Malawi Mission Trip - Pastor's Training Conference

Teaching the Teachers...

As a part of our mission trip to Malawi, our team was involved in a training conference for Church of God pastors from across Malawi. By “involved” I mean that Crossings Community Church underwrote the vast majority event, including covering the lodging and travel expenses for the 23 pastors who attended. During the two-week conference the pastors studied basic theology, church polity, and received some basic HIV/AIDS education. This last component was twofold: to educate the pastors themselves on the basic facts of HIV/AIDS and to equip them to better minister to their congregations where AIDS is sometimes very prevalent. I was blessed to have the opportunity to teach these incredible men and women for the final three days of the conference. The participation of Crossings Community Church as a funder of this event is a mere monetary investment of our treasures that will reap eternal rewards.

Most of these pastors – most of whom are Regional Overseers for the Church of God in Malawi – do not have more than a sixth grade education…if they have any education at all. The 21 men and two women who attend are mainly peasants and farmers who love the Lord with all of their heart, soul, mind and strength. These servants pastor out of their devotion to God and the calling that he has placed on their hearts, not because it is their career choice.

Our time together started each day with worship. When I say “worship” I mean a full-bodied, high-impact aerobic, participatory event where the sole focus of all activity was the adoration and praise of the Lord God Almighty. We sang, we clapped, we danced, we drummed, (I also learned that desks and chairs make suitable drums), and we earnestly worshiped in spirit and in truth. It was a worship that exists only when we worship out of the overflow of the joy and gratitude that spills from our hearts for what Jesus has done for us. This time of singing was followed by a brief devotion led by a different pastor each day, a prayer, one more song and then it was time for teaching.

When I decided to help teach these pastors as part of my contribution to this mission trip, I was a little intimidated. I wasn’t intimidated based on a depth of knowledge – I knew that Terry Feix, Cliff Sanders, and Steve Seaton were all in Oklahoma – but because I realized the stakes that were involved. At the risk of sounding overly dramatic, I knew that if I messed up and taught unsound doctrine that it could have a detrimental impact on the churches across Malawi. That was not something that I wanted to be responsible for. So after much prayer, after seeking a great deal of godly wisdom and insight from pastors and teachers whom I deeply respect, and after even more prayer, I prepared lessons on The Bible, The Doctrine of God, The Doctrine of Christ and The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit/Triune God.

These pastors were so eager to learn. We mixed times of lecture with small group discussion, periods of Q & A, and large group discussion. The Lord truly blessed our time together. I will never forget these twenty-three men and women (plus two-month old Gloria, who came with her mom) or these three days for the rest of my life. This was a deeply rewarding and satisfying experience and I am humbled that God would allow me a small role in continuing to build his kingdom in Malawi. Our prayer (this includes CHoG missionary Tammie Tregallas and the Gregorys) and hope is that these church leaders will now go and teach those pastors that are within their various regions of Malawi. Just as they have been taught and trained for the last two weeks, they need to train the pastors that they are overseeing and mentoring.

Some of the concepts we studied and discussed were not difficult to grasp while others presented a challenge for me to break down and adequately communicate. We can all understand the concept of Jesus coming and being the sacrifice for our sin, it is a little more difficult to describe one person being 100% divine and 100% human. It is one thing to say that God is the Creator of all things, but how do you break down the word “transcendence” in Chichewa? We talked about God being eternal, all powerful, and having many eyes (omnipresence) but are we as 21st century, educated Americans even capable of grasping the full impact and reality of a transcendent God. I believe it but that doesn’t mean that I fully understand it. One of the pastors finally summed it up best when he said: “We must let God be God.” Simple, yet profound and eternally true. Later, we sang the song “Let God be God,” a wonderful Chichewa song about the power of God.

Some of the questions that the pastors asked were deep and thoughtful. “Is it permissible to let a woman preach?” “Does the baptism of the Holy Spirit mean that everyone can speak in tongues?” “If Eve at the forbidden fruit first then why did God get angry with Adam, and not Eve?” Other questions were a result of their educational backgrounds. “Why didn’t Adam and Eve have a wedding ceremony?” “Of the 500 brothers that Jesus appeared to, (1 Corinthians 15), the ones who have not yet fallen asleep, are they still alive today?” “Why was the woman who was caught in adultery going to be stoned but not the man she was caught with?” All of the questions were thought provoking, you just never knew from which end of the spectrum they would come from.

Each of the pastors who attended the conference received a brand new Bible. For most of the participants, this meant a study Bible (much like the NIV study Bible you may own) in the Chichewa language, complete with scriptural cross-references, outlines of each book of the Bible and even maps at the back. These pastors had never owned Bibles like this before...therefore, they were somewhat uncertain on how to use them properly. But the Lord gave us opportunities to learn to use them together.

On the second day of our time together, one of the pastors asked a question about a passage of scripture: Matthew 24:15 - 25. As Jesus it teaching about the signs of the end of the age, he references prophecy from the book of Daniel. The pastor asked me what Jesus was talking about. We all had the opportunity to look up the passage in Matthew, use the cross-references to Daniel 9 - 12, to read those entire chapters (to gain a more complete understanding of what Daniel was talking about) and then to apply it to what Jesus was teaching. As these pastors become more comfortable using their new Bibles it will open up new depths of understanding to the truth that is contained within God's word.

One of the pastors I had the chance to meet was Pastor Pipe. He is the man wearing the white shirt in the picture above. Pastor Pipe is a warm, wonderful and godly man who is in his sixties. For most of his life, Pastor Pipe was completely illiterate. He could not read a single word or even write his own name. However, one night Pipe had a dream. Pipe dreamed that God was calling him to preach. Pipe's respoonse to God was: "I will do whatever you ask but how can I preach when I cannot even read?" God's answer to Pipe? "I will teach you to read." God then instructed Pipe to find a Bible and to take it with him to the river by the village. Obediantly, Pipe did as he was instructed. He arrived at the river, opened up the Bible and suddenly, for the first time in his life, he could read the words that were printed on the page. A true life story of God not calling the equipped but equipping the called.

How many times have we felt the tug of the Holy Spirit on our hearts only to find ourselves spouting excuse after excuse for why God must be mistaken. Surely God must have me mistaken with someone who has (pick one): more talents, more time, more money, better speaking skills, more patience, etc. He can't use me. And so rather than responding to God's call we choose to raltionalize it away and explain that feeling in our gut as something we ate that did not agree with us. And yet here we see in Pastor Pipe a man who - in our society - had none of the skills necessary to be a pastor...he couldn't even read the Bible. But his desire to be obediant and responsive to God was greater than his doubts or inadequacies. That is truly faith in action.

