So needless to say, December 10th came and went with little excitement. Trust me, I tried it all… dancing around the house, eating spicy food, walking up and down stairs, running around the house with Mona, walking around grocery stores much past the time of needing to check out. Still, no baby brother! Monday, December 12th we had a scheduled Doctors appointment. This was an appointment planned just in case I hadn’t delivered our little man yet. Well, we went and as I didn’t have high expectations for the appointment I was excited when she told me we were finally seeing progress!!! After my appointment Randy, Mona & I drove home and I had finally started having contractions consistently, 8-10 minutes apart! We went in to the hospital that night after Randy’s parents arrived to stay with Mona.

We tucked Mona into bed that night and said that we were going to the hospital to have baby brother and that when she woke up Mamaw & Pop Pop would be here. She responded with, “Dr. Mason gonna get baby brother unstuck?!?!?” Yes, is how we responded.  So we went to the hospital and with a little pitocin we were ready to deliver baby boy Riggs by 8:15am the next morning. The labor itself only lasted 30 minutes and before we knew it we were greeting our son, Gavin Jacob Riggs at 8:42am. He measured at 21″ long and weighed 7lbs. 10oz. We were blessed with not one complication and Mona, Mamaw & Pop Pop came in later that day to meet him. We were blessed with family and friends who came to visit at both the hospital and the house. We praise the Lord for the blessing of both our children and the honor it is that God is allowing us the gift to raise them in this world.

Here are just a few special photos we treasure from this time.

Gavin Jacob Riggs

Daddy holding his son

Mommy holding Gavin

Our new family

Mommy with her two babies

Daddy with his two little ones

big sister holding her little brother

2 weeks old

Part of what I am enjoying is that I get to be in class with people from our community. I get to participate with them in class and watch their knowledge and understanding of the Word come alive. It has been great to hear their questions, to observe them connecting the dots, and to see the excitement in their eyes when they not only understand the Word in a new way but can also share it with confidence. It has also been great to see classmates become a family. Although they have a history of being in opposing gangs, now not only are they willingly sitting in the same classroom but they are also praying for and supporting one another through the class.

I have been reminded over and over again through the New Testament that God does not always call those who are seen as the most “qualified” to do His work. Let us remember that Jesus’ disciples were rejected by other rabbis. They were not seen as good enough to study under the rabbis so they were sent to work their fathers’ trades. Then we come across Paul who previously was known as Saul, a persecutor of Christ followers. God chose to speak to Saul, and He poured His Holy Spirit into Paul, who was used to form the early Church. I want to draw our attention to this because all too often the misfits, the down and out, and even the urban poor are seen as trouble–the group society would rather ignore than “deal with.” If we view the poor this way, we are clearly not seeing the world through the eyes of Christ. I must admit that I have at times felt this way in the past but am thankful that God has changed my heart to see the potential in the lives of our neighbors in North Saint Louis.

We truly count ourselves so very blessed to be a part of this work that God is doing. Please continue to keep us in your prayers. Pray for leaders to be raised up among the urban poor and specifically for those students currently taking classes at The Urban Ministry Institute. Thank you for your continued prayers and support which allow us to continue in the work to which God has called us.

New Testament Survey Class

Brandon is one of the 15. In his mid-thirties, Brandon has lived his entire life in our neighborhood. Often he and his family have found themselves without a permanent place to stay–leaving him, the mother of his children, and their two young boys wandering the block during the day and looking for a place to sleep each evening. Last fall the boys’ mother was incarcerated on drug charges, sentenced to a year in prison leaving Brandon to care for his two sons.

Although Brandon has always been friendly and open to us, most of our time with him has been brief conversation as he drops his children off for Bible Club. Two weeks ago, something different happened. Instead of dropping his boys off at Bible Club, he brought them and stayed with them the entire time. He volunteered to help lead songs, listened as we shared the Gospel lesson, and participated with his boys in games and activities. It almost seems as if a barrier came down that day. Rather than only speaking when spoken to, he now initiates conversation, often yelling his greetings from down the block when he sees us outside.

Brandon doing crafts with his boys & niece

God is working in Brandon’s life and in the lives of countless others in our community. I believe that God has a specific plan for each of the 15 individuals on our prayer list and for many of our other neighbors as well. Thank you for joining with us in prayer. Pray for Brandon that he will continue to be open to us and that he will accept the gospel message that we share with him. Pray for our missionaries to have wisdom and courage in sharing with all of our neighbors. Pray for individuals to accept Christ, to grow in their Christian walk, and to become church leaders that are so desperately needed.

