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Partner Spotlight: One More Child

One More Child and Third Lens Ministries have been partners for many years. They have worked together to build homes, schools and other buildings in many countries. One big project has been centered in Uganda. “One of the greatest impacts between Third Lens and One More Child is what's happened in Uganda,” said Andrew Tattrie, the VP of the Global Childcare Division for One More Child. “We’ve been able to build several school buildings, missionary housing, and a dining hall. So quite a few different buildings that have had a huge impact on the community. It has allowed the Christian school to really expand, allow more students come to the school to receive education and receive biblical education as well. It's been a great partnership.  We really enjoy our partnership with Third Lens and really appreciate the hard work and Christ centeredness to their ministry as well.” The two organizations not only work together, but also act as middle men to help each other find new … [Read more...] about Partner Spotlight: One More Child

Board of Directors Spotlight: Lee Carroll

Leading up to the 2007 economic recession, Lee Carroll was working in the hard-hit industry of real estate. This time of struggle allowed Carroll to take a step back and reevaluate how he could apply the construction and real estate skills he had learned through work and school. This reevaluation led him to create Third Lens Ministries, granting him a way to combine his faith and construction skills into an organization that aides others.  “Leading up to the economic fallout of 2007 &2008, I was in the real estate business and lost a lot of materialistic possessions and financial standing,” Carroll said. “It was a very difficult time, which prompted me to reflect on my prior financial successes, followed by losing everything and having very little to show for it aside from perspective and life experience. I believed that a better way to go forward with my career was to align myself with something that would allow me to leverage my profession and contribute to generational impact … [Read more...] about Board of Directors Spotlight: Lee Carroll

Board of Directors Spotlight: Chris Burch

Chris Burch has been involved with Third Lens Ministries from nearly the beginning of the organization. College friends with Third Lens’ founder, Lee Carol, Burch jumped on board with the new organization relatively quickly.  “Lee founded Third Lens in 2009, and then he told me what he was doing,” Burch said.  “When I heard about it, I told him I wanted to be involved. He knew that I was in construction, and he knew that I had also had a passion for serving the Lord however I could with my time and expertise.” The first trip Burch took with Third Lens was to Honduras in October of 2010. The project was to help Predisan Health Ministries build a clinic in the community of Wasparani, located in an isolated mountain region. “We came in and told them that we were there to help him,” Burch said. “That we were going to be coming back in a few months, and we were going to start construction on this building for them to build a medical clinic. So we called a meeting with … [Read more...] about Board of Directors Spotlight: Chris Burch

An American In Cuba: The Gift of Hospitality

Easter has officially come and gone, and what I very different Easter we had this year. No fancy clothes, no rushing to church to get a good seat and no singing in the front pew, “Christ the Lord has risen today, Hallelujah!” As much as I enjoy all of this, the solace and calm of this Easter was just as special, maybe even more.  Following Ester, I have been pondering the stories of Jesus appearing to his disciples after his resurrection. It may be because I myself am eager to see Jesus these days of COVID life or maybe it’s a way to keep Easter going despite the day actually being gone. I am a miracle believer and perhaps Jesus may be appearing to us today, just not exactly has he did then.  My favorite of all these stories comes from John chapter 21; here, Jesus is seen standing on the bank at Lake Galilee. He advises his disciples on their fishing skills, then he sits with them and serves them bread and fish. There are few details of this story, which leaves … [Read more...] about An American In Cuba: The Gift of Hospitality

An American in Cuba: Faith and Ferry Rides

Our trip originally flew us into Havana directly from Atlanta, GA. Immigration as well as customs was simple and hassle free. It was the same way leaving Havana, returning home to the US.  In order to reach Pastor Enrique on The Island of Youth, we had to take another full day of travel. Kindly, Brian O’Neil had this all pre-arranged for us and in his words, “you’ll take a bus, and then a ferry to meet Pastor Enrique!” I’m a believer in all things bright and beautiful. I imagined a quick little tour bus picking us up, followed by a quaint ferry ride across a bay, as if we were headed to Statin Island.  This is not what happened. What did happen was this: a three hour wait at a bus station, a 2 hour bus ride to the water’s edge, a 2 hour wait at the docks, a three hour “ferry” ride (actually a ship) and then we met jolly Pastor Enrique. Our day trip was nothing like I expected, it was better. It was complex, it was random, it was questionable, there were … [Read more...] about An American in Cuba: Faith and Ferry Rides

An American in Cuba: Fishers of Men

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” Mark 1:17 As a child I spent, my summers at the ocean with my family. I first learned to float with my grandmother in the ocean, and my first catch of fish as a child was on the beach.  I remember hovering over the innocent fish in my red sand pale for what seemed like hours. It was the only fish we caught that day. He was our little pet for the afternoon, and I remember throwing him back into the ocean.  I have fishing stories spanning my entire life, and it is something my husband and I do with our children today. We have fished streams, wide rivers in canoes, vast ponds and lakes all over East Alabama. I feel as though it is a life skill and a rite of passage for a child. “Teach a man to fish…” my husband says. And he’s right, it something you carry with you forever.  While in Cuba and visiting the Methodist church near Gerona (Herona), pastor Enrique told us of their “fishing … [Read more...] about An American in Cuba: Fishers of Men

An American in Cuba: Seek and you Shall Find…

God is everywhere, in all people. This is a fact. For I see it with my eyes, I feel it, and it is real. I have yet to visit one place where God’s presence and existence isn’t found.  I’ve seen him in prison. I have felt him at sunrise, singing worship with 400 children in Honduras. I saw him in a mother in Los Angeles, holding her 2 small children close and smiling, on a sidewalk, in a poor neighborhood. I see him at the local coffee shop and in the sunrise on our farm, holding hands with my daughter. He is all things and is in all things, and the farther I seek, the more God becomes real. My journey to Cuba with Third Lens Ministries was no different than any other. I knew I was to be amazed. Perhaps this is why I’m always eager to go. It’s one thing to read about God’s greatness and hear of it, but when you meet the Lord face to face, there is nothing more marvelous.  For when you have felt the closeness of the Lord, as if his hands are upon your shoulder, … [Read more...] about An American in Cuba: Seek and you Shall Find…

An American in Cuba: Javier’s Coffee

One of the first things I learned about Cuba is that there is normal time, and then there is “Cuba Time”. These folks get in no hurry nor do they always stick to a precise plan. On the flip side of this idea, is that they are all cool about this. No fussing or mumbling. No eye rolling or loosing their marbles. They just go with it. An ‘All is well and all will be well’ mindset. I loved this from the beginning. Everyone just gets along. It’s the neatest thing.  When our airplane landed in Havana, it took about 20 minutes to get some steps located to bring up to our door so we could exit the plane. When asked of the issue, the pilot announced, “They weren’t quite ready for us to be here.” I died laughing inside. How could they not know?? No one was upset though, or uptight about it. Not one, single Cuban. When we finally made our exit, a small bus took us into immigration. Once again, no immediate need to get through. “Let’s just all chill a hot minute and we’ll … [Read more...] about An American in Cuba: Javier’s Coffee