The three days that I was able to spend with these men and women are three days that I will treasure for the rest of my life. For me, they rank right up there with the day I married my wonderful wife Deanna and the birth of my children. Personally, having the chance to participate in the ordination service of two of these pastors - Reverend Pipe and Reverend Emmanuel - was a highlight of this trip.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Michael

Malawi Mission Trip - Day 6

DAY 6: Saturday, November 14

For the members of our team this was a life-changing day. We team returned to the Bodza feeding center with high energy and high expectations. Knowing that this was going to be our last day at the feeding center, the team wanted to pour as much of God’s love as humanly possible into these precious and wonderful children.

The drive to the feeding center takes about an hour and a half. While most of the road is paved, the last 30 minutes is on dirt, wash board roads. Think of the biggest pot hole you have ever seen and then triple it. Welcome to driving to the villages in Malawi. In addition to the rough roads, there is the oppressive heat, the desolation with no vegetation, endless lines of needy people, rows and rows of mud hut homes…pretty much stereotypical images of sub-Saharan Africa.

Upon arrival at the feeding center the 200+ children were brimming with excitement. They greeted the vehicles chanting: “Azungu! Azungu! Azungu!” (By the way, azungu means white people). They were anxious to welcome us back and to play, sing, create, learn and love with us. Our time with the children began with Brad telling the story of Noah’s Ark. You have never seen a more attentive group of children. They hung on every word of Brad’s story as the assistant director for Bridge to Malawi, Sabena, translated. It was a humorous moment as Brad described the animals getting on the ark when Sabena discovered that she did not to know the Chichewa word for giraffe.

Following Noah’s Ark, the team decided it was time to decorate the children. Using temporary tattoos and face paint almost every child received multiple adornments to their face and bodies. With the small mirrors that the team brought with us the children were able to admire the handiwork and their newly designed faces.

Today is a “touch day” for the team at the feeding center. We get the chance to put our hands on them as we put on tattoos, paint faces, give endless hugs and give them necklaces and bracelets. For everyone, this has by far been the most rewarding experience of the trip thus far. It has tugged at our collective heart strings and helped us to put a face to who Jesus is referring to when he talks about “the least of these.” In each face we saw a special treasure, loving created by God for his special purpose. How could we not be moved?

Before eating lunch at the center, we passed out cross necklaces to the older children and bracelets to the younger children. On both the necklaces and the bracelets there were colored beads that describes God’s love. Doug led the children through a heartfelt explanation of God’s love, our sin and the sacrifice of Jesus in our place. A local pastor who was at the feeding center told the team “These children need to hear this message.” Is there any greater act of love and kindness that we can give than to share with them the greatest love story of all?

Following a traditional lunch of ground maize, greens and goat, our team had a special privilege. Streets of Africa provided 1,000 mosquito nets to give away while we are in Malawi. We were able to give one to each person at the feeding center. It was as if we had given them gold. While HIV/AIDS gets all of the headlines in Africa, it is malaria that kills more Africans daily than any other disease or illness. These nets will save lives from the first moment that they are used.

An act as simple as the giving of the net…saving a life. A person does not get the chance to actually save a life very often in their personal experience. And today our team had the chance to share new life spiritually and save lives physically. That’s not a bad day…

So, what does it mean to be a “doer of the Word?” What does living as a follower of Christ look like? For that matter, how do we even define our faith? Statistics and research tell us that the lives of followers of Christ in the United States today do not really differ that much from the millions of Americans who are lost, who are far from God. Is the practice of our faith defined by how often we are inside the walls of the church? By the size of the check we write to the church each month? Is the practice of our faith a lifestyle or merely a spiritual “to do” list that we check off so that we feel better about ourselves?

James 1:27 says – “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

The Christian life – the entire Christian experience – should be marked by a life of servanthood. Over and over Jesus teaches us that the meek and those who give their lives in service to others are “the greatest” in the Kingdom. Jesus teaches that whenever we show God’s love to “the least of these” we are showing love to him. The book of James also tells us that “faith without works is dead.” Simply put, as followers of Christ we are called to minister to – to help meet the needs of – those who are helpless and cannot meet their own needs.

Anyone who seriously studies the ministry of Jesus will see that he continually reached out to those who have been marginalized by society: sinners, lepers, the poor, the oppressed, prostitutes and tax-collecters. And yet, far too often, we have no desire to come close to those who need our help the most. Maybe we will write a check to assuage our guilt, but we don’t engage person-to-person, we don’t put a face to a need. We are afraid to connect.

Why is that? Could it be that connecting person-to-person forces us to come to grips with how much we have that we really don’t need? Or maybe it is the fact that we will realize that we have not truly surrendered all that we have to God and we secretly want to hold our possessions back for ourselves. I could be completely off-base on this, but somehow I don’t think so.

The good news is that it is never too late to start making a difference. You may think that the task of reaching out to those in need – whether in Oklahoma City, the U.S., or around the world – is too big for one person to make a difference. An African proverb says: “If you think one person cannot do anything, try spending the night in a room alone with a mosquito.” You may not be able to do much, but you can do what you can do. God has given you talents…use them. God has given you treasures…share them. God has given you time…invest it in others.

If you want learn about where you can serve, feel free to call our missions ministry at the church. We always have service opportunities for people who want to make a difference in the lives of others. But, I warn you – you’re life will never be the same.


Soli Deo Gloria,
Michael

Author's note: Praise the Lord! We have deisel fuel. Thank you so much for your prayers. Because we now have deisel, for the next two days we will be in the southern part of this beautiful nation. Unfortunately, we will not have internet access, so I will not be able to give further updates until we return to the States on Thursday. I promise there will be additional updates and more pictures at that time.

Malawi Mission Trip - Day 5

DAY 5 – Friday, November 13

Due to the diesel fuel shortage, we have had to adjust our plans somewhat. It’s no big deal; it is part and parcel of almost every mission trip taken, especially trips overseas to Third World nations. Experiencing a mission trip involves a willingness to be flexible and to allow the Holy Spirit to work in the midst of fluid – not just flexible – situations.

While the Pastors’ Training Conference was unaffected by the changing schedule, our trip to the Bodza feeding center did not take place today. It will have to wait until Saturday. So, since the mosquito nets supplied by Streets of Africa – purchased from HIS Nets – are still sitting in customs. Doug and Brad had the chance to go with Danny Gregory to the Malawi Revenue Authority and see the bureaucracy of a developing nation up close. Some haggling went on, but in the end, the Malawian government was paid a far higher duty for these humanitarian supplies than it was entitled to claim. Life goes on…

Two of our team members with considerable experience in the medical field – Stacey and Valerie – were already scheduled to visit the Malawi College of Medicine and to tour the Queens (sic) Elizabeth Central Hospital. Given the change I n plans, all of the ladies on our team made the trip together. What they saw was eye opening. As one team member described it: “It was interesting, but shocking.”

