Crossings Missions Ministry

Pictures of Honduras

2011-09-12T10:25:00.000-05:00

Honduras - Wednesday

2011-09-08T10:14:00.000-05:00

September 7, 2011
On Tuesday, construction was finished on la casa which was begun Monday.

The medical team visited Boboton village, near Rio Lindo today; we were all surprised when we didn't drive up a mountain to get to the people (since that was our modus operandi the first 2 days). Someone suggested we go there because they have recently lost the pastor who shepherded the area. it was hoped that we would bring encouragement through our work and presence. May God grant it to be so!

Jeni Ward - Team Historian

Honduras - Monday

2011-09-06T11:25:00.000-05:00

Today we conducted our first clinic (and supposedly, the first medical clinic ever in this area). Buena Vista is a mountain village near Pena Blanca, Lago de Yojoa. Eye care as well as general medical care was provided. About 100 folks received glasses, and 140 were seen by our optometric professionals. The medical team saw around 300 people, treating not only their physical issues such as worms, scabies, headaches, nausea, malnutrition, but also allowing time to pray with each person.

As for our construction team, they finished 60-70% of a new home today. The Hondurans who were around either helping or watching were a particular blessing. One little fellow, Edwin, really wanted to help and spent four hours performing some of the smaller tasks that the team needed. When there was a generator glitch, one of the locals allowed them to use the electricity from his house. The completed house will be 18' x 24'.

To enable the physicians to see so many people, the "Hey!" team keeps the children busy with games and crafts. Coloring sheets abounded, and a rousing game of musical chairs delighted the kids.

Special thanks to those of you praying for the ministry going on this week...and for our wonderful translators! The Lord has blessed us greatly today!

Jeni Ward - Team Historian

Honduras Mission Trip 2011 - Sunday

2011-09-05T07:43:00.000-05:00

September 4, 2011

Crossing's medical/construction team arrived in Honduras this afternoon; we ate breakfast in OKC and lunch in Pena Blanca! Our group is comprised of 22 folks, ages 16 to 90.

We are blessed in that:
1) TS Lee didn't mess up our flights.
2) our tiny Continental plane was able to accommodate the 23 Rubbermaid supply tubs along with all our baggage.
3) We're getting to know each other which will help fuel our service to the Hondurans this week.

Thanks for your prayers,

Jeni Ward and all

2011-07-23T08:15:00.001-05:00

Friday pictures from Group 5

POTENTIAL - Nashville Mission Trip 2011

2011-07-23T07:59:00.001-05:00

WOW! Is it early!

Granted, it's not as early as last Sunday when we met at Crossings at 5:00am, but a 6:00am wake-up after a long week is still no picnic.

But what an incredible week it has been.

Yesterday, Group 5 concluded our week at the Andrew Jackson Boys and Girls Club. It was difficult for everyone to say goodbye to these children that we have come to know and love. Their smiling faces will linger in our memory for a long time. We will recall - with great frequency - the games we played and the conversations we shared.

The second half of our day was spent entirely at Feed the Children. Our group worked hard all afternoon and packed 513 hygiene packs. These packs will be distributed to families who need them as a result of poverty or natural disaster. It was brutally hot inside the warehouse but the students were great. They accomplished every task given to them without any whining or complaining.

Following a soul food dinner at world famous Swett's, Group 5 debriefed on pedestrian bridge over the Cumberland River. An amazing view. As we reflected on our week of experiences, we had the opportunity to write a brief letter to the people that we met this week who had a significant impact on us. There was a LARGE stack of letters that we left for Jennifer our host to deliver.

All of that made for a great day.

But the most significant event of the day was the worship experience for our entire Crossings group. Once again, there was outstanding leadership from Andy, Leo, Cole and Donnie. But God's Spirit was poured out on these teenagers.

During the course of the worship the students were given the opportunity to share what they were experiencing in one or two sentences. There was conviction, brokenness, transformation and recommitment. There were tears of compassion, tears of confession, tears of liberation and tears of joy.

We also had the chance to audibly pray for some of the people we had encountered during our week of ministry. I was personally moved by the level of connection and compassion that our students expressed for the people of Nashville. It is clear that God has done some amazing and transformational work in the hearts of everyone who came on the trip.

So what is the next step?

Our time in Nashville will amount to little more than a personal enrichment exercise if what we experienced there does not translate into changed lives back home. The compassion that the students extended to the homeless of Nashville, will they extend it to that person who eats alone at school each and every day? The servant's attitude that was so evident daily, will it still be there when it is time to take out the trash or clean up a bedroom? Will the heightened awareness of the plight for the poor and homeless in Nashville lead to an increased acuity of those same problems in our city? Does the work started by the Holy Spirit this week lead to a life more fully devoted to, and in love, with Christ?

Let's not forget the daily routine of life at home. Some of these students will have very hectic schedules when school resumes: school work, extra-curricular activities, jobs and church. Will they continue to daily create time and space for God? And what about the example that those of us who are parents set? What is our mind set toward the homeless and the poor? What behaviors and attitudes do they pick up from us when we encounter the folks with the cardboard signs who stand at many of the major intersections in OKC?

My point is, we can either help foster and nurture the growth these students are facing or we can kill it. It's your choice.

Bill Hybels constantly - and accurately - proclaims that the church is the hope of the world. Will the seeds that were planted in the hearts of these teenagers grow and produce a generation of world-changers?

I certainly think so.

Soli Deo gloria.

Michael
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Press On - Nashville Mission Trip 2011

2011-07-22T09:02:00.001-05:00

Thank you for your prayers.

Yesterday was an incredible day of ministry and service. Not just for the incomparable Team 5, but for our entire student ministry group. I have absolutely no doubt that your prayers on our behalf played a significant role in yesterday's events.

The morning events at the Andrew Jackson Boys and Girls Club went pretty much to schedule. Our entire team has fully embraced these children and poured their attention, love and affection into them. It has been a blessing to see our students give themselves totally to these relationships without expecting anything in return.

After lunch - and Mexican popcicles for dessert - our team had the opportunity to serve at Safe Haven. Safe Haven is a homeless shelter for families.

Usually, when a family seeks refuge after becoming homeless, the families are split up. The dad (and sometimes older male children) go to a men's shelter while mom and younger children stay at a women's shelter. Obviously, this not an ideal situation. Safe Haven seeks to maintain the unity and cohesion of a family unit as they overcome their homelessness together.

While at Safe Haven we had the chance to serve the current residents and the ministry in numerous ways. Our students cleaned most of the facility's common areas (including bathrooms), hanging pictures in the hallway, mounting whiteboards in classrooms and by sorting and cleaning a mass of donations that Safe Haven has received.

Now on the surface, that may not seem like a life-changing experience. But when viewed in light of the bigger picture, it most certainly is. Here's why.

When viewed in its totality, the overwhelming need of the poor, need and homeless can seem insurmountable. It can appear too massive, too daunting, with no starting place. It quickly becomes apparent that no single person, group, church, or non-profit can do it alone.

So, what do we do? We do what we can do and let others shoulder what they can do. If that means we clean a housing facility in order to free up a staffer to focus directly on the needs of the residents, then that's what we do. It could look like packing crutches for a shipment to South America. If that's the need, we meet it. There is no insignificant step in the process of meeting needs.

So just how is that impacting the lives of our students?

By their own admission, it is changing their perspective. The phrase "treat others the way that you want to be treated" has become much more than a trite parental platitude. It has a face and a name. It has become real. They have learned that there are more similarities between them and the poor/homeless than there are differences. And probably most importantly, they are beginning to grasp what Christ requires of us to truly "love thy neighbor" and serve "the least of these." During our group debrief yesterday, one of our teens mentioned how much Christ gave for us - his life - and how in gratitude we must be willing to give to others.

Today we find ourselves in the home streach. This is our last day of ministry...in Nashville. It is time to press on to the end. We are encouraging our group to finish strong and - just like when running in a race - to sprint to the tape. But while today concludes our ministry here, my prayer is that today marks the end of the beginning for the students. That their next natural step will be a greater awareness of the needs back home. That awareness of the need and their devotion to Christ will COMPEL them to do whatever they can to help meet that need and serve others.

When I look at our group, I see world changers!

Soli Deo gloria.

Michael
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PERFECTED STRENGTH - Nashville Mission Trip 2011

2011-07-21T09:10:00.001-05:00

I want to tell you a little about the team I am on during our mission trip: Team 5. We have our local ministry host, Jennifer, who directs us where we need to go and keeps us on schedule. Then we have three adult leaders: Student Ministry intern Jason White, adult volunteer David Hedrick, and myself.

The heart and soul of our team are the students: Aya, Emily, Jaimi, Marissa, Savanah, Shay, Everett, Garrett and Jacob. I have been so proud of the way that the students have responded to the challenges presented to them by this mission trip experience. They are learning to love and accept others unconditionally. By faith they are stepping out of their comfort zone and opening their hearts to new experiences. They have been working, serving and giving for three straight days.

I am by no means an expert or authority on mission trips. But I have been on enough trips to know that today - Day 4 - is a critical day.

We have had little sleep for five days. (Did anybody really get a full night's sleep prior to our 5:30am departure on Sunday?) We are not sleeping in our own beds. We have worked hard, perspired much, and kept a non-stop pace since we arrived.

What does all that mean?

It means we are getting a little tired and cranky.

The apostle Paul tells us that Christ's strength is perfected in our weakness. And that's a really good thing, too, because we're starting to run out of gas. Now it is even more important that we FULLY rely on the same power that raised Christ from the dead to get us through today. Moment by moment, step by step, hour by hour.

This is where your prayers are so important to our success. We covet your prayers on our behalf as we serve. Ask God to strengthen us beyond our own limitations. Pray for us that we will focus on the people we meet rather than our own needs and concerns. Also be sure to ask God to fill us with His Holy Spirit so that we will be patient with others and that we will act as agents of grace and mercy to the people we meet.

If you really want to partner with us, then today is the day to get in the game by getting on your knees on our behalf.

Soli Deo gloria.

Michael
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2011-07-20T21:45:00.001-05:00

More group building activities

2011-07-20T21:43:00.001-05:00

Group building in Nashville

2011-07-20T21:08:00.001-05:00

Team 5 Pics - Pancakes, Perspiration & Praise

Pancakes, Perspiration and Praise - Nashville Mission Trip 2011

2011-07-20T21:04:00.001-05:00

What an incredible day this has been!

Our day - at least Team 5's day - started a little earlier than usual. Yesterday we somehow got to talking about food and places to eat in Nashville and an establishment known as the Pancake Pantry became the focus of conversation. We decided that we needed to pay a visit there for our morning devotion. Just to say we had been there.

Being a lover and devotee of all types of breakfast food, I didn't believe that just saying that we had been there provided an adequate experience. To truly appreciate this Nashville icon, we needed to eat there. So, in order to make sure we were not late to the Andrew Jackson Boys and Girls Club, we left at 6:45am for our breakfast and morning devo at the Pancake Pantry.

We had a great time of "breaking bread and fellowshipping together." (Acts 2 - even eating pancakes can be a spiritual experience). In our devotion time we continued to discuss what it means to be truly devoted to God. We talked about the importance of spending time alone with God through prayer and the reading of His Word.

Our time at AJBGC was a little different than normal. Today was a field trip to the movie theater. We joined them and watched "Dispicable Me." Great movie. Great kids, too. The entire group was very well-behaved and a breeze to help chaperone. We are LOVING our time with them each day.

So, in summary, we have eaten a larger a substantially bigger and more filling breakfast than normal AND spent the remainder of the morning watching a movie in an air conditioned cinema.

Timing is everything.

Our afternoon activity was completely different. It is called Urban Exposure and the purpose of the activity is to stretch us personally and to educate us on the plight of the poor and homeless. Here's how it works:

Our group of twelve was split into two groups of six. We were given water bottles to distribute to whomever we wished and $1 per person to eat lunch with. Did you know that most homeless survive on less than $1 per day? We were also given a list of tasks to perform and conversations that we were to initiate with total strangers.

Given the fact that today was Nashville's hottest day of the year so far, this is where the persiration comes in.

But what an awesome group of students we have. The students gave away the water and initiated several conversations with the homeless, street musicians, and people we met riding on the bus. One of the girls in our group did the entire event on crutches. What a trooper!

By the way, we ended up pooling our money and splitting a $5 Footlong from Subway among the six of us. Two inches of a cold cut combo never tasted so good.

In our debrief time afterwards, we discussed what we saw, felt and learned.

We saw that there is poverty everywhere. Financial, physical and spiritual. We saw joy in the faces of those who accepted our free gift of water, but we also saw loneliness and dispair in many of those same eyes.

