THE REST OF THE CHINA STORY- A SAD ENDING

Thanks to so many of you who followed my blog regarding the adventure we had with Jesus in China recently. I know I sort of wrapped things up in a neat bow on my last update but in reality things did not end quite that way. In fact we ended up having what I called at the time an "interaction" with the Chinese officials. I did not dare write about it after this interaction because I had to assume that everything was being monitored closely.

So here's the rest of the story. In our first two visits to the M People village we had made some crucial contacts with the elementary school, assessed the immediate needs and took the children some school supplies. But, the greater need was for each child to have a pair of shoes and a warm coat. So, we ordered the clothing from a larger city about 5 hours from where we were staying and a few days later they arrived by bus. We loaded them up and headed back to the village where we had a wonderful presentation letting the children know that in the boxes in front of them were coats and shoes for all.

It was lunch time and the kids were about to head home to eat so we retired to a building behind the main schoolrooms for a lunch prepared by the school staff. We had a delicious lunch and just as it was coming to a close, our interpreter came in and said: "We have a problem." The local communist officials had received a report that there were foreigners in the village and they had come along with a  policeman from the PSB to inspect. In fact, they were irate insisting that we were in violation by coming to the village without permission and in giving away articles without the proper permission/documentation. They insisted that we leave immediately and we promptly complied. We jumped into our van and waited while they continued to harass our sweet interpreter. Finally, he joined us and we drove immediately back to the city where we were staying. We had no sooner got to our rooms than we were contacted and told to bring our passports to the front desk. There, the government officials took them. THAT'S WHEN THE PRAYING BEGAN IN EARNEST! They made copies and returned them the same day which was a huge relief (without them...you don't go home!)

The next day I was talking with our interpreter, a delightful 22 year old college student who is a sold out follower of Christ. I told him I was so sorry that we had allowed him to become involved in this kind of controversy putting on the governments radar screen. You see, we don't worry about what might happen to us or our team...we are Americans and the most they would do is to ask us to leave. But, we try hard not expose the Chinese nationals to this kind of scrutiny because the persecution for them can continue long after we are home. I will never forget his reply. He told me not to worry about him that if ever he was persecuted for being a follower of Jesus Christ- it would be a privilege.

Immediately I had this thought: "This is a far different brand of Christianity than I often encounter back home...you know the kind that gets offended because someone sat in their seat in the sanctuary.

A SAD ENDING! I am heart broken to report that we received an email in the last few days informing us that the Chinese government went back out to the school in the village and confiscated all the shoes and coats we gave to the children.

Really though, this is not the end of the story. When we asked our Missionaries if they regretted counseling us to give these gifts without going through the government their answer was absolutely not. You see- if we had sought government approval they would have simply told us to hand over the money and they would see to the matter. Then, even if, the clothing had been purchased- it would have been given in the name of the government instead of being given in the name of The Most High God. So, we did what we were called to do. And though we are saddened by these events we know that because of answering that call, God will work all these things together for good. He will write the end to this story.

Southeast Asia 2013 Update-Day Ten

All my days are kind of running together right now but one thing I know for sure. This is the day we come home!

I am always so thrilled when Father calls me to go but I am equally happy to come home. And that's because I have such a wonderful wife and three awesome boys that I love spending time with more than anyone on the planet. And speaking of my wife I want to take this opportunity to say that for 28 years now she has been faithfully supporting me in anything Father calls me to do. I was already doing these overseas ventures starting in 1992 and continued to do so even when my boys were very small. She has carried the load without complaint and never asked me not to take on anything I felt I should do. She has been the quiet hero of my ministry. Thanks Trinetta, I love you.

LAST NIGHT HERE ENDS WITH A SURPRISE APPEARANCE AT THE RESTAURANT!

After a very long travel day yesterday we finally arrived in the big city and got checked into our hotel. Then it was a very short trip to the market to pick up things for family and back to the hotel for dinner. 

This would be the first time that the entire group would be going to dinner without our translator. Since he lives close to the market, he took a bus on home and instructed our drive to drop us at the hotel. This was not really a problem because our Chinese language prodigy TW has been able to navigate pretty well. But, it has been so nice to have someone fluent to help us avoid the extra hot and spicy food that can be laced with powerful peppers. So as some of the team were gathering in the lobby for dinner they met a Chinese man who asked if they had eaten dinner yet...and he asked in very good English! They told him they hadn't and he informed them that he was the manager of the hotel restaurant and would be honored if we would eat there. The rest of us arrived and we went to the second floor dining room where he proceeded to order for us.

The meal was wonderful with beef and vegetables, sweet and sour pork and dumplin' soup. After we had eaten he came and sat down beside me and we began to hear his story. He learned some English here in China but went to study international business in India and that is where he became so well acquainted with the language.

As we talked we discovered that we both love guitar and he asked me if I could sing some music from the West. I said yes, and he asked me if I would be willing to sing in the restaurant for all the guests. I agreed and went to my room after the guitar. I don't know when I have had more fun than that evening. I knew from previous trips that they like old songs, John Denver songs, really anything in English. So, we went from Country Roads to Amazing Grace and everyone had a wonderful time. It all ended with our entire team being photographed with the manager, the staff, and most of the people in the restaurant who just started jumping in and handing their cell phones off to get in on the fun.

Please talk to Father about this, I am trying to set up lunch with him today to share the reason behind the joy in our lives and in our music. 

Southeast Asia 2013 Day Nine

CH^RCH THE ASIAN WAY

This Lord's day was filled with unexpected blessings. Not that we didn't enter the day fully expecting God to be at every turn. But, you just can't imagine in your mind's eye the kind of stuff He has in store. I'm reminded of this in Ephesians: "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,..." And I've been told I have an overactive imagination. Still when you walk into a ch^rch  in this part of the world, it's hard to explain what you feel. 

You see humble members enter without saying a word and just sit and pr^y quietly. I was struck by the contrast of the very humble building that seats maybe 30 or so with tile and stucko but with a hi tech video projector mounted from the ceiling.  We watched in amazement as the electric screen rolled down into place for the service. And even though we did not understand a single word of the songs being sung- still our hearts were in tune perfectly with the spirit of G*d indwelling the pr^ises of his people. I hummed loudly just because I was so stirred up to w*rship by the heartfelt pr^ises being offered. The same was true of the message. This man, we had met with several times is normally a very meek, almost shy soul. But when he stepped up to proclaim the word, he became animated and enthusiastic about the truth of H*brews 2. We were immensely blessed. This little church is a government sponsored church but because they have a p^stor that loves J*sus- they are moving in the right direction.

After service we grabbed some lunch and then loaded into three "red chariots" (which are motorcycles that have been converted into three wheeled buggies) to get to another church at which we had been scheduled to speak and sing with the children and youth. We caught the tail end of the service at this church that although it is here in the larger city, is mostly comprised of M People from surrounding villages. This was not a total surprise to us since we know that there is a migration of M People toward the cities and some of them have been ev^ngelized and have ended up in ch^rches. However, one very important thing to remember is that when we say there are no churches among the M People we mean...no ev^angelical churches. The ones we are speaking about are government sponsored and are by their very definition not ev^ngelical. 