To honor the request of our hosts and to respect the patients at the hospital we did not take photographs during our visit. So, I want you to picture in your mind the level of medical care and the quality of healthcare facilities that you observed on the old M*A*S*H sitcom in the 70’s and early 80’s. Now remove all resources and funding for even the most basic of medical supplies and you are beginning to get a picture of what our team encountered.

Stacey was scheduled to give presentation to the surgical staff on the benefits of using surgical staples. Well, using surgical staples IS a benefit…if you have a choice. All too often that is not an option during surgery because the doctors do not have access to these types of surgical supplies. Stacey later said that as she prepared for her presentation she wanted to discuss various options in patient care. She soon realized that these professionals have NO OPTIONS and that they make do with whatever they have. It was very humbling to experience their poor and meager working conditions.

From the College of Medicine the group moved to tour the Queens Elizabeth Central Hospital. If what the team encountered at the College was “shocking” then the conditions at the hospital were “heartbreaking.”

The group visited many parts of the hospital: operating room, patient wards, labs, ICU and the burn unit. Everywhere they went the team members were struck by how blessed they are to have access to the level of medical care that we have in the United States. No American would ever want to have to rely on this level and quality of medical care. Crowded wards that featured rows after rows of patient beds, with family members sleeping on mats next to their beds. Each floor had one nurse for the entire ward. Pain medication is not dispensed after a patient leaves OR recovery because there just is not enough to go around. If a patient needs additional pain medication then a doctor will write a prescription for the patient and the family must go out and purchase the needed meds…if they can afford it.

While the staff at the hospital seemed genuinely proud of where they work and the care they provide, the members of our team who toured the hospital all mentioned how eerily quiet the wards were. One team member recalled how hopeless everyone looked. It was almost as if they knew that they were waiting to die.

The sad truth is, you don’t have to travel across the globe to look into the eyes of hopeless people. Right where you live, you work, you shop and where you play you can find hopeless people. Often, our trouble as American Christians is that we no longer notice them. It is easy to notice them when they look different than you and when they are lying in a hospital bed that barely meets the description of a bed and recovering from major surgery without the benefit of pain medications. But what about those people who look just like us, whose kids go to the same schools as ours and who are out mowing their lawn just like us on the weekends? Do we notice the hopelessness in their eyes? Do we look for it? Do we even care?

The benefit of a mission trip is that it allows us to be singularly focused on how God is moving and we are often more receptive and responsive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Back home we become so pre-occupied with work, family schedules and the endless and non-stop activities of our daily routines. We are afflicted with the “Barren-ness of Busy-ness.” We become so tunnel-visioned that we miss out on where God can use us right here, right now. We no longer see the world as God sees it. The things that break the heart of God no longer break our hearts. We are merely going through the motions of our Christian faith.

My prayer for our team is that our experiences on this trip will heighten our awareness to where the Holy Spirit is at work around us. I am also praying that we will have an increased sensitivity to the spiritual condition of the people around us. But not only is this my prayer for us, it is my prayer for you.


Soli Deo Gloria,
Michael

Malawi Mission Trip - Update

I apologize for lagging behind in my blogs. Tomorrow I will post enough updates so that we are caught up...hopefully. I will also post some photos.

Tomorrow we are going to be in two churches for worship. Please pray for us as we travel and speak in these churches. Also, the deisel problem still has not been resolved. We have not been able to fill Danny Gregory's vehicle since we have arrived, but PRAISE THE LORD, we have yet to run out of gas. Please pray that we will be able to get deisel fuel tomorrow.


Soli Deo gloria,
Michael

Malawi Mission Trip - Day 4

So, it's been a while since my last update, but I can explain. Chalk it up to enjoying the complete Africa experience. There was no electricity yesterday when we arrived home from our project sites. So, we cooked, we ate, we celebrated Sydney Gregory's 12th birthday, cleaned up and had a team devotional all in the dark. (I'm not sure but I think some of our team members may have nodded off during the team devo time...)

Today was an incredible day of ministry. Most of the team: Brad, Darlene, Doug, Kelli, Stacey and Valerie started off by going to the Open Arms orphanage. They received a guided tour and were able to find out a great deal of information about the plight and growing problems of orphans and thier care. The orphanage they visited was one of the nicer ones in Blantyre but they still learned that the growing numbers of orphans may soon overwhelming the current system that is in place to provide the care for and placement of these orphans. While they were at Open Arms thay had the opportunity to leave some of the infant formula as a gift for the orphanage.

After leaving the orphanage, they group proceeded to the Bridge to Malawi feeding center in the village of Bodza. Bodza is about an hour and a half drive from Blantyre down in the valley and aas a result it is VERY hot there. By the time the team made it to the site it was past Noon and the children fed by the center (usually around 200+) had begun to arrive. So, with barely time to catch their breath, the team got started entertaining the children with a large parachute while others prepared the craft project for the day. Oh, and by the way, it was blistering hot there.

In our preparation for this trip some members of the team had the chance to meet a woman named Beatrice who is a native Kenyan but who now resides in Oklahoma City. One of the stories she shared with the group was how much she treasured an old, worn and rumpled photograph from her childhood. The only childhood picture she had ever owned. Picking up on how much Beatrice treasured her picture, the team decided to use photography technology similar to Polaroid (yet made by Fuji) to take pictures of the children at the feeding center and then give the children a chance to decorate the frame for the pictures.

In our planning for the trip we were told that the Bodza feeding center typically feeds 130-150 children each day. So we purchased 200 exposures for the camera and guessed that we would be okay. Unfortunately, the center now feeds 200+ on a daily basis. The day we arrived they had 197...just enough film for all of the kids. That sounds like God to me.

Our team also played games with the children, shared Bible stories, helped prepare the lunch for the kids, sang to the kids and listened to am impromptu concert by the children. Over and over during our team devotion time our team remarked how blessed they were by the children. It was easy to look into their eyes and to know that Jesus Christ was looking right back at us. At the end of the day the weary, dirty and tired missionaries trudged in exhausted but fulfilled.

And that is exactly what Christ expects of us. Paul encourages us to do everything we do with all of our heart as if we are working for the Lord. That means working with excellence and giving ourselves fully to the task at hand. When we give every ounce of energy that we have, then we make ourselves dependent on God and the power of the Holy Spirit. We allow him to fill us, to work through us, to do things that are impossible in our own strength and, as a result, we glorify God and proclaim Jesus as Lord. It doesn't matter if you are in Malawi or on Main Street this is how God expects his disciples to live and act...EVERYDAY!!!