We felt fear as we approached people - people we didn't know - to have conversation. We felt compassion and sympathy for those who are hurting. We felt helpless because the magnitude of the need is so great. Be we also felt joy from those times when we were able to befriend, help and encourage people. We also felt hunger.

We learned - again - that people are homeless for a lot of different reasons. Sure, there are those with addiction problems but there are also those who are doing everything to change their situation and cannot seem to stem the tide of their poverty. We learned that first impressions can be deceiving. There are committed Christians among the homeless. There are street musicians who love blues and country music who are retired US Postal Letter carriers. (No, I didn't see that one coming either).

To conclude our day, our entire group had a corporate night of praise. Every now and then we need to pause, process and respond to what God is saying to us. Our time of worship was led by Leo Flores, Jason White and Donnie Peslis (who was rockin' the djimbe). God used their gifts to create an atmosphere that allowed the Holy Spirit to really begin working on some students. What a treat to hear these teens lift their hearts and voices in worship to the Savior.

God is doing some amazing things in the lives of everyone...and He's just getting started.

Soli Deo gloria.

Michael
Sent from my iPhone

2011-07-20T09:42:00.001-05:00

PLEASURE & PAIN - Nashville Mission Trip 2011

2011-07-20T09:39:00.001-05:00

During the five days that our high school students are serving in Nashville, our large group is being split up into six teams. Student ministry intern Jason White (not the Jason White from Tuttle) and I have the privilege of leading Team 5, made up of nine incredible teens.

So far we have helped Project Cure prepare shipments of medical supplies and equipment bound for Third World nations, encouraged and prepared dinner for women in transition from prison to regular life at The Next Door, plus we have spent time both days at the Andrew Jackson Boys and Girls Club (AJBGC).

It has been an incredible blessing to see these teenagers at work. I could sense a bit of fear and trepidation when we arrived at the AJBGC. But every single student jumped right in and engaged with the children. Our time at AJBGC is quickly becoming the high point of our day as we build relationships with the children. I never knew that Carpetball could be a tool for building relationships.

We have met some physical needs so far.

Our work at Project Cure is helping to provide medical assistance for 15,000 people. It is estimated that every man hour invested in preparing a shipment impacts the lives of 10 people at the shipments destination. We put in 25 man hours at Project Cure, so that means we impacted 250 people. That makes a difference.

Yesterday we helped clean the facility at The Next Door and then prepared the evening meal (baked ham, mac & cheese, pineapple, cornbread and pie) for the 40 women who are currently at the facility. We also wrote letters of encouragement to the staff and residents there.

It would be easy for our group to be hesitant or stand-offish where we are serving. After all, on the surface, "these people" are not like us. They look different, they act different and sometimes they even smell a little different. But our teenagers realize that the kids at AJBGC, the women we meet, the people we serve they are JUST LIKE US. They have the same needs, wants, and require love and affection.

And meeting those needs for love, affection and acceptance is the focus of what we're doing at AJBGC. We play with the children, encourage them and increasingly see them with the eyes of Christ: each one is a beautiful and unique creation.

That's all pleasure, but there has been a little pain...

Yesterday during lunch our team went to the park for lunch. One young man, Jacob, had an unfortunate encounter with a swing that required three stitches above the right eyebrow. Jacob handled it like a trooper after spending most of Tuesday afternoon at the ER at Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt University.

No mission trip is incident free, but if this is the worst we encounter then it will still be a great week. We are embracing our motto/mantra for the week: This is the best week of our lives.

Soli Deo gloria.

Michael
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PERSPECTIVE - Nashville Mission Trip 2011

2011-07-19T07:07:00.001-05:00

What is your reflex reaction when you see the panhandlers at major intersections in Oklahoma City? It is not uncommon for us to label the homeless and poor as victims of their own poor choices. We have diagnosed their problem (laziness, substance abuse) and prescribed a remedy (get a job) before ever taking the time to engage them in a simple conversation.

One of the lessons that we are all learning is that there are no "typical" homeless people. We have already met homeless families - yes, families - who just as hard working as you or I but who encounter a mountain of obstacles as they attempt to build a new life for themselves.

It's all about perspective.

Even though we know that it wrong to judge a person by their outward appearence, we still do it. We ignore the men and women who stand in the median with their cardboard signs because WE have already decided that they are to blame for their circumstances.

When the prophet Samuel went looking for the next king of Israel, he got a good look at all of Jesse's sons. Each one was a fine physical specimen but God did not choose any of them. Finally, a young and scrawny David was called in from the flocks and chosen to be king? Why? Because as God told Samuel: "Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart."

To truly minister to the poor and needy we must look beyond their outward appearance. We must be oblivious to their unique aroma. We must see them as Jesus sees them: a beautiful person who was worth dying for.

It's no stretch to love those who are "like us" and who "like us." Jesus asks the question: "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to?" Another variation of that quote reads: "Love means loving the unlovable - or it is no virtue at all." As we experience having our hearts broken by the things that break the heart of God, we are gaining the courage and ability to love people right where they are...without judgement.

Our perspective is changing.

I want to share with you a poem written by Cathy Poole, a homeless poet.

I am homeless
I don't drink
I don't do drugs
And I don't steal

Because I am homeless
You want to hide me
Ship me to another town or state
If you can't see me
I'm no longer a problem

I have problems
They can be helped
As they hurt
They can and do hinder my path

Put me on the path to regain my life
I will not hurt you
I just want to talk to you

Please treat me the way you want to be treated
And I will do the same
I may be homeless
But I am not a bad person

Soli Deo gloria.

Michael
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PRELUDE - Nashville Mission Trip 2011

2011-07-18T07:50:00.001-05:00

Today is the day.

Today we take to the streets and neighborhoods of Nashville to share with the people we encounter the unconditional love of Jesus through our acts of compassion and service. On any given day, that's a pretty worthwhile "to do" list.

But today is different.

For many of the teenagers in our group, this their first experience in the inner-city. They are sleeping on the floor of a one hundred year old church building that has seen better days. For a visual reference, picture Disney's "Haunted Mansion." Their noses are being assaulted by aromas that are generally associated with your mom's 85 year old great aunt who lives with 15 stray cats.

To paraphrase Dorothy: We're not in the suburbs of OKC anymore.

We will be stretched.

We will be challenged.

Our preconceived notions about poverty and the poor will be completely reshaped.

And I couldn't be more excited.

Visualize any product that utilizes before and after pictures as part of their marketing. Currently, we are the before picture. For the most part, we are stereotype suburban America. I'm not exactly sure what the after picture will look like, but for those of us who choose to fully embrace this experience and totally surrender our wills to Christ this week, it will be radically different. Maybe - hopefully - even life-altering.

In a perfect world, every day of our spiritual pilgrimage with Christ should be life-altering. Each encounter with Christ should shape us more into his image than we were when we started. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Our busy schedules intrude and take over our day and we can never get it back. We are so busy "doing" that we forget the importance of "being."

To borrow a phrase from the U.S. Army, my prayer for our entire group is that "we will be all that we can be" and have a taste of what God created us to be.

As I said before, I'm not sure what we will exactly look like, but this I am sure of...

We will all be changed.

Soli Deo gloria.

Michael
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PRAYER - Nashville Mission Trip 2011

2011-07-17T10:01:00.001-05:00

This morning our group of 70+ teens and adults began our journey to Nashville. Who knew that 5:00 actually came twice a day?

As I write this we are making our way across the state of Arkansas along I-40.Now besides maybe following this blog or the Twitter updates (@crossingshsm) what are you doing to help and support our group?

If you are a parent of one of the students on our trip you might be thinking: "I just shelled out a bunch of cash so that my child can sleep on the floor. What more support do you need?" A fair question. The truth is, there is an even greater way that everyone (whether you have a child, spouse or significant other on the trip or not) can support and encourage us this week. You can pray for us. Daily.

The Bible encourages us to pray without ceasing. It also teaches us that the prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective. I am of the opinion that other than the Word of God, prayer is the most powerful weapon a follower of Christ has to defeat Satan. But just how effectively do we wield this weapon?

In its most basic context, prayer is conversation with our Heavenly Father. It is an opportunity for us to spend time with the person who loves us the most, sharing our heart and learning more about His heart for us. But just like any relationship, if it is going to grow and deepen, then time together is crucial.

I remember when I was courting (read: pursuing relentlessly) my wife, Deanna. I wanted to spend EVERY available moment with her. I wanted to get to know everything about her - and in the process hope that what she learned about me didn't scare her off. :) But now that we've been married for 16 years, I realize my commitment to that quality time alone with Deanna is sorely lacking. I confess to frequently taking our relationship for granted.

But we do the same thing with God. We know He loves us, we know He is faithful to meet our needs, and we forget how much God desires to spend time with us. We're just "too busy." So our time in so-called conversation with God is limited to meal times, when there is an emergency or when our teenagers are driving on their own. As a result, our prayer life becomes a lot like an AARP member with an iPhone: we can use it for phone calls and text messages, but we don't have a clue about what else it can do. It's tragic.

I want to encourage you to set aside time allone with God. Start small. Carve out 15 minutes in your schedule, unplug, and have a conversation with God. Keep in mind that conversation involves two-way communication. That means you can't do all the talking, you have to spend time listening.

But when you are doing the talking, feel free to pray for us in the following ways:
-safe travel to, from and around Nashville
-humble and flexible spirits/attitudes of our team
-the people we will be ministering to this week
-strength when we are tired
-to be filled to overflowing with the unconditional love of Jesus just so we can give it away
-wisdom and insight for leaders, Andy and Melissa
-patience
-that our hearts will be broken by the things that break the heart of God
-for courage and boldness in unfamiliar settings
-a willingness to be used according to God's plan rather than our own

A man that I admire - Bill Green, former Church Music Director for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma - was fond of the saying: "No prayer is no power. Some prayer is some power. Much prayer is much power." We will need "much power" this week.

We will do our part.

Can we count on you to do your part?

Soli Deo gloria.

Michael
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PREPARATION - Nashville Mission Trip 2011

2011-07-16T23:08:00.002-05:00

Someone far wiser than I once said: "If you fail to plan then you plan to fail." More often than not, this proverb is actually true. This does not mean that plans are foolproof and infallible, but at least when things begin to unravel you have something to work with.

It has always been my experience that when it comes to mission trips of any kind, planning is critical. Travel and logistics, resources and materials, rooming lists and on and on. While all of this planning is important, mission trip plans usually break down at some point. Vehicles have problems, weather can be uncooperative for outside venues, people can get tired and crabby...stuff happens. When our well intentioned and well thought out human plans go awry, this is when we discover if we have done the most important planning - our spiritual preparations.

Throughout the entire Bible we see the people that God uses being prepared for the task God has for them. Joshua told the Israelites to "consecrate yourselves" as a means of preparing to cross the Jordan River and occupy the Promised Land. Jesus frequently went away to be alone with God, often before some of his most significant teaching and miracles. If it is a big enough deal for the Son of God to spend time alone with his Heavenly Father, then that probably means it is a behavior we should emulate. Just a guess.

The High School Ministry pastors, Andy Rauschkolb and Melissa Marshall, have done a good job of preparing the students and adults spiritually for this trip. We have talked about God's view of poverty and the poor, how God loves us equally no matter what our socio-economic class may be, and how all of us should be open to allow God using us in unexpected ways.

This is all well and good for a mission trip but what about for everyday life? Are we prepared for the "slings and arrows" aimed at us by our adversary Satan, described by Peter as a "roaring lion"? We must prepare DAILY for battle with the Evil One. Just as we must DAILY deny our old self and pick our cross, we must also DAILY but on the full armor of God.

Are you ready for battle? Are you prepared? I assure you the enemy is.

Game on!

Soli Deo gloria.

Michael
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PURPOSE - Nashville Mission Trip 2011

2011-07-14T23:20:00.000-05:00

One day I was having a conversation with a pastor in Oklahoma City and the topic of our conversation was mission trips for high school students. He told me that in his view, the number one goal of a mission trip for high school students at his church was to "break the narcissism" of the teenagers.

Now to be sure, as Americans we tend to be rather narcissistic...very self-absorbed and morbidly ego-centric. But is changing the mind-set and world-view of our teenagers really worthy of being the number one priority of any missions endeavor? I will agree that it is a lofty outcome and a very beneficial by-product of any externally focused activity, but personally, I hesitate to make it the central focus of a mission trip.

I have the privilege this next week to accompany our high school students on their mission trip to Nashville. We will be working in an inner-city and urban setting, ministering to the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of adults and children. I think it is going to be an exciting and life changing week for most of the students. Why, it could even be "the best week of my life!" Students and adults alike will be challenged, stretched, tested and blessed by what they do, observe, share and experience while in Nashville. But what is our purpose for being there?

