Greatful, Thankful, and Humble

We are in Thailand on a visa run during the holidays, and I am studying different articles on missions for a Seminary class I am taking while we are here. I just wanted to share what God just laid on my heart while reading an article by Tracy K. Jones.

I am greatful for the Southern Baptist Church that is our family back home, from whom we have come overseas to do God's work. I love the staff, and I feel they are led by the two authorities in any Christ-follower's life- God and His word.

I am thankful for the IMB, through whom we have come to do God's work overseas. I believe the leadership to be fully led by Godly men who are also led by God and His word.

But, I am humble to think that a mere simple man can be used by God, who has called us out. We will not do the work, but through us He will do His work.

God calls, the church sends, the agency facilitates. At the front of all this, it is God who calls us. He calls all of us in His time, when He has equipped us in His own way for the task.

Is God calling you? How will you know if you aren't talking to Him? How will you know unless someone explains it to you, like your church staff? Ask God, ask Godly leadership.

The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Every 2.5 seconds, someone dies in South Asia, 99% of those do not know the salvation that has been offered to them. How can they ask for salvation if they don't believe? How will they believe unless they hear? How can they hear unless someone tells them? How can someone tell them unless they are sent? (Romans 10:14-15)

God is calling. He has been calling since He gave us the great commission to go and make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:18-20). That we will be His witnesses to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

It's not too late. After 16 years of professing that I was a Christ follower, He called my family and I to "pick up and move to the land I will show you." Many times, I wish I had heard that call earlier in my life, but God knew He had to do some pruning in my life. In 2005, it was time. I submitted. In His time. It wasn't too late for me, it's not too late for you. He may call you specifically one day. Just be ready to go where He asks you, with hands and a heart open to His will.

Notes From The Field

I have just returned from four days on the field, and I had an encouraging time visiting 3 of our 14 this past week. We went with Paul*, whom I had visited with a couple of months back. He was excited to find people in a new place interested in the Gospel. Paul has been going back there often, and has 2 men of peace in this village of fishermen. One of them was always drinking alcohol and getting drunk. He would argue with his wife and children. He had been listening to the Gospel from Paul*, but hadn't accepted. One day, one of their children was sick, but he had no money to take him to the doctor. He remembered that he could pray to Jesus for help, and the next day, someone gave him money to see the doctor- the exact amount needed! From then he has been believing more. One night, his wife had terrible stomach pain. It was 1 o'clock, so no doctors were available at that time. He prayed to Jesus to heal her. Immediately, she felt better! Since seeing God's power, he has repented and believed. He no longer drinks and he feels peace in his heart. He has been a witness of how God can change lives. Many others have seen the change in him, and it is only a matter of time before this village begins to accept Jesus. Church meetings take place every week in their house, and Paul* is teaching him the things we teach Paul*. Praise the Lord!
I visited with another of our 14, Matthew*. Recently, he had 2 young men come to know Jesus. They went and shared with one of their friends, and he accepted Christ. I taught all three about assurance of salvation in the Bible, and also about baptism, as they have not taken it yet. They have been believers now for 1 month, and their friend for 1 week. One of Matthew's* church planters that he has been teaching, has had 5 people in a village he has been sharing in come to him wanting to know more about Jesus. On Saturday, December 6, he and Matthew* are going to share the gospel with them. We are praying that they receive it and become fishers of men!
I also received word from my team member about another of our 14, who I was not visiting this week. James*, who has a network of CP's and a mission organization, has been very forward about pushing his guys to do the things we are teaching. He himself committed in his plan to visit 6 new villages. However, running a network and organization, he has been very busy and unable to visit any new villages. James* called and he had taken Thomas*, another of our 14 who lives near him, with him to a new village. He said that he was excited to have found a person of peace and that they accepted Christ as their savior!
Slowly and little by little, our 14 are catching the vision. Once we get more of them to consistently do what we are teaching, and coming back to report to the entire group to rejoice, the whole group will begin to move forward even quicker.
Pray for our 14, that they continue to put into practice the things we are learning together, and that they remember that planting churches is not enough- they need to plant churches that plant churches. That is how over 1 billion souls have a chance to hear and respond to the Gospel of Jesus!
*Names of 14 changed to Apostle names for security.

Latest Ministry Update

After much traveling, and some stomach issues that have knocked me down for some time, I am back. November has been a busy month for me. I traveled out to the east of our state to visit 5 of our 14. It is a 10 hour train ride, which was 5 hours late due to mechanical problems. This interrupted my schedule somewhat, but I was still able to visit all of our guys in the 4 days I spent there. We rented a taxi to take us around. We took a 2 hour drive to one place where one of the 14, James* runs a school for pre-K through 1st. He then took us 45km away, about 3 hours more, down some of the worst roads you could imagine, and here I was with a bad stomach. I made it fine, and we were able to spend some time in the village of another of our 14, Philip* and his son Thomas*. We found that Philip had found 3 places with men of peace. From Luke 10:1-11, we taught all of our 14 to pray and let God lead them to the village where He wants them to find the man of peace. So, Philip got on his bicycle, peddled 20 km to the first village, 15 more km to the next, and 10 more km to the next. He has been doing this for the last 3 months every week, traveling to each of these places to start churches in these places. That is dedication. I want to challenge those of you who think it is too far away to develop a relationship with your neighbors that live right next door. Just think of Philip, who travels 6-7 hours by bike to plant churches. This is one sold out follower of Christ! We finished with Philip and Thomas by praying with them, and for them and their families.
We then came back to where James' school was, and spent time praying with him and his family for his ministry. He has been able to speak to one Muslim man in his city, and the man has been very receptive to hear what James has to say about the Gospel. The relationship is developing. We also met with Titus*. He is a young man, who has been faithful to go to new places to share the Gospel and search out the man of peace, but has been unsuccessful due to his age. Many people will sit and listen to him, but are not accepting. In this place, if you are young, many older people will not put stock into what you say. James has said that he will go with Titus and help him have some credibility among the people.
The next day, we met with Andrew*, who runs a large church in another city. He has 10 CP's that he is teaching all the things we are learning together, and he is also teaching and challenging his 35 church members to go into their neighborhoods and share the Gospel and start new things in their villages. Many of them have had success with the things we have been teaching and slowly they will become church planters as well. Nathaniel*, one of our other guys I was able to meet with, has 2 different churches in different areas. He has selected 4 from one and 8 from another and has been giving them the training and teaching we have been giving him. They are receptive, and things are going slow, but once they start to happen, God will begin to move quickly that no one will be able to control it.
We have heard so much good progress from our 14, as we have all come together this week to meet as we do every month. Please continue to pray for our ministry and our 14, that they will continue to be faithful to put the things we are learning into practice. I am encouraged by their dedication and faithfulness to carry out these things we are learning together.