There was one curious feature of this service- the choir seated up front in their choir robes! That's right, they were wearing simple white robes which were made from a muslin type material and each had a bright turquoise collar. The service ended and we met the church leaders all of whom were women. 

Please lift this fellowship up to Father because they were once a vibrant group of almost 300 but have now dwindled to a few dozen. It was of particular note that of the 40 or 50 members there on this Sunday- not one man was present.

SO WHAT'S AN ENGLISH CORNER?

Father has opened some wonderful doors with some key people in this city over the past few years as CHFBC members have come on short term teams and developed friendships. Today we continued to reap the benefits of those teams as we were invited to do a program with the English students at the local government high school. A school with an attendance of over 3000, it ranks as one of the best schools in this part of the country. 

Again, we mounted the three wheeled chariots and raced across town where we met with over 150 students in a breezeway at the entrance of the school. They worked so hard to learn the words to some simple english songs like: I've Got the Joy, Joy, Joy. We then used the students to act out a "proverbial story from an ancient manuscript". They were the characters in the story of the Good Samaritan and they loved it. Finally we ended the program by dividing the into two groups and giving them lots of english letters on posters. Our team member TW did an awesome job of getting them involved and it turned out to be a great competition. The teachers were thrilled and are interested in using our story telling and game techniques at the school to help bolster student's English skills.

Afterward it seemed like every student wanted a picture with us as they whipped out their cell phones and snapped away. 

Again, it is difficult to get a crowd like that together and not pr*ach the g*spel but you could tell that these students were deeply drawn to the difference in our lives. They are wandering spiritually but they are wondering now and that's where it all begins.

One day we will return to this area and see a thriving ch^rch planting movement and we will remember these humble beginnings.

 

Southeast Asia 2013 Day Eight

Did Donnie Drink the Wine?

So in my last update I shared that I had an appointment with a young man who's mom is suffering from acute kidney failure. So, about 6p.m. my interpreter and I headed out for this meeting. We walked through the city and finally arrived at what was really more than an shop than a home. Right off the main street we walked into a shop that clearly used to be a food shop of some kind. I presented the gifts I had brought (which is traditional in this culture) and sat and visited with the family. It was at this time that I was informed that they had prepared a special dinner for us.

We moved to their tiny table and sat in "miniature" chairs that are very similar to the ones in our kindergarten rooms at schools in the U.S.  All was going well until the grandfather, the elder of the home, came in and poured us each a glass of rice wine. Then, very quickly he raised his glass to a toast and there I sat...glass in hand. 

In that instant two conflicting principles raced through my brain. Principle 1- the missionary code I had learned many years ago: "where Father leads I will follow, and what they feed I will swallow!" Principle 2- honor your Father and Mother. You see, I am fully aware that the bible does not teach "thou shalt not drink at all...even one sip...ever." But as a very young man I made a promise to my Father that I would not drink. And to this day I have kept that promise. The question now was whether keeping that promise to my Father would insult this precious family at a dinner in my honor.

A verse came to mind. One that I had my boys memorize when they were still quite young. Acts 24:16: "I strive daily to keep my conscience clear before God and man." 

I knew that God would not be angry with me if I took the wine. But I have worked hard to honor the commitment I made many years ago and I knew it would offend my own heart to partake. So, through my interpreter, I asked for a moment to explain one of my family's beliefs. I explained how that in my family we had made vow not to partake of alcoholic beverages. I made it clear that I was not calling them into question but merely following a family commitment. So, I was given water and we all drank.  I've always heard: "all's well that ends well" and I think it ended fine because as we left they wanted pictures taken with us and they insisted that I come again.

After dinner I had been asking Father to help me discern whether or not to tell this new friend of my own story of faith. The answer to that came quickly when he stated that he had a driving job he had to leave for immediately. I would ask you to continue to pr^y for a divine appointment with this young man.

Today we had the opportunity to become real students of the culture. We toured the M People Museum and it was wonderful to see the history, culture and religion on display. Every opportunity we have understand our people group is a chance to see how we can better reach them with the g*spel.

Southeast Asia 2013 Day Seven

Understanding Our Role Here

It's not hard to explain why we raise funds and pray hard and take time off and fly 24 hours to a place like this...it's all for the glory of God. It's because God is deserving of praise from every person in every corner of the globe. It's because God's heart has always been for all peoples. Even as far back as Abraham God told him that he would make a covenant with him and that "though you all the nations of the earth shall be blessed."

It's not hard to say why we're here on this mission trip.

It IS however, hard to explain sometimes why we're here and not preaching the g*spel on every street corner. Let me give it a try:

If you know me you know that I will sing or pre^ch the g*spel in any foreign country at the drop of a hat. (and I've been known to drop my own hat.) So, with a heart that beats EV it's taken me a while to see the big picture here. Here's the truth, we don't come into a country where open EV can cause persecution for national believers and decide to just go for it. We are here to show God's love and to tell clearly that we are believers in the Most High God as a way to open doors for national believers to do the EV. Then, when the national believers do share the g*spel, they have been the ones to step across the line into possible persecution. In addition to this, they will be the ones here long after we are gone. They are the ones who will disciple those who come to faith.

As I awoke this morning and grabbed my bible for my private worship time. I held the black ribbon book mark and let it fall open to the book of Acts. Father had impressed on me to go through this missi*ns narrative while on this short term trip. So, it happened by God that my chapter for today was Acts 16.

I was so moved by verse 6 I could hardly move past it. It reads: "Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia."

There it was! There was a time when the great missionary Paul wanted to come into Asia (hello...that's where we are!) and just let lose. But, they weren't allowed to preach the word...forbidden by the Holy Spirit. 

Yes, I know about all the interpretations of this passage and about the global migration of the gospel in waves and regions and blah, blah, blah. Still, it all boils down to this. We fit into God's plan. We do not try to get Him to follow ours. The Spirit of God has led our team, the nationals and the company M's all to agreement regarding the work here. 

I have personally sat across the table from a national pastor already on this trip and heard him ask us to pave the way but to let the EV be done from Asian to Asian.

But, that doesn't mean we are not sharing the love of Jesus and giving him the glory for us being here. 

Just yesterday we went to the home of the most senior elder of the village to bless he an his daughter. He is well into his 90's and suffered a debilitating stroke just over 6 months ago. As we gave them a gift to bless his family we stated clearly that the only reason we had come...the reason for the blessing was that we are followers of the Most High God. We have already communicated with an Asian believer who has a heart for this family and they will be following up with the g*spel.

And...tonight I have an appointment with an Asian man that I met on this trip and with whom I have found a real connection. I am going with him to actually pray over his mother who is suffering from acute kidney failure. Afterward I will tell him my story of how I came to faith in the Most High God and then- I will be handing it off to an Asian believer who is going with me to serve as our interpreter and he will share the g*spel.

Please Pr^y that he will hear and understand.

Southeast Asia 2013 Day Six

Children of the M People Blessed by CHFBC Children

Months have passed since VBS but today we saw more fruit of how impacting it can be in San Antonio and around the world. Each evening in VBS children visited our M People booths. They learned fun facts about the M People, saw pictures and even a video of their culture. Each evening they also brought their pennies, nickels and dimes and dollars and were told that their offering would help children on the other side of the world...children of the M People.

