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Giving It All Up: Molino Family Selling Everything They Own, Becoming International Missionaries
June 5, 2009
A Molino family worked to sell all of their belongings this weekend, giving up their worldly possessions to head to the mission field in a remote area of Guatemala.
Max and Julie Kent along with children Megan, 11, and Justin, 6, will begin their two year mission 1,000 miles away in a remote mountain village in a few short weeks. The couple says the Lord called them to the mission field, and they soon realized that everything they had would have to go.
From their furniture, to their house, to their car, to their household furnishings — it was all for sale this weekend. They hope that by the time they leave Molino, they will only have what they can pack in a few bags for the trip to Guatemala and family mementos stored with a relative.
“I was more selfish and money-oriented,” Max Kent said of his life in 2002, the year Julie took her first mission trip of Brazil with a group from the First Baptist Church of Cottage Hill. “I grew up in church, and I knew that I should have my kids in church. I knew that church was the right thing to do.
“God really worked on my heart. I nearly lost my wife and my job. He would become first and foremost in my life on April 25, 2005, when I was saved,” he said. After that, Max said he realized that his worldly “stuff” was worthless.
“He progressively changed my heart,” he said. “You can’t take money and stuff with you when you die. He did not put us here to have stuff. He put us hear to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to people and share the story of salvation.”
Once all of their possessions are sold, the Kent family will head to Richmond, Virginia, on July 27 to begin training in an International Mission Board/Southern Baptist Convention program. From language to culture, they will immerse themselves in what life in Guatemala will be like.
Then on October 22, they board a plane for Guatemala and a small village near Coban. It’s small farming community, where many of the houses can be best described, Max said, as shacks like a homeless person in the states might live in.
Julie, who was a fourth grade teacher at Molino Park Elementary, will assist another missionary in Guatemala with teaching math. Max will assist with other mission work — spreading the word about Jesus in the remote mountains.
For six-year old Justin, the family’s upcoming adventure really does not seem that big. “It’s just a few inches away on the map,” dad said his son says. “He’s excited to just go anywhere. It’s a childlike faith.”
Megan, 11, understands fully what the family is about to undertake. Megan has been on two international mission trips to Honduras and Ecuador.
Megan, mom and dad said, is looking forward to the trip just as they are.
“I am looking forward to the unknown and to see what He’s got in store for us,” Max said.
“I am looking forward to our children,” Julie said, “and seeing how the Lord is going to use them.”
Pictured above: Julie and Max Kent with their carport loaded with their personal possessions that were for sale this weekend as they prepare for their new careers as missionaries in Guatemala. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Comments
17 Responses to “Giving It All Up: Molino Family Selling Everything They Own, Becoming International Missionaries”
Amen Brother!
http://www.fmh-child.org/Totality.html
why are you going to guatamoile??
I AM ONE OF YOUR MOMS COUSINS..SHE SENT ME THIS WEB SITE AND ANOTHER SO I CAN READ ABOUT YOUR WORK ETC…I HAVE BEEN TO SOME OF THESE COUNTRYS AND I KNOW ABOUT THE CONDITIONS THEY LIVE IN AND HOW ISOLATED THEY ARE…IT TAKES SPECIAL PEOPLE TO SELL OR GIVE AWAY ALMOST ALL POSSESSIONS AND GO..GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF THOSE WHO GO IN HIS NAME TO TEACH ALL PEOPLE,,I LOOK FORWARD TO READING ABOUT YOUR EXPERIANCES….WE WILL BE PRAYING FOR AND WITH YOU
Don’t go. You can’t leave me now I just started to love you guys. I’m just kidding. I keep you all in my constant prayer. We are so proud to call you our friends. no really don’t go!!!!!!!!!! lol.
Jina and David
Hi Max and Julie,
Great story. Our church members at Hillcrest have committed to praying for you, Megan and Justin. Enjoy language school, we look forward to joining you and our friends at FBC Cottage Hill on mission in Guatemala!
Brian
Dr. Brian Barlow
Pastor of Missions
Hillcrest Baptist Church
We will miss you guys! Take care.
We’re going to miss you guys so much, Max and Julie. We’ll miss Julie’s voice in choir, Max’s jokes, Megan’s intelligence and Justin’s cuteness. He’s such a little “Goober”, lol!
We love you and we’re so proud of you for following God’s calling. May He bless you and keep you.
Remember me always, Brittany flota!
I was one of your students. Over this past spring break I went on a cruise to Guatemala and it really needs help. I’m really glad god put all yous guys to do this wonderful thing!
Have fun!
What a wonderful thing GOD has called you to do. Try to keep some communication with us here at home. You are leaving a very caring school, MPES. I’m sure this would make a great project for the children next school year.MAY GOD BLESS YOU ON THIS MISSION TRIP AND KEEP YOU SAFE UNTIL YOU ARE BACK HOME!
Jamie — they will have a blog, and we will follow them some on NorthEscambia.com as well.
What a Blessing! How wonderful and powerful of an undertaking for the family. It’s always awesome to see uplifting stories like this. I am curious if there will be a way to get updates on how the family is doing, a blog maybe from the school she will be teaching at?
To Beth,
You may not lack courage. You may just lack the same calling. God is able to give courage to those He calls. He may call you to be a missionary here, in this country, or in this county. There is a need in both, for sure, no matter how many “churches” we have here. And courage, is needed where ever The Truth is spoken and taught under the unction of The Holy Spirit. When sin is exposed by The True Light, the devil’s cauldron gets “stirred.”
To the Kents,
May God bless you and your ministry to Him. If you know any mission-minded folks who feel called to the Philippines, I know of a village there in dire need of help, spiritually and physically. A typoon destroyed all of their big fishing boats, which were their only source of income. Now the people there are not only steeped in false doctrines, they are starving physically too. They have fished the waters bare close to shore with small craft, just for food. Two or three folks in our area send some meager funds monthly to one family there. Recently, we got word that hundreds were fed there by this family. They stood in line in the rain to get the spaghetti these folks cooked for them . They sent pictures of some of the children in line, waiting to fill their hungry tummies. I do not know what these will do now. I pray God will send someone, somehow, soon, to help these folks. It is difficult to do much from a distance, as there is much red tape and corruption that goes on in the government there. If anyone wants to help, William knows who I am and where to find me.
Best wishes to all of you! In your hearts your doing what YOU know is the right thing to do, and that’s all that matters. Your children will learn so much on this mission, much more than they can learn in a classroom. Have a wonderful journey and safe travels!
My son, his wife, and my 3 yr. old grandson have just done the same thing. They sold, or gave away, everything but a few personal things and keepsakes to follow God’s calling in their lives. They went to Richmond and are now serving in Brazil for 2 to 3 years. It takes incredible faith to step out and leave your comfortable surroundings to follow God to an unknown future. I truly admire you and wish that I had the courage to do the same thing. I will be praying for you.
I know a fantastic missionary couple in Guatemala, but they are not too close to Cobán. They’re in Quetzaltenango. May God bless your family as you labour there for Him.
I am so excited for you guys to be able to go where He leads you without any hesitation at all. I am super proud of Meagan for all she knows and for what she is about to learn. She is truly a blessing! I will miss having Justin in my class but know he will be getting the greater learning experience where he will be. My heart and my prayers are with all of you throughout your journey to teach the world how wonderful our God truly is. I am proud to have you for friends. God bless you every step of the way!!!!!
God Bless & keep you. It is a wonderful and a courageous thing you have been led to do.