*For security, original names have been changed to Apostle names.

Give Us Some Biblical Feedback!!!

We live in a place where festivals are plenty. These festivals honor false gods and idols. We have been invited to attend some of these religious ceremonies, and we kindly arrive as guests, but do not participate in the worhsip or ritual. Still, we are invited to most of them by our neighbors. This week, the Hindu festival called Chhath (pronounced chut) is taking place. This is a sun worship holiday, with the main rituals taking place this morning and evening. The women of the home fast from food and water for 2 days, and many parties are put on with guests showing up and food being cooked and given to the guests. The worship of the sun takes place at sunrise and sunset the chosen day. People buy food, like fruit, cookies and other things and offer them as sacrifice to the sun. The food is then eaten as the ladies break their fast, and the leftovers are offered to the neighbors - which is where we come in. Our good friends in our building brought us some food and actually said that this is the sacrifice food from today. We know that this is just food, and if they just gave us food, we would accept it and eat it. The Bible is clear in stating that you should eat what is put in front of you. But, when the unbeliever gives us food and they say this food has been sacrificed to an idol, then we should politely decline it. Not for our conscience, but for the unbeliever's, because when we witness to these people, they will wonder why we took part in food sacrificed to their idol when we proclaim to follow Jesus only. It is bad for our witness.

I have read this passage in 1 Corinthians 10 many times, but this is the first time I was confronted with it. My first thought was not to be rude. We accepted the food with thanks, but we have not eaten, and will not. The couple left, and then we looked at the passage in scripture again. We discussed and came to the conclusion that we should tell them that we did not eat their gift, though we are thankful for them thinking of us and bringing us food. We must also explain why. They know that we are followers of Christ, but they do not know why we do some things, and refrain from others. This will be an opportunity to witness and share our faith. Another reason we did not eat the food is because the girl who comes and cooks and cleans for us everyday is a believer, and we do not want to be a stumbling block to her walk, as it also says at the end of 1 Cor 10.

Anyways, let me know what you would do/would have done in this situation. Anything different? Give me some feedback.

One Year On The Field!!

It is really hard to believe it has been a year already! It still seems like we just arrived, though most of our time here has been a blurr. It feels like it took us about 4 to 6 months to really get our feet under us here, but in reality, this year anniversary has really brought about more comfort on our part. Comfort with our neighbors, local businessmen, hosting teams from our home churches- I feel more in control of things in the past couple months than I have the entire time I have been here. I have never felt the urge to go home, or asked the question "What were we thinking coming to this place?" Honestly, I have never felt better about being someplace than I do here. As tough as it is living here, I would not want to do anything else. It really is freeing when you totally submit to God's will and go where He tells you to go. Add to that the fact that we are just regular followers of Christ- not Bible college or Seminary trained ordained ministers. God chose us right out of our ordinary life to come and be part of a transformation right here in South Asia. That is a testimony to anyone who feels called, you do not have to be ordained or fully biblically educated to work for Him on the field. I am just finishing reading through the entire Old Testament for the first time. By the end of the year, I will have read through the entire bible. How's that for ordinary? God calls us to His will to glorify Him in many ways. I love the story about Gideon in Judges 6-8. God called Gideon to save Israel against an army whose camels numbered as many as were grains of sand on the sea shore. Gideon wondered why God was wanting to use him, as his tribe was the least of all tribes, and Gideon the least of his tribe. And even though Gideon tested God several times, God used Gideon and only 300 men to defeat an army of hundreds of thousands. God has given us many examples of how he uses the ordinary and overlooked to bring glory to himself. My family and I are living examples of this.

Over the past year, we have had joys- celebrating new life with national brothers and seeing the peace of Jesus come over them and their lives change has been awesome! Traveling to spend time with national brothers and sisters in their homes and receiving their gracious hospitality has been humbling to me. Having teams from our churches in the US come and spend time with us in the field is great. This is part of the mobilization we are here for. Showing how much fun it is to those who come, that they can be part of God's work here also. The full suitcases of American goodies they bring with them is like Christmas time for us also!
We have also experienced sadness here. My grandfather passed unexpectedly 6 months into our term. My wife's best friend, who battled cancer for a year with courage I could never imagine having, found out the cancer had come back. My daughter has had a tough time not seeing her friends and being homeschooled takes its toll. My son has no one his age to play with, so he does his best at getting attention where he can. Seeing people daily go to temples filled with false gods and idols is still devastating, and really hits home the fact that this place needs Jesus.

How can they know the One True God if they do not believe? How can they believe if they don't hear? How can they hear unless someone tells them? How can someone tell them if they are not sent? (Rom 10:14-15) God has equipped us- all of us who follow Him, to preach the Gospel. Not only has He equipped us, He has commanded us to go, make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything Jesus has commanded. (Matt 28:18-20) And you know why we should take comfort and do what Jesus commands? Because he is with us to the very end of the age. He even says He will go before us! How comforting is that? God has given promise after promise to us that He will provide for us. All we have to do is believe, and submit.

Will you submit? Submit to going? And by going I mean even to your neighbor, your kids' football or soccer coach? Teachers? Parents? What about those people who are from another country living in the US? Maybe God is calling you to be hosts to them. We have been so blessed to have people take care of us here in South Asia, and they are not followers of Christ. Is there anyone you can think of who needs your hospitality? You don't have to move half way across the world to minister to people from another country or culture. They may be right there. God has put them there for you to be a neighbor to. As followers of Christ, it is our responsibility, each of us, to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Will you go?

What's the Difference?

Here are some more images of idol worship around our city this week. This is very different from the every day worship at the temples. People crowd around these temporary temples to give honor to and get blessings from a statue. In Acts, Paul was deeply distressed at the idol worship he witnessed. But he did realize one thing- that the people were spiritual and were searching for ways to connect with God. They even went so far as to put a statue up to the "unkown god". It distresses us to see all the idol worship around us. We kind of get numb to it, since it is so heavily surrounding us. I even toy with the idea not to post about this, since it would be giving some publicity to this type of worship. However, when I was in America, I was fully unaware of how much idol worship there was here, so I talk myself into publishing these things because it brings awareness to those who pray for us and the people here. The people are trying to connect with God. They don't know any other way of doing it. They've done it this way for centuries. Some people have even told me that they do it because no one has ever told them anything different.

On Average, $15,000 US dollars are spent on each temporary temple during Durga Puja.
On one 5 mile drive from our house, we counted 13 of these huge temples.

Each one of these temples will be dismantled next week and cast into the river.

