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                 May 18, 2013

QUITO, ECUADOR

Dear friends and family,

We want to share with you an exciting and challenging ministry opportunity God has presented to us. During the week of June 9-15, we will be going to Quito, Ecuador with a team from the Baptist Collegiate Ministry (BCM) at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC). This is the “same” trip that Kent went on last summer, and Kelly is thrilled to be joining him and the team this year!

Our short-term mission project joins a long-term effort headed by the organization SIFAT (Servants In Faith And Technology- sifat.org) that is working to help break the cycle of spiritual and physical poverty that reigns in the area of Quito, Ecuador. 

The purpose of our trip is as follows:

•       First, we desire to live out the Great Commission as Jesus commanded in Matthew 28:18-20, and this trip is a wonderful way for us to reach a small part of “the ends of the earth”! We are honored to join in where God is already at work around the world.
•         Second, we will be sharing God’s love to the people of Ecuador through a free dental and eye glass clinic. Last year, the sweet patients in Ecuador survived Kent’s first “hands on” experiences in dentistry; while this year, Kent hopes to help lead other younger dental students as they treat their first patients along with using his own skills to meet individuals’ dental needs. Kelly looks forward to doing whatever is needed around the clinic (assist the dentists, sterilize instruments, help with the eye glass clinic, play with kids, take pictures, etc.). Kent may even let Kelly pull a (loose) tooth! J
•       Third, we will work with and encourage local churches in Quito to help further the development of a Christ-centered community.

We’re excited about the opportunity and experiences that lie ahead...in the near future! As you can imagine, a trip like this requires both prayer support as well as financial support from a number of people. We need to raise a total of $3,800 by June 9^th. God has already blessed us abundantly with $2,370.00 towards our trip from various sources (maybe some of you!), leaving us with only $1,430.00 left to raise. We hope that you will prayerfully consider partnering with us on this trip through prayer and/or financial support. If you can support us in a financial way, we would be very grateful; most importantly, however, we need your prayer support. If you would like to be part of this mission through your financial support, please send a check to us (Kent or Kelly Griffin) at:  1207 Vera Cruz St., Memphis, TN 38117.

While your financial support is extremely important, it doesn’t compare to our need for your prayer support. We encourage you to pray boldly, trusting “Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us…”- Ephesians 3:20. 

Here is a picture of our team and areas in which you can pray for us:

·         Pray for the people of Ecuador: that God would open hearts to hear and accept the message about the hope we have in Jesus

·         Pray for our team: that we would be unified and centered on Christ and His will for us

·         Pray for our safety as we travel and as we minister in Ecuador

·         Pray for us: that our financial needs will be met for this trip and that we would continue to seek His face above all else

·         Pray for the BCM and the impact it is having and will continue to have on the students at UTHSC

       Thank you for your love and support. We look forward to sharing all about what God is doing in us and in Ecuador when we return! While we’re gone, you can follow our mission trip blog at http://utscrubs.blogspot.com. 

For His glory,

Kent & Kelly Griffin

P.S. Here are more pictures of Quito...

Two Years Later...Still Happily Ever After!

Well hello, GRIFFINews Readers!

I hope you weren't holding your breath waiting for our next post! Memphis is keeping us busy! :) Truthfully, the University of Tennessee Dental School and Bellevue Baptist's Christian Mobile Dental Clinic are the culprits...more on that in a minute. I hope this message finds you well!

Kent is sailing through school...into the 2nd half of his third year already! The sailing is not always smooth; the waves can seem huge at times or the wind gusts can be a little strong for our liking, but God has remained faithful in providing the time, skill, and wisdom Kent needs each day to succeed and learn his wonderful trade- dentistry! He is officially a "Student Dr" now. He has his own patients in clinic at school, and he loves performing dentistry now on real teeth- on living, breathing (biting) people! Kent has really seen God's favor at work in his life, confirming the work of his hands- literally(!)- with so many of his professors and patients alike praising him and his talent in clinic. Everybody seems to love him, not just me! Just a small, but fun example: at Christmas, one of Kent's sweet patients brought him TWO Christmas tins of homemade chocolate chip cookies, a Christmas card with a sweet handwritten note and family picture inside, and two gift cards to Starbucks and Subway! I'm already reaping the benefits of being a dentist's wife...lots of goodies at Christmas! Hehe. Not only is he a dentist in training, but he is also co-leading a discipleship group of guys his age. He is a co-outreach leader (with me!) for our Lifegroup at church, and he just recently started a class with some of the other leadership guys in our Lifegroup called "Teach the Teacher". He is learning to break down Scripture and teach others in "Sunday school lesson" or almost sermon-like form. He has already taught two lessons (5 min. and 8 min. accordingly) and done really well! I wish I could be a fly on the wall to hear him teach, but I have a feeling I will get to learn from his Biblical teaching for many years to come as God leads him to lead. I am so proud of my hard-working husband; he is truly gifted by God to do good works, prepared in advance for him to do (Ephesians 2:10). 