Well today we were able to walk into the classrooms of 183 children at the poorest of the M People elementary schools and give each of them a beautiful pencil pouch, one pencil, a pencil sharpener and a notebook. As I sit back at the hotel, their beautiful faces are imprinted on my mind. With pitch black hair, rosy cheeks and in many cases front teeth missing, they were so grateful that you would have thought it was Christmas morning.

Little do they know that since those pennies, nickels, dimes and dollars added up to over $1100, there's money left for each of them to receive a jacket and a pair of shoes before the cold winter months hit. (These are ordered and are being shipped as we speak from the nearest big city).

We have come to understand that after so many years under atheism that it's not enough for them to just hear about the love of the most high G*d. They need to see it in action. So, on your behalf we are ministering to the least of these in the forgotten village at the poorest school. It is a wonder to behold.

Both the school principal and the area education supervisor were present for the distribution and then we gathered all 183 students. They stood in the courtyard in neat single file lines and sang our song back to us in English, phrase by phrase. According to the principal they are so remote that for many of them this was their first time to see a foreigner of any kind.

Thank you again for your faithfulness in pr^ying, in giving, in sending us here. It is true that for every person who takes the good news to a foreign land there must be a hundred who stay behind to support them. We are happy to be on your team.

A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words



One of the Father's most beautiful creations.



Sometimes you get more than you expect...I got the whole claw in my rabbit stew at this meal!

Ladies who know how to ride around in style...

This teenager came up and sang with us and then wanted his picture taken!

Southeast Asia 2013 Day Five

THE VEIL OF DARKNESS I have pr^yer walked through a Buddhist Temple before but never when their false worship was in full swing. The fact that 15 false priests were chanting on wireless microphones (nice ones I might add...with an awesome thumping system) made the veil of darkness in that place seem incredibly thick. Our hearts were heavy as we approached but we had stopped outside and readied ourselves for spiritu^l warfare. So as they chanted loudly over the city, we prayed aloud that G*d would expose them as false witnesses and free those who were there bowing over and over again in front of the huge gold statues. The air was thick with the smell of incense as we kept climbing higher and higher on the side of this mountain until we reached the top where they had erected a black statue of their false prophet that rises over 50 feet from the top level of the temple.

Again we pr^yed for G*d's power to reign on that very ground and on the way down the steps some of us began to sing praise songs like: "You are not a G*d created by human hands..." THE CHINA ALAMO Coming down from the side of the mountain JH remarked that it sure would be nice if he could show us the Southeast Asian version of the Alamo that they had seen on a previous trip. And in one more show of a simple favor, we took a short cut back to the hotel down and alley and at the intersection there is was. (It reminded me of how my Father used to bless us as kids in simple ways like a quarter for a gum machine, not expensive but something to put a smile on your face). Truly, it looked like the front of the Alamo and in the center was a Texas star! If you've been here you know how completely foreign this type of architecture is. (Pictures coming if we can ever get the internet to agree) MARKET RESEARCH PROJECT Some friends of ours in another city a few hours away from here has opened a Pizza joint as a way to bless nationals and build a business here that can make an impact for Father. They have worked hard to provide a great product and tremendous customer service with mentoring from teams that have visited here from Chic Filet executive trainers. They heard there was a pizza place in the city we are staying in and asked if we might be brave enough to try it (italian food attempted in Southeast Asia can be brutal enough to be to end up on a man vs food episode). We were all in so we located the place and it was incredibly close to our hotel. We each took note of the taste of the pizza which had some very strange cheese and was garnished with things like peaches, and mystery meat. Anyway, the hope is that Father will help them bring a location to this city and with the current menu and an hour wait for a few personal sized pizzas, I think they are going to be huge hit. VBS CHILDREN'S OFFERING IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE While we were in the M People village yesterday we saw that the children at their very poor school did not have sufficient school supplies. Knowing that we had brought the VBS offering from our kids, we called immediately and ordered the needed supplies. Today it all came in and once again Father graced us because the store was located just one block from our hotel. We went over to pick it up and the sweet ladies that worked there offered to put them in packets for the each kid. We reminded them that meant making 183 packets but they pitched right in calling people from other departments to help out. We took over the whole electronics departments for almost an hour. It was so fun to work side by side and see that many hands did make for light work.

Because your children brought their pennies, nickels and dimes, each child will receive a brightly colored pencil pouch, a new pencil, a very cute pencil sharpener and a notebook. We cannot wait to load this stuff up tomorrow and make the trek out the winding and very bumpy road to the village. More to come on this in the next installment. ENGLISH TEACHERS AND PRINCIPLE SHOW UP TO SPECIAL DINNER It's hard to overstate the importance of tonight's dinner. Teachers who attended our presentation yesterday at the high school were very impressed at how we reinforced their English skills using music and drama. So, they came together tonight for a dinner in our honor. We visited with them, took pictures with them and established some very important relationships that will bear fruit for years to come in this school of 3000 students that is roughly 1/3 teenagers from our M People group.

And, although this is a very busy week with the school hosting a conference the principal made a point of coming by the thank our team personally. Our day ended with another meeting with the local p^stor who is very excited about partnering with us to reach the M People for Father. These are incredible and strategic moves by Father. He does...and always has...had a heart for the nations. (See Psalm 67)

Southeast Asia 2013 Day Four

TIME WITH FATHER Like every morning of this trip this day started with a rich time of prayer. (o.k. well it technically started with Uganda Tea and a pop tart in my room but after that...it was on to daily devotion.) Seriously, the prayer times alone have been worth the travel to this side of the globe. We are so blessed to be under the guidance of a mature M team from the company. They have kept the focus on Father and finding His plan for people He has led us to. I HAVE FINALLY BEEN THERE! After morning devotion/prayer time, the P*stor and his wife we visited with yesterday came to our hotel to travel with us to an M people village. I was so excited I could hardly wait to get on with it! Our driver came and we loaded up into the small van for the one hour ride to a village where I would meet my first M People in person. We pulled up and almost immediately I saw an open doorway and there he was the cutest little tiny M person. 

I know expectations are what get us in life but I just thought I would meet a little old man coming in from the rice field or a lady carrying water for her family but, how cool is it that it was this little tiny baby boy that could barely walk. I grabbed my camera to capture this moment (pictures are forthcoming when we get enough bandwidth to load them) and suddenly the grandmother appeared and picked the little boy up and with a toothless grin let me know it was o.k. to take a picture. As we began to tour the village we realized a strange thing...kids were running down the road like crazy-they were everywhere. We were then told by our driver that they were out of school for lunch! Each day the children go to school from 8 to 10:30 and then run home for lunch and come back to finish the school day from 12:30 to 3:30. We toured the school and found it to be one of the poorest in the area with children struggling to even have the basic school supplies needed for class. (Tomorrow we will see what we can do to meet this need and bless them through the love offering our own children gave to CHFB VBS.

After touring the school, we were introduced to the village leader who insisted on taking us on a walking tour of the village.