Without a doubt, we will do good works. We will be used by God to meet some of the basic needs of the human condition: food, shelter, clothing and even connection. Most of us will not return to Oklahoma City the same person were when we left...and that's great! We will be placed in a foreign and unfamiliar culture right here within the United States and it has every possibility of completely resetting our priorities. Praise God!

But none of those outcomes or tasks - as good and worthwhile as they are - fulfill our purpose in going.

Habbakuk 2:4 says: "The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord. As the waters cover the earth." Jesus encouraged his followers to let their "light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven." What does all this mean? Very simply, this mission trip is not about us who are going. It is not about the people that we will meet and minister to. This mission trip is all about glorifying God. In every thought, word and action. When living to glorify God becomes our sole purpose - whether on this trip or in our daily routine - then all of the other goals and purposes tend to fall into place.

Admittedly, this may sound rather simplistic. In reality, we know that it is not. To choose to daily deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Jesus is no small or insignificant step. It runs completely contrary to our human nature and in direct contradiction to the norms of our society. But it is why we were created. It is our purpose.

How will you fulfill your purpose today?

Soli Deo gloria.

Some early results of the trip...

2011-04-25T09:29:00.000-05:00

Seeing the results of a mission trip can sometimes be a tricky undertaking. Obviously, those who participated - the goers - experience life change as a result of their experiences, but what about the missionaries, local pastors and communities where the goers ministered? Did their presence and their work make a difference? Did they do what Christ commanded: to make disciples? (After all, isn't that really the point?)

Well, if this initial report from Richard Fields is any indication, then the answer is a resounding YES!

A note from Richard:

We met with Marshal today and he says there has been 6 new families that have started attending the Gangtok church because of the clinic. Praise the Lord! Just the beginning of what all the Lord will do through what has been done. Thank everyone and spread the great news! Also, he has started two new churches in the Gangtok area. Many have to travel long distances to get to the Gangtok church so he has started two others in different areas so people will not have to travel as far to go to church!

We have not heard new news from the doctor.

Until all have heard...

Events from Friday, April 15

2011-04-17T08:13:00.000-05:00

The latest update from the remaining team members in India.

After the medical Team left India, the remaining 4 Team Members left for Jammu with 2 National Leaders and their families. During this flight they flew over the Himalaya Mountains and even though they were flying at 30,000 feet, it looked like they were just right over the top of the mountains! The views were breathtaking and absolutely beautiful! They all got some awesome pictures, this was a great experience for them…little did they know it was the first of many to come!

They made it to Jammu where the local National Leader picked them up, then the busy schedule started. They had a meeting with the local Pastors for a few hours before the church service, which was received very well, and John shared from God’s Word. Everyone on the Team were very tired from lack of sleep from the previous night.

But they had a 21/2 hour ride in the middle of night to get from Jammu to Ubhampur.

The next morning after breakfast they took a small bus up the mountains, it reminded Richard of driving through some of our National Forests (or the back roads in the national forests I should say). The roads were narrow, most of time muddy, winding around mountain after mountain and there were places where streams ran across the road and you had to drive through them to continue. Finally they made it to a small village called Mongri, where they were very warmly welcomed.

The Team (India & USA) spent the day in this village, especially since this was a very significant day in the village – our Team was the very first Americans – white people - to ever visit their village! The villagers said it is so far from everything, that people do not visit them, and they were so thankful for our Team’s visit. As I said, they spent day eating and fellowshipping with them, walking up and down mountains to see waterfalls on treacherous trails. The Villagers wanted the Team to see a particular waterfall, one where they said, “100 streams come together to form the waterfall”… well, not too sure if it was 100, but it was several, however the “hike” there and back was an adventure to the max!

You know, part of the Team previously paid to go on a Trek in India – well, these 4 got the trek anyway and didn’t pay for it! You cannot tell me the Lord does not have a sense of humor…I know that at least 3 of these remaining 4 did not want to go on the trek, but God gave them one, anyway! I am sure we will hear more of this adventure in the future!

After the waterfall trek, they had an evening service where Richard spoke and Sandra sang. Sandra has a beautiful voice and has blessed several places on this trip with her gift. It was a great service, and everyone in the village was first-generation Christians! The Mother of the Pastor stood and greeted the Team, saying when her son married it was a very blessed day, but today is even more so because they were there visiting them!

The Team was so touched by the love and gratitude being given to them! They are treated like Kings and Queens – when all they are there to do is to serve the one and only King!

The Service lasted until about 9 PM, and was followed by the evening meal, which is normal in India. Then they had to walk down the treacherous trail to get back to vehicle to return to a government housing, which was where they were to spend the night. The housing was not being used, so they were allowed to use it, however I am pretty sure they did not get a great night’s sleep since Richard killed 3 spiders – each was at least 5” across, not including the legs! I didn’t hear how things went in the ladies room.

As badly as they would have liked to return to Ubhampur, going back down the mountain was just too dangerous at night. Just getting back to the housing was dangerous enough on the treacherous trails in the dark! They crossed creeks, climbed basins, hiked through rough terrain - all very interesting in the dark.

But they all were there to help one another – just imagine how you would handle walking in the brush, on a mountain trail, late at night, pitch dark in unknown areas. I am sure you created a great visual!

Early the next morning the got up so they could get down the mountain to get back to Ubhampur for meetings where Richard and John met with local Pastors, while Pam & Sandra met with the Pastors wives and other local women. Both meetings went very well. Pam and Sandra each shared for about 10 minutes that lead into powerful time of prayer. John and Richard had a great meeting with the Pastors and a time of encouragement followed by the Pastors sharing their victories, challenges, and their needs.

John shared the Word at the Evening Worship Service after an incredible contemporary worship! There were two groups who offered awesome interruptive dance as praise to the Lord. After the Word was shared, people came forward for Richard and John to lay hands on them and pray.

Please continue to pray for them. The remainder of the team will be returning on Thursday.

Week 1 wrap-up from India

2011-04-10T15:13:00.000-05:00

Here is the latest news from the mission trip team in India.

Bright and early on last Thursday morning, the Team traveled from Ralap up the Himalaya Mountains in hopes of seeing Karakoram - locally it is known as "Chogo Ri", meaning "The Great Mountain". It is the second highest mountain peak in the world with a height of 8,611m or 28,250ft. This mountain prevents them from seeing Mount Everest. They were able to see it a little before the fog set in; some of the National Pastors and their families were there as well, so they had a worship service right on top of the mountain, praising God and singing songs in Hindi and in English. They said it was a beautiful time – a mountain top experience for sure!

Afterward they went to Pastor Marshal’s house and he fed the Team a very good breakfast. They stopped to shop in Gangtok for a short time before driving back down the mountain to Ralap to hold the next clinic.

This clinic was held inside of a church, with everything set up inside in one room. Some of our Team preferred this other using separate rooms – they could communicate easily with one another, everything was close by and easily accessible to them, so it went better, and they felt they got more accomplished. They seen about 200 patients, but as always, they had a cut off time they had to follow, so some were not able to be seen. They finished the clinic this day about 5 PM, then went to the Pastor’s home for an authentic Indian supper – rice and everything.

After dinner, they had to drive down off of mountain – it was night now, and very dark, and you are right on the side of the mountain with precarious turns and curves. Some Team Members were understandably apprehensive about this ride, very concerned until they got off of mountain.

It was about midnight when they got back in Siliguri, this was the night they had to hunt for more hotel rooms because of the hotel they had reservations at did not have enough rooms.

Friday morning was more leisurely for the Team. They have been going at a very fast and hectic pace, so a slower morning was a blessing. They went to Sanjay’s home for breakfast before making the 3 hour drive to Makrapara Child Development Centre. The children and staff were all waiting on them to arrive! They had lunch ready for them, and then it was time to play with kids, sing songs with them before having a time of prayer with the children.

Some of the Team Members are Sponsors to some of the children at this Child Development Centre, so they had the honor of going to the homes of their sponsored child and spending time with the whole family. It was a very moving time for a lot of people! Team member Phyllis said she never had kids before, but now she does! She picked out a boy and a girl to sponsor! She was so happy and thrilled – it was emotional for several people. Other Team Members also choose certain children to start sponsoring. Some visited the home of a child who is sponsored by a previous Team Member who sent gifts for their child.

But all good things must end, and they had to return to camp for the evening Worship Service. It was during this service that John Boedeker dedicated a building in memory of his sister, Joyce Gompf. Family members and friends of Joyce had donated the funds to build the building that is used for classrooms and an office at the CDC. It was an emotional service for John, but he was honored to be able to do this in honor of the Christian and sister that Joyce was. Richard found it emotional, as well. They did not get out of there and to the hotel in the forest until about 9 PM.

On Saturday morning 12 Team Members went on elephant ride in protected National Jungle. They seen rhinos, deer, peacock, wild pig, monkeys and a python – they really enjoyed the ride, the peace of the jungle and seeing the animals in the wild! This was a refreshing break after the hustle of the clinics.

Afterward it was time to go back to Makrapara to hold the last clinic.

The clinic flowed well, however the needs of the patients required more time to be spent with each patient, so they were only able to treat about 225 people. This clinic ended very well, they had stopped accepting names earlier, seeing it was taking longer with each one, so there were not a lot of people waiting in hopes to be seen that wasn’t able to be treated. They did end up taking a few more close to the end. When they finished, there were the children at the Centre waiting outside for them, so the team went out and blew up balloons, played ball or whatever games the children were playing – everyone had a great time ending the day this way!

On their drive back to Siliguri, everyone was ready for some American food, so we found a Domino’s Pizza! Ohhh, it was sooo good! When they arrived at our hotel, they all were full and ready to get some sleep, for the morning would be here soon and the trekkers were to leave at 5 AM!

And so the group of 7 or 8 trekkers did leave this morning . . . the remaining Team Members will be going to Sanjay’s church before heading to Darjeeling for some excursions of their own (Tiger Mountain is one), shopping and a time of rest or spending it with the National Pastors and families.

All the medical clinics are now completed. The Team saw approximately 1100 patients at the 4 different location; they performed 2 surgeries on the spot, while other arrangements were made with an Indian doctor for people who needed surgery, and these have been paid for. People have been so appreciative to have been given this help, but it was very hard on our Team for those who did not get seen. They spoke with another group that has done medical clinics in India that they would incorporate a "spiritual check-up" after the physical check-up at their future medical clinics. This was done some of that at the last location & 4 people were lead to the Lord! The group has worked extremely well together & are already talking about the next medical missions trip. Crossings Church had other people on a waiting list to take part in this venture, and who are eager to go on the next trip.

The time is drawing nigh for part of the part of the Team, they leave India on the 14th to fly back to the States. Of course, some of the Team is staying longer, with the next 2 people departing India on April 20. Richard and John remain there until May 6.

They have had no access to email at all so far in the trip, so don't be alarmed if you've heard nothing or have expected a response from them.

So until next time . . . keep praying and keep your eyes on the Lord!

Update from India

2011-04-08T14:51:00.000-05:00

Here is the latest update from our team in India, sent from Debi Fields with Helping Hands in Motion.

I have spoken with Richard, Sanjay and with Pastor Pam tonight, they were very excited about what all has been happening and the experiences thus far.

Everything is going very well, Sanjay also echoed this fact. There have been challenges, but God has showed up and enabled them to work in the primitive settings with no power at times, with the Gangtok strike going on, and lost hotel rooms. And they all spoke about the awesome worship services.

They have had 3 clinics so far, and treated approximately 900 patients, and had to turn some away - which bothered our Team tremendously, but due to time restraints they had no choice. On the first day they got everything set up and ready, then they treated 450 patients in 5 hours. They had to travel for Day 2 Clinic, so after traveling they seen about 250 patients that night. On Day 3 they got the opportunity to do some shopping before seeing the remaining 200 patients in 4 hours. They seen a person who requires more extensive treatment, so the funds were left for that procedure to be performed by a local physician.

I am not sure which clinic it was where the power kept going off, but I would think it was Gangtok on Day 1 due to the strike. But they kept working throughout each outage with flashlights - they were not to be stopped! Other than that, things have been going pretty smoothly most of the time. I am sure they have had challenges, such as getting finished with the night clinic and going to the hotel to discover there was a mix-up and they did not have enough rooms (they had been reserved), so at midnight they had to go in search of 4 more rooms. They eventually found them, but it was not ones they would have preferred. But it was someplace to sleep.

Everyone on the team is staying pretty healthy, no one has gotten real sick, except from riding down a mountain last night (motion sickness). The mountain roads are very curvy, tight turns and steep...usually with a drop off on one side. It can get to the best of people. They have been traveling around in 4 or 5 cars to maneuver from one village to another. It is hot there, the only relief was when they were in the mountains, and they enjoyed the cooler temperatures, even if it was for just a short period of time.