As of July 24, 2012, I (Kelly) became the Director of the Christian Mobile Dental Clinic (CMDC), a ministry of Bellevue  Baptist Church here in Memphis. What a journey God has walked me through to prepare me to take on this role! The experience I gained working for Dr. Jerry & Dr. Clay Midyett's dental office, along with my inner-city ministry experience at the Neighborhood Christian Center helped equip me for this wonderful ministry. Please visit our website to learn more about the CMDC at www.bellevue.org/dental. I had so many questions for God as to why I struggled so much with working at the dental office and then the inner-city ministry, but now I can clearly see how God was molding me and preparing me to be ready for the CMDC! Without both the ministry and dental experience, I would not have a clue or have been qualified to lead a dental ministry. As of Thursday, January 31, I have the privilege of co-leading a group of college girls through Bellevue's college ministry called The Vue. We have met twice (we will meet each Thursday), and I look forward to having the opportunity to pour my life into girls a few years younger than me as we are called to do in Titus 2:1-4. Bellevue Baptist Church is an incredible church, and we are so grateful that God has us here "for such a time as this" (Esther 4:14) to serve others, worship Him, and be taught by some incredible leaders. We have amazing friends that we would not have otherwise made, thanks to our Lifegroup (Sunday School) class at Bellevue. 

We are excited about all God is teaching us (2 Timothy 3:16-17), how/where He is leading us (Proverbs 3:5-6), and the hope and the future He has planned for us (Jeremiah 29:11). Thank you for the role you play in our lives. We are so grateful for your prayers, love, and support. ~Kent and Kelly Griffin

See the pictures below for an "Image Recap" 

of the past couple of years for us...It's amazing how much has happened and how much God has taught us in just over two years. We are so blessed and thankful! We have had fun! :)

CRUISE TO BAHAMAS WITH THE FAM- SUMMER 2011

 SISTERS 

 BACK AT PORT IN MIAMI...OR FT. LAUDERDALE?- SUMMER 2011

TRIP TO VISIT ROB AND KENDAHL IN WASHINGTON! JANUARY 2012

SWEET PUPPIES (OLIVE & VADER) AND MUCH-NEEDED FAMILY TIME!

PICNIC ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER BEFORE WE MOVED...2012

 

KENT ON A DENTAL MISSION TRIP IN QUITO, ECUADOR, SUMMER 2012

KELLY INSIDE ONE OF THE CAPSULES THAT TAKE YOU UP INTO THE ST. LOUIS ARCH

VISIT WITH THE STEWART BOYS (LANDON AND BENNETT) IN GOODLETTSVILLE AT GRAMMY'S HOUSE- 2012

 KENT AND MOM

 CHRISTMAS 2012 AT THE GRIFFINS!

 BEING SILLY AT OPRYLAND HOTEL- CHRISTMAS 2012

KELLY WITH THE CHRISTIAN MOBILE DENTAL CLINIC AND HER TEAM

 DR. GRIFFIN AND STUDENT DR. GRIFFIN SERVING TOGETHER ON THE CMDC- DEC. 2012

 PAM AND KELLY SERVING TOGETHER ON THE CMDC- DECEMBER 2012

KELLY- OFFICIALLY A REGISTERED DENTAL ASSISTANT IN THE STATE OF TENNESSEE!

KENT AND KELLY ICE SKATING AT MID-SOUTH ICE HOUSE IN OLIVE BRANCH, MISSISSIPPI, JANUARY 2013

Thanks for reading GRIFFINews! Hope to report to you again soon...sooner than two years I hope! :)

GRIFFINews Upcoming Dates 2013:

February 14- Valentine's Day 

March 23-30-Spring Break-- Daytona, FL???

May 30- End of Spring semester/D3 year!
May 31-July 4- Summer Break for Kent

June 9-15- Ecuador Mission Trip- for both of us!
June 30- Kent's 26th Birthday
July 5- D4 Fall Semester begins- graduation here we come!

July 10- Our FOURTH Anniversary! WOW!

July 24- Kelly's 1st Anniversary with the CMDC!

______________________________________________________________________

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."