As we walked through town we began to attract a following of beautiful children (imagine that!). By the time our tour was complete they were laughing and running circles around us mostly brought on by JW giving them a huge stash of tangerines he had brought to eat as a snack lunch. We ended our tour where it began in front of a huge 100+ year old tree with guitar in hand and kids squealing as we sang "Walk, Walk, Walk in the Light." It does not get any better than this!...or does it? Here's what we realized really happened to make this all a reality. The P*stor that we will be working with in this area had told us that he would accompany us to a certain M People village so we could see them and meet them first hand. Then the M couple called and hired a certain driver that our team was familiar with to drive us to this village. On the way, we find out that this driver grew up in this very village and was taking us to his own people! Only a Father as great as ours could work this out! As our guide said today: our Father plays three dimensional chess! HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH CORNER GOES BANANAS! We came back from the village ecstatic about the way Father had answered our pr*yers and led us to the M People. We ate a quick lunch and then it was on to do an English corner we had been invited to by a teacher one of our teams had met on a previous trip here. An English corner is basically an extra curricular club like the Latin club that is dedicated to helping student become proficient in English. We have done these same English clubs at Universities in the past and I have seen as many as 60 or 70 kids show up. At this particular event somewhere between 300 and 400 students showed up. We sang some songs we had designed to help them learn English and they laughed hilariously as we taught them the motions. We ended by pulling kids from the audience and telling the story of The Prodigal ("from an ancient manuscript") while they each acted it out. It was so hard not to preach but, we had agreed not to do so. Still, the picture they saw of a loving, forgiving father is something we believe Father will use in the future to draw them to Himself.

Southeast Asia Day Three

When in doubt just wave your hands and look confused! Well it is 10:16p.m. and I am sitting in my hotel eating grape nerds... ready to hit the sack. It's been a long but very fruitful day. We headed out early this morning in search of some breakfast. TW is such a little overachiever so she had been working her way through her English to Asian language dictionary and had located key words such as "bakery" and "breakfast." So JW and TW and I are walking down this busy street with office buildings and shops all around stopping people and pointing excitedly to these key words followed by shrugged shoulders and both palms pointing heavenward. (we were almost sure that this was the universal sign for "where?" but I will have to ask Linday B to be sure :) . An Amazing Man of G*d Our group met together for another very moving time of talking to Father. We then split our team into two and one team went out to walk through the town asking Father for the city while our team went to meet with a local P*stor. It was a very important time since we have been asking Father to guide us to the local man of G*d that can lead us forward in reaching out to the M People. WE BELIEVE WE HAVE FOUND THAT MAN. A very humble man, who is well educated in the word with great compassion for the M People. And, he has actually been ridiculed somewhat by the religious leaders of the city for being to "conservative in doctrine." Now that's a CHFBC kind of guy. We will spend some time talking to father about this but he seems like just what Father ordered. This is the second largest evangelical congregation in town and they run only about 20 in their service. Impromptu Concert at the City Square I have never used a guitar on a trip to Southeast Asia. Not sure why, it's almost a trademark everywhere else but it just hasn't seemed to be a fit. But this time, even in our preparation meetings we knew it would be important. So, I borrowed one from one of our company people here, quickly restrung it and we headed out tonight to see what Father might do. Each city in this part of the world has a huge square where the local government puts on programs in the evening. We arrived to find it filled with thousands of people who watched as the local policemen's choir did a stately concert. We found a corner just far enough away and started singing any "western music" we could think of. We had been informed today by locals that the officials would be there so all the music had to be filtered so as not to arouse suspicion. Especially since I would be leading out and I already have a limited VISA. So our repertoire included everything from "It's A Great Day to Praise The Lord " (with words changed to It's a Great Day to Be Alive) to John Denver's "Country Roads", (No word changes needed.) It took a while to get a crowd around but eventually it became another night I will never forget. Over 100 nationals were gathered around us singing what they could and doing the motions with us. There was such laughter and good will in the air. That is what we were asked to do. In the end, there were children lined up to take pictures with the Americans and kids and adults alike were shaking our hands. And, as only Father could do, he worked it out for several local high school teachers to be there which resulted in an invitation to sing at the school tomorrow. DOORS ARE OPENING AND WE ARE WALKING THROUGH!

Southeast Asia Day 2

We started out this L*rd's day by w*rshiping at an apartment that is rented by the company for use in equipping leaders. We have not yet arrived in our destination city but that is one of our main tasks to accomplish today. It was a beautiful day and the courtyard leading up to the high rise building was lush and green with flowers everywhere. This province get's more rain than most and it's climate is one of the things that makes it one of the most beautiful parts of this country. I thought of how much Trinetta would have loved these well manicured gardens. J and YL are with the company here and will serve as our guides both to lead us to where we need to go as well as leading us in the best way to accomplish our work. J is from the U.S. but YL his wife is originally from here. They met while she was living in the U.S. but she is also a citizen here and this gives them an amazing open door to people who seem to receive them quickly. Hearing YL weep over the M People during our club time was so convicting to me as the Father whispered a question to me: "when was the last time you wept over them?" After singing songs of praise and a devotional, we received some very important training that will help us to move in lock step with each other and the Father as we work this week. After this, it was Sunday lunch. The food was very good and not too spicy (which seems to be important to all our team except JH) but had it's interesting aspects, I was the lucky one that got to eat the chicken foot. The whole fish was delicious too, and yes it was laying there looking at us...at least until JW ate the eyeball!! After eating we checked out of our hotel and went to the bus station to catch a bus to our final destination, L City. The bus was a very nice charter bus and so we loaded all our luggage into the bays and boarded for the 5 hour trip. It was actually pretty nice except for the war movie and the crazy sci fi flick they showed with the volume cranked to somewhere just beyond the capacity of the little speakers in the ceiling. WE ARE HERE! It's hard to believe that it was 8 years ago that I heard the call from Father to reach a people. It's amazing to look back on the journey that has followed and to realize that today, for the first time, my feet have touched the ground on which they walk. In case you can't tell I'm a little excited. Talking to the father on our behalf is very important right now. The next few days will turn another key, opening another door. We are confident of this.

Southeast Asia Day One

Well, we are here...safe and sound. But only the the hair of our chiny chin chin! After the 15 flight from the U.S. to our country of destination we only had an hour to make our transfer flight. This meant going through immigration/customs leaving the terminal to catch a bus (that showed up really late) and then running through the airport like headless chickens. And honestly, we didn't make it but unlike the states, they actually called the plane and held it at the gate until we could board. The Father graced us unusually on this one and we were so thankful. It is Saturday night at 8:30 as I write this and we are running on 3 to 4 hours of "plane sleep"...if you know what I mean. Not exactly like being in your bed. We arrived in country and met our contacts from the company, a delightful couple who have lived here over 10 years and who truly have a heart for the people. We had a traditional meal of fried dumplins, hollow tube greens (like spinach), spicy rice with pork and now we are about ready to hit the sack. Long day tomorrow so we need you to talk to Father on our behalf. We will board a bus with backpacks, suitcases and a borrowed guitar to get to the actual location of our people. Soooo excited to actually be there after talking to Father about them for so long. I am hoping we will have good internet where we are going despite it being a little more remote. If so, I will keep the updates coming.