As I write this I want to encourage you to pray for the continuing deisel shortage. Due to the shortage of gas we have been forced to amend our project schedule and the team was unable to return to the Bodza feeding center on Friday. Please pray that deisel will be delivered and that we will be able to secure all that we need for the remainder of our time here.

In my next post I will share a little bit about the Pastors' Conference.


Soli Deo gloria,
Michael

Malawi Mission Trip - Day 3

Wednesday was a very long day.

We have arrived in Malawi though not without our share of excitement along the way. We are all very tired as our bodies deal with jet lag . At this point we are all ready to fall into bed...which is exactly what I will be doing upon completion of this blog entry.

The day's adventure began at the airport. It was there as we were checking in that one of our team members noticed that they had left a suitcase at the hotel. No biggie. While we are waiting for the bag I am continuing the process of getting the team checked in and calculating what our overweight baggage charges will be.

Finally that is added up and now it is about 45 minnutes until our plane departs and boarding has started. Once I go to another counter and pay the baggae fees we can go to our gate. The baggae people will not accept my credit card. So, I pull out my US money and I am told: "I am sorry, sir. We only accept Rand (the local currency). Great, now I have to go and exchange money before I pay the baggae charge.

The Holy Spirit enables me to remain calm and I give the rest of the group their passports and boarding passes and tell them to head to the gate. It is now less than thirty minutes until our plane leaves. I go downstairs and wait in line to exchange money. I exchange money and go back upstairs to wait in line to pay the baggage charges...fifteen minutes until the plane leaves.

At this point 40 pounds ago I would have been like O.J. Simpson in those old Hertz Car Rental adds; running through the terminal leaping over chairs and other travelers to get to my gate on time. It ain't happenin' today. So moving - and praying - as quickly as I can, I go through the security screening, clear passport control and walk to the complete opposite end of the terminal building. When I get there, only four people remain to get on the plane but at least the doors are not closed. Thank you, Jesus!

But when I approach the gate it is clear that one of the gate personnel is in some sort of distress. She is gasping for air and coughing, sheer panic written across her face. One of her colleagues say that she is having an asthma attack. My eight year old son, Joseph, has acute asthma attacks from time to time, so I have seen this before. I ask her if she has a rescue inhaler and she tells me no. I ask one of her co-workers to walk over to the nearby Gloria Jean's Coffee Bar and get a cup of ice cold water for her to begin sipping. Another passenger jumps in and asks the other gate staff to call someone to help.

As Carmen - the young woman's name - began to sip the cold water the manager of the Gloria Jean's came over with a paper sack for her to use. We encourage Carmen to breathe as slowly and as deeply as she can. She is begining to panic a bit. We lay Carmen down on the waiting area seats and gently encourage her. I grabbed her hand and knelt down next to her and said: "Carmen, you need to relax. I am going to pray for you right now." I began to pray softly where she could hear me and I asked God to intervene. I asked him to reduce the swelling and constriction that was making it hard for Carmen to breathe and that the Comforter would come and calm Carmen's spirit.

True to his nature, God responded. As I prayed Carmen's breathing became deeper and more relaxed. The trembling that she had experienced before was gone. She was not completely over her asthma attack but the affects had abated dramatically. Did this happen because I am a great pray-er? Of course not. It happened because God chose to use this moment to glorify himself. What we witnessed with our eyes was God being faithful and answering us when we prayed. It was simply God being God. I just happened to be there at the time.

By the way, I did make the flight and as I boarded the plane security personnel had arrived and were awaiting the medical staff. I do not know the final outcome of Carmen's episode, but I trust that God sustained her through the asthma attack.

Now it is your turn to pray. We have arrived in Blantyre and with the deisel fuel shortage that has suddenly paralyzed this country, some of our plans are uncertain at this point. Please pray that we will be open to the doors that are opened for us. You can pray that the fuek shortage would be resolved but that is not the biggest need. The biggest need is that our team be exactly where God ants us to be, encountering the people that God wants us to minister to. If that takes a fuel shortage for God to do this, then so be it. But please pray for our openness and obedience.

And don't forget to pray for Carmen.

Tomorrow our team will be visiting the Open Arms orphanage in Blantyre and leading a VBS at the Bodza feeding center. Most of the orphans who come to the feeding center are orphans because their parents have dies from HIV/AIDS. While most of the team will be doing that I will begin a three-day pastor training for 25 local pastors. Please pray for all of us. Pray that we will make time to get alone with God before we serve and that we will love as unconditionally as he loves us.


Soli Deo gloria,
Michael

Malawi Mission Trip - Day 2

Tuesday was a very short day.

It was still Monday evening when we left Atlanta and when we arrived in Johannesburg South Africa 14 hours later it was after 5:00pm. Today may go down as one of my least productive days in history...and that is quite an achievement even for me.

But this evening is a good chance for our team to catch our collective breath before heading on to Malawi tomorrow. It will give us the chance to get a good night's rest prior to our short flight to Blantyre. Because when we arrive in Malawi we will hit the ground running.

The last time I checked I believe we were scheduled to visit a training center for handicapped women. At this center women learn a skill and a trade that will enable them to generate some income for their familes. I think we will also be making our first visit to an orphanage tomorrow. Our day is already filled so you can see the importance of this night's rest.

We are pretty tired. Spending up to 14 hours in a steel tube where the seats are too small and too close together is not the most condusive environment for relaxation. We need to be refreshed. Our spiritual lives are that way, too. While we are living out our daily lives for Christ, whether in our normal circles of influence or by acting as the hands and feet of Jesus outside of our normal routine, we need to allow the Holy Spirit to renew us and recharge our batteries. In the Psalms, David likened it to a deer who is panting for water.

While it is one thing to desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit when we are spiritually depleted, shouldn't we as followers of Christ have an insatiable need for the Holy Spirit's power? Shouldn't just being in the presence of God's spirit create within us a desire to know him even more intimately? To abide in him even more deeply? Unfortunately, for amny of us - myself included - the only time that we desire more of God presence is when we discover that we are incapable of doing something without it.

On the long flight to Johannesburg I was watching the movie Duplicity. Clive Owen's character was telling Julia Robert's character how he felt about her. He said: "I think about you all the time. Even when I am with you I can't stop thinking about you." That is a serious desire to be with someone. How would our lives be different - and by extension how would the world be different - if we had that same intensity of desire to know God and experience his presence on a continual basis? It literally boggles the mind. We could have the same impact - if not greater - as the early believers found in the Book of Acts.