The Team has witnessed a great out pouring of love, with people seeing again after being fitted with the right glasses and lens for their eyesight, and huge smiles because they can actually see!! And then there are the ones that they have treated with illnesses who touched their souls by the outpour of love and gratitude from the people. These faces will be etched in their minds for life.

As I mentioned, their worship services have been "INCREDIBLE". They were in the Himalaya Mountains at Marshal's church, praying and singing in 2 languages - just worshipping the Lord! And it started to rain - a pouring rain - but the Presence of God was so "intense" and as Pam put it "the worship was just INCREDIBLE!"

They are heading out to Makrapapra now and Sanjay and Marshal are accompanying them. They will be meeting with 4 kids that are sponsored from Crossings and other Team Members; and all 4 sponsors are in the team! So they get to meet and spend some time with their child. They are looking forward to seeing the all kids, playing and interacting with them! And, of course, giving them the gifts they have brought from the U.S. There is a good chance they may also meet the family of the sponsored child, which will be an honor for the families as well as for our Team Members.

They are expecting approximately 400 people at the next clinic, and they will also be dedicating a building built in memory of John Boedeker's sister, Joyce Gompf, with funds donated by Joyce's family and friends. This is an area with no electricity or running water.

So until next time, be blessed. I know some of you are really missing your loved one, maybe this has helped in some small way. God bless you - and thank you for being a part of impacting the people of India! Keep the prayers coming - they can feel them! They all said that!

Safe and Sound

2011-04-06T16:28:00.016-05:00

Below is the first update from the team. It was sent yesterday from a local pastor. It seems that the strike that you have been praying about did occur, but the team was still able to minister to the people. How wonderful it is to know that we serve a God who is greater than any obstacle or hurdle that we may encounter. Please continue to to pray for the entire team. As God to multiply their rest each evening so that they greet each new day with energy and excitement. Ask God to give them an extra measure of love and compassion so that they can share thet with the people of India.

Michael

Today Richard (Richard Fields from Helping Hands in Motion ministry) arrived along with the rest of the group. Because of the 48 hour strike we were not able to travel to Gangtok, and so we had to visit a garden and do the camp today. I was not very sure how the camp will go or how many will turn up, as we only sent the news on Monday. But there 410 were fortunate to see the doctors and about 50-odd were turned away. We had been working non-stop from 11Am to 4PM without any break for lunch or otherwise. We will be heading to Gangtok at 6 in the morning and start the camp by 10AM. Please continue to pray for the team.

-Rev. Sanjay Daniel Murmu

The Power of Prayer

2011-03-31T12:59:00.006-05:00

I just received the email below from Pam Millington about the upcoming trip to India:

Please take a moment right now to pause and pray. I just received a phone call from Richard Fields who is in contact with our Pastor Leaders (Sanjay and Marshel). Apparently strikes have been called in Gangtok for April 4 & 5 and "everything" is scheduled to be shut down. Richard and Sanjay are working on a Plan B. Remember we have consistently talked about the importance of flexibility. Our scheduled Clinics in Gangtok may or may not occur. We may end up staying in Siliguri--we will have back up hotel reservations for Hotel Conclave for when we arrive.

Prayer Points--

1. Pray that the strike will be called off.

2. Pray that the pastors & their families coming to meet together for training, fellowship and to be with us in Gangtok will arrive safely--at this point, they still plan to come.

3. Pray for the safety and flexibility of our team.

I know that God will use us in just the right way. Does anyone get the idea that the enemy must know the power of Jesus that was planning to gather corporately in Gangtok? I'll update you if I hear more. Otherwise, I'll see you Saturday morning.

Pam

One of Pam's final sentences draws attention to a very real challenge facing believers today: the Evil One and his efforts to thwart God's plan at all costs. Make no mistake - Satan is real, he has power and dominion in this world and he would love nothing more than to halt the spread of the Good News of Jesus, the Christ. Despite what you may have read or heard lately, Satan is headed for eternal destruction and he would love to take as many souls as possible with him. It is certainly within his power to use civil unrest and/or labor disagreement to generate a strike to disrupt the plans of our team...and he may succeed in forcing our team to reschedule and adapt on the fly.

The best part is, it doesn't really matter. Ultimately, God is sovereign and what God has purposed will come to pass. It may not be in the manner that the team originally planned, but as long as they remain obedient and totally dependent upon God, then He will get the glory. And when you boil it all down, isn't that what any of this "Christian life" is all about? Our lives glorifying God and pointing others to Him?

Now, before you start to think that you have no role to play in this, let me encourage you to stop and voice a prayer right now for the concerns that Pam has mentioned. Interceding for fellow followers of Christ is one of the great privileges and weapons that we have at our disposal. In fact, in Philippians, the apostle Paul mentions that is was a great source of joy to lift up the Philippian church in prayer.

Prayer is about power. It is an opportunity to call on God to be who and what He promises to be: Provider, Healer, Deliverer, or whatever else the situation may call for. The former director of the Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma - Dr. Bill Green - had a phrase about prayer that he loved to share: "No prayer is no power. Some prayer is some power. Much prayer is much power." In my own life, I have found this to be an axiom for daily living.

So, how about it? Exercise your prayer muscle and tap in to the power that we can access when we get on our knees before a holy, powerful, merciful and loving God. Ask God to perform God-size tasks, either in India or in your own life. He can handle it.

Michael

India Team

2011-03-30T09:48:00.003-05:00

I want to thank everyone in advance for the prayer support you will offer during our trip. To offer some guided focus as you pray, please consider the following: * For the health and safety of the team * Travel mercies both in and out of the country * That God will bring the right people to the Clinics * That the local church and pastors will be encouraged * That threatened strikes in Gangtok will be called off Team Members include: Chris Ayers, Pam Fountain, Sandi Garrett, Debbie Huff, Julia Luke, Casey Lyman, Pam Millington, Deborah O'Hasson, Shane & Valerie Pennington, Phyllis Purcer, Jeff Reames, Rebecca Thomas, Perry Santos. We will be joined by John Boedeker. Pam

Off to India!

2011-03-29T15:16:00.004-05:00

Later this week - on Saturday, April 2 to be exact - the team pictured on the left will be departing for India. The team will be there for almost two weeks holding medical clinics and visions clinics for the residents of several communities in northeast India. In addition to the medical and vision clinics there will also be opportunity for pastor training and women's ministry. The team will be lead by John Boedeker and Richard Fields. Missions Pastor Pam Millington and Church Elder Jeff Reames will also be on the team.

Please pray for the team and ask God to allow them to feel no ill effects of their long journey, to recover from any jet lag quickly and to be ready to serve the precious people of India when they arrive. India is a loooooong way away, even by plane.

Because India is so far away you may be tempted to ask: "Why are we going there? Don't we have sick people right here in OKC that we can help?" The fact is, yes, there are sick people here in Oklahoma City and we do indeed help them through the clinic housed within our Community Center at Penn and Hefner. But God has so richly blessed our church with extraordinarily gifted people and an abundance of resources that we would dishonor God by limiting their use and service to only the Oklahoma City area. To be certain, we are called to serve locally first, but as God continues to open doors for us to be involved in ministry around the world, we must be obedient and follow where He leads.

It is clear from even a cursory reading of the Bible that God has a special place in His heart for the poor, downtrodden and defenseless. The majority of the population in India fits this description. Imagine the poorest person you have ever encountered or the most squalid living conditions you have ever seen. Now increase that by a factor of ten, cram tens of millions of people into those conditions and viola': you're in India. If we have the opportunity, means and ability to minister to those that Jesus called "the least of these My brothers" whether we find them across the street or across the ocean, we must go.

Pray for the team, their families that will remain here in the States and the people that they will encounter in India. Ask God to glorify Himself in every situation, circumstance and conversation that occurs during the trip. The greatest desire for each member of the team is that when someone looks at them, that person will see Christ and experience His love for them.

Until all have heard.

Honduras Mission Trip - Day 5

2010-09-26T18:06:00.001-05:00

FRIDAY

Today was our last full day in Honduras. What a week it has been. A week full of healing, building, love and encouragement.

Today we were together as a full team beginning the morning at an orphanage in Pena Blanca where we played soccer and did arts and crafts with the kids. The medical team set up and served a little over 75 patients both young and old.

The afternoon began back at the Pena de Horeb Church where we dedicated the new classrooms with a full ribbon cutting ceremony that included balloons, cake and tons of love for each other.

Following the dedication we pulled away from the Church with heavy hearts. We have spent a lot of time this week meeting new friends and revisiting with old ones. Everyone on our team has had their hearts changed in some way, and the goodbyes were long and tearful.

The rest of the day was spent unwinding as we journeyed to the waterfalls for ziplining followed by a boat ride on the lake.

We are all tired but energized for what priviledge God has provided us this week.

As we face a hurricane approaching San Pedro Sula, we pray for a safe and smooth flight home as we are anxious to see everyone and share our exciting week in Honduras.

Jeff Smith

Honduras Mission Trip - Day 4

2010-09-24T15:44:00.000-05:00

THURSDAY

Today was another beautiful and productive day in Honduras. Following breakfast, the medical team ventured to another new location this morning to the remote village of Cocote, while the construction team spent their day finishing up the new classrooms at the Pena de Horeb Church in Pena Blanca.

The construction team finished hanging lights and ceiling fans, and painted the classrooms both inside and out. We are excited to say the Church now has three new classrooms that are ready for the children.

While the construction team was finishing up the classrooms, the medical team was busy seeing another new group of patients. Even though heavy rains in Cocote cut the day short for the medical team, they were still able to serve over 130 patients.

It's really something to see what God can accomplish through us in these four short days. He is so faithful.

Pray for our last full day in Honduras this Friday and that our travel back to the States will be a safe one on Saturday.

Jeff Smith

Honduras Mission Trip - Day 3

2010-09-23T09:23:00.000-05:00

Today the medical team moved to the village of Lomas de Aguila where they treated 276 patients, many of whom were very sick. The team also shared Bible stories and games with the many children that live in the village area.

As for the construction team, they were back in Pena Blanca at the Pena de Horeb Church where they finished hanging doors and getting the classrooms ready for painting.

It has been another day where God continues to open our hearts to the people of Honduras, and is using these wonderful people to make a difference in our lives.

Continue to pray for our health as we have had a few team members that have dealt with a brief stomach bug, but everyone is healthy as of this writing.

As always, God continues to be an Awesome God!
Jeff Smith

Honduras Mission Trip - Day 2

2010-09-22T09:41:00.000-05:00

Today was our second full day back in Pena Blanca at the Pena de Horeb Church where we treated just under 300 patients, provided outreach to over 170 kids, and have constructed the walls and ceilings for the three new classrooms.

It is exciting to see the amazing progress that is being made for the Glory of Jesus Christ. He is so faithful and is providing so many blessings to our team and the people of Honduras. Pray for our health and safety as we move to a new location outside of Pena Blanca to treat medical needs, and also for our construction team as they continue to finish the three classrooms that will serve the little children of Pena Blanca.

God is good.
Jeff Smith

Honduras Mission Trip - Day 1

2010-09-21T09:51:00.000-05:00

Hola from Honduras!

The team arrived in San Pedro Sula safely and on time Sunday. We were welcomed with sunshine and more hot weather, but no rain. Upon getting checked in we journeyed to Pena Blanca where the team attended Sunday Worship at Pena de Horeb Church. Mission trip teams from Crossings have been coming to work and worship with this congregation for two years. It is always a special time to be able to renew friendships with these dear brothers and sisters in Christ and to see how God is blessing the ministry of this church in Pena Blanca.

MONDAY
After a hard nights rain, everyone joined together at 7am for breakfast and a morning devotional. Today was spent in Pena Blanca back at the Pena de Horeb Church where we treated patients, began construction on three new classrooms and worked with the kids on crafts and bible lessons. This was an exciting day as many of us got to meet the child we recently sponsored through the Compassion International program for the first time. Many tears were flowing.

God is so wonderful and is using us in so many different ways this week. Not only with the people of Honduras, but also with each other.

God is good.
Jeff Smith

Honduras Mission Trip Sept 2010

2010-09-15T19:14:00.000-05:00

Please keep our team in prayer as 18 of us depart early Sunday morning for San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Pray that the weather will not interfere with our flight so that we can arrive safely Sunday afternoon.

We will do our best to post our daily activities each night - along with listing any specific prayer requests. On Monday, the Crossings team will set up at Pena De Horeb (Rock of Horeb church) in Pena Blanca to conduct medical clinics, lead outreach programs for the children of the clinic patients, and continue construction of the second floor of the church building. We are anxious to see what all God has planned for us to do as we serve in His name throughout the week.

Please keep our team in prayer along with the congregation of Pena de Horeb and Pastor Terencio.

Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Lessons Learned from Malawi

2010-08-11T16:54:00.000-05:00

Now that most of our team is back in the States - Kemp and Kim Ward will remain in Africa until early September - and my body has readjusted to Central Daylight Time, I figured it was time to collect my thoughts and share with you some of things that I learned while in Malawi. While this lessons had a profound impact on me, for many of you these lessons may seem rather elementary, and they could very well be. This certainly give greater credence to the thought that more often than not we are not really learning something new, we are just being reminded of lessons that we have learned previously.

Lesson #1: Our God loves to bless us with serendipitous moments.
Several years ago, Danny and Natalie Gregory were preparing to leave the U.S. to go and serve the Lord in Africa. As they shared about God's calling and the ministries that they planned to be involved in, the Holy Spirit tugged at the heart strings of Richard and Melissa Wilson. As Richard and Melissa contemplated and considered what the Lord would have them do to support Danny and Natalie, they felt led to give them a complete set of battery powered hand tools by DeWalt; drills, grinder, reciprocating saw...the works.

Now, fast forward to July, 2010. Our team is at work in Malawi, fabricating solutions to our drilling problems in Danny's garage. We are cutting pipe, drilling, reshaping...a real testosterone hulabaloo. So, here we are, working away and feeling very manly, when all of a sudden, Danny looks at Richard and said: "Richard, did you ever think that when you gave us those tools that you would actually come all the way to Africa and use them?" It got very quickly became very quiet. Up until then, it had not even dawned on Richard that these were the same tools. It became a very emotional and holy moment for everyone, but especially for Richard.

And isn't that just like our God? Richard and Melissa were simply being obedient to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. And God rewarded Richard's obedience. Richard was able to experience - not just hear about, not merely witness, but experience first-hand - one of the outcomes of his obedience. At the time, Richard didn't really know why God asked them to give a set of tools to the Gregorys, but He did and they obeyed. Now everything had come full circle and Richard was using those very same tools to do ministry in Malawi.

Lesson #2: Sometimes you just have to let it go.
I love my wife Deanna dearly. Next to my salvation, she is the greatest gift that God has ever given me. I love her so much that to make up for the fact that a mission trip I was going on left on Valentine's Day (thanks, DG) I bought her a pair of expensive, designer sunglasses. While it didn't completely remove the sting of my being gone on Valentine's Day, it did help take the edge off.

So imagine my wife's dismay when she accidentally drops those same glasses in the village latrine in Malawi. Right into a six foot pit that was filled with human waste, excrement and trash. Into a pile of stuff that was so thick that the glasses actually didn't sink...they just rested on the surface. Now, imagine my incredulity when Deanna asks me to fish them out for her. I tried to reason with her, talk her out of it and change her mind...all to no avail. So, I did what any good husband would do, I fished them out for her. (By the way, I used a wire with a hook on the end, not my bare hands. Love may be blind but it ain't stupid.)

Deanna worked diligently to clean those glasses: baby wipes, hand sanitizer, baked them in the sun, and even considered bleaching them. Ultimately, she decided that she would never be able to bring herself to put those glasses on her face again. There were far too many fungi, bacteria and viruses present in that...stuff to ever warrant trying to wear them again, not to mention the stench that seemed to seep into the very lenses themselves.

Now, you may scoff at Deanna's insistence in trying to salvage her Vera Bradley shades, but often we exhibit the same behavior, just in other areas of our lives. We begin to hold onto to things too tightly - a job, a relationship, a material possession, for example - and what was once a benefit or a blessing has suddenly become an idol or a stumbling block in our relationship to God. But we don't just cling too tightly to the good things, we can also place quite a death grip on our past and our mistakes. Instead of turning over those things to God and allowing Him to forgive us and start anew, we vainly try to clean up our own messes. We mistakenly think that we can become "good enough" for God to love us. It is only when we realize that we could never be "good enough" for God's love and that he loves us anyway that we can let go of our sins and our baggage and let God love us right where we are.

Lesson #3: God is far more interested in our obedience than in our results.
A common misconception that I have observed in the church - at least in North America - is that God is depending on us for results. And you know, that is just wrong because in reality, the results are up to God, not to us.

As you have learned by now, we were not able to install a hand-pump at the feeding center in Malawi. That was the goal of our trip. We did everything that we knew to do, we used every physical resource available to us and we simply could not penetrate that rock layer to get to the water that we know we were very close to reaching. In these terms, our trip was a failure but that only looks at the trip through earthly, temporal eyes.

We prayed desperately to God to allow us to get through that rock layer. The times that we devoted to prayer over that well were some of the most meaningful worship experiences that I have ever had in my life...but the rocks are still there. Does that mean our faith is lacking? I don't believe so. If the results were solely up to our team, then we were defeated. But in reality, we know that the results are not up to us. If God had wanted us to break through that rock layer while we were in Malawi, then it would have happened. We know beyond a shadow of doubt that the One who created the rocks that were blocking our way is certainly more than able to move them if He chooses to do so.

While we may not understand God's decision, we trust that He is faithful. The Bible promises us that "in all things God works for good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). God wants our heartfelt and willing obedience more than He wants the results. The results God can have anytime He wants them, He is God after all. But when we obey, even when it is difficult and even when we don't see the results that we were expecting it develops and strengthens our faith. We become even more obedient in the future, even when the outcomes are less certain. Besides, if our results were God's primary measuring stick for us, that would tend to make us reliant on our own strength rather than God's. And that is a slippery slope that we must avoid at all costs.

Lesson #4: God is "very zeekomo."
For as long as I have been involved in mission trips - whether as a youth, a youth minister, with adults, or whatever - each trip usually ends up with a signature phrase our memory. For our trip to Malawi the given phrase became "very zeekomo." On it's own, the phrase means nothing that makes any sense. Zeekomo is the Chichewa word for "thank you" and we all know what "very" means. So the literal meaning of this phrase is "very thank you." To most people, this is nonsense. But in the hands of our team's resident linguist and Chich-English expert Kemp Ward, the phrase came to mean anything that was exceedingly excellent or good.

A long hot shower after a long day of drilling? Very zeekomo. Drilling through 24 feet of clay in one day as we began our second bore hole? Also, very zeekomo. But even greater was God's presence with us as we drilled. God's prevailing Holy Spirit that continually encouraged us when we had every right to be discouraged. God providing moments for our team to stop drilling and focus all of our attention on the children of the feeding center. The opportunity to share His unconditional love with children who desperately needed to be loved. It was all "very zeekomo."

From the moment we left the United States, we felt God's hand of blessing on our team. We remained healthy, we were continually seeking God's face and we constantly aware that this trip was about more than just water. It was about God being glorified. God honored our obedience and we honored Him on a daily basis. Why? Because God is "very zeekomo."

Soli Deo gloria.
Michael

Drilling Diary Day Seven

2010-08-06T10:38:00.000-05:00

I want to share a story with you that I heard today...

A man was praying to God and the man distinctly heard God tell him to go and push against a massive rock. Being obedient, the man went out a pushed against the rock. The rock was huge and the man's pushing seem to have no impact on the rock.

Day after day the man pushed and he could not move the rock. He tried every technique he knew of to try and move the rock but each attempt was unsuccessful. With each passing day the man became more frustrated with his inability to move the rock. After weeks of trying, he finally went back to God in prayer. He said, "Lord, you asked me to move the rock and you know that I have tried with all of my might, but I just cannot move this rock."

God replied to the man: "I only asked you to push against the rock. I never asked you to move the rock. If I wanted the rock moved, I can move it. Look at yourself, after weeks of pushing you have developed yourself both physically and mentality. I asked you to push against the rock for your benefit, not the rock's."

Well, just like the man in this simple story, we have been pushing against a rock for the seven days that we have been drilling for water in the village of Bodza. We completed our day's work with minimal progress. We were able to bring up some rocks, but more rocks - some larger - still remain. So, at this point, there is no water and no well at the feeding center.

It would be very easy for us to feel like failures, but if we did that, we would be selling God short. The director of the feeding center, Jordan Dowbush, told the team today: "You have laid the groundwork for our ministry to expand its reach and influence in this village. The borehole that you started will eventually allow us to grow more vegetables, feed more children, and have more opportunity to share the love of Christ with them. More importantly, the work that your team has done here has allowed God the opportunity to do a work in each of you as you have gone through this experience."

We do not know what the end result of our efforts will be in Bodza. But as each of us examines what we have experienced during these past two weeks, we know that we have been changed. Our faith has been challenged and strengthened. We have been made more aware of how dependent we should be to God in every aspect of our lives. We have loved children unconditionally; children who long to be loved and cared for. We have supported and encouraged the missionaries that Crossings partners with here in Malawi. We have given the braintrust at Water4 more problems to solve as they expand their arsenal of drilling tools to use around the world.

All in all, it has been a rewarding trip for everybody involved with this trip. God has honored our obedience and faithfulness. God has heard the prayers of his saints around the world who interceded on behalf of our trip. Lives have been changed, relationships have been deepened and the Holy Spirit continues to move and work in the lives of those who listen to his promptings.

Soli Deo gloria,
Michael

Author's note:
Tomorrow (Saturday) morning, at about 5:00am Oklahoma time, we will begin our 36 hour journey home. Please pray for us as we travel. After we return to the U.S. I will post one final blog about the lessons that we have learned in Malawi.

Praises, Ponderings and Prayer Services

2010-08-05T15:56:00.000-05:00

Praises, Ponderings
Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your prayers! We were able to get some of the rocks up out of the hole but we still have not yet found water. Nevertheless, we are most grateful for your prayers on our behalf and we are praising God for the success that we had today.

We spent six hours digging up some of the rocks that we found at the bottom of our borehole. We tried all of our tools in different sequences, making minimal progress with each change. We tried widening the hole by combining our two holes but that was too time consuming with very little return. The clay is just too hard and the tools had a tendency to work their way toward one hole or the other.

Finally, at about 3:30pm, we were able to bring up the rocks in question. What did we find when we finally removed the rock? Yep, you guessed it: more rocks. It seems that we are on top of a layer of granite stones. The stones are of various shapes and sizes: softball, dinner plate, bowling ball, etc. We believe that God honored our prayers - and yours - by allowing us to remove the stones that we did.

So at the end of the day, knowing that we have one more day of drilling left, our mood remains very upbeat. We are disappointed that we did not hit water today but we are not discouraged. We were hopeful that we only had one rock to remove but there are still more waiting in the hole. We are confident that God will be with us and that we will hit water tomorrow.

Too often when we do not get the answer from God that we want, we tend to doubt God's faithfulness. God must not be listening, we think, or even that maybe we have done something to displease God and as a result, God chooses not to answer our prayers. Because our timeline is not the same as God's we often mistake not receiving an immediate response from God as some sort of rebuke.

The Old Testament book of Job tells the story of a righteous man whom God allows to be put to the test. Job committed no sin or any known offense to God, though Job's "friends" and wife think that what he is suffering is a result of some unknown sin. To be sure, Job does not understand why God has chosen him to endure these trials. In fact, Job is even bold enough to question God. If you and I were in the same situation I am sure that we would question God as well. In Job 38 - 41, we read God's response to Job:

Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footing set or who laid its cornerstone - while the morning stars sang together and the angels shouted for joy? (38:4-7)

In reply, Job says:

I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted...surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. (42:2-3)

Now we may never know why we didn't hit water today. In fact, we may not even hit it tomorrow. But we have the confidence of knowing that God is faithful and that his plan is far greater and gives himself more glory than we ever could on our own. Whether in this case or some other storm of life we must trust in God's faithfulness and his unfailing love. That doesn't mean that we cannot question God. God can handle our questions. Questioning because we don't understand is considerably different than questioning out of defiance and rebellion. But we must never fall into the trap of thinking that our plan is better than the plan that God has. It never is and because we know that God's plan is the best plan we will be able to sing praises to his name tomorrow even if we don't hit water or lift up another stone. God has more going on as a result of these last 10 days than we can ever know or imagine.

Prayer Services
Deanna and Kim have also been a part of our team and today they were able to conduct a Bible study for women. They led the 50 or so women in attendance in a craft to male bracelets symbolizing the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Then Kim shared the story of Jonah with the women and gave her testimony of how she and her husband Kemp ended up in Africa. By all accounts it was a moving service.

At the conclusion of the service, women who wanted to be prayed for were invited to come down and have Kim and Deanna pray over them. Probably about 20 - 25 women took advantage of the opportunity. One-by-one, Kim and Deanna listened to the prayer concerns that each woman had and then diligently prayed for each and every one of them. Many of the women asked for prayer about their marriages, some health concerns and some for victory over evil spirits. Yes, evil spirits are quite rampant here in Malawi, and in some cases some so-called "Christians" still engage in some form of spirit worship.

