Christina Maslach, of psychology at the University of California-Berkeley, is a pre-eminent writer and researcher in the field of burnout and stress describes it as follows:
"Burnout is the index of the dislocation between what people are and what they have to do," the authors' write.
"It represents erosion in values, dignity, spirit, and will—an erosion of the human soul. It is a malady that spreads gradually and continuously over time, putting people into a downward spiral from which it is hard to recover."
The major symptoms of burnout said professor Maslach are: physical and emotional exhaustion; cynicism, which is an attempt to protect oneself from exhaustion and further disappointment; and finally ineffectiveness. The opposite of burnout is a positive state of well-being, enthusiasm and motivation.
*Taken from The Truth About Burnout: How organizations cause personal stress and what to do about it, by Christina Maslach and Michael Leiter.
3rd MARCH 2010 MYANMAR TESTIMONY The following is a written testimony sent to us from Myanmar after Pastor Robert Jelee and his wife Sung Sung returned home. We have chosen to share it with you as a reminder of the blessing that Eaglesrest Foundation seeks to bring into the lives of many poor ministering families in Asia. Rejoice with us!  "Firstly, I Praised the Lord for giving me this precious chance to testify how He had led us wonderfully during our trip to Phang Nga in Thailand. I wish to emphasize how God had blessed us while staying as a rest together with Ala family for two weeks under the guidance and sponsorship of the Eaglerest foundation.The Ministry of Eaglesrest foundation is a real blessing for my family. It delivered us out of darkness and led us into the light of God because it was my first time to see the way how people live in other countries. I am able to see how our friend, Janene and family loves God. My wife and I will never forget the Eaglesrest Director and Ala family for this blessed trip to Phang Nga. While serving the Lord as an Evangelist, pastor and director and principal in The Truth Evangelical Bible School in Burmese medium for eighteen years, I had met with so many problems and difficulties. Those difficulties and problems affected me not only in body and mind, but also in our family life. My children even their mother became fully aware of serving the Lord that it made us miserable until I revealed them that God is our provider. One day in September, 2009, one of my close friend told me that there was the ministry which helps Christian worker like me those who are tired body and soul because of God’s ministry. He said that I really needed to take rest for a while from my work and gave an application form for it. He eventually filled up the form for me.  I really believed it was the will of God that my application was accepted by the Eaglesrest willingly. After this the foundation took all responsibilities for passport, visa and air tickets for me and my wife.By the Grace of God and guidance of God ,we left for Thailand by air on 3rd February,2010. Having no experience in boarding for foreign trip, me and my wife were excited and worried how to get way to Janene our friend at Bangkok airport. BUT God is always good that he had miraculously delivered a close friend of mine who had experiences in such case to us in Yangon airport. It happened that his seat number was next to my wife’s seat. With his helps we could find Janene and friends at Bangkok airport without any difficulty. So the third February of 2010 becomes an unforgettable day for us for the following reasons.
 All these things we can experiences are by the financial helps and real sincerity of the Eaglesrest foundation. As a last command, I want to state that some of my friends urged me to take care a great care in dealing with foreigners, especially with western people because they had strict discipline. But when we actually dealt with them, we found them hearted and hospitable enough to forgive us whatever we do by mistakes.Therefore, I admitted that the lessons I got from them while staying there for two weeks exceeded the knowledge I got during my schooling seven years in Bible College. Though the Eaglesrest foundation did not teach or train me any lessons by speaking or writing, their deeds, behaviors and the way the live changed all my opinions and ideas. So lessons which I got from Ala family for my family life, leadership, practical Christian living, and ministry are the most pleasure for me. Thank you so much. MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND THE MINISTRY ABUNDANTLY" Pastor Robert Jelee (Myanmar) |