Ponder your desire for God as you continue to pray for ours...


Soli Deo gloria,
Michael

Malawi Mission Trip - Day 1

And so the journey begins...

It is trite and cliche to say that our life is a journey, but this statement is true just the same. The question then becomes what will the quality of our journey be and what kind of person will we become as a result of that journey. Before you start snoozing, let me assure you that this is no existential blog on the meaning and purpose of life...I am far too shallow for that.

But journeys can be used to prepare us. In looking through the Bible I find three examples of a journey that was used to prepare the participant(s) for their destination.

The first one is the journey of the Israelites through the Sinai on their way to Canaan, the Promised Land. As a child, I could look at a map and know that it should not take forty years to go from Egypt, cross the Sinai and arrive in Canaan. I mean, c'mon, who was driving the bus? Stevie Wonder? But as I learned more about this journey and Moses' unruly congregation (think of them as the first mega-church in recorded history) the more I began to understand about the purpose of the forty years.

As a rebellious and stiff-necked people, God gave them the chance to enter into Canaan early on in their journey. Moses sent twelve spies to scout out the land and to bring back a report. Ten of the spies came back with a negative report: "We cannot do it. The people are like giants." Then you had Caleb and Joshua who saw the land and the people and realized that God would be their strength and that God would make good on his promise. Unfortunately, the nattering nabobs of negativity won the day and they retreated to the desert. God declared that none of those people who doubted God's ability to provide what he had promised would live to inherit the land, so they wandered for another forty years. God used that time to trim the dead weight and to prove his power and faithfulness to the people. (For some reason parting the Red Sea just wasn't enough proof).

Then there's Jonah, The Reluctant Prophet. His journey to the city of Ninevah took a rather circuitous route when you consider that he was running from God. As someone who has personally tried this strategy I can assure you that it is an exercise in futility. Well, Jonah learned that same lesson, but his epiphany waited until he was in the belly of a great fish. He repented and learned something of God's grace as the fish spit him out on the beach. Unfortunately for Jonah, he did not remember what he learned. Jonah did not consider the repentant people of Ninevah to be as deserving of God's grace as he was. Often, we too have short memories of God's object lesson...especially as it relates to forgiveness, mercy and grace.

The third journey is the three year journey the disciples walked with Jesus. Jesus spent three years preparing them to be world-changers. To be God's method for sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with the entire world. No to be sure, the disciples did not realize that this was the journey they were on. Unlike, Moses and Jonah, they did not have a final destination firmly in mind when they began to travel with Jesus. But each day they were with the Savior and each time that he taught them more about the Kingdom of heaven they more God was shaping them and equipping them to fulfill the Great Commission.

So as we continue on our way to Blantyre, Malawi - we are currently in the Atlanta airport waiting to board our flight to Johannesburg - I am wondering two things about how God will use this journey: First, how will God use our travel to Malawi to prepare us for our ministry while we are there, and second, how is God using this trip as a whole to shape us, change us, and further mold us in the image of his Son, Jesus Christ. Some moments and lessons will be obvious, others less so, but as long as we remain open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, as long as we allow God to receive the glory NO MATTER the circumstance then we will be useful instruments in his hands and then we will be able to do what we were created to do: to glorify God and proclaim Jesus as Lord.

Please continue to pray for us as we travel.


Soli Deo gloria,
Michael

Malawi Mission Trip - Prolouge

Tomorrow morning our team of seven leaves for the southern African country of Malawi. The primary purposes and foci of this mission trip are three-fold: 1) lead a pastor training seminar for local Malawian pastors, many of whom have no more than a 6th grade education, 2) lead a Vacation Bible School at a local feeding center for AIDS orphans, 3) support and encourage our missionaries in Blantyre - Danny, Natalie, Sydney, Gabriel and Hope Gregory. In addition to these projects we also hope to visit some local orphanages, distribute mosquito nets to help prevent malaria and conduct some AIDS/HIV edutation to some local medical personnel. It is an ambitious trip and we are trusting that God's Holy Spirit will work out all of the details that are subject to the ebb and flow of Third World daily living.

As we make our final preparations to go, I ask that you would pray for the following:

• safe travel for our team and that all of our luggage and supplies would arrive with us and that we would breeze through customs without any problems
• the shortage of deisel fuel in Malawi; our VBS project will require and one hour one-way drive each day; please pray that the feul will be available
• pray that our team would continue to have open and flexible spirits that will allow us to minister as the Holy Spirit leads
• pray that when the people of Malawi encounter us that they will not see our faces, but that they will see the face of Jesus and that they will hear his voice as we speak

Invariably, when we prepare to take mission trips, I am asked the question: "Why are we going? Isn't there enough need right here in Oklahoma City?" While the second question does contain some truth, the reality is, we go because we are being obediant to the commands of Jesus Christ.

When Jesus gave his disciples their final marching orders (in Matthew 28 and Acts 1), he clearly told them to make disciples of ALL nations. While we must begin locally, in Jerusalem and Judea, to be fully obediant followers of Christ we cannot stop there. We must continue on to Samaria and the ends of the earth. Yes, there is need everywhere, both at home and abroad, but to focus exclusively on one while neglecting the other demonstrates an incomplete understanding of the commands of Christ.

Recently, someone told me that missions was like eating, candy or dessert. It tastes good and makes us feel good, but you can't live on it. While this statement is accurate in terms of dessert, it completely misses the point of missions and our purpose as followers of Christ. I prefer to look at missions more in terms of Maslow's hierachry of needs. Missions is not optional, it is something that should be an intrinsic part of who we are as followers of Christ.

As Christ's disciples we should be externally focused and missions is one of the primary ways that we can live that out. Now, I am not saying that missions ONLY applies to going across the globe to share our faith in Christ with others, but that certainly is a part of it. It could involve reaching out to a neighbor around the corner or helping drill a water well around the world. It could be filling a backpack for a student at our Oklahoma City Briding the Gap schools or volunteering at the Crossings Community Center. There are lots of ways to "do missions" but it is more than a one-time event that we check off of our spiritual to do list. It should be who we are, our lifestyle.

Sermon over.

We covet your prayers as we travel and minister.

To God alone be the glory...

Michael

Cement, cement, cement

In all of the details of the medical clinic it seems that I have almost totally neglected our construction team and the work that they have accomplished this week. On our first day we poured a new roof for the first floor of the church that will also be the floor of the church's second story. That was fifty 95 lbs bags of cement. My neck was fried by the sun and many of our backs were a little stiff on Tuesday morning.