1 Peter 4:8

______________________________________________________________________

Fun times in MeMpHiS

 Here's a few snapshots of our fun times in MeMpHiS!

 

Griffins + more Griffins= ....lots of Griffins! Oh- and FUN!

Gettin' ready for our walk downtown to our first Memphis Redbird's game

 






Walkin' in Memphis, with our feet 10' off of Beale! (Really!)

  
 

 

Our first double date with Alex & Ashley...the beginning of many good times to come! Alex seems a little more into the game than Kent...

 

HaPpY :)

                                                 

                                                         Only in Memphis...

 Milo (aka "Lil Yeez")

*GRIFFINews*

1. Kelly's first day back at the dental office (long story!): December 9, 2010

2. Christmas break: December 22-27, 2010 (wonderful time spent at home in H'ville & G'ville)

3. Kent's Spring semester begins: January 3, 2011

4. Our "year and a half-aversary": January 10, 2011! woohoo!

5. Kent's first PAR exam for 2011: Monday, Jan 24

6. Kent's first Gross Anatomy Exam for 2011: Monday, Jan 31

7. Spring break (for both of us!): March 14-18

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, 

and he will make your paths straight." ~Proverbs 3:5-6 

My New Mission: Ministry In MEMPHIS!!!

Our God is faithful. He is faithful to fulfill every promise He has made in His Word. Want to know what His promises are for you? Get in the Word. Some of my favorite promises: Psalm 139, John 3:16, 1 John 1:9, Psalm 37:4, James 1...(ask me for more). The Lord has been teaching Kent and I the freedom in life that comes when you live by faith and not by fear. I urge you, take the challenge to live by faith instead of fear.

Try it now*

*What are you worried about? Ask God to take control of it (a decision, a health issue, an exam, a presentation, your safety, finances, a job, a relationship, etc), and give up the burden of your worry, allowing Him to show you what to do next. Trusting that He will provide and take care of everything will change your attitude about your situation, and it will give you a new outlook and a refreshed feeling to press on. This is isn't easy; our enemy will attempt to trick you back into worry and fear.

Matthew 6:27

"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life ?"

Our society is full of fear-imposing messages- aka the media. Living in Memphis, the news isn't exactly encouraging; I know this is the case with most news stations everywhere. However, I'm not just challenging you to stop living in fear of pain or death, I'm talking about living by faith in every aspect of your daily life. These first 2.5 months of living in Memphis have been filled with so much change and opportunity for fear for Kent and I in dealing with our finances, dental school, big decisions, and jobs. But let me tell you(!!!), God has blessed me with a new testimony of His faithfulness by providing a ministry home for me! As of September 27th, I am the new Education Director at the Neighborhood Christian Center in downtown Memphis!

Let me make this clear- I only desire to boast in my Lord, Jesus Christ, and what HE is doing in my life.  Let me also clarify that even if God had not provided me a ministry position and He wanted me to continue my work in the dental office (of course I plan to go back to working in a dental office one day someday soon as long as Kent keeps up the good work!), He deserves all the praise in the world. I could not be more thankful for my job at the dental office because of all that I learned and the wonderful people I met while working there. My co-workers were awesome and they were so gracious and understanding when I made the decision to take the ministry position. Naturally, I was really getting the hang of things and enjoying my job a great deal during my last 2 weeks at the dental office! 

After a month and a half of working at NCC, I am forever changed. God is definitely working on my heart- teaching me, shaping me, and breaking me. I am experiencing thoughts, feelings, and emotions I have never thought/felt/experienced before. It has been a daily battle against discouraging thoughts from the Enemy that I am not capable of making a difference. I have never felt such heaviness hang over me as I have in the past couple months. But praise God, Jesus has already won the war for me! I could not survive the [daily] battle, but Jesus has and continues to on my behalf! I also praise God for my husband. Kent has been a vital source of strength and encouragement to me as I come home exhausted, often emotional, and discouraged. God is using His Word, my husband, my co-workers, my pastor, music, and the children I serve every day to encourage me and remind me of His love, His will, and that He is in control.

Proverbs 16:3

" Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans."

LOVE HIM.

TRUST HIM 

SERVE HIM

LIVE BY FAITH. DON'T GIVE UP. 

YOUR LIFE IS NOT YOUR OWN. 

KNOW THAT JESUS LOVES YOU.  

 LOVE OTHERS

SERVE OTHERS

PRAY 4 OTHERS

GIVE 2 OTHERS

SEEK TRUTH

SHARE TRUTH

Thank you for reading. :)

~Kelly

Burden or Blessing?