By the time the last woman had been prayed for, Kim and Deanna were spent, but very fulfilled. They had been used by God to share a word directly to many of these women. They had made themselves available to be used by the Holy Spirit and he used them to speak the truth and to be salt and light to these women. They honored God by being obedient and he blessed them by using them for his glory.

And really, when it comes right down to it, isn't that all he wants from any of us?

Soli Deo gloria,
Michael

Drilling Diary Day Five - An Urgent Call to Prayer

2010-08-04T13:47:00.000-05:00

This is not the blog that initially intended to write for today. A brief summary of today: we drilled a total of three inches. Our efforts have been stymied by a granite rock in the middle of our hole. We have exhausted all of our techniques and know-how. We have tried all of our tools multiple times to no avail. We have reached the end of our human abilities.

The bottom line is this: if we don't get this rock either broken up or moved there will be no well for the orphans at the Bodza feeding center. At least not this well. We need a miracle. Fortunately, our God is a God of miracles, because this is a God-sized task.

We are asking everyone to pray with us and ask God to intervene on our behalf. We need the rock to be moved. Pray, fast, fall on your knees and cry out to God. Only God can meet this need.

Our prayer is that through God's mighty hand this well will become a marker and a testimony to the mighty glory of God.

Soli Deo gloria,
Michael

Drilling Diary Day Four

2010-08-04T10:38:00.000-05:00

So with all of our medical issues behind us...some more literally behind us than others :-), we resumed drilling at full strength today. Our task was to continue on the new borehole that will run parallel to the original hole but also avoid the granite rock that was blocking our path. We started drilling at about 9:30am at a total depth of about 6 feet.

The day progressed nicely. We had some minor rocky obstacles that we were able to overcome with some patience and finesse (that term is quickly becoming the theme for our experience) but the hole was coming along quite nicely. But as they say, all good things must come to an end.

Just before 3:00pm, we encountered our first major problem of the day. One of our drilling tools got stuck in the hole. It could have dug in a bit to the sides of the hole or became hooked on a protruding rock, who knows. The tool would not budge and it was almost all the way down the hole. In the process of trying to free the tool, our rope that was tied to the tool snapped. If it had been an old twig it could not have snapped any more suddenly or cleanly. The rope went all the way back down the hole...about 25' below the surface.

It suddenly became very quiet. We were all looking at one another wondering: "Did that just really happen?" The first comment made was by the local Malawian who was helping us, Francis. He used a four letter word that means poop. It was so unexpected that we all got a chuckle out of it. Being the men that we are - fixers by nature - we began to brainstorm and strategize how we would fix the problem. We are at a complete standstill until we get this tool up to the surface.

As we tinkered with contraptions and contemplated solutions, Kim came up with the idea of the day. She suggested that before we do anything else, we need to pray. So we did. Shortly after the prayer our resident McGyver - Richard - developed a tool that we could use to grasp the rope. When I call Richard "McGyver" it is a completely accurate description because here is what he used to make this tool: 20' of square tubing, two steel brushes and duct tape. We dropped it down the hole and with the help of Allan's flashlight tied to another rope we were able to grasp the rope and move it to expose the top of the tool. Then we used a second makeshift hook - courtesy of Kemp and Allan to grasp the top of the tool and pull it to the surface. By 3:30pm we were drilling again.

I found this experience to be a reflection of my own life. I'm walking with God, in the center of his will when I encounter a trial or obstacle. Typically, instead of waiting on God, I glibly tell God: "I got this," and proceed to try to overcome the trial or obstacle on my own. As you can imagine, the predictable outcome is additional frustration and a far more difficult experience than I probably would have originally endured.

That is why I say that Kim's suggestion for us to stop and pray was the best decision of the day. It allowed us to still our hearts, focus on God and to once again surrender our will and our project to him for his glory. As always, God was faithful.

So, by the end of the day, our total depth on the hole was 26' 3". God had blessed us with a good day of digging and also kept us focused on him and his glory.

Soli Deo gloria,
Michael

God is able...isn't He?

2010-08-02T15:19:00.000-05:00

It was never a question of if, only when.

No matter where I go, whether it's a local mission event like our church's Bridging the Gap workday, a mission trip with students within the United States, a medical mission trip to Honduras or even a water well digging mission trip to Malawi, it always happens. At some point in during our ministry, Satan attacks us. It is not always a bold frontal assault. Sometimes it is sneaky and subversive. But no matter the form it takes, the Evil One always looks for an opportunity to discourage the team, divide us or in some other way thwart the purposes of God.

For us, today was that day.

Coming off of two reasonably good days of drilling last week, plus two more days enjoying God's creation, our team was sky high as they made their way to the valley in Chikwawa and the Bodza feeding center. They even found square pipe that would meet the demands of drilling that would replace the original flimsy supplies we started with. Everything (aside from my dental issues and David's GI discomfort, but more on that later) seemed to be going our way.

When we last left the borehole on Friday, we had encountered a rock of some sort at 24' 7". No big deal. We had encountered rocks before and made our way through them. Alas, such as easy remedy was not to be. The team spent most of the day trying to penetrate this layer of rock. Not just any rock, mind you, but granite. Drill bits were mangled beyond usage, as much weight was applied to as small a surface area as possible, all the resources that could be mustered were thrown at - dropped on, actually - this rock. All to no avail.

Eventually, the team decided to see if there was a way around the rock. It turns out that this is not an entire strata of rock, but as best we can tell it is just a single rock, because we were able to find the edge and dig around it. The only issue now is that we have to re-drill from the surface straight down to the new hole we started next to the rock. We will be repeating our efforts from the first two days.

It would be understandable, even reasonable, for the team to be discouraged at this point. Two days of digging all for naught. But this is when God showed up. He has used this opportunity to remind us, ever so gently, that this entire process is about more than a water well. As our team member Richard reminded us, the actual process of digging this well - how we allow God to work through us, use us and how we glorify and reflect Him - matters more to God than if we actually complete the well.

The truth be told, this was never about water. It was never about us. It's all about God revealing Himself and bringing glory to Himself. Now certainly, we want to bring fresh water to this village and this feeding center. But if we do it in our own strength without God getting the glory, then how does that honor God? We know that God is able to complete this well and we pray that He will allow us to be the tools He uses to finish it, but if not...His will be done.

Tonight after dinner the team sat around and discussed the situation and any possible solutions. We spent time in prayer and surrendered ourselves, our abilities and this well to God. We made ourselves available to be used by Him in any way that brings God the most glory...even if that means that somebody else actually ends up finishing the well. We're going to stay and work for the rest of the week and we will use all of our knowledge, resources and strength to get it done, but we are fully trusting God for the outcome.

When we rely on God for the outcome rather than ourselves, it removes all of the pressure from us. We just have to be obedient and do our best. All of the pressure is on God and He can handle it, while we cannot. In this kind of a set up, we can't lose. If we complete the well, God gets the glory. If we don't complete the well, we will still praise God for the opportunity to serve Him and because we know that His will was done.

Please join us in prayer. Pray that we will be obedient. Pray that we will be patient. Ask God to grant us favor to complete the well for His glory and for the benefit and blessing of these precious children.

Now, as for my trip to the dentist, it seems like there was some small food particles that worked their way under the gum and caused some irritation around the last tooth on my lower right set of teeth. (See kids, that why you should always listen to your mom when she tells you to floss after brushing). The way the gum is covering a portion of the top of that tooth, the dentist said it could possibly turn into a recurring problem unless I have the tooth pulled. Now mind you, the dentist office was far more modern and up to date than I had anticipated. The dentist was very friendly and seemed quite skilled and knowledgeable, but this is still Malawi. So, I asked the doctor what would happen if I took some antibiotics, reduced the swelling and took my chances back in the States. He said that was a perfectly fine alternative and that with proper dental care (read: FLOSS DAILY) I might never have another problem. Needless to say, I have a bottle full of antibiotics and I am taking them religiously.

David has also recovered from his GI issues, but I don't think his problems had anything to do with the fried mice we purchased on the road yesterday. He should rejoin us tomorrow at the feeding center.

Thanks again for all of the prayers. We continue to need them daily.

Soli Deo gloria,
Michael

Inspiration and Intercession

2010-08-02T09:03:00.000-05:00

On Saturday and Sunday, our missionary hosts took our team to see some of the sights of Malawi. Even though Malawi is one of the poorest nations in the world, it is abundantly rich in natural beauty and splendor. To able to spend uninterrupted time in the midst of God's creation and to marvel and the works of his hands was truly a blessing.

Our first stop took us to Zomba mountain to overlook the original capital of Malawi. The mountain ended up being shrouded in clouds, so the view was limited but we were still able to see the gorgeous waterfalls that cascade their way down the side of the mountain. To see the lush green mountainside and to hear the sound of the water as it made its turbulent journey to the valley below was quite humbling. To consider that God loves us enough that we would create this Earth for our enjoyment leaves me speechless. Exactly how does one express gratitude for such a magnificent and generous act of love?

Our visit to Zomba was followed by a trip to the Liwonde National Park, located on the banks of the Shire River. Almost immediately after we arrived, our group went on a game drive in 4-wheel drive vehicles. While there are none of the big cats in this park, we did see plenty of hippos, monkeys, baboons, wart hogs, impalas, water bucks, elephants, exotic birds and crocodiles. One of our team members, Richard, described it as an "out of body experience." Never in his wildest dreams did he ever think that he would be on a safari in Africa.

We spent the night at the lodge in the park and the next morning offered an optional walking safari at 6:00am (most of us passed on this in favor of additional sleep), followed by breakfast and a boat safari on the Shire River. We were able to get up close looks at hippos and crocodiles. And when I say up close, I mean UP CLOSE.

At one point our boat eased up to the bank where several crocs lay basking in the sun. We were particularly interested in one big croc who was about 18-20 feet long. Our guide warned us not to make any sudden movements so that we would not startle the crocs. By this point we were probably only about 6' from the croc when he leaped into the water at the bow of our boat. As he tried to make his way under the boat he bumped us...hard. While we were never in any danger of going into the water, our boat did rock somewhat and we all suddenly took a very keen interest in our guide's instructions.

We returned to Blantyre late Sunday evening, ready for a week of hard drilling. The time away from Blantyre was beneficial for our team and our wonderful missionary hosts. It allowed all of us to further bond as a team as we continue with the task that God has set before us.

As we prepare for the next five days, I have some prayer requests to share with you:

Drilling supplies: we need to find additional square tubing that will be able to withstand the rigors of the drilling process. Ask God to provide the tubing - or the solutions - that will enable us to continue to dig as deep as we need to go to find water.
Women's work: Kim and Deanna will soon begin working with the women of the village. In order to do so, there are arrangements that still need to be made for translators. Please pray that the necessary translators will be provided.
Local workers: On the second day of drilling, five young men from the village came and joined in with the drilling. While there is a language barrier, the men are eager to help and to learn the skills necessary to begin to provide for their families through this vocation. Pray that our team will be an example of what it means to be a Christ-follower to these young men and that they will desire to honor our Savior in all that they do.
Team health: David is experiencing some GI issues but we are hopeful that they will be resolved very soon. Please pray for his rapid healing. Meanwhile, while the rest of the team will be drilling tomorrow, I am headed to see a Malawian dentist on Monday. It seems that I have some sort of impacted tooth that has caused some swelling and discomfort since about Wednesday. I finally swallowed my male pride and decided something needed to be done. As far as a specific prayer request, I am going to see the dentist in Malawi, need I say any more?

Soli Deo gloria,
Michael

Drilling Diary - Day Two

2010-07-30T14:50:00.000-05:00

Day two of drilling went better than day one…even though it didn’t really start off that way. The fix to our day one problems did not work as well as we had hoped. The new connections we manufactured were not as secure as we had hoped and the round pipe that we wanted to use was actually too heavy for what we were trying to do. We tried a new idea and it didn’t work.

At this point, our team has three options: 1) go back to the inferior metal and find a way to make it work, 2) try to come up with a new solution, or 3) give up and quit. Well, #3 really was not an option and with the limited material resources available to us neither was #2, so that just left us one option.

In order for the inferior metal to work it would demand patience on our part. We could not put as much stress and strain on the metal as we would like, so our progress would end up being slower than we would like. It would be a time consuming process as we would continually have to change the size of the tool that we were using to drill the hole. It was not going to be an ideal situation.

But guess what? We worked the plan, we stuck with it and we were able to dig down an additional 17’ today. Praise God! While we have not yet struck water, we have been able to overcome every obstacle thus far. Obviously, we would have loved to have found the water by now, but even so, our spirits are still high.

In my own life, when I encounter a difficult situation, I often try to bullrush my way to a solution. Patience and finesse – the two qualities most needed by our team today as we dug for water – are not usually in my arsenal. The end result is that I end up even more frustrated than when I started.