But, I need to ask the question- what is the difference between this and what we in America do with what we have grown up knowing? Our tradition tells us to celebrate at Christmas and Easter, the birth of Christ and the death and resurrection of Christ. Yet, most times, other things replace the one true God in our hearts. It may be money, house, career, alcohol, drugs, sex, pornography, sports (fill in the blank here). I would say, that many of these things if not all are not spiritual in nature. Are we seeking God when we chase after these things? It is not an idol we can worship, but we chase after these things with a passion- a passion we should have for the one who has given himself as a sacrifice for us and our eternal souls. He has given us given us the opportunity to accept eternal salvation, but we throw that aside for things that will fade away in days, months or years. Americans reject what they know for things that will not last. People here do not know about Christ, so they are not really rejecting Him. But, they are trying to connect with what they think is god the only way they know how.

Can you imagine what kind of passion the people of South Asia would have when they learn the truth of the One True God? That Jesus died and took punishment for the judgement that awaits every person? What kind of passion would we as Americans have if we focused ourselves on the one who has given himself for us and saved us for all eternity?

Festival Time

It may be football time in the U.S., but here it is festival time. We have had a few Hindu festivals to different idols the last few months, but those were just a warm-up. This week is Durga Puja, a festival that celebrates the victory of Durga over evil. In addition to the thousands of temples along the streets, there is now hundreds more temporary temples erected with huge elaborate idols garnished with flowers, gold, silver and cloth. These temples line the streets- you can't go more than 500 feet without seeing one. People line up all day, every day, night and day to give offerings and get blessings. This will go on all week with music, food, dancing, incense, and in some places animal sacrifice. Many people are doing these things because they have done it this way for centuries- others do it to find peace and to connect with God, though they are trying to connect with Him in the wrong way.

Pray this week that the people would find no peace in their lives through this worship, and that they would strive to find the one peace in their heart that is already written on it. Pray that Jesus would find His way into the hearts and minds of the people here, and that one day they will know the true way to celebrate and worship the one and only God. They were made by the creator of the universe, just as you and I have been made, and as the Gospel was for us, so it is for them.

Meeting of the 14

We have been teaching our 14 CPs about having a goal, or end vision for their ministry. We know that God's purpose is that His glory would cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. Hab 2:14. God's goal, or end vision is in Revelation 5:9 and 7:9- for every nation, tribe, people and language to receive and worship Him at the throne in heaven. They voiced their goals for certain people groups and languages they are already working with. We have taught them that they must have a plan- steps working toward the completion of their end vision. For, example, if we have even a simple goal of buying vegetables, we have specific steps we have to accomplish in order to get to that goal. First you must get dressed, put your shoes on, get your money, then go out the door, walk to the rickshaw, take a ride to the market, arrive at the market, and then accomplish your goal of buying what you need. Each step must take place in order to get to your goal efficiently. Putting on your clothes in the rickshaw is possible, but not practical. Walking around your house 2, 5, 10 times before getting in the rickshaw is possible, but wastes time. In the same way, we must put together steps in our ministry toward accomplishing our goal. The first step we are teaching them is how to find where your minsitry should start. We should have an entry plan for the first of 5 parts (Entry, Gospel, Discipleship, Church Formation, and Leadership Multiplication) of our CPM master plan. There are many ways of doing a certain thing, and while all those things are possible, doing many of them is not always practical, and we can easiliy lose our focus. Each step in a CPM must be thought out, and then each step must also be done well in order for the CPM to grow and grow quickly. Choosing one thing and doing is well is much better than trying to do many things and doing them just OK. Their entry strategy we have been teaching them to use, comes from Luke 10:1-11. We call it our HOP (House of Peace) strategy for Entry. Pray and go- let God lead you to the place he wants you to be. Jesus told them not to take extra things (bag or sandals) because we need to rely totally on Him to provide for us, and to allow someone in the place God is leading you to be able to show mercy on you. For blessed are the merciful, they will be shown mercy. Jesus also said, don't greet anyone on the road. When God has revealed to you the place you should go and bring the Good News, you should go directly to that place. Don't stop. Would a farmer who has precious seed to be planted in the field he has prepared stop on the way to that field? He has a task, and he knows how important and urgent it is that seed needs to be sown, and in that specific field. Once in the village, prayerwalk, and let God lead you to the person of peace. As we learn in Acts 17:26-27, God has determinied the times set for them and the places they should live, and that they should seek God. They are ready for the Good News. Or, they have a need that can be met through prayer, so that the power of God can be revealed to them, and then the salvation can be shared with them. But most important, get into the house. Let the person of peace invite you in and display his mercy upon you. Eat and drink what is put in front of you. Begin to develop the relationship, and then share the Gospel. Stay in the house! Once the Gospel is shared, and they decide to accept the salvation Jesus has offered to all people, stay with them. This is where discipleship starts, as well as church formation and leadership multiplication. From the very beginning, they are modeling how to reach others with the gospel.

This week, my team member and I were able to bring our 14 disciples/CPs in to our city, as we have scheduled every month for the next year. We have visited all of them over the past month in their homes, and given them action items to complete. The meeting is an iron on iron session, where we come together for more teaching as well as sharing praises and prayers about what is going on. Many of the brothers in this meeting were excited to share what has been happening in their ministry since the last meeting. Many of them have toiled many years in ministry and have struggled to see fruit. Since sharing with them the Luke 10:1-11 strategy, they have put it into practice already. Some have prayed for family members of people, and God has shown great healing in order to open doors for them. Others have simply prayed for God to lead them to a POP, and have been invited into the house and shared the Gospel. The 14 are so excited to see something working so quickly, it is going to be incredible to be visiting them in the next month to see what kind of impact God is making through these obedient 14 men.

Many of them have developed a master plan, and they have very specific strategies in each of their 5 parts in order to move toward their goal. They are thrilled to put these things we are learning together into practice, and see fruit like they have never seen it before in their ministry. Next is discipleship and church formation. I will cover this in more detail in future posts, as well as how it is happening among the 14.

Draw the Net

Last week, I was visiting with 'Paul', one of our 14 CPs. 'Paul' has toiled in his area many years. He has built a church on the side of his house and has 10 members. He also disciples 2 CPs in his area. His strategy has been to go door to door and sing praise songs and do bible drama skits as a means of sharing the gospel. He also preaches over radio broadcast and megaphone from his rooftop. Over the many years, he has seen little fruit, and he has been discouraged. Biblically, he is a sound believer, and his foundations in the Lord are solid. He has a real burden to reach the lost people of his area, but has not been able to see a movement of Christ among them yet. A couple of weeks ago, we held our monthly meeting of our 14 in our city. My partner taught Luke 10:1-11, that we should pray for God to lead us to the right place, then go and pray as you go that God will lead you to the person of peace He has already put in that place (Acts 17:26-27). This is the entry strategy phase of what we are teaching our 14. 'Paul', as soon as he came back to his area, put this strategy into action. God led him to a village and he began to share with a group of 35 people, all interested in the Gospel. He was so excited to see some results so quickly, that he is really sold out to do this everywhere he goes now. He said that no missionary has ever been to this village, and no one here has ever heard of Jesus before now.