Thank you for your continued support of our family as we minister in North St. Louis. Please continue to pray for Hannah during her pregnancy and the birth of our new child in December. Also, pray for us as we continue to raise financial support. Your prayers and support are a blessing to us, and we thank God for your faithfulness!

After the city boarded up the home, Terrie and her family stayed at family and friends’ homes in trade for doing house work. Many of the homes were drug homes catering to the addictions of the couple. They were given a place to sleep at night; but often they would find their family locked out during the day, left to roam the streets in search of the next night’s lodging.

Last June, Terrie and her boys joined several other neighbors at our home for Mona’s first birthday party. Following the party, she was gracious to help clean up, and it seemed that the Lord was opening a way for a relationship between two young mothers. Several weeks went by without much contact, then one afternoon I noticed Terrie sitting on the steps of an abandoned house across the street with two friends that were not familiar to me. In speaking to them, it was obvious that they were all heavily under the influence of drugs. Just a week later, I received word that Terrie had been incarcerated, sent to prison for at least a year, leaving her young boys behind. I found myself discouraged, seeing the opportunity to minister to her slipping away.

Over those next few days I began to feel the Lord speaking to me about taking advantage of this time that Terrie would be away from her usual surroundings. Now, after nearly six months, some frustration, and a few returned letters, I received a letter in the mail from Terrie. She was writing to let me know I was officially approved to visit her. She caught Randy and me up on all she has been experiencing in prison. She desires to enroll in CNA classes to prepare herself for a job after prison. She finally got a pair of glasses and is waiting to receive dentures for her mostly rotted teeth that have been pulled.

I am looking forward to visiting her in the very near future, and I ask that you pray for my boldness in sharing Christ with her. Pray that the Lord will direct me in finding her the resources she needs to make a better future for herself. Also pray that, following incarceration, she would be able to return locally and that contact will not be lost. Pray for her family, especially her children, and pray that Randy would have opportunity to minister to her husband.

We pray, as the apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 3:20-21, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

I had just a moment to decide if I should bypass my house and circle around the block to check on the situation again. In contemplating what to do, I had a whole other circle of thoughts going through my mind. A few of them were “Of course, you should check on them! What would I be able to do if this girl was being hurt? I have Mona in the car with me; what would I do with her if I needed to help?” Yet, I quickly realized that all I needed to know is do what I knew the Lord wanted me to do.

So I bypassed our house and circled around the block again. When I came up on the couple, there were now a few people who were gathering to check on the situation. When offered help, the young woman cursed at those who were offering and seemed to be the aggressor in the situation. I left feeling poorly, knowing that there was nothing more we could do to help.

I share this to encourage you as I was encouraged. That day I could have passed by and had a list of excuses as to why it was okay for me not to help. However, the truth we are called to live by is found in 2 Timothy 1:6-7: “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”

I am called to live not by fear but through the power of the Holy Spirit. This passage does not say anything about always having perfect circumstances. It challenges us to live in the power of the Holy Spirit at all times, even in those times that push us out of our comfort zone and make us uneasy or nervous. When I practice this truth, my boasting can only be in Him who gives me strength.

Thank you for your continued partnership in prayers and support. We think of you often and thank God for you!

In Him,

Randy, Hannah and Mona

“Put all of your eggs in God’s basket.” These words seemed simple, almost childish, as I first heard them spoken. Yet, as they came from the mouth of a more experienced and wiser ministry leader, offering his advice on the challenges of ministry, they were profound in their simplicity.

Those eight words have found a place in the back of my mind over the last few weeks since I first heard them spoken. I have pondered them many times. Several times since that day I have been reminded of those words as I read scripture. When I read verses such as Ephesians 3:20 which tells me that the God I serve “is able to do far more abundantly than all that we can ask or think,” I can imagine and think about the inner city of North Saint Louis being transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I can imagine lives devastated by sin and brokenness being changed by the love of Jesus and becoming leaders of churches in the inner city. I can even ask God for these things to happen. Since this scripture tells me that God can do “far more abundantly” than what I can imagine or ask for, why would I not want to “put all of my eggs in God’s basket”? Likewise, Psalm 121 reminds me that the God who created heaven and earth is my helper and will keep me from all evil. These verses help me to have a proper perspective of the God that we serve, and when I have a proper perspective of God all challenges seem pretty small.