Yet in those Spirit-led moments of lucidity, when I choose to be patient and wait on God, situations tend to resolve themselves or solutions to problems become apparent. Often the key to moving forward is to be patient and gentle, rather than putting your head down and pushing forward with all of your might.

What obstacle are you facing in your life right now? What roadblock has been put in your path that you are finding difficult to navigate around? Have you prayed about them? Have you made demands on God for a solution? Whose schedule are you on? Yours or God’s? A friend and mentor of mind once said: “I know God’s timing is perfect. I just wish he would loan me his watch.” God is always faithful and if we are listening to the Holy Spirit and we are obedient, then the solution that brings God the most glory will be revealed.

Soli Deo gloria.

Michael

Author’s note: I probably will not be posting for the next day or so. We are traveling to see some of God’s beautiful creation and creatures within Malawi and I will not have access to the internet until at least Sunday night. My next post will probably be after we resume drilling on Monday.

Drilling Diary - Day One

2010-07-30T14:46:00.001-05:00

Well, we made it. We were a little bedraggled as we made our way off the plane, but at least we were still upright as we made our way off the plane. Out of the 25 total pieces of checked luggage, 24 made it all the way to Blantyre, Malawi. While there was nothing critical in the missing bag, it would still be nice to have everything. Please pray that the last bag arrives soon, safely and intact.

Our primary objective in Malawi is to drill water wells and install the Access 2.0 hand pumps. Our primary well site is at the Bodza Feeding Center. The Bodza Feeding Center is a ministry partner of the Gregorys and it is financed and operated through Bridge to Malawi. Our team that came in November led some VBS-type activities for the 200 kids who are fed each day by the camp’s director, Jordan Dowbush, and his staff.

Just eight months later and the feeding center now feeds 303 orphans. With so many children, access to fresh water becomes even more critical when preparing and serving so much food on a daily basis, not to mention hygiene and sanitation issues. So, we’re digging.

The first day did not start so well. We had some issues with some poor grade square metal tubing. It’s not that there is better square tubing to purchase, it’s just that what is available is poor quality. In the course of about five hours of work we dug about seven feet. We certainly were not setting any speed records.

After some discussion, we decided that we would have to go back to Blantyre and manufacture some solutions on our own. So, after dinner, the five guys on the team went out to the garage and cut pipe, drill through galvanized steel and just have some male bonding time. Most everybody else on our team is quite skilled and proficient on power tools…I am not. And yet everyone used their unique skills and giftedness to accomplish as a team the task that had to be done.

Now at any point, all of this could have come to a screeching halt if even one person had allowed their ego to get in the way. But that didn’t happen. Everyone shared their opinions, we discussed the best solutions and everybody agreed on what must be done and the division of labor. We humbled ourselves to one another and set aside our own agendas for the accomplishment of a greater goal.

As I observed what was going on – I had been asked by this point to stay away from the power tools – I realized that I was watching in microcosm how the body of Christ was designed to operate. None of us are identically gifted. Everyone is gifted with different abilities, strengths, and weakness, all to be used in harmony with one another for one task: to glorify God and proclaim Jesus as Lord.

Just like our little work team, the work of the Kingdom can often be derailed by our egos. We decide that we want to have positions of greater prominence within our church, we may have our feelings hurt and sulk if we don’t receive the recognition that we think we are entitled to, we put our own personal agendas ahead of the purpose and mission of the church. Unfortunately, there is no church, small group or ministry that is immune to this type of distraction and conflict at some point in time.

Examine your involvement in your local church. Ask yourself why do you serve? Out of a need to appease your own guilty conscience? For recognition? Are you even serving? If not, why not? Jesus clearly teaches us that one of the traits he desires most to see developed in his followers is servanthood. Serving others because we see people as Jesus sees them. We serve others as a means of serving Christ and being obedient to his teachings and commands. But a close second is unity among the body. Jesus also teaches that the world will know that we are his disciples by our love for one another.

So, are you a team player? Do you swallow your pride so that Christ will get the greater glory? What are your core beliefs about your role in the body of Christ? Maybe it’s time for you to examine why you do what you do.

Soli Deo gloria.

Michael

Are we there yet?

2010-07-28T02:48:00.000-05:00

As a parent, or supervisor/guardian of children on any type of trip, how many times have you heard that question? It's the universal code for: "I am tired of traveling and I just want to get to wherever it is that we are going." Well, that's the very question that we find ourselves asking.

Following our 9 hour flight from DFW to Heathrow, we had a 9+ hour layover in London. So we did what most Americans would do, we arranged a day tour of London. Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Piccadily Circus, Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, Parliament, 10 Downing Street...we managed to squeeze most of it in. As we boarded yet another airplane for our 11-hour flight to Johannesburg, I was amazed at how many sights we were able to cram into our brief tour.

That in turn got me to thinking about a comment made by one of our lead volunteers in missions ministry. She and I were having a conversation this past week about how many tasks and projects a person can accomplish in the days prior to vacation or a long time away from the office. Think about it. How many times have you worked like an absolute fiend just to make sure that every i is dotted and every t is crossed at work before you leave for vacation? You can end up so exhausted that you're too tired to enjoy your vacation. (And don't get me started about needing a vacation to recover from your family vacation. That's a subject for another blog entirely).

As my stream of conscienceness thinking continued, I began to examine my spiritual life to see how this sense of urgency applied to me. Am I as intensely focused on reaching my neighbors for Christ? Am I so keenly focused on serving those in need? Why am I so driven at certain times but not at others? I am sad to say that I came up lacking in my self-evaluation.

Just think of it. Christ-followers around the world passionately committed to the cause of Christ - in whatever form that may take - on a daily basis. What if we (I) were as willing to feed the homeless as we (I) are about helping Africans who don't have clean water? What if we (I) were as intentional in sharing our faith as we (I) are in making sure that we have our Starbucks every morning?

So, as we prepare for the last leg of our journey to Malawi - a two hour plane ride - I ask you to please continue to pray for our team. Pray that we will be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and that we would each be intensely focused on fulfilling his purpose for us in Malawi. But don't stop there. Ask God to keep us passionate and focused even after we return. And while you're at it, if you dare to truly be an imitator of Christ, to be the world-changers we were called to be, make the same prayer for yourself.

Soli Deo gloria,
Michael

On our way

2010-07-26T16:50:00.000-05:00

Well, it has begun. The first leg of our journey is underway and it has not been without its share of unforeseen circumstances already. The fare that we purchased for our airline tickets is called a missionary fare, and carries with it a baggage allowance of three checked bag (rather than the normal two). Considering that our team of seven is taking a grand total of 25 pieces of checked luggage, every bit counts.

Unfortunately, our domestic airline from Oklahoma City to Dallas chose not to honor the missionary fare and charged us for anything over two pieces of checked luggage. There was some consternation on my part during this exchange. I was prepared for this eventuality but I was holding out hope that our domestic carrier would do the right thing. Alas, they did not and my frustration began to mount.

Then I remembered one of the verses that I read in my quite time this morning. Philippians 4:6 says this: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. As I was meditating on this verse I remembered what our Senior Pastor, Marty Grubbs said in his sermon yesterday about living in the moment. It takes faith to live in the moment, to focus on the here and now and to trust that God will meet all of our needs.

All of this rapid introspection left me with two choices: I could choose to focus on the disappointment of having to pay the excess baggage fee, let it spoil my mood and generally be unpleasant to be around OR I could that God for providing the resources to meet the inconvenient need, be pleasant to the people who were just doing their job and realize that if this is the worst thing that happens on our trip then our trip will be an incredible experience. (In case you are wondering, I chose the latter option).

We all do it. We become so focused on a minor inconvenience, a perceived slight, an unintended wounding that we completely miss out on the bigger picture of what is going on around us. We are so wrapped up in ourselves that we miss the opportunity to be fully used by God as an instrument in his hand. Life can be hard and it is filled with disappointment. As followers of Christ, how we respond to life's difficulties and disappointments determines whether or not we are choosing to honor God with our lives.

Our team fully anticipates encountering unplanned obstacles and sudden changes in plans. Seriously, can you go on a mission trip to a developing nation and NOT experience these things? How we daily surrender our lives to Christ, choosing to pick up our cross and live for his glory will ultimately determine how fully we are used by God. As the Executive Director of the Water4 Foundation, Chris Cotner encouraged me: be like mercury, fluid.

Ready to go with the flow...

Soli Deo gloria,
Michael

Pray, pray, pray.

2010-07-24T18:28:00.000-05:00

As our team prepares to depart on Monday for Malawi, I am constantly being asked by well-wishers: "What can we do for you?" "How can we help?" "Do you need anything?" The answer to all of these questions is the same: You can pray.
When I was in music ministry I had the chance to sing under the direction of Dr. Bill Green as a member of the Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma. As our group prepared for a choir tour to Hong Kong and the People's Republic of China, he had a mantra that he repeated to us over and over: "No prayer is no power. Some prayer is some power. Much prayer is much power." It is an axiom that I have carried with me ever since because I know first hand that it is true.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul wrote:
I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. (15:30)

Maybe you weren't able to go with us to Malawi this time. Maybe you were unable to contribute resources to help one of our team members go. But everyone can pray. Anytime, any place, anywhere. There is no wrong time to pray. So I want to personally invite you to join us on our trip by committing time - the more the better - to pray for our team.

To aid you as you pray, here are some specific requests that you can pray for:

each team member: Allan, David, Richard, Kemp & Kim, Michael & Deanna
safe and uneventful travel
our luggage arrives in Malawi when we do
there will be no holdups with our 400 lbs of drilling equipment in customs
we will have all of the necessary local supplies when we need them
the quality of the local supplies will be adequate for their required purpose
God will strengthen us when we are weak and tired
everyone on the team would daily surrender their will to God's perfect plan
God will keep our spirits flexible
we will see the people as Jesus sees them
the safety and well-being of our families that we leave behind in the U.S.
Our missionary hosts: Danny & Natalie Gregory, their children: Sydney, Gabriel and Hope (see picture below) and fellow missionary, Tammie Tregallas

We desperately, desperately need your prayers. We are depending on you to hit your prayer bones (knees) and go before the throne and ask God to bless our work and protect us. James 5:16 promises us that the prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. Can we count on you? Will you join our team?

Soli Deo gloria,
Michael

Back to Malawi

2010-07-22T14:38:00.000-05:00

In just a few days another team from Crossings Community Church will be winging our way to the southern African nation of Malawi. Our team of seven will be digging fresh water wells (it could be as many as three) and doing some women's ministry in the villages where we are digging. Our team is: Allan, David, Richard, Kim & Kemp, Deanna & Michael. Most of us will only be gone two weeks but Kim and Kemp will remain in Africa for an additional four weeks continuing to work with the Water4 Foundation.

Invariably, in the time before we leave, I am often asked many questions with similar themes: "Why are you going?" "Wouldn't it be better to just send the missionaries the money that we will actually spend to go?" "Is it safe?" "Don't we have enough need right here in Oklahoma City?" These are all valid questions and I want to answer them by drawing on one of Jesus' most familiar parables.

We all know the parable of the Good Samaritan. A traveler was walking alone on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho when he was attacked by robbers, beaten and left for dead. A priest came upon the man and passed by on the other side of the road without stopping. A Levite soon came up to the beaten traveler but he also passed on by without stopping. Finally, a Samaritan came by and stopped to help. He treated the man's wounds, took him to an inn and made arrangements for the traveler to be nursed back to health at the inn. Most of us also remember that Jesus told this parable in response to the question: "Who is my neighbor?"

But look at the story through the lens of missions. The traveler might represent an unreached people group in the 10/40 Window that has never heard the gospel. Or the traveler could symbolize the people of any impoverished and developing nation that struggles to overcome abject poverty, preventable diseases, deal with the impact of HIV/AIDS, or natural disaster. Just how do we as followers of Christ, as a body of believers we call the church, respond?

We could be like the priest, who avoided contact with the beaten traveler. In fairness to the priest, he did not know if the traveler was dead or not. If he had been dead and the priest had touched him, then the priest would have become ceremonially unclean. He would have been unable to perform his priestly duties at the temple for seven days. Surely he could not let his devotion to God prevent him from reaching out and helping someone.

To me, when a church says that they cannot do global missions because they are so focused on local missions opportunities, it is basically the same attitude as the priest. To be certain, there are plenty of needs for any local church to meet in their surrounding community and those are needs that a church should work to meet. But my reading, understanding and interpretation of Matthew 28:19 - 20 and Acts 1:8 tells me that local missions is only a part of our mission field, not the totality of it. Any missions philosophy that focuses solely on either global or local missions - to the exclusion of the other - demonstrates an incomplete understanding of the commands of Christ.