This village of fishermen, have been listening to bible stories for the last few weeks, and always asks for 'Paul' and his son to come back, even trying to keep them overnight to keep preaching. No one has accepted yet, but the visits continue twice a week. I asked if they shared the salvation of Christ and asked if anyone wanted to receive it. He and his son, who has been going with him, said they did not want to ask yet for fear of getting run off. I used the analogy of a fisherman who had a large catch of fish in his net. Should he just let the net stay in the water for fear of losing the catch, or should he draw his net and pull in the ones in the net, even though a few get away? They answered, the fisherman should draw his net. I told them, in the same way we can share the Gospel with people, but if we do not ask them if they want to accept the salvation, they will not know what to do. I told them that they must do this in this village, because these people dod not know what to do with this new knowledge you have reavealed to them. God has led you to this place, and has given you an opportunity to give the Gospel, and draw the net by asking the question "Do you want to receive the salvation Jesus has offered to all people?" Some of these 35 people are ready, and that the question has to be asked, even if only one accepts. That would be your person of peace that God has led you to. Do not worry about all the others, the seeds of the Gospel have been planted in them, and they will respond when ready. 'Paul' and his son understood this, and did commit to drawing the net to find the people among this group who will become followers of Christ, and who they will begin to stay with and disciple. Praise God for giving this opportunity for 'Paul' to see fruit in this way. Pray for 'Paul' and his ministry, that this will be an encouraging springboard for him, and also for him to share in upcoming meetings with the other 14 his successes.

I was also able to share my testimony with one of their relatives. They have share with this young man many times, and he has shown interest, but never has been asked the question of accepting and following Jesus. God gave me the right words to say, and after hearing the Gospel, he accepted Christ. I was so excited, not just because of a new family member in the body of Christ, but that 'Paul' and his son were able to see how we draw the net. I explained later, that if I had just stopped at the Gospel without asking the question, this young man would still not know what he needed to do. God gave opportunity for 'Paul' to see this in action, so that he can go and do it. Over the next month, he will be going to new areas that God leads him, and putting the Luke 10:1-11 strategy (HOP- House Of Peace) to work, as well as taking his 2 CPs with him to model it for them to also do. God's word is so good. How do we ever stray from what is written in it, and try to do our own thing?

Science

I love science. I love science fiction. I am a huge Trekkie. This stuff about the Large Hadron Collider sure has come upon me quickly. I never knew they have been building this huge thing in the Swiss alps for the last 25 years. It seems pretty cool, and could probably advance science in our generation with the things they discover. Very interesting, except for the fact that there are many other scientists that believe this will bring about the end of the world. We know, as followers of Christ, Jesus said, "And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.
(Matthew 24:14). I think, unfortunately we are far from the end. There are hundreds of thousands of UUPG's, people groups who have not heard and are not even engaged with the Gospel by anyone. So, the end is far away, and only God knows the exact time it will come. However, we rejoice as the body of Christ that we have our names registered in Heaven. And we must strive to reach those who have not heard the Good News of salvation.

Anyways, preaching aside, I wonder what it is about us boys? What is the fascination we have with taking things apart, breaking them apart to see how they work or how they can be fixed or what parts are inside? I had this fascination when I was a boy, and still have it to some degree. I would take apart my electronic racing cars, Stretch ArmStong, etc just to see what was inside those things to make them work. I never figured it out, but I had a bunch of toys that didn't work anymore because of my curiosity. My son has inherited this curiosity. He has a bunch of toys that are taken apart and do not work any more. Power Ranger figures have no arms or legs, cars have the wheels off, things like that. That makes me think of these scientists in the Alps with this contraption ready to possibly blow the top off the Swiss Alps by smashing sub-atomic particles to see what will happen, and if the Big Bang Theory is really relevant. I believe in the Big Bang Theory. I really do. I believe that God said "Let there be light, and there was light. And it was good." If that's not enough of a Big Bang Theory, lets just believe we were created by an accidental smashing of particles. That seems pretty believable! I would rather believe we were created by a loving Heavenly Father than to believe we are an accident.

Field Time!

No, I'm not talking about football- but I am looking forward to listening to some over the Internet. There is only so much cricket a good old American sports fanatic can take!

Anyways, I just returned from the field spending time with 'Mark' (pseudonym) one of our 14 CP's. Normally, we are to spend time with them 1 on 1 when we come to them, but he had brought 8 of his CP's that he is training to for me to teach some things to them. I really had planned on meeting with 'Mark' only, and had nothing prepared. So, I winged it. I asked them questions. I needed to know what kind of training they have had, where their ministry is, how many churches they oversee, are the leaders they are discipling also discipling others to become leaders- basically interviewing them to measure maturity and get a feel for their theology. The first issue that came up which seems to come up a lot here among believers- what is a disciple? So I ask the question to the group- is there a difference between disciple and believer? All said yes. They told me that they believe a true committed follower of Jesus and His teachings is a disciple. A believer is one who only believes but does not follow. So, we looked in the bible at the requirements to be a believer. I ask them to read Romans 10:9 "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." All agreed that to be a believer is to do these things. When you confess that Jesus is Lord, what are you committing to do? You are committing to following Jesus only. When you commit to follow a lord, what does that make you? His disciple. AH-HA! They solved the problem themselves, by looking at God's Word. I think I saw light bulbs blink on, I'm not exactly sure. I could tell they all understood though. I restated that we should always look at the Bible for answers to our questions and not rely on another man's word if it is not Biblically based. This passage of scripture does not give levels of becoming a disciple, and does not recommend a good theologically sound bible college before you truly become a disciple of Christ- you confess and believe, and it is by grace you are saved, not works or knowledge.

Another question I asked them was if they were performing baptisms. They said yes. I asked if their CP's they were training were performing these things too. Most said no, that they themselves were doing the baptisms, Lord's Supper, etc. I asked them why, and they said that some were not ready, that maturity was not there yet from some of them, and they were waiting. I told them it was OK if their CPs personally were not ready to do these things yet, but the CPs should be told by their leaders (them) that they (the CPs) have the authority to do these things. We then read 1 Peter 2:9- "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." In most religions, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, Catholic, I asked them who were the people who perform the rituals and ceremonies? Priests was the answer. I then asked, "in this passage, what does it say that all believers/followers of Christ are?" Priests came the answer. So, who can do the ceremonies like baptism, Lord's supper, etc.? All believers. Again, we looked at scripture together to get our answer, and they found the solution themselves. I told them that they were doing good work, but growth would never really take off the way they want it to unless they allow their leaders to take responsibilities. They need to let them loose to do the things God has given them the authority to do. I will be most interested in our next meeting to find how much they have moved forward in these two areas.