Africa 2013 Day Six

Again this morning we were out and on the road by 6a.m. to a small airstrip just outside of Lusaka. When we arrived we met Guillermo with Flying Mission Zambia a full blooded German who grew up in Mexico. We loaded our luggage and boarded his single engine Cessna 206 on what turned out to be a beautiful day with perfect weather for flying. The trip was very smooth and neither Nathan or I got airsick (even though we had our barf bags in hand just in case.) Flying at an average speed of 110 knots at approximately 8,000feet we got a bird's eye view of the vastness of the sub Sahara landscape. It was breathtaking. We landed in Mongu and were picked up by two sweet single missionary ladies in their matching Toyota 4 wheel drive pickups. (Yes, Dillon they were new Tacoma pickups although they do not call them Tacomas when they export them to Africa). We drove about an hour into the bush to the clinic where they minister several times a week in addition to many other ministry activities including church planting. These two awesome women of God have both served here for over 10 years now. Gerry is a career missionary and Melissa is as well having given up a career in the states as a nurse anesthetist.

We arrived at the clinic and already there was a very long line of people on the front porch. Some come from nearby but some have walked a very long way to get to the only medical attention they may ever receive. I watched with tears in my eyes as mothers brought their newborns and grown children brought their aging parents into the clinic. Most of the problems they deal with are completely curable like ringworms, malaria, and severe colds. Occasionally they get people with much worse conditions and they refer them to the local hospital even though it is a very long drive and there is little chance they will follow through. I was so glad that in my backpack were rolls of stickers and although they are not much to us they seemed to put smiles on the faces of sick kids. Sometimes it is the little things. It was like music to hear an African national pastor out on the front porch presenting the gospel passionately to those who were waiting for their chance for medical care. People are saved here every week through this faithful ministry. In talking with Melissa, the nurse, something hit me so hard. You see, since this activity is outside the main strategy of church planting, she receives no funding from the International Mission Board's main funds. Instead she relies on special donations from organizations like Baptist Global Response and special gifts from individuals and FROM THE LOTTIE MOON CHRISTMAS OFFERING. Here's where it ceases to be just another announcement in church for another offering. The fact that so many of the 46,000 Southern Baptist Churches have stopped promoting this offering is resulting in falling funds and real ministry cutbacks. Melissa shared with me that without additional funding from special gifts, she will find herself still coming to the clinic, still seeing patients but having no medicine to give them, Just think- God has strategically placed a well trained nurse out in the middle of the bush and now, all that training and all the knowledge she possesses will be for naught without the funding for medication. And- I was shocked to find that she is only talking about $5000 to keep her in all her basic meds for 1 full year! I am praying now that God will raise up someone who will step up and meet this need so that she does not have to say "be warmed and filled" without giving them what is absolutely essential for their lives. If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. James 2: 15 - 17 On another note, it is so good to spend time with our own missionaries and see how these two single ladies manage to do so much ministry while also having to manage their own houses. One bonus blessing for me came when I heard them talking about how they had paid a "plumber" three times to come and fix their toilet and it still wasn't working properly. So, I grabbed Guermo and my trusty Gerber all purpose tool and we tore into it. We ran to a nearby store that amazingly had a repair kit and within an hour the toilet was as good as new. Again, things we take for granted can become a real burden for single ladies on the mission field. I know that fixing toilets was not why you sent me half way around the world but you should have seen how excited Melissa was that this nagging problem was solved. Tomorrow we will board the plane again and go even further into the bush. Again we ask that you earnestly pray.

Africa 2013 Days Four and Five

Africa 2013 Days Four and Five We hit the road at 6:00a.m. this morning and drove 3 1/2 hours from Lusaka up to Siabonga to visit James and Marcia and their three awesome kids who are career missionaries with the International Mission Board. They live on the edge of Lake Kariba, the largest man made lake in Africa. They are surrounded by extremely poor villages that survive off what they can grow on their small patches of land and what they can catch in the lake. This is the second phase of our trip which is quite different. As a trustee of the International Mission Board, Nathan has been asked to meet with and encourage our missionaries in this region of Africa. I have to say that my heart has been moved after seeing a missionary family up close and personal. This family is one of the most joyful Christian families with which I have ever spent time. (and they have three truly awesome kids!) It is clear that they have been called by God to be in this remote place and they feel so blessed to live here. In fact, although it can be a difficult place to live at times, they don't seem to notice. Here are some facts about living in this area: Marcia has to drive 3 1/2 hours to do most of her grocery shopping because safe meat and certain staples are not available in Siabonga (meaning that she has to plan meals at least a month in advance) Gasoline is extremely expensive (approximately $6.00 a gallon) In addition to the demands of ministry, all three of Jeff and Marcia's children must be homeschooled because the schools here are substandard. In the Siabonga summer (October and November) the temperature here reaches 127 degrees fahrenheit. Only the main roads are paved and the unpaved roads are filled with trenches and ruts that require a four wheel drive vehicle. In the rainy season many roads are impassible. Reaching the Tonga people (an unreached people group of over 1 million) often requires James to launch his boat and drive up the lake for 2 hours because there are no roads leading to some of the more remote people. It is so fascinating to hear Jeff talk about his work. He drives to remote villages on a weekly basis that have never heard the gospel and leads people to Christ hut to hut. He then disciples them and they walk even deeper into the bush to lead others to Christ. We traveled with him to one of the extremely small villages and met a girl who looked to be about 16 or 17 years of age carrying her infant son on her back. She was so excited to meet other followers of Jesus. We had lunch on top of one of the mountains overlooking the lake. A friend of Jeff's owns the place and like so many places in the world- the contrast was so stark between this resort area and those who are starving within a stone's throw.

On the way back to the missionary house James decided to take us to meet a white South African man who had moved to Siabonga to open a Crocodile farm. The man welcomed us warmly to his place and gave us free roam. Please pray for this man and his wife who are very friendly to James and Marcia but truly needs to give his heart to The Lord. The crocs were amazing with the longest one we saw being almost 20 feet long! We ended our time together with an awesome time of Praise and Worship with the guitar sitting around their living room with each of their kids taking turns playing a special drum. Then before leaving we had a special prayer time for the Tonga people and for their ministry to be safe and blessed. Please, please allow me to close this blog by asking you to stop!...that's right stop! right now and just take a minute to pray for this amazing missionary family. Here are some prayer requests you can take to The Lord on their behalf. Pray that the over 1 million Tonga people will feel the wind of the Holy Spirit blowing over them as the gospel is released in waves by the M's and the national believers. Pray for the Missionary Kids (MK's) Micah, Emily and Taylor that they would exceed in their homeschool studies and become bold witnesses for The Lord. Pray for their electricity to stay on and their internet to work. Pray for a new ministry door that has opened where James and Marcia have been given permission to teach bible in every high school in Siabonga. We made the dangerous drive home safely today and came home to an amazing meal with another missionary family, Jeff and Robin and their amazing kids Hadassah, Levi and Zoe. We had sweeeet Texas tea, homemade rolls, bar b que meatballs, and green bean bacon wraps...thank you Lord for a home cooked American meal. Tomorrow morning at 6:50 a.m. we leave to fly 3 hours north into the mountains (on a small single engine plane.) This should be another wonderful adventure with Jesus. Just pray that I can keep my breakfast down!)

