Hi I am Jared Pierce I am married to the love of my life Keisha Pierce, we have three kids, Aiden, Ben, and Brooke and God has asked us to move to Nasir, South Sudan!
I have been hesitant to post on our blog, hesitant for two reasons. First off, I feel weird posting on a blog about ourselves. I feel weird because it seems so presumptuous that people would want to take time to read my thoughts or read a story about us. We are just so common so normal and typical I don't know that any post will excite or inspire. My other source of hesitation is that I am writing to "nobody" ,that I am just wasting my time writing. Then I remember that this journey is not about me or Keisha or the kids, it's not about my ability to entertain or capture readers. This journey of our life is about our Lord, and how HE brings Himself glory through the story that is "our" redeemed story line. So if it is true that I am telling a single small thread of God's story of goodness, one that speaks of His grace, one that is about His steadfast loving kindness then I go from hesitant to overjoyed.
I will start at the beginning as far as I can see is the beginning. Why are we going to South Sudan?? Why not stay here? Why not somewhere else?? About three years ago I felt the start of a deep longing to do something. I had no idea what it was but I wanted to do something. Over time I realized that the something was generally living a life that was a picture of gratitude for what God had done through His son Jesus. He lowered himself, and bore all the shame, agony, and punishment that rightfully belonged to me. He lived a perfect life, perfectly pleasing to the Father and then He handed it over to me. Now I am reconciled, restored, and beloved. There is nothing left that I "need" or "need to do" because He did it all but He put in me this burning desire to do something to express my gratefulness and love.The burning desire turned out to be the easy part. The hard part was.....specifics.....Lord Jesus, what do you want me to do? I want to be where you are and, I want to be part of something that you are in, something you designed for me. If your not in it then what is the point? What is the specific action you want me to take? Should I give more, try to become a pastor, start some ministry? It was these questions that were my heart ache for almost 3 years. We now all know what that specific something was but there was a process that HE took us through that I believe was as much part of the story as what is to come.
Keisha and I were looking for that something everywhere but instead it found us.... Keisha and I were looking for a church that we thought might provide some clue and we went to visit a large church that some friends were going to. The first Sunday they were starting a community outreach and we signed up. The following week we participated and it was enough to get us interested and go back to check out a random Sunday School class. The place that turned out to be a place of multiple paradigm shifts.
Instead though I get there and I absolutely love South Sudan and the mud and the huge beautiful smiles the sunrises and the stars and African laughter and people that had hope and faith and not much else but something was missing. I did not feel “called to go” I did not feel the same way as this lady blogger. I felt only “discouraged” I prayed and prayed and was met with only doubt. I must make a long story short but it was ironic that I was at the time adjusting my worldview to incorporate spiritual warfare because that was what I was right in the middle of and God was allowing me to learn what a battle looked like. I struggled to have the same feelings as I had before the trip and started to think it was all just my big mistake. I started to resign to the apparently inescapable reality that I was supposed to stay in my job and just live out my faith in other ways. Over the next few months I became comfortable with this and the joy started to come back, on most days anyways. It was about that time that the Every Village Gala was happening, I considered not going, but wanted to cheer on the work they were doing so we did.
I sat there in a bit of an awe as I was taken completely by surprise. I began to feel a deep burden for the country and people of South Sudan. I felt the words “Who will go for me” well up from within me I can only describe it as a work of God’s merciful power as I burned inside with each picture and each word. The tears did not come though until Peter read James 4:14. I know that it is not the thrust of the passage but the words “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes” echoed in my head. I was not effected they way you might think, instead I felt that God said to me, you belong to me, your life is but a small tiny window of time among billions of loved people, your life is mine, I am responsible for the impact of your life, relax and obey. It was a moment of power that ended a lot of thought patterns that had plagued me. God had been chipping away at them as HE taught me from October to June. Since then, God has sent so much affirmation of that call. Needless to say the bulk of our focus and prayer is now turned toward South Sudan, and going there soon for two years to live with the Nuer people and share the love and grace of Jesus Christ.
I want close by saying, I hope you see this story as God's story. I hope HE receives all the glory. I hope it was obvious that I had very little to do with any of the important parts. I hope you will pray with me as Keisha and I navigate through many challenges that we are now facing and....All praise and glory be to our Lord for this mercy and for all that he will do.