There is no doubt that the challenges of the inner city are many. Oftentimes we find ourselves facing situations in ministry to which we do not have the answers. Pray that in these times we will continue to place our trust in Christ.

 Thank you for your continued prayer and support. Please pray for the additional raising of financial support for Hannah and myself. Pray for our neighbors, that they will be open and responsive to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We thank God for your partnership in this ministry!

In Christ’s Love,

Randy, Hannah and Mona Riggs

I would normally consider myself an optimistic person, at worst a realist, but never a pessimist. So last October when we decided to start a Bible study for the men in Basketball Outreach, I did not feel bad at all about my gut-feeling that it would not last.

Looking back now, I am ashamed of those feelings. Although I wanted badly for so

me of these young men to “get into the Word,” I honestly did not see it happening. Yes, they were used to sitting through a short devotional during basketball and usually did so without reluctance. But getting them to attend a voluntary Bible study that would last an hour, well, that was something altogether different– so I thought.

Fortunately, we did not use my feelings as the final say in the matter of starting the study. Beginning with the first week we have had a consistent group of young men and women in attendance. We have been stunned as some have arrived early to make sure they do not miss anything. Others call their friends each week to see if they are going to attend. A couple of weeks ago we opened up our time by asking them if they had any questions and ended up talking the entire hour withou

t ever getting to the week’s lesson.

Later that same evening one of the regular participants, Raheem, began asking questions about how he would know when he was ready to become a Christian. These were questions that we were all too happy to answer,

and that evening Raheem accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior.

It is comforting to know that back in October, when my faith was weak, God knew ahead of time that Raheem would accept Christ months later through that Bible study. We rejoice in this new life and pray for Raheem a

s God continues to transform his life.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support. Please join us in praying for Rahe

em and others whose lives are being transformed by the saving grace of Jesus Christ!

In Christ’s love,     Randy, Hannah and Mona Riggs

Recent Family Picture

Support – Raising Update

Thank you for your prayers and financial gifts. We thank God for your partnership in this ministry!

Over the last year we have been blessed by many one-time gifts that have allowed us to maintain support levels. However, we currently need to increase our monthly gifts by $1,573 per month to be 100-percent supported. We ask you to prayerfully consider if God is asking you to make giving to His work in the city a priority.

 If you would like to make a donation, you may do so online through our national website, www.worldimpact.org. You will have the option to sign up for automatic giving. You can also send a check payable to World Impact. Include account #2306 in the memo line, and mail checks to World Impact, Inc., 2001 South Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90007.

Now, I acknowledge that these children partially memorize their verses for candy but I’m always so impressed that by the end of the week they still remember Monday’s memory verse. I also love the pride in their eyes when they hear, “Great Job!” for getting the verse down. It reminds me how I desire to please my Lord and hear, “Great Job!” when I come to be in his presence. Bellow is just a few of the beautiful faces we got be with all week.

Group Picture

Love at First Sight

Proud Daddy

Dreaming about Mommy!

In the Comfort of her Daddy's Arms

Daddy & Mona Easther 2010love

Giggles & Giggles

I dedicate this song to my wonderful husband & beautiful daughter. A Paul Simon song, “Father and Daughter”.

I recently shared this verse with a group of young men and women who meet weekly for Bible study at World Impact’s ministry center. It was a reminder to me of how much God has provided for us over the last few months.

Four months ago we were rocked by sudden and unexpected damages to our ministry center caused by theft of rooftop air-conditioning equipment. These damages caused us to be without heat, power, and air conditioning and left us feeling vulnerable to additional theft. As the initial estimates of the damages began to come in, we were overwhelmed, and, at times, wondered how we would be able to recover. We feared that continuation of summer programming would be jeopardized and began to consider what that meant for the many relationships that have been cultivated through those programs.

We began, along with many others across the country, to pray and ask God to meet our need. We believed this promise from Matthew that God will “give good things to those who ask Him.”

Over the last few months, we have seen this promise fulfilled. Supporters across the country have responded with financial gifts; repair expenses have come in under budget and programs have continued. Power and heat were restored before winter, access to the rooftop was blocked, security upgrades are underway, and air conditioning is expected to be restored before the heat of summer.

We ask you to join us in praising God for His provision during this time of need. We thank you for your continued prayer and support and thank God for your continued friendship!

In Christ’s love,

Randy, Hannah and Mona Riggs