Africa 2013 Day Three

Today was an all day travel day so this entry will be short...er. We started the day early because even though our flight was not until 1:00p.m. we have had some lost baggage that contained very important items for the missionaries we were about to go visit. After many, many calls the bag was not to be found...not even to be tracked...even though we had the bag tag with all the tracking information. Basically, they said that they had no idea where the bag was. It was extremely important that we get this bag so Ross, a 30 year foreign missions veteran led us through the process and the bag showed up on a flight that landed just 40 minutes before we were supposed to leave that same airport. Things happen here on "central African time" which means whenever they get around to it. So there was no way to wait for the bag to hit the carousel. By a miracle of God, Nathan got through the security check point and into the baggage area and was able to identify the bag and have it loaded directly onto the next airplane. Problem solved...God is good...that is His nature. We then boarded a flight back to Johannesburg and from there connected with our flight to Lusaka, Zambia. The flights were where today's adventures came in. The flight from Malawi to Johannesburg had 30 high schoolers from an elite school in Nottingham, England. Nathan and I were not seated together and I ended up right square in the middle of these high school students. I was right at home. The flight was delayed due to a "security issue." As it turns out, these students had spent the weekend at a wildlife safari park and one of their teachers had found an elephant bone and decided to try to smuggle it out of the country. They found it...and confiscated it...and he was lucky they didn't take him to jail. And somehow he still made the flight. I sat next to one of the most thoughtful, bright teenagers I've ever talked with. His name was Sam and he was the equivalent to a junior in high school here in the states. He graduates next year. I talked with him about his F amily, I nterests, and R eligion and then I told him M y story. In talking about his family and religion he told me that his father was Catholic and his mother was nothing so they had decided not to push religion and see where their kids landed. He told me that he had landed squarely on atheism. And yet he was so very open to talking about God. I talked with him about the amazing design evident in the universe, in our planet, even in the human eye- a thousand times as complex as a swiss watch. He really seemed to be listening and affirmed that even though many evil things had been done in the world in the name of religion- so had much good. He shared that their group had done some relief work on their trip and that they had worked through a church. He stated that the thing he liked the most about that church was that they focused on doing good to others and left the whole God and Jesus discussions out of it. (What a sad, sad thing to be said of an institution that calls itself a church!) I went on to use Pascal's Wager ( the idea that if I live my entire life for God and experience a meaningful life and there is no God I've lost nothing but if you live your whole life ignoring Him and He is who he says he is then you've lost everything.) I could tell he had never heard this argument...and I quoted Hebrews 9 that says that every man has an appointment to meet God. I could tell it bothered him. He reiterated his position and the Holy Spirit let me know I had said enough. He gave me his email and even got his notebook out and wrote down the name of a book I recommended "The Case for Faith" by Lee Stroebel. Please, please take time to pray for this young man. He is a brilliant student who wants to do research in the area of physics. I know God could use him in a country where spirit filled evangelical churches are virtually non existent. Then things got weird! First of all, we saw a crowd gathering in the airport and found out that it was because R. Kelly, the King of R & B who wrote "I believe I can fly" was shopping in a sports store. His entourage and body guards actually closed down the store so that he could have the run of the place and shop without being "bothered" by his fans. ( I think he forgot they are the only reason he got where he is in the first place...and btw...where is he anyway?) Then, on the next leg of our flight from Johannesburg to Lusaka we sat together alongside a young African man. He was dressed very cool and seemed to be a happy go lucky kind of guy. But, 3 minutes into the flight he got very agitated and ask us to let him out to go to the restroom. Then he came back and did the same thing several more times. Then he asked me if I knew "Sting" and then he began to call out to one of the flight attendant repeatedly asking him if his name was "Sylvester." At one point he went down the aisle of the plane to go to the restroom again but halfway there dropped his pants. By now, the flight attendants were fully aware he was a problem and they worked together repeatedly to get him to come back and sit down (right beside me!...I was happy when he was in the aisle) I was convinced the man was high on something. At one point he asked if he could have Nathan's salad so Nathan handed it to him. He stared intently at if for several minutes studying it closely and then gave it back. This was when Nathan leaned over and suggested that this was demonic possession. I had not even thought of this but it made perfect sense. When he left us and went to the front of the plane several times he became much more calm and docile. But each time when they forced him to sit with us he became agitated. I decided to test this out by mentioning the name of Jesus to him. I asked him if he knew who Jesus Christ was and suddenly, he began to curse profusely when he had not uttered one curse word before that. He kept his arm on my armrest so I put my elbow on his and began to silently pray that Satan would be bound from our lives and that this poor man would be freed from the bondage in which he was living. He repeatedly refused to follow the flight attendant's instructions and that's just not something you do nowadays. So, when we finally landed, they asked everyone on the plane to remain seated while the took care of a security matter. A security detail entered the plane and took the man out safely without incident. Please pray for this young man named Jason. It was very sad. We could hardly help but laugh at first at some of his strange behavior. But I thought later about the fact that he was the same age as Ryan, my oldest son. I thought about how much it would hurt if he was my son and was caught up in this kind of bondage and oppression. It reminds me of an old saying: the devil will take you farther than you ever wanted to go and keep you longer than you ever wanted to stay and it will cost you more than you ever thought you would pay. GREATER IS HE THAT IS IN ME. Thank you for your continued prayers. Please pray for safety. It's midnight and we leave at 6:00a.m. and will make a 4 hour drive up into the mountains on roads that are less than the best.