There is much potential in this small group, and all have had many trainings, but we stressed to them that we need to focus on one thing and do it well rather than try many different things and do them so-so. We shared end visions together, and I told them that if we are to reach the end visions they wanted, they needed to focus their strategy and stick to one thing. 'Mark' is obviously our point man in this group, and I stressed to him how important it was to model for these guys and teach them the things we will be teaching him over the next year.

There are some other things that happened in our meeting- one young man just happened to be brought in by 'Mark' as he met him on the street and rented him a room. He is 18, not a believer, and we got to talking about his future. God really hit a home run on this one, because the young man started by saying he knew all religions and respected them, but they were not for him. I began to share the Gospel with him, using the method we use and teach, in front of all we were meeting with that evening. After sharing, he accepted Christ, and is now a new creation! Not only that, but every one of these CP's got to see how to we share the Gospel- the way we teach it. That could not have gone better. Praise the Lord!

Before leaving, we gave 'Mark' some action items to complete before we meet again in one month. Pray for 'Mark' over the next few weeks as he is putting the strategy we are teaching into action- a strategy that is new to him. We studied Luke 10:1-10, by praying and going to find the person/house of peace God has put into place already, according to Acts 17:26-27. He will do this to some of the places he has been as well as one new place. He is also going to take a couple of his guys with him to model it and have them do the same while he watches. This is called our HOP House Of Peace strategy (more details on this later).

I told 'Mark' that we were not doing this to shame him or tell him he is doing anything wrong, but we simply want to help him and equip him to be able to see progress to his end vision for his district. He understood completely. Pray for his continued obedience and that he can really pour into the 10 CP's he is working with to all become great builders of the Kingdom. God's endvision- "For the earth will be covered by the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." Habakkuk 2:14.

BPI- A Must for CPM Training

Well I and the family have been doing our best to survive the rains, floods, start of homeschooling BOTH kids- one in 6th and one starting Kindergarten. Tough enough on its own, but in a foriegn country, I have to admit, is a monumental task. My wife has done a great job juggling the 2 kids schooling, and my daughter has really toughed it up by being self starting- mostly. She is doing well, and getting used to doing things on her own, and then my wife checks all her work and helps her understand what she just finished. I have been home preparing for upcoming trainings, so have been able to help with some of the schooling.

We went to another city for BPI- Best Practice Institute, training Strategy Coordinators in CPM work. It was an 8 day course that our company puts on and any GCC, national CPM partner and company personnell can attend. Company personnel are required to take the course. For someone who has trouble organizing thoughts and plans of action, this gave me real tools to use in the upcoming work we are going to be doing the next year. It also gave me much clearer vision to do what God is calling us to do here, and with the daunting task of reaching 90 million strategically through our focus people group, I have a much better understanding about how CPM should work through the biblical model given by God. I am way fired up to really pour these best practices into our 14 CP's in the coming year, and as the bible says in Mark 4:26-29, God will cause the growth of the CPM whether we sleep or get up. That gives us an enormous responsibility to have faith and trust that God will bless the sowing that we do. It is an exciting time, and the BPI was just what I needed at this time. Once training starts, I and my partner will be splitting and going separate ways to meet with our CP's to train and equip them to train others to also become trainers of others (2 Timothy 2:2). I cannot wait to give updates on progress. Anyone who still reads this blog, I apologize for the lack of updates lately. Just not much going on, but when it does, you will have much to read. I promise to keep updates frequent. All I need is a promise that you would pray for us, and the task we are trying to accomplish for God.

Much Needed Break- Now, The Task Begins

Well, while the rain has finally stopped long enough for things to dry out here, and for the road crews to repair all the giant craters that opened up from the water, we have still been in a holding pattern for a bit. My wife and our supervisor's wife went to another city to take a week of intensive language training. It has been good for her, since she has not had much language training that she has been able to learn from since being here. She has been able to learn much, and will feel more comfortable communicating when ministry begins for me.

As far as ministry is concerned, we begin training our 14 CP's this week. We will be travelling together for the first couple times as a team, to get a feel for what needs to be done and how we will be interacting with these men. Most best laid plans here change within the hour. You have to be very fluid and flexible when it comes to following a plan most times, as we have found out while living here. So, in September, we will split into different directions to cover the state better and to spend an equal amount of time with each. We will be modeling, watching, assisting, and eventually leaving this area to them by August '09. It is a pretty rigorous schedule, but definitely needed because of our limited time here. We are excited, we are nervous, but we are asking our Heavenly Father for wisdom to be able to teach these men correctly, biblically and thoroughly so that the keys of the Kingdom can be handed to them on our departure. It will be up to them to carry out the practices we show them during the next year. Pray for these 14 men around our state, that have committed to seeing their people reached for Christ.

I will continue to update as the training goes on. Thanks for your prayers for this area.

Jesus Bring the Rain - OK, That's Enough!

Well, its monsoon season where we are, and the rain is hitting us, and hard. Every day we have rain, which turns our streets into a South Asian Venice. Here are some images of shop owners and others trying to get around in the flooded streets of our city.

Needless to say, things get very difficult for everyone here, and it will be this way for another month at least. That is when the snow melt hits, and then flooding gets worse. Those that live in village areas are hit the worst.
Pray for the people here that will be affected by the flooding. Many will no doubt be taken from their homes by the rising water. Pray that we as followers of Christ will be able to minister to as many people as we can- that this may bring us more opportunity to show Jesus to the people who need to know Him.

Back From Vacation

My family and I just returned to our city after a 21 day leave. We attended our regional AGM which was 10 days. It was good to reunite with many people from our orientation in August 2007, and to be spiritually filled through corporate worship of our Lord and Savior. Thanks to First Baptist Orlando, who came half-way around the world to put on VBS for our kids, hang out with us at meal times and provide worship for us, something that all of us needed very much. You really don't realize how spiritually dry you can get doing ministry in a foriegn country, until you come into worship that is familiar led by a worship team and pastor that really ministers to you the right way. A HUGE THANK YOU to FBC Orlando and your willingness to come that far to give us what we all needed- a much needed spiritual lift.


After that, my family and I took a 9 day vacation at a resort hotel. The kids loved the ocean, the pool, the elephant ride, the snorkeling. And, here was our view-
"The heavens tell about the glory of God. The skies show that his hands created them."
(Psalms 19:1) Don't they show it?
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." (Isaiah 6:3)
Isn't it full?

God really did create some beautiful things, and we try to always praise Him for what He has created, for He has created all things.

We really enjoyed the break, and the fun stuff we were able to do. We have returned refreshed, rejuvenated and ready for the ministry that will start with the discipleship training of our now 15 CP's that are going to start a change in this place for the Lord.

