Belief In Motion

Matthew's Place

Matthew 9:9-13

  ⁹ As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

 ¹⁰ While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples.

¹¹ When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

 ¹² On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.

¹³ But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

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Matthew more than any other disciple had a clear idea of how much it would cost to follow Jesus, yet he did not hesitate a moment.  When he left his tax-collecting booth, there was no going back.  Some of the other disciples could return to fishing, but for Matthew, there was NO TURNING BACK!

Being a despised tax collector, things changed quickly.  He was now part of a family; the family of Jesus. Not only had he accepted a new way of life, but he himself was accepted and loved by God.

Matthew was a keen observer and recorded much of what he saw in the book of Matthew.

Like Matthew, when we surrender our lives to Christ, our new life of adventure begins.  Mathhew couldn't have known that God would use the very skills he had sharpened as  tax collector to record the greatest story ever lived.  And God has no less meaningful a pupose for each one of us.

Matthew's Place beckon's -- Come Follow Jesus...

Just as the tax collector,  Matthew, left everything to follow Jesus, it is our hope that many in Romania will do the same. 

Matthew's Place will be home to older boys who may find themselves on the streets or living in poverty due to lack of educaton or parental guidence.

We will build small homes that will allow these young men an opportunity of a lifetime.

They will be allowed to live at Matthew's Place for about 2 years and during that time they will be taught, mentored and discipled.

These young men will learn to drive and obtain a license, will be taught how to live and function as respectable citizens, and above all taught Godly character and morals.

They will be expected to serve in this community, by freely giving back to others through service projects.  They will be expected to be active in church, studying and memorizing God's word and held to high standards.

It is our prayer that they not only have skills to obtain a good job and one day raise a family, but that they will become laymen in the church or even Pastors and missionaries.

Four years ago, i sat praying  before the Lord for direction and vision for Project 127 in Romania, grabbing a piece of paper I drew 3 different projects as the I felt the Lord directing me;

*Matthew's  Place

*Sammy's Place

*Elizabeth's Place

Each have 2 meanings, one Biblical, and one personal. 

Matthew's Place

described here...

Sammy's Place;

COMING SOON!

Group homes for abandoned and neglected children

Samuel- a young boy set apart to be a man of God-- and Sammy a little abandoned boy whom Ashley dearly loved, that we can not find in Romania.  Our goal is to never have a baby "lost" in the system.

Elizabeth's Place;

Future plans...

An adoption center & placement for babies and children. 

Elizabeth who never dreamed of having children became the mother of John the Baptist. Also, in memory of my mother, Elizabeth, who was the best grandmother in the world. 

Matthew Lee Oliver, born June 3, 1979, went to heaven January 18, 1997,

at the age of 17 years, 7 months, and 15 days.

The Lord used Matthew in a big way in the Bruski's life.  Matthew was just 10 years old when the Bruski family met Matthew.  He would spend nights at their house and would play ball with Aaron.  Matthew's dad was a pastor in their city, and later led Aaron to the Lord and baptized both, Aaron and Robin.  We praise God for how the Lord used and continues to use the Oliver family in our lives and the lives of many.

Even at a young age, Matthew had a love for the Lord and God used him to touch the lives of many. Matthew's story has been shared many times in Romania, as a reminder that we know not when our time here on earth will end and we will stand before the LORD.  Our lives are not our own and we must not waste them.  Matthew's legacy will continue as more people come to learn about Jesus at "Matthew's Place"...  A place for children, a place for teens,  a place for sports, a place of transition, a place for bible teaching, a place for discipleship and a place for sinners to come to know JESUS! 

But Jesus said, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children." Matthew 19:14

Written my Matthew's mother, Sue Ann

Excellent ball player, avid sportsman, deer hunter, gentle giant and loved God and His Word are just a few of the adjectives used to describe Matthew.

Matthew loved his Little League ball games in his younger years, but, even more than that, he loved playing ball with folks around the church, whether it was a pick-up game with the other kids or a ball game we all joined in for at the annual picnic, especially when his dad or brother were involved.

Matthew was a true sportsman. He loved sports of any kind, and he was known as an avid Tennessee Volunteer fan. Coach Phillip Fulmer and Peyton Manning were his heros. That was "his team" and you could always tell it by the hat or shirt he was wearing.

Matthew also loved golf. If it wasn’t a basketball in his hand, it was a golf club. Phil Mickelson was one of his favorite golfers.

His pride and joy was his Rottweiler, Lexius.

It was while he was playing the first game of the basketball season of his junior year in high school that we noticed him having trouble breathing. A couple of days later when we took him to the doctor to get him checked out, thinking he had a sinus infection, an x-ray was taken and we could see a portion of what we would soon discover to be a tumor about the size of two grapefruits . . . and a 14 month battle for his life began.

The day after Matthew was diagnosed he said, "People are going to be watching me now, and I want them to see Jesus in my life" and that set the pace for the months ahead. Matthew honored God and God honored Matthew.

Over the next 13 months, Matthew went through 3 series of chemotherapy, 30 treatments of radiation, and a bone marrow transplant. Finally in November of 1996, a CAT scan revealed that Matthew’s tumor was dead. We had beat the cancer!

Four weeks after being taken off all cancer medications and steroids, Matthew went into respiratory failure . . . and after 46 days in ICU, it was determined that even though he had beaten the cancer, all the treatment for his cancer had destroyed his lungs and he went to heaven on January 18, 1997.

God used Matthew in a mighty way during his 14 month battle with cancer. He honored him then, and will continue to honor his testimony as we build "Matthew’s Place" in Romania. Matthew loved Aaron and Robin and he would be so pleased to be a part of this work.

At the time of his death, his senior class dedicated the yearbook to him and gave him the following verse,

"As Jesus passed forth . . . he saw a man, named Matthew . . . and He saith unto him, Follow Me. And he arose, and followed Him." Matthew 9:9