Africa 2013 Day Two

It's close to 10:00p.m. and we are just arriving back from a day in the African bush. We filled up our dear friend and guide Noah's Toyota van this morning and I noticed as we were pulling in that his low fuel light is on. We have driven through and visited with many villages today. Today was mostly dedicated to following up on villages where Nathan and his previous groups had done evangelism, planted churches and drilled much needed water wells. Probably the most exciting and the one that made a huge impression on me is a church called Living Waters. It is in a very remote village and it was amazing to drive up and see the Pastor, an African national, standing there waiting. He was overjoyed to see Nathan and it was awesome to walk with them to the tree where it all started. It was under this tree that they had the first service preached by a layman that Nathan had brought on a short term mission trip. In the fourteen months since, the church has constructed a temporary shelter in which to meet and has grown to a membership of almost 500 with over 250 in attendance every Sunday Another important work in remote locations is the provision of fresh, clean water. Because the water table is so very deep in this area hand dug wells are few and far between making it a tremendous burden for the women and children to walk often over a mile with heavy buckets on their heads to get water each day. These simple open wells have served a great purpose for many years but they also present risks. First, they have furthered the malaria epidemic in Africa because open wells are breeding grounds for mosquitos. Secondly, animals often wander into these open holes and fall in and die. It is virtually impossible to retrieve them so people then drink water that has been contaminated by the decaying carcass. The new wells like the one pictured on yesterday's blog entry are completely enclosed and extremely efficient. I watched today as a little boy who could not have been more than three years old barely moved the pump handle and yet it provided enough water for his older sister to drink from. We spent a part of our afternoon visiting these wells that were paid for by the generosity of one of Nathan's former church members. The pictures we took will be his first look at what his investment provided. But, only in eternity will he really know the full effects of this sacrificial gift of 5 wells for 5 desperate villages. After visiting the wells, we drove back to the village of Melinge which is the site of Calvary Baptist Church and the Hope House for Children. We met with the chief of the village yesterday for a preliminary celebration but we then planned a major celebration for the whole area for today at 4:00p.m. We contributed some money so that they could slaughter and cook two goats which was sure to draw a crowd since meat is a rare treat in this village. On the way there we heard the same chilling chanting of the demon spirit worshipers we had encountered on the road yesterday but today they were in full regalia and shrieking loud enough to be heard a kilometer away. Nathan asked our guide to get us there so we drove as far as we could and then went on foot to this patch of ground surrounded by trees. The contrast was surreal because just a few minutes away was a gathering of Christ followers celebrating all that God had accomplished. When we got to the site where the ritual was being held we found out that they were having a "ritual of the tomb" honoring one of the former chiefs that had died a few years ago. Again, there were over 500 people there and even the trees overhanging the site were filled with young africans who had climbed up for a clear view. We could not get close enough to see what was going on but the pastor of Living Waters suddenly led us in a human chain right through the crowd and we found ourselves in the inner circle of this demonic rite. Seeing something so evil through spiritual eyes was surreal. They were dressed in grotesque costumes and their dances were violent. As they danced they would point to sections of the crowd and demand that they pay them money. One by one, these precious villagers, without money to feed the starving children under foot, would go to the center and give these demon dancers what little money they had. The dancers would stuff it in their pockets and demand more and more. The Lord opened our eyes to see this for what it was- a demonic worship service and this was the devils way of taking up an offering! Our guide reminded us that by now we were late to our Hope House celebration and we were forced to leave suddenly. It's probably a good thing because Nathan and I were trying to figure out how to preach the gospel there and I doubt if they would have been happy with that prospect. We left with broken hearts and our best ministry option- praying against those demonic spirits. We are praying still. On the way to the van, they brought a young girl to us who was approximately 10 years old. She had a huge growth bulging out of her mouth that they said they believed was cancerous. It covered almost her entire bottom lip and chin and made her precious countenance so distorted she was unable to smile. It was such a touching moment for me to gather a group around her and pray fervently over her for God's healing touch. She has no chance of any medical help. God is her only chance. Please pray for her we will call her Lilly. Meanwhile back at the Hope House a huge crowd had gathered of over 500 people and the chiefs and people of nearby villages came to celebrate the Hope house as well. It was here that I pulled out a game that Coach Currie had given me which I call "The rock." Actually it consists of two laminated squares of cardboard and a long rope. Two young men stand on the squares with the rope between them and one tries to pull the other off. Without even being able to speak a word I demonstrated it and they immediately began a tournament with the winner staying to take on all comers. At the conclusion, I awarded the game to two brothers and I am sure it will be played now at all village gatherings. I also met a most amazing man at the village with a smile as big as Texas. He had only one arm but I was told that he played the guitar! Of course I was intrigued so I followed him and he brought out this crude but beautiful guitar he had made from a one gallon metal gas can and the branch of a tree with steel wire. And he brought his children out and as they sat on the ground together he strummed with his one hand and formed the chords with his foot and together they sang the most beautiful worship music. Nathan informed me that he made these crude guitars and then sold them to help his family and so four thousand kwacha later it was mine! (Don't worry Trinetta that's not as much as it sounds). Now I just have to get creative to find a way to get it home on the airplane. Nathan knew he was going to have to speak through a translator to the village chiefs and he asked me if I had brought my frisbee. Those of you who know me realize that in high school I was voted most likely to carry a frisbee so- yes, I had my frisbee. It is customary for a guest to present the chief with a gift and guess what?...the frisbee turned out to be that gift. The translator told me that he wasn't sure what to call it so when he translated to the chief he said that we were giving them "a flying plate." They looked confused until Nathan sent one of the young men out long and through it to him. Then the villagers cackled like hens at the site. They laughed and cheered as we threw it back and forth. Nathan left to go take pictures of the Hope house and for the next hour I taught the young men how to throw it properly. Too bad we ran out of time for frisbee golf. The banana trees and stacks of corn husks would have made excellent targets! At the close of his talk Nathan did an amazing job of preaching. Telling the people that the only reason there was a Hope house...or hope of any kind in the world was because of the saving grace of The Lord Jesus Christ. As we drove away one thought filled my mind...God had put this little place on the map. A year and half ago there was little laughter and little "Hope" in this village. Then God sent a group of Christ followers, just regular church members who were willing to burn some vacation to go to Africa and walk through the bush sharing the gospel. And the rest as they is HisStory! My closing question: "Will you go next?"

Africa 2013 Day One

So, after 24 hours of flying and 15 hours of layover we arrived at O.R. Tambo International Airport in Lilongwe, Milawi. And even though we kinda took the long way to get here, God blessed with sleep on the flight from Frankfurt to Johannesburg so we hit the ground running. Thank you for your prayers...keep them up though...we've had a couple of bouts with nausea on both of our parts while traveling and Jenna, Nathan's wife has been sick which has proven to be a drain on his mind and heart. But for now Jenna is better and we are both well and almost rested. Oh yeah, and Nathan's main suitcase is somewhere in the bowels of some airport. Pray that it catches up with us soon. We got settled at the IMB guest house and headed for Hope Children's Home a place for hurting kids established by Nathan and Jenna after a trip where God broke his heart for the many orphans in this area. On the way we were confronted on the dirt road near the home with two men who were dressed in strange robes and head dresses made from maize stalks and shucks. They came right up to the window of the car and were shouting strange incantations as they made lewd gestures toward us. They are a part of a tribe in the area that worships evil spirits and these rituals are done regularly in an effort to appease the spirits. The same group came by a couple of hours later led by two men under a large blanket with the head of a donkey. They were followed by a group who were chanting in the same melodic but sinister way. Please pray against witchcraft in this area it has been here for centuries and still hold sway over thousands who are afraid to offend these demons who blind and destroy them. We arrived at the church to the same chants we get in Uganda...Mzungu, Mzungu as a large group of children followed the van into the parking lot of Calvary Baptist Church located on the same property as the children's home. This was Nathan's first time to see the beautiful home that is almost completed that will house dozen's of hurting kids when it opens it's doors later this year. Please pray for the funding to come through to finish and furnish this amazing place that will greatly affect a generation that is so fragile. We came at a good time because the children were having choir practice and the sounds of their sweet voices filled the air in this place that is quite remote and isolated in the African bush. Choir was dismissed and I brought out rolls of stickers with Jesus stuff on them and of course they loved it. Soon Nathan and I were standing in front of the Hope house surrounded by children and their mothers and believe it or not they were each one politely waiting to get their sticker which you would have thought was something precious and valuable. Then the moms began to dance and sing songs about The Lord and it was awesome to see them worship so passionately in an open air display of their love for The Lord. This is one of those villages that only a few years ago had no church and no gospel witness and now they have their own piece of land and their own church building. We left the church site and headed off much further into the bush driving down narrow dirt roads which in may places were a single lane. We drove for an hour and finally in the pitch black of night we turned into the drive of a primary school to see 300 people watching the Jesus film in their native language. Nathan turned to me and said: "you're up" and I had the awesome privilege of preaching the gospel through an interpreter and we saw over 60 people pray to receive Christ I want to stop now, after just one day here and thank all of you who prayed and gave to get us here. As we were bouncing along those roads and often bottoming our our car I realized that this really is my chance to live out the command to take the gospel to the uttermost!