"Look at the nations and watch— and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told. " Habakkuk 1:5

More Volunteers

Yes, again we are blessed to have a team come visit us here. This time, a team of 3 college students who signed up for the SA101 (South Asia 101) branch of our region. It gives college students an opportunity to visit our region and work with the particular units that request them. They raise their own funds for travel and orientation as well as meals and hotel stays. They stay with us for 8 weeks and help with that unit's strategy. The three that have come to us - 1 male and 2 females - have shown themselves to be very mature and outgoing for their age. It is remarkable to see young men and women broken for the lost of the world, and not only that, but being obedient to do something about it.

They came in and spent 4 days with us in our town as we taught them about our strategy and how they were going to fit in with it. We then drove them 3 hours away to a place where we have seen much fruit in the last few years, so that they could share the Gospel with those that still have not heard, build relationships with those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and also begin to give them some bible teaching. We have CP's in this area that will help them with translation and to bring them to the people they need to encounter. We worked with them in this area for about 3 days, modeling how we are sharing and what we are teaching to new believers. They were set up in a hotel, given their last minute instructions, and we left to come back home. We were nervous about leaving them there, but we know that they are being led by the Spirit. They'll come back in a few days to meet with their team leaders, and de-brief their first short term on their own. They will then go back for 20 straight days to continue what they started, maybe even with a fresh set of eyes. We are only 3 hours away, and if any issues come up, we can always go there. Both of our families, however, leave the country for our Annual General Meeting/visa run at the end of the month, right in the middle of their stay. We have planned to send our driver with our car there to take them about, and our driver is very protective, as well as our CP's they will be working with. We know that they will be safe, with God's protection as well as our national partners taking care of them while we are gone, but there is a sense that since we are not going to be near, we may worry a little bit.

However, we are very proud of how these young adults have handled everything so far. While we were with them, we visited the home of some new believers. The guys sat outside the house talking, with our translator, while the women went in to spend time with the women - of whom none speak any English, nor do the girls speak the local language. We spent about an hour and a half comparing American culture with their culture. It was a lot of fun and interesting for both sides. As we left the home, the girls began weeping. We knew they felt frustrated because they couldn't talk to the women, but one of the girls told us the real reason she felt so bad. She said that she wanted so badly to be able to share the Gospel, but she realizes that she cannot because of the language barrier. On the other hand, she is able to speak to anyone and everyone in America, anytime she wants. But she doesn't share her faith enough. She felt very convicted. Wow. For a college student to feel this broken that she is not sharing enough really encourages me. It shows that not only do we have 3 very mature young people here to help us, but America is getting back 3 spiritually charged young followers of Christ after they are done. I am excited for what God will use them for here, but equally excited about what God is going to use them for in America after this experience.

Recent Stuff

We've been in a holding pattern with ministry recently, which has been nice. After our meeting with the ones we will be training for CP work here, we have been able to relax and spend time as a family. I had planned to do some follow-up CP training with some brothers, but train tickets were difficult to secure, and my interpreter's father had an accident and he was not available to travel with me. It is not wise for Americans to travel the trains alone here, and my wife was not keen on me going on the train by myself. The next day there was a report of 5 people who had some tea laced with a drug. After they passed out, they were robbed by the people who drugged their drinks, and are in the hospital recovering, one of them died. So, I am rescheduling my training for a time when I have someone to travel with me. I know that God protects me as I travel, but I also know that I must be smart about my decisions. Anyways, it was good to be home for an extended period.

Though there is not much going on as far as official ministry, we did attend our first Hindu wedding. Our neighbors, who we have built a good relationship with, invited us to their son's wedding. My wife was excited, as many women get about weddings, to dress up fancy and see all the other fancy outfits. The event was a 3 day process. The first part was an evening get together in our apartment complex where the two families come together and give their official blessing to the marriage. The attendees sat around a circle, where in the middle there were many gifts set on a blanket. The groom and the bride's older brother sat in the middle of the crowd while the 4 Hindu priests told them what to do for the ceremony. This basically gave full agreement from the entire crowd that the wedding could take place. Then we ate a huge meal. The next event was the wedding, and it actually took place 2 nights later, and we got dressed up again and went to a reception hall. The bride and groom came in, all the while people are snapping pictures and walking around, yelling. Very chaotic! They each put a garland around each other's neck to symbolize the beginning of the ceremony. More pictures, more chaos, and then everyone went out to the terrace for dinner, a huge buffet of food that was incredible. Many people asked us how we like being here, is this your first Hindu wedding, how do you find the heat, etc. As we thought this was pretty much all that the ceremony was, one of the family came to us and said-"You are staying for the ceremony, right?" We thought it was over, but we were informed that when the priest was ready, he would begin it, which could be hours from then. We noticed some of our neighbors heading out after eating, which we thought was rude not to stay, but my wife began feeling ill, so we saw our escape. We were told that mostly only family stayed for the entire ceremony, but we were allowed to witness also. We graciously bowed out and came home (fortunately because my wife had a fever of 102.9). The next day, I saw the father of the groom and I asked him when the wedding ended. He said they came home about 5AM! I felt bad for my wife being sick, but thank the Lord that we had an excuse to leave and did not have to stay the entire time. The third event was the reception, two days later, where again, we ate a lot of food while people greeted the new couple, brought gifts, gave blessings and took pictures. It was a very interesting event to be part of, and we are blessed that our neighbors thought to include us in this special time. The groom is from here, but he has been living in America for his job the past 10 months, and he will move back there with his new bride (who has never been out of the country) on July 2. Pray for this couple as they not only are going to experience life together, but they will do it in a totally different culture than they are used to, more so for the bride. Marriage is tough enough, but they are really going to have it tough from the start. We watched a movie called "The Namesake."
It is a great movie about a man from South Asia who works in America, gets married back home and takes his new bride to America to start life. This made us think of this new couple and the challenges they will face in America. We will continue our relationship with our neighbors while we are here. Pray for us as we seek a good time to share more of the Gospel with them.

There are also many other political things happening here in the region. Nepal's political environment has changed from a Monarchy to a Republic. Pray for peace in the region and also for the units that are there for their continued safety during this time. Some of this political unrest from Maoists is spilling into neighboring countries. Also, there is much unrest in parts of India, as the Gujars are planning road closures around the capital. Sometimes this can become violent. There was also a recent terrorist bombing in Jaipur, India that killed 60+ and injured many more. Another terrorist bombing happened in Sri Lanka, killng some and injuring others. Pray for peace for the many people of the South Asia region, that they will hear the truth of the Gospel and come to know the peace that lies in Jesus. People cry out every day for God to save them, heal them, give them peace. However, they do not cry out to the One True God who can do all these things. Pray for the name of Jesus to be proclaimed among this nation and region.