Since we were able to finish that job far faster than our Honduran hosts had planned we needed something else to do and since we still had another 50 bags of cement it seemed like the natural thing to pave something else...so we did.

The courtyard at the Pena de Horeb church is nothing but a giant mud pit. When it rains heavily it becomes an absolute quagmire and then mud and dirt is tracked into the sanctuary and it just becomes a filthy mess. So, why not pave it? So Tuesday we spent the day loading, hauling and dumping about five truckloads of the richest and most beautiful topsoil to level the courtyard in order to pave it. (There is not a single one of you reading this who would not want this dirt in your yard, garden, flowerbed or farm. It was that good.) While this was not the most exciting work that we had ever done, those of us who were able to go and load the truck were treated to some fresh drinks from coconuts that had just been picked from the tree. It didn't taste quite like a Dr. Pepper from Sonic, but it was cool, wet and it hit the spot.

After spending the day Tuesday leveling the courtyard we spent Wednesday mixing cement and pouring it. What was amazing to us was how the local church members turned out to help work on their church. Each day we worked we had church members volunteer to help us. One gentleman - Eduardo - was there everyday working shoulder-to-shoulder with us. He spoke no English and most of us spoke no Spanish but it was important to Eduardo that he have a hand in the improvements that were being made to his church. It was important to him.

To see some pictures of the clinic, construction and the other sights of Honduras click on the link below to go to the photo album that is posted on the Crossings website.
http://www.crossingsokc.org/serveandvolunteer/MissionsOutreachMinistries/MissionsPhotoAlbums/tabid/429/Default.aspx


Soli Deo gloria,
Michael

Thursday, June 18

Thank you to everyone who prayed for our medicine needs. As usual, God showed up and blew us all away.

(Have you ever thought about this: We acknowledge with our lips that God is sovereign and omnipotent and yet when He answers our prayers in ways that only He can, we are continually amazed. Is that because we don't fully believe what we say or because His power, might and glory is far greater than we can fathom? Or maybe a little bit of both? Discuss among yourselves...)

As you know the overwhelming response - for us, not for God - at our clinic on Wednesday left us drastically short on some medicines. We prayed and you prayed and we made plans to hopefully purchase more meds on Thursday morning in Pena Blanca. We had conficence that God would provide and that everything would work out. But to be honest, we did not know what that would look like.

For the first three days of our clinic we had been in poor communities. Lomas del Aguila on Wednesday was the poorest of the poor. But on Thursday we were in the community of Zapaca which is more affluent than any other community we have ever been in. As a result of their higher standard of living the people that came to our clinic had different maladies and therefore needed some of the medication that we had not been dispensing at our previous clinics.

We had taken with us an ample supply of medicines for heart conditions, high blood pressure and diabetes but to this point we had not used hardly any of it. Well, that all changed on Thursday as those became the most needed pharmacuticals. Once again, God provided. Plus, the volume of patients we saw on Thursday dropped dramatically back down to around 100. God knew what we could handle and He worked everything out perfectly.

I do not want to give you the mistaken impression that this trip has been all about meeting physical needs. At our very core we are committed to being used for Kingdom growth and for drawing people closer to God. If in our medical clinic we treat physical needs but leave them spiritually untouched have we truly honored God and brought glory to His name? This is why we take the opportunity to pray specifically for and with each patient that we see in our clinic. This is why we ask them questions about their spiritual needs as well as their physical needs and this is why we had the opportunity to lead two of our clinic patients to Christ on Thursday! We have connected them to the local church where they will have the opportunity to grow spiritually and discipled as followers of Christ.

As a team we are spent physically. We have worked hard and poured our lives into the Honduran people this week. We have seen the face of God in them and in each other. Sacrifices were made by ourselves and others to make this trip a reality and some of us endures hardships while in Honduras. But to a person we would willingly do it all over again for the opportunity to serve the Savior. My prayer is that we will look more intently for those everyday opportunities to serve Him wherever we are.


Soli Deo gloria,
Michael

The Lesson of the 352

Today was an amazing day for our clinic team. Of course, it was an amazing day for our construction team, too, but for this post I am going to focus on what our medical team experienced today.

Our mobile clinic went up into the hills aound Lago de Yojoa to the village of Lomas de Aguila. The small and remote village had not had a medical team of any kind - from any ministry or NGO - in over two years. The village is so remote that it is only accessible by 4-wheel drive vehicles.

When the team arrived at the school where the clinic was to be held there were already hundreds of people (many of them children) in line waiting to be seen. One of the pharmacy workers immediately said: "Lord, help us." That was quickly followed by a round of amens. Whether is was the long line of patients, the scores of anxious children or the mind-boggling number of prescriptions that were to be written the task ahead was daunting. One of our children's workers summed it up best: "It's just like eating an elephant. You have to take it one bite at a time."

We were blessed to have six medical providers today and as a result our clinic was able to see 352 patients today. That is not exactly correct...352 patients had prescriptions written for them. Some patients simply received vitamins and were sent on their way. Others could only be prayed for because we were not set up to meet their specific type of medical need. Let me tell you about one of them...

A young woman who was about 18 years old came to see Glenda, one of our providers. She had an acute medical problem that she has dealt with for about three months with no relief. Unfortunately, we were unable to treat her problem or even provide any medication for her. Glenda's husband Don was translating for the patient and he began to pray for her. As Don prayed powerfully for the miraculous healing of this young woman Glenda recalled the story in the Bible of the woman with the bleeding problem. As soon as Don finished praying he immediately began to tell the woman the same story that Glenda had recalled. Don encouraged her with these words: "God can do what no doctor can do and He is stronger than any medicine. God knows exactly what you need."

As we debriefed this evening, the recurring theme was how God provided in difficult circumstances. The number of children who attended today was more than the space for children could contain so the children's workers developed a rotation system that allowed all of the children tim to do arts and crafts and be loved on individually. This area is so remote that many of the kids do not even attend school; they spend their time working in the fields or doing other jobs that help provide a meager income for their family. Consider this: some of there children had NEVER even seen a crayon before today. They were amazed at how the bright and beautiful colors could be used to create works of art. God gifted these precious workers with patience, strength, and an unending supply of love for these children.

God's sustaining strength and provision was also seen at work in our pharmacy. A somewhat behind-the-scenes element of our clinic, the pharmacy is still vital to what we do on these medical trips. Getting the correct medicines in the proper doses with the right instructions in a foreign language is no easy feat and yet our trio of Emily, Deanna and Jim pull it off day after day. With each patient averaging four prescriptions apiece the pharmacy team filledover 1400 prescriptions today alone. The Lord provided just enough medications for the day (but now we are praying that God will provide more meds from local pharmacies tomorrow). Once again, God stepped in exactly when we needed Him to do so.