Well, time is already sliding by faster than we realize, and it has been over a month since our last post! We are already preparing to pay our 3rd month's rent in our new townhouse here in Memphis- wow! Moreover, Kent just completed his first dental school exam yesterday morning at 8am! He studied all weekend, and he has been diligent to study every day after class to stay on top of his material. He did GREAT! Thank you for all the prayers, and your continued prayers are welcomed to keep him lifted up throughout his dental school tenure.

I also desire your prayers as I have begun a journey of unfamiliar territory. I started a new job on August 9th, working as a dental receptionist for a father and son dentist team. Ironically applicable to my life, right? :) Well, I began my job with nervous energy and excitement, and I now find myself lost in stressful uncertainty and inner turmoil. I desire to live for the Lord daily, and serve Him in whatever setting in which He has me. For some reason, however, this new job is very difficult for me! I appreciate all of your support, prayers, and wisdom as I seek contentment in the Lord regardless of my circumstances, and more than that, to remember how blessed I am to be employed and earning an income! My co-workers and the doctors I work for are really great. I have learned so much about the dental field, working in a medical office, and I am learning more about myself than I ever dreamed I would just from starting a new job. I have realized that Satan is at work trying to discourage me and make me think of my job as a burden when it really is a blessing! Today was my best day at the office so far, and I am so grateful for all the encouragement and wisdom I have received during this time of growth and change in my life. I'll keep you posted as I become an "expert" scheduler, office manager, accounts manager, and more! Funny note- I am learning how teeth are numbered (or lettered if the patient is a child), the names of tooth surfaces, and the various dental procedures (and more!) almost at the same time Kent is learning them in school! (Side note from Kent: That was the first 5 minutes of class on my first day!... :) ) God works in mysterious ways!!! :)

  

GRIFFINews

 Since it has been a while...I'm going to give you a quick update on what we've been up to lately...

*Katie and Mom helped move us in July 9-11

*Tori Swinehart came to visit July 15-17

*Mom & Dad (Griffin) came to visit us July 22-25

*We went to the Memphis Zoo on July 27- Tuesdays are FREE for TN residents! Yipee! :)

*Kent started dental school on Aug 2

*Andy & Julianne came to visit us on Aug 5 & 8th on their way through Memphis to and from a wedding
*Kelly started work at a dental office on Aug 9

*Kelly went to Seattle on Aug 17 for Robby & Kendahl's wedding on Aug 20 (Kelly's brother & NEW sister-in-law!)
*Natasha Archie came to visit us on Aug 28

*Trip to Charleston for cousin Carly's wedding coming soon- Labor Day weekend!!! :)

*James 1:2-6*

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."

From Oceans to Rivers

Team Griffin on the morning of the great move. Milo had no idea what was about to happen...

After traveling many miles, we are now settling in to our new home in Memphis, Tennessee. We absolutely LOVE it here! We will definitely miss having our own house, living so close by to many family members, the beach, our church, and the friends we made in FL. However, we feel so blessed to have had such a wonderful start to our 4 year tenure (or longer) in Memphis. My mom and sister Katie came with us to help us get moved in to our townhouse. They were such a big help! Moving is so much more work than you plan for ahead of time. Although, if you're smart enough to accept help, it isn't so bad! Thankfully, we had sweet family and neighbors that made moving out and moving in much easier. Ecclesiastes 4:9 says "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work." This verse is so true, but I say four are better than two when it comes to moving! :)

Leaving our home in FL. Nice grass!

The drink of champions

We still have a little unpacking to do, but we really are down to the decorating details- the fun part! Our townhouse- lovingly dubbed "The House"-is part of a newer development in the South End/Arts District of downtown Memphis. We are surrounded by many older factories that have been renovated to be unique lofts and condo living spaces. The downtown trolley, farmers' market, and the Mississippi River are all only a couple blocks away from us! Kent, my Mom, Katie, and I all took a walk along the Mississippi River at sunset the other night. So much fun! There is a beautiful park that runs along the river that is accessible right by our house! We are very excited about this new home God has blessed us with. Milo (our kitty) enjoys "The House" too. This is his first experience with wooden stairs, and first time in Tennessee. He bounds up and down the stairs like it's a game- so cute!

Coming into Nashville in perfect formation

GRIFFINews: Volume 2

July 21 - Brand new TV delivered! Kent's favorite day so far :)

July 22 - Griffin parents arrive for their first visit to The House

July 25 - Third Sunday church hopping

August 2 - Dental school begins, Sleeping-in ends

August 17-22 - Kelly travels to Seattle for Robby and Kendahl's wedding