Update- The First Meeting of the 14

14 men were at our first meeting, most of whom we know from the last year of training. My team member has been doing training all over our state to fish for obedient men and/or women to take on the task of reaching the lost peoples of the state and ultimately this country. As Jesus began His ministry, basically, His first year he spent speaking to the multitudes. In His second year, Jesus chose 12 to come and be with Him, where He also sent them out for training. The final year of Jesus' ministry was devoted completely to the 12 he chose. He poured Himself into these 12, knowing that He was leaving them soon, and that they needed to be ready to take over for Jesus after His death, resurrection and ascention.


In the same way, our strategy here has been very similar. For the first year and a half, we have held meetings with many believers to come and see. We then held training sessions in different districts of our state. This was not only to help people understand better the path they chose to follow, but also to fish for obedient men and women who would ultimately become a small group that we could train in our final year on this field. This would then free us up for God to use us elsewhere, and give final responsibility to the national believers to reach their brothers, sisters, parents, friends and everyone in their state.


The 14 assembled this weekend, where we basically told them who we are, what company we work for and how we can help them. We will be going to where they are, once a month, one at a time. We committed to having integrity in all things, providing them the best training in CPM from our company, equip them for the task ahead and ultimately leave them next summer, like Jesus left the 12. They committed to using the best practices of CPM, to being accountable to each other, to working with thier own hands to be self supportive and not coveting anyone else's money, and many other things. We had a covenant drawn up where both my team member and I signed as well as each of the men. 13 of the 14 have signed. The last needed time to think to commit to what we have proposed.

This is a great start. We know that God has chosen this place at this time to begin to reach people and turn them to follow Him. We have the vision that this place, which is the lowest of the low in our region, is going to be used by God in a mighty way. If this place begins to change for the better, many people will begin to wonder what is going on, and slowly they will begin to realize that God is working here and will want what this place has. We are witness to a beginning of a great change right here.

Pray for the14, that they will believe in the things we are doing and follow them. Pray for us, as we go to them that we go with wisdom given from God, and that we remain teachable by them as well. We know that tough times are coming for the entire group, including us. We have counted the cost together, and the eternal reward greatly outweighs the troubles we will all face in the coming year. But we have the promise from our Heavenly Father- "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." ~Matthew 28:20(b)

First Meeting of The 12

We actually will be meeting with between 12 and 15 obedient followers of Christ. We will be spending Friday and Saturday with these CP's from all over our state to map out the next year of ministry together. My team member and I along with this evangelistic force will go over a covenant and then commit to to co-labor together to have the Gospel, as well as teachings of Jesus reach an enormous population. Just as Jesus chose to pour into just a small group of disciples for the last year or so of His ministry, so we have also found an obedient group of men and women to lead out for God and reach this place for Him. Pray for these two days coming up this weekend, that we speak with wisdom and are able to explain, with God's Word, the task that is ahead of us. I will update after the weekend on how the meeting goes.

Bad Water or Bad Manners?

Yesterday, my team member, our driver, our translator and two CP's went to a village for a short visit to help with their water problem. The only source of water this poor farming village has is an open well that is probably 50 to 100 years old. This is a common problem in the villages here. The water is OK for washing, but it is also their source of drinking water, which is not OK. Many more wealthy villages have hand pumps for each home. Last year, a church team came through and did some surveying of villages that they could help with their water problem. They donated money and told us to handle putting the hand pump in for this village. This helps them, and also opens a door for the local CP to visit frequently and share the Gospel with the people.

We wanted to meet the village leader, but he was not there. As we waited, we were all offered some home-made lemonade to cool off. 1st warning- One of the ladies comes in with a well bucket full of water. She then goes and begins to mix fresh lemons and sugar with the water for us to drink. (little voice is saying "caution") 2ND WARNING- She brings out a couple glasses for us, and we are to drink and give back so it can be refilled for the next person. The glasses were not clear, probably to hide the fact that the water was not all that clear. (little voice getting louder - "politely refuse it if offered") They offered, which I politely refused. One refusal is not enough here. You must say no 3 times for them to leave you be. I looked at our driver, who calmly gulped the water down. (little voice is saying "he's from here, you're not. Just say NO"). The little voice lost. I couldn't turn it down. I gulped it down, (Lord I'll put it down if you keep it down -or IN) as did the wife of my team member and the CP's and our translator. (little voice says "I warned ya! You're on your own dude!")

Then we walked out to take a look at where would be a good place to put the hand pump in the village. As we walked, we saw the open well they used. We looked down inside. A nice film covered the water. WARNING 3- My team member leans over to me (who, by the way has learned listen to his little voice and did not partake) and says "Dude, you probably didn't want to see that is what you drank." I'm a little nervous now. 4th AND FINAL WARNING- Our translator walks up beside me, looks in the well and says to me in a shocked/concerned voice, "We drank this water?" UH-OH. Out came a nervous laugh. After we got in the car, we prayed that none of us would get sick. Well, live and learn. Pray with us that we don't get too sick!

This whole journey is an adventure. If you can't have fun on an adventure, it gets boring or you get bitter.

Lord I'll Put It Down If You Keep It Down!

All right, a little humor in the midst of our lives is a good thing. If we didn't laugh at some of the stuff here, we would go crazy pretty quick. All cultures are different, and we just happen to be on the other side of the world from our own. That being said, there are many times we are challenged in our patience and taste buds by being offered something to eat or drink by the people of the house we are visiting. We have tried to coach the kids to eat what is put in front of them without making faces or saying stuff like "EEEEEWWW, that's NAAAASTY!" (Easier said than done with a 5 year old independent thinker!) We have eaten a lot of things that are delicious while here, all the while trying to practice what we preach. But there are a few things that have made the list of stuff I would not want to experience again. Some of this stuff looks appetizing, until it hits your tongue! Hence forth the prayer (in the title) before we taste something new in front of a host.

SPICED BUTTERMILK-

Made with curd, salt and pepper, and served in a glass with an ice cube. (More ice, less drink, please!) This drink looks much like a yogurt drink served here called Lassi, which is very sweet/sour and cool to drink on a hot day. We were served this at a house where my wife has her outfits stitched, and imagine our surprise when the taste of it hit our tongues. We choked it down, with a smile, all except for our 5 year old who made faces like he was going to gag and die- much to the amusement of the ladies of the house. I was also offered it by one of the local restaurant owners who I sit and talk with from time to time. I politely said no thank you, and was given the lassi drink instead.

DAHI VADA-

Served during some of the national festival celebrations here. Looks like a nice sweet cake in cream, right? Pretty much, spiced buttermilk with some soggy bread in a dish. Again, tastebuds expecting sweet, and we get EEEWWW! Our hosts realized that there was something wrong as we ate. Maybe we reverted back to being 5 years old with our own facial expression! We tried to finish, but just could not. There was too much, and no where to hide it. Our hosts were amused, and thankfully not offended. They told us they would protect us if served it again anywhere else, as it was too taxing on us!