I want to share with you two seperate readings. The first is from John 15 where Jesus tells the disciples that He is the true vine. The second is a poem by e.e. cummings. While the poem was undoubtedly written for a lover, read it as a response to the words of Jesus. Read it as a prayer.

"I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. He cuts off every branch of me that doesn't bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken.

"Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can't bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can't bear fruit unless you are joined with me.

"I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples.

And now our response...

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)

i fear no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

The lesson of the 352 is this: There is nothing that we can do to bring glory and honor to God apart from His spirit dwelling within us. Nothing! But when we are filled with His spirit there is NOTHING that we can't do to bring honor and glory to His name.

What every member of our clinic team did today they only did through the power of the Holy Spirit. What they could not do in their own strength they allowed God to do through them in His strength. Thank you, Lord for allowing us to once again be apart of Your plan and for finding us to be worthy vessels in Your hands.


Soli Deo gloria,
Michael

Pray, pray, pray...

This is an urgent call to prayer for everyone who reads this blog.

During today's clinic in Lomas de Aguila our rpoviders wrote prescriptions for 352 patients. (More on that in the next posting). Most of these prescriptions were for more than one medication. Most patients averaged about four meds each. As a result our team pharmacy is out of some medicines and critically low on others. We are going to try to find the medicines we need at local pharmacies tomorrow. Please pray that the pharmacies will hav eaxctly the medicines that we need.

Soli Deo gloria,
(To God alone be the glory)
Michael

Tuesday night worship

First of all I want to apologize for the lack of pictures. Internet access is not the same in Honduras as it is in the U.S. and uploading pictures to the blog is a frustrating and time consuming activity that would test the patience of Job.

Last night we had the privilege of worshiping with the congregation of the Pena de Horeb church. It is not a large congregation. They probably average 50-60 people for a typical service. But do they know how to worship. For this congregation worship is not a spectator sport. They are not concerned about the quality of the instrumentalists - all the music is recorded. They don't care about how good the choir sounds because there is no choir and the vocal quality of the worship leader is inconsequential compared to the intensity of his worship. When these people worship it is a fully engaged, full-bodied expression of love, gratitude and devotion to their Creator and their Savior.

I am continually awed by the level of contentment I see among the believers of Honduras. As North Americans we would say that these people literally have nothing: no paved floors, no running water, and no propect of anything improving and yet their gratitude for EVERYTHING that God has blessed them with is overwhelming...not to mention humbling. It permeates every aspect of their worship-music, praying, proclamation and giving.

As we worshipped there was an obvious language barrier. There were only two songs during the service that had English words to them and one of the songs was "Alleluia." And yet, as we joined our hearts with theirs in the worship, adoration and glorification of Jesus Christ is was obvious that we were the body of Christ. Even though we spoke different languages we were brothers and sisters united by the redeeming death and resurrection of our Savior. It was a small glimpse of what worship in heaven will be like and it was a deeply emotional experience.

We were able to further share with them in worship as members of our group shared brief testimonies of what God was doing in their lives. Time after time we remarked at how we had intended to come to be a blessing to the Honduran people and in turn we have been blessed by them. As deeply moving as our trip here last October had been, I believe that the bonds of love that have united our two groups have become even more interwoven within our hearts and spirits. It is no longer "North Americans" and "Hondurans" as if we were two different denominations. We are followers of Christ. Brothers and sisters. One body.

Please continue to pray for us as we push hard these last two days to accomplish all that God has planned for us. We have worked hard and there is still more to do. We covet your prayers on behalf of our group and the Honduran people.


Soli Deo gloria,
Michael

Wow! What an incredible day we had on Tuesday!


Following an intense and prolonged torrential downpour on Monday night, Tuesday morning started bright and clear. Though we were somewhat tired from the previous day's efforts we asked for - and received - empowering from the Holy Spirit to accomplish the tasks that He had set before us. Is there any greater satisfaction than knowing that you have been used by God to change someone's life for eternity? I doubt it.


Once again our clinic operated out of the Pena de Horeb church in Pena Blanca. Business was a little more brisk on Tuesday as we saw and treated about 135 patients. I want to share with you one encounter we had with a patient...


An elderly woman was triaged with pain in her abdomen area. She was sent to Pam's station for diagnosis and treatment. Through a translator the woman told Pam that the pain was not a result of an illness but rather is was being caused by a bad spirit. Pam's translator, David, questioned her further trying to get a better understanding of the situation: "What kind of medicine do you need?" The woman replied that she didn't know if she needed medicine but that was why she came to the clinic at the church. "The Man of God will know what I need," she said.


By this time Pam and David were certain that this truly was a spiritual matter rather than a physical one. The joined with the woman and began to pray intently that God would rescue her from this bad spirit. In the name of Jesus they prayed for deliverance and healing and asked Him to remove the spirit from her and replace it with the Holy Spirit. Pam later commented on how evident the intensity of David's prayer was to her...even in Spanish.



As the prayer concluded there was a visible change in the woman. Her face no longer showed the discomfort it had when she arrived at the clinic. She was visibly at peace and said that she had no more pain! In fact, she didn't even need any medicine! Praise the Lord! In our holy huddles we often talk about spiritual warfare but it is not often that we see it this up close and personal.


I do want to take a moment to give a pat on the back to our trio of ladies who lead our children's activities everyday. Louise, Kristy and Lorene are incredibly loving women. They have poured themselves into the lives of these children despite language barriers, despite working outdoors under a makeshft shelter, and despite the most basic form of communication from the children being the word "Hey" accompanied by a poke in the arm. These ladies are living examples of what it means to welcome a child in the name of Jesus.


What's more, the work they are doing with the children makes what our medical providers do in the clinic even more effective. Keeping the children engaged and out of the clinic area provides a calm and quiter environment for both the patients and the providers. It allows for easier communication - and as a result, better diagnosis - because no one is having to shout above the noise to be heard. Our Heart to Honduras ministry partners have also commented on the impact of having activities for the children. They have likened clinics without this element resemble something of a zoo and a Chinese fire drill.


Duty calls and there is more concrete to pour. I will share about our worship experience with the local congregation in my next blog. Continue to pray for us and continue to ask God to strengthen us physically, mentally and spiritually.

Soli Deo gloria,

Michael

P.S. I apologize for this post being so late. Internet access in Honduras is limited at best. This is my third attempt at posting this entry...

Why are we here?

Why are we here?

This is one of the questions often asked when discussing global missions. It is followed by some related questions: Why do we need to leave the country to do missions when there is so much need here? Wouldn't it be better just to send the money we would spend on a trip to the missionaries who live there and let them do the work? Truth be told, they are all valid questions and questions that we encountered on our first full day of ministry here in Pena Blanca.