Africa 2013…filled with expectation.

I know, sometimes expectations are what kill ya. You know when you get your hopes up and think that something’s going to happen that’s about as likely as a snowball in Africa! Like when my boys were all toddlers and I would land at the Houston airport (pre 911) and think that Trinetta would have them lined up at the gate with signs saying “welcome home daddy.” Not only was this extremely unlikely- it was also unfair to even think for a moment about asking her to lug those kids through the terminals after parking the car a mile away. Crazy. But, this is different. Expectation is different from expectations, if you know what I mean. Our expectation of what God is going to do in Africa is built on solid promises from God. Promises like: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1) “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you;” (Deuteronomy 31) “The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life” (Psalm 27) “I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you stay joined to me, and I stay joined to you, then you will produce lots of fruit” (John 15) Our interim pastor Nathan Lorick and I will be visiting the countries of Malawi and Zambia to encourage our IMB missionaries, to visit current work, to preach the gospel and show the Jesus film in remote villages. If you are reading this it’s probably because you love the Lord, you love Africa and you love us as your brothers in Jesus. Here are some things we are asking of the Lord. We would love if you would intercede on our behalf for them: • 1000 souls saved. • Open doors for future mission trips • Words of strength and encouragement for battle worn missionaries • Safe air travel filled with conversations that make us better (20 + hours in the air) • The pilots of various puddle jumpers we will fly on in country • That our families we leave behind will be safe and secure • That we will see and seize every opportunity to share Jesus Thanks…more to come…if we have reliable internet. Check back every day! Donnie

Corpus MIssion Trip Day Three

Corpus Mission Trip Day 3 Every mission trip has a "big day." That would be yesterday. With our church shuttle down for the count, I called the church administrator (a girl I went to school with) to ask for a recommendation for a mechanic shop. When she heard about the shuttle she immediately brought me the keys to their new church van and she and her husband even packed up ice chests for us for our Family Fun Day sno cones. Then, at the very last minute she said, "oh yeah and we have a block party trailer full of games and inflatables if you want that! So, she gave me the keys and the permission and it took our Family Fun Day to a whole new level to have a three story football, soccer and baseball inflatable. God is good. We arrived and started the massive job of setting up pop up tents, children's games, tables, sno cones and more. At starting time we were a little worried because there were only two families there. We scrambled our forces and sent people door to door and to McDonalds and Whataburger (both very near the church.) To my surprise both managers loved this little church and both started immediately handing out our flyers with every meal. The crowd grew and by the end we were singing and presenting the bridge to life to between 60 and 80 people (including some members from River Hills Church that had come to work side by side for a harvest. When I brought brother Ronnie Morales, the pastor up to give the altar call 19 people prayed to receive Christ! And that's the reason for the blood, sweat and tears! Special thanks to all CHFBC members and leadership for your prayers and for supplying the games, vehicles, and the support it took to pull off such a fantastic mission trip. Also, a special thanks to the Richeys for hearing a call from God and investing their lives in our Young Professionals ministry. We are leading worship today at River Hills Oak Park and then heading home. Thanks again for your prayers. This trip started with prayer at the altar in Grace chapel and this is why people were saved and we were protected despite all our vehicle problems. One inspiring story. For some, like Terry Walker, this is their very first mission trip. I know it won't be their last, especially with stories like this one. Terry immediately bonded with Corey. He is going into 7th grade this year and he was one of the oldest boys that attended the Family Fun Day. He was drawn in by the football inflatable and showed incredible accuracy in throwing through the various holes in that station of the game. Terry asked if he's played football and to his surprise he stated he had not. Terry simply said: "you've got a real arm and all the right mechanics, you'd make a great quarterback." Corey lit up like a Christmas tree. It seemed like no one had ever paid him a simple compliment. Later, at the bridge to life presentation Corey prayed to receive Christ. But, when one of our team members asked him if we could fill out a follow up card, he refused. Terry went to talk to him and found out the best we can tell- he was embarrassed because he and his father lived in Austin but his father had dropped him off with his grandmother here in Corpus Christi probably because they don't have a permanent address right now. David Spann made an interesting observation. Someday when Corey is the starting quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys and he is interviewed after a big win he will say: I never believed I could do it, until one day this group came to Corpus Christi and...

Corpus MissionTrip Day Two

YP Mission Trip Day 2 Day 2 (Friday) started with us loading up on the church shuttle to find that it wouldn't start. So, no problem, (a favorite saying of ours) we used another vehicle to jump start it and got on the road to make the 15 mile trip from the church where we are staying to the church at which we are ministering. 5 miles down the road the engine went dead at 60 miles per hour. But God is good...we put it in neutral and coasted off a nearby exit. Thanks to the grace of God (and the YPs are convinced...thanks to everyone leading forward) we coasted off the freeway and right into a parking lot of a dance studio in the middle of nowhere. After a bit, we got it started again and limped over to the church where we met waiting church members from River Hills Church at Oak Park. The next two hours were spent with them going door to door giving out flyers for our Family Fun Day. We hit all the streets surrounding the church as well as several apartment complexes. Our hope is that this kind of outreach blitz will help put this church on the map in this area of Corpus Christi letting residents know there is a loving church waiting to minister to their families. From there we enjoyed awesome seafood and steaks at Nolan's and it was back to work...this time at my parents house. As most of you reading this know, my parents have both had lots of physical problems lately especially my dad who had extensive GI surgery and then fell while recuperating and broke his hip. Then, at age 83 he underwent a hip replacement and has only been home from rehab a few days. So, they were blessed to the point of tears by our group taking time to mow and weed eat the yard, replace a leaky drain pipe, clean windows and redo our front flower bed. My father prayed over us at the end of our time and not only prayed a wonderful blessing over all the group but asked God to move in a mighty way as we ministered here in the city. In the meantime I took the van over to run some diagnostic tests that were inconclusive. The van started right up after lunch so we decided to chance it and take our scheduled evening off at the beach. We came out to load up at my parents home only to find a flat tire on the rear tire of our shuttle bus. We aired it up and limped into Discount Tire where there was a two hour wait. I told the group to pack into the waiting area and be obnoxious which I figured would get us at the head of the line! (o.k. so I thought about doing that.) But as everyone waked over the Wal Mart we made friends with one of the guys in the shop and we were back on the road in less than an hour. We finally headed for Padre Island and had a restful time before the big day tomorrow that ended with a praise and worship circle with the guitar that was a good witness to all.