A second type of missions philosophy is like the Levite who passed by the robbers' victim. He was no doubt a prudent man who understood the strategies of the robbers on the road between Jerusalem and Jericho. It was not uncommon for one of the thieves to play the role of a beaten traveler and when someone stops to offer aid, the rest of the robbers jump out to beat and rob the unsuspecting do-gooder. The Levite was merely being practical and safe. And what church, especially in light of today's economic condition, shouldn't be concerned with the stewardship of God's resources and being prudent?

I am all for fiscal responsibility and accountability, but missions and the life-change that occurs in both the one who serves and the one who receives goes far beyond dollars and cents. In my mind, this is where the eternal significance of what occurs far outweighs the monetary cost. Look at it this way: suppose that your family plans a trip across the country to visit some relatives. But once you start weighing the cost of the trip you decide to take the money you would have spent on the trip and you just mail it to the relatives...as a substitute for your family actually being there with them. Your family would miss the chance to get to know their relatives better, there would be no shared and lasting memories created, and everyone - both your family and the relatives - would miss out on the overall experience. That was the purpose of the trip to begin with.

But now let's look at risk avoidance. I do not think that the call of Christ is a call to be reckless, but neither do I think it is a call to be safe and comfortable. When I consider all that Jesus was willing to sacrifice for my sake, am I truly willing to let the reporting of civil unrest in some part of the world prevent me from going to that same area if that's where God has called me? Please show me in the Bible where it says we are only supposed to serve in places or at times when it is safe or when there is no risk involved. Do Christians in the U.S. genuinely believe that this thinking honors and glorifies God? Heaven help us if we do.

The Good Samaritan had the ability and opportunity to help the wounded man. Most importantly, he had the compassion to act on the need he saw before him. These same traits exist in most churches. The church in North America has the resources to help people in need. Most of the time we have the knowledge of where the needy (physically, economically or spiritually) are located and how their needs can best be met. But do we have the compassion to allow ourselves to be stretched beyond our comfort zones? Are we willing to look to the people of Malawi, India, Honduras and the 10/40 Window as our neighbors? When we have the means and opportunity will we choose to extend a hand to our neighbors on the other side of the world? Who live in dangerous places? Who will die separated from God (from malnutrition, HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis) unless we act?

Why do we go? Out of our devotion to God and our desire to serve him wherever and whenever he calls us. Out of obedience to the teachings of Jesus so that we might live as imitators of Christ. We go because we are so filled with the love of Jesus that we must share that love with our neighbors who live eight time zones away and who do not have clean water to drink. We go because we have the means to bring them clean water, we have the opportunity to go and because Jesus commands us - as he commanded the expert in the law - to: "Go and do likewise."

Soli Deo gloria,
Michael

Malawi Mission Trip - Pastor's Training Conference

2009-11-23T14:43:00.005-06:00

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

2009-11-15T14:22:00.003-06:00

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

2009-11-15T14:20:00.002-06:00

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

2009-11-14T14:56:00.002-06:00

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

2009-11-13T10:03:00.007-06:00

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

2009-11-11T13:00:00.005-06:00

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

2009-11-10T13:38:00.004-06:00

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

2009-11-09T16:04:00.004-06:00

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

2009-10-28T10:37:00.004-05:00

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

2009-06-23T09:58:00.004-05:00

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

2009-06-23T09:23:00.002-05:00

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

2009-06-17T21:25:00.002-05:00

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...

2009-06-17T21:20:00.002-05:00

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

2009-06-17T16:24:00.004-05:00

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

2009-06-17T07:40:00.005-05:00

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?

2009-06-16T07:46:00.003-05:00

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!

2009-06-14T21:09:00.003-05:00

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

2009-06-14T05:54:00.002-05:00

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

2009-06-12T10:38:00.003-05:00

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

Pastor in Pena Blanca

2008-10-21T21:21:00.003-05:00

This is the pastor from Pena Blanca. He, his family and his congregation were amazing and did everything they could to make us feel welcome and loved. Here he is in from of his house which we were able to put a roof on while we were there. He and his family packed all of their belongings into 1 single room so we could do our work on his roof. They had been living in the church until his roof was built. He was so proud and was found many times just wandering around his house watching all the progress, so pleased with what God had provided for him.

Our fearless leaders!

2008-10-20T23:24:00.002-05:00

Brad celebrated his birthday while on our trip to Honduras. The celebration included the customary tradition of breaking an egg over the head of the birthday boy. Which was then followed by a flouring. His mother, also on our trip, said it was the most fun she has had in years. You're a great sport Brad! In his speech and with a large lump in his throat he said he couldn't think of a better way to spend his birthday than serving the people of Honduras.

This is a picture of Heart to Honduras president Gordon Garrett who was in Honduras overseeing many of the projects like ours during the week. He has an absolute passion for the people of Honduras which was evident the minute he arrived at our Pena Blanca worksite. He jumped in and played with the kids during VBS and even let them place stickers on his forehead. I caught him playing soccer with some boys using an empty plastic coke bottle.

Roughing it in Honduras

2008-10-20T22:50:00.007-05:00

These are all pictures from our hotel. It was about 10 minutes from where we worked each day. It sat on a gorgeous lake and had tropical flowers and beautiful landscaping everywhere. There were orange trees and ginger plants everywhere along with tropical blooming flowers of every kind. We were served buffet style for breakfast and dinner each day. The food was incredible and couldn't have been better at a 4 star restaurant in the states.

This is a picture of a steak dinner we had one evening at the hotel. The steak was covered with this pico de geiyo (I have no idea how to spell it) topping that we all loved. Sides were fresh potatoes, steamed vegetables and a beautiful green salad. Lunch was served by the beautiful ladies of the Pena Blanca church who worked tirelessly making us feel welcome and comfortable e

ach day. They served us their best each day. They would begin cooking by hand at about 10 am each day and would serve us at about 12:00. As we would eat, the people would wait patiently outside for the medical providers to return. They wanted to make sure they would not loose their place in line.

Here Janet and Dan rest from their tireless work in Pena Blanca. Dan set a new pace for building a house in Honduras. Once he met the woman who carried the supplies and saw how excited she was to have a home, nothing was going to stop him from getting her house completed. Not even the Honduras Tropical Storm 2008!

Vacation Bible School in Honduras

2008-10-20T22:25:00.007-05:00

Here we are entertaining the kids at vacation bible school. Jim, Patti and their team, made bracelets, face painted, and sang lots of songs about Jesus. We also colored, played instruments and just spent the days loving on these kids. They felt loved and treasured. Sometimes the crowds of kids were almost more than we could handle. But we were so thankful for each and every one of the children and loved them as if they were our very own.

At the beginning of the week, we were told to look for God and that he would be faithful to show himself throughout the week. I saw God in the eyes of these children every day as they were shown respect and love and were treated as Jesus treated the children that would surround him. I am so proud of our VBS team! Thank you for serving.

A new Home!

2008-10-20T22:18:00.004-05:00

This is the finished product. Like I said we built two of these. They are very similar to a shed you would build in the states in your backyard. Heart to Honduras had already laid the concrete slab and this was completed the very first day. Great job guys. Both houses will be dedicated Tuesday night which will be a tearjerker I am sure!

Building Hope in Honduras

2008-10-20T21:41:00.008-05:00

Here is a few pictures of the village we were serving. The 2nd and 3rd pictures are of the current home for a widow who lives there with her daughter and grandchildren. We were able to build her a home right next to her old home. She could not have been more pleased and watched us work with a huge smile on her face each day. The new home has 4 walls, a roof, 1 window and a door. There is no electricity or water in the houses. The average income for the household is 3-5 dollars a day if you can find work. Many have no income at all. Sadly....the government does not help at all and most are forced like this one to live with their entire familes.

We were able to build a home for this widow from the local church. She lives with her daughter and her 4 children 2 of which are twin babies. Her 1 room home also must make room at night for the chickens and their most prized possesion, the family pig. Theft and crime is commonplace so anything of value must be brought in at night. The flooding was so bad in Honduras that the truck which brought the wood and supplies got stuck and was unable to the deliver to this womans house. They decided to unload the truck blocks away and this woman and her kids and grandkids brought the wood and supplies 1 piece at a time to her home so she was ready for us. Needless to say she was excited to have a new home!!

Medical Team in Action!

2008-10-20T21:27:00.006-05:00

Here is one of our translators who is from the organization of Heart to Honduras. His name is Diego. He is from Columbia and is a graduate of the HTH discipleship school here in Honduras. He is checking patients in and getting their medical complaints ready for our providers.

Julie Clay and Mike Brown trying to entertain the crowd while they wait for their doctors appointment. Some waited the entire day to be seen but were so grateful and hugged each of us for our kindness.

This beautiful little girl was stung by a wasp and was treated with ice packs and love by our amazing crew.

Work in Pena Blanca

2008-10-20T20:49:00.006-05:00

Dr. Jerry Anderson treating some of the children of Pena Blanca. Most seen were women and children. There were many skin disorders like scabies, ringworms, and even chicken pox!

The first day we arrived there were already crowds of people waiting for us to arrive. We prayed that we would be able to meet their needs and boy did God answer. The first day we saw over 120 patients and the second day 267!!! The third day in this little village we saw over 200 again. God is so good!

Notice how the older siblings care for their younger brothers and sisters. We saw an 8 year old who cared for her little brother and sister while her mom was away all week. She cooked and cleaned for them. She was there because of some lasting effects from being burned while her mom was away. She had 3rd degree burns all down her legs. She had no access to a hospital or doctor to care for her. And no one to cry to or hold her. Our hearts were broken hearing stories like this.

Day One In Honduras

2008-10-19T21:19:00.003-05:00

Well, we have had some trouble getting our blog site up but we finally did it and boy do I have a lot to share with you. The first day was a travel day and man did it come early. We all woke up around 3:30 and headed to the airport and promptly met our group at 4:46. (We were told we would be left if we were even a minute late). I saw lots of eager faces ready to embark on our journey. Most of us not having a clue what were were in for and what God had planned for us there. With passports in hand we each received a plastic tub of medicines to take as 1 of our 2 bags to check on the plane and by 6:30 we were off for Houston. As we waited for our flight the anticipation of our journey built. I found our group is very diverse some very qualified with many degrees but most just being obedient to the call to serve. Some had been on missions trips before but many had not. As we moved through the airports that day we got many questions from passers by wondering why we were all wearing those Heart to Honduras shirts.

As we flew from Houston to San Pedro Sula South (one of only two commercial airports there) many prayers were being offered up to prepare our hearts for this week of service. But none quite as much as when the turbulence began about an hour and a half into the flight. We were warned of some upcoming turbulence and not 5 minutes after that warning the plane encountered turbulence like I have never experienced. The plane shook and rocked and dropped quickly. I thought that the air masks were going to fall at any time. But God was faithful and obviously had big plans for us in Honduras. In fact not 10 minutes after the turbulence the ride was as smooth as I have ever felt. It felt like we were floating once we passed the storm. Sometimes I think God likes to show us his power to remind us of how big he is, how little we are, and how much we depend on him.

For those of you who don't know, like me before I pulled out the map, Honduras is south of Mexico in Central America. It is to the East of Guatemala and Belize and above Nicaragua. It is a gorgeous tropical country with rolling hills and many fields of coffee plants, sugar cane, banana and pineapple. But it is also the second poorest country in the world. We found out that the average daily income is about 3-5 dollars a day. (If you are like me, we spend that on our way to work everyday at Starbucks!) Population is 7.5 million and currency is the Lempira.

Ok, so we arrive safely in Honduras at San Pedro Sula, flawlessly get through customs (which is a big answer to prayer) and board our vans for the drive. It started to sprinkle just a little as we headed out. It was about a 2 hour drive from the airport to our little village of Pena Blanca. We found out that the driving is extremely aggressive with passing even on the shoulder with pedestrians and animals everywhere. It was like driving as fast as you can through the colorado mountains with donkeys, dogs and pedestrians everywhere! There is no speed limit once you get out of town and only speed bumps to slow you down in town. All this as the rain began to pour. Again we arrived safely at our hotel and I must say I was very pleasantly surprised. The hotel grounds are gorgeous! It's hard to imagine that we are here to work and not vacation. There are blooming ginger plants and tropical flowers everywhere. Our rooms have hot water, warm beds, an AC unit and even a TV! What more could you ask for. First nights dinner and all the meals have been delicious with plantains and fruit with every meal. The dining hall could not have be more beautiful or clean if it was in the states. We had our different group meetings and began to plan our days. The medical team had about 25,000 vitamins and Aspirin that needed to be divided and placed in baggies so many of us stayed up to work on that but we got it knocked out fairly quickly, had our group devotions by pastor Julie Clay and were off to bed. Breakfast would come early tomorrow at 7:00 am and we were in for a big day the next day. I think many of us prayed that first night for the rain to stop so our construction crews could get to work. Mike Brown