When facing so much need in the world, whether it is humanity's sin and seperation from God or the overwhelming poverty that you encounter throughout most of the Third World, it is easy to ask the question: what can we do? What possible role could one person have to meet so much need? Do we make a difference when we go to Honduras, India or downtown Oklahoma City?

Without question the need is great. But once you choose to be obedient and to follow Christ's example of servanthood you will soon see and feel the difference that you can make. This was the common experience of our group during our first day of ministry here in Pena Blanca: faced with so great a need, what difference could we make?

It would be understandable if some were to throw their hands up and claim that the task is too great. However, we chose to plunge right in and do what Christ called us to do: serve others in Jesus' name. Person after person came to the same realization: while they may not be able to share Christ with everyone who is lost or treat the medical problem of every single person, they can focus their attention on the person right in front of them, love them in Jesus name and make a difference in THAT person's life.

One of our team members explained it this way: When I was in the world I thought that I was supposed to BE served. After becoming a follower of Christ I realized that I was to serve others today. In my own small way that is what I did today. I feel like I was accomplishing Jesus purpose.

So just what physical tasks were accomplished on Monday? Our three medical providers saw 100 patients in our clinic and our comstruction team poured 17 cubic yards of cement for the floor of the second stroy that is to be buikt at the Pena de Horeb church. We also were able to minister to over 100 kids through our children's activities which included Bible story themed arts and crafts and numerous coloring opportunities.

All in all it was a very full day. In the movie Chariots of Fire Scottish missionary Eric Lidle is asked why he chooses to run rather than devoting himself full-time to the church's mission in China. His response: "I believe that God made me for a purpose but He also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure." We felt God's pleasure today.

Did we make a radical difference in the overall health and well-being of the nation of Honduras today? No. Did we make a radical difference in the lives of the people we treated, worked alongside, and ministered to today? Without question.

Christ does not expect any one of us to do all the work. But He does expect - even commands - each of us who claim to be His followers to make a difference where we are. What's more, He expects us to trust Him so completely that we will leave or safe comfortable surroundings to share His love to places in communities, cultures and countries that are unfamiliar to us. That could be next door, on the "other" side of town, or outside of the United States. Each and every one of us can make a difference when we are obedient to the call of Christ.

So why do we go? To be obedient and to accomplish the task He has given us...one person at a time. Where is Christ calling you to go?

Soli Deo gloria,

Michael

We Made It!

Well, we're here.

By the grace of God we managed to arrive in Honduras, clear customs, eat lunch in the food court of the San Pedro Sula mall and make our way to the town of Pena Blanca. Mind you, it wasn't a completely uneventful trip. We did have the brakes go out on our recycled yellow school bus as we were making our way through the hills that surround Lake Yojoa. Roadside repairs were attempted but to no avail. Back-up transportation was secured and we finally arrived...a little late and a little gamey (make that VERY gamey) but safe nonetheless.

It is very easy for our North American mindset to view the unexpected and unforeseen as an inconvenience when in reality God often uses those moments to teach us something about ourselves and about His nature. Today it was a lesson in God's sovereignty. When the air brakes on our bus went out our driver very calmly and skillfully navigated his way to the shoulder of the road. Had this happened just a few miles farther down the road we would have been on a much narrower road with numerous twists and turns and no shoulders to pull onto. Praise the Lord for providing a safe place for us to stop! Ask to continue His watchcare over us while we are in Honduras.

Tomorrow morning we plunge into our ministry projects here in Pena Blanca. All of our work tomorrow will take place at the Iglesia Pena de Horeb (Rock of Horeb Church). We will be operating a medical clinic in the church AND beginning work on a second story of the church. It promises to be an eventful day. In all likelihood our medical providers will see close to 200 patients tomorrow and fill close to 500 perscriptions. Please pray that our providers will have wisdom to make the proper diagnosis for the patients they see tomorrow. Pray that the translators will be able to adequately explain the needs of the patient to the providers.

What a privilege it is to be used by God to make a difference in the lives of others. What's more, a person doesn't even need to come to Honduras to exerience this. Opportunities surround each of us everyday right where we live.


Soli Deo gloria,
Michael

Well, we're on our way...

It is currently 5:55am and we are waiting at the gate to depart on the first leg of the journey to Honduras. We fly to Houston, catch a flight to San Pedro Sula and then its a two hour ride to Pena Blanca. Despite the early hour the espirit de corps is very high.

During my reading in Isaiah I came across this verse in chapter 52: "The Lord will go before you and the Lord will be your rear guard." What a comfort it is to know that the Lord has already gone before us. Beyond the comfort we feel from knowing the God is sovereign, what POWER we have as we go. Because the Lord has already gone before us, we are already vctorious...as long as we remain obedient and faithful to His calling.

They just called our flight. Time to go. More from Honduras later.

Soli Deo gloria,
Michael

A Return to Honduras

On Sunday, June 14 the Missions ministry of Crossings Community Church will be returning to Pena Blanca, Honduras. Once again we will be meeting the needs of the under resourced and meeting physical and spiritual needs in the name of Jesus. For this trip we have 19 participants and while the projects are basically the same - a medical clinic and construction - the details will be a little bit different.

For example, on our previous trip to Pena Blanca we built two homes for widows, put a new roof on Pastor Terencio's house and made some minor modifications to the church building. This time we are going to be adding a second story to the Pena de Horeb church. Sounds like fun.

Our medical clinic will be different as well. Rather than being centrally located for the bulk of the trip our clinic will now be mobile. We will be in a different community each of the four days that we operate the clinic. We have also combined our children's activities with the clinic focusing our attention on those children who are coming with their families to the clinic. It is bound to be rowdy, raucous and rewarding. I can hardly wait!

Please join us in prayer as we go to Honduras. Our team covets your prayers. Pray for the people of Pena Blanca who are still dealing with the aftermath of two earthquakes within the last two weeks. Pray for safety and problem-free travel for our team. Pray that each of us will be singularly focused on loving everyone we meet, treat and serve with the unconditional love of the Savior. Also, please pray for the families that we leave behind. Though we will only be gone for a week the time apart can be trying for some.

As you pray, maybe it is time for you to ask God where you should be serving. It can be locally or it can be globally. Opportunities to share in Kingdom growth endeavors are plentiful. There is nothing glitzy or glamorous about serving others, whether in downtown OKC or in Honduras. It's all about being obedient to the command of Christ to love others and to share with them the Bread of Life.


Soli Deo gloria,
Michael