THUMS UP COLA-

Yes, the spelling is right, just look at the bottle in the picture! Big Coca Cola product here, but nowhere near the taste of Coke or Pepsi, which we can get here also. I tasted this on one of my earlier trips here, and likened it to drinking Coke out of a dirty shoe, or filtered through a dirty smelly sock. Some have also called it Curry Coke. I try to avoid drinking it as much as possible, but when offered by a host... Our driver "N" doesn't like it either. He was visiting another house with my family and I, and were brought out glasses that looked like coke. As soon as I pulled the glass to my mouth, I knew it was Thums Up, and watched "N's" reaction when he tasted it, to which he looked over at me, smiled and then poured the drink into his friends glass. I followed his lead and poured mine into my wifes glass. Don't worry, she doesn't mind the taste. My new name for this drink is, you guessed it, Thums Down.

I know we'll have many many other opportunities to sample some more of the local tastes while here. So, in the mean time, we'll just have to learn by doing and keep uttering the prayer, "Lord I'll put it down if you keep it down!"

Sowing the Seed- Part II

So, getting back to the team that visited us from our home church-

Previously, I had been part of and lead a couple teams here on short term trips to teach new believers and encourage them as they go out to plant churches and proclaim God's kingdom on Earth. Important, but our strategy for volunteer teams when they come is for Gospel saturation. Nothing draws a crowd here quicker than a few foreign faces and some stories to share. The team did a great job the first two days, sharing with close to 400-some people who had never heard before. It was good for them to see how they fit into our strategy of reaching an unimaginable population who have never heard of Jesus. They said it would be much more of a draw for people to come on a trip to be sharing their testimony and the Gospel of Jesus rather than try to teach at a conference or seminar. Some of the members of this team have been on other international trips, and one of them said that this was the best one they had been on. They got to see fruit, and life change in front of their eyes. I thank God for their obedience to come and be part of our work here, and know much more about how to partner with us.

Anyways, the last day our team was in the field we planned to walk through a village area. On the way, we were invited into the house of one of the neighbors of our local CP. We shared who we were and we all drank tea (in 100+ degree heat mind you). One of our team shared his story with the whole family, and then we shared the Gospel of Jesus. The leader of the family said that this was a big decision and to ask him to make this decision now is difficult. He said that what we shared was good, but for him to make a decision would not only affect him but the entire family would be affected also. We told him that it was ok that he thinks about these things. It is better than him saying flat out "no". He is a wise man and a good family leader. Our local CP is going to continue to build this relationship further to be available for any questions that might come up.

We then left and walked through a local village, again drawing quite the excitement. A young man asked us to sit down under his small covering for shade and he offered us water. We offered to share a story. We actually acted out a skit about 3 people on their way to heaven- A priest who talks to God for the people; A person whose parents were religious; and a person who gives much time and money helping the poor. All these people thought that they would go to heaven and have no problem. On the way, they come across a man who wants to go with them. They ask what he does, and he tells them that he is just a man with sin in his life. The three tell him that he will probably not get into heaven, but he can come along only if he walks behind them a ways. When they get to the door of heaven (another of the team stands there as Jesus) all try to get in by knocking, but there is no answer, even when all three bang and yell. Just as the three are discussing why the door won't open, the sinner gets on his knees before the door, confesses that he is a sinner and asks Jesus for forgiveness. Jesus opens the door and welcomes him in with a hug, to the astonishment of the three (and many of the audience). We then explain to them about each person and then give the Gospel. There were people everywhere, about 200, and we were in the middle of the village road. People were climbing onto walls, into trees and pushing in close to see us and hear what we had to say. The young man who first invited us to sit accepted the salvation as did about 4 others- right in front of the entire village!! Our CP said that many times people are too shy to come forward in front of large amount of people as that, so the ones that did must have really been feeling the call from Jesus. We asked them how they all felt, and they said they felt peace. What a blessing to see eternal life change right in front of us like that! We moved on after some time and were invited into a house that was newly built and they were celebrating the opening. They counted it good luck for foreigners to come in to the house. When a house is new, before Hindus move in they have the local pundit come and do puja (hindu worship) in the house for a whole day while neighbors and family and friends come by. We were able to come in and witness some of this. We know that when they do this, they are inviting many kinds of evil into their home. This day, however, the Lord had us there. They actually asked us to pray a special blessing on the house! We all did, so Jesus' name has been proclaimed in this house. We prayed that they find peace when hearing the name of Jesus and that prosperity will come to this family and house in His name!

All in all, the trip was great! Thank you FBC for a great visit and for proclaiming the name of the Lord to the ends of the Earth! You may never know how many lives you actually affected, but the results and the glory belong to the One True God, and He will bless you for your obedience and faithful service!

Sowing the Seed- Part I

Over a week ago we had a team of 6 from our home church come and visit us. My team member and I took them into an area of villages for Gospel sharing. We split up into two teams, 3 with me and 3 with him, each team with a translator and driver. Over all, both teams shared in different village areas to over 600 people - most of whom had never heard the Gospel of Jesus before!

The first day, my team went to an area of low caste villagers in the morning. A crowd gathered, as most times happens when lighter skin people show up here. One of the team shared thier story and then we shared the Salvation of Jesus by telling His story. Some of the villagers accepted, along with a couple of guys who had just stopped by to see what was going on, they weren't even part of the village! These two guys, who ran a local business, were in the front listening to the Gospel presentation with wide eyes. Even our driver was intently listening. About 8 people accepted Jesus, including the businessmen and our taxi driver! The businessman said that his sister was a Christian and had shared Jesus with him before several times, but gave up finally and told him to find some other Christians he could listen to. When he heard the words we spoke, he felt that this was the day he needed to surrender his life. Praise the Lord for this Divine Appointment! The ones who were living in the village who accepted Jesus will be followed up on by our CP's in that area.

The next place we went, there were existing believers, but some that had not accepted yet. Unfortunately, most of the ones who had not heard were gone to the doctor due to illness. As we sat on the porch of this house, about 50 children came around us and listened to one of our team tell the story of David and Goliath. I played Goliath and one of the small boys played David. I gave it my best Hollywood try. Amazingly, when we got to the point in the story where David takes 3 smooth stones from the river, the boy had 3 marbles in his hand! Needless to say, David slew me and when I fell, all the children laughed and cheered, and David commenced to beating on me for more effect. We then went to another family of believers to pray over their household and encourage them.

After lunch and some rest, we went to another village to share with about 80 people. Many were women, so the one lady on our team shared her story and then we shared the Gospel. About 25 accepted, even some of the men who showed up after we started. We went a little further to another area in this village and shared out in the open, with about 100 people. About 30 accepted. The local CP in this area was with us and will be gathering many of these new believers together for prayer meetings. He also invited those who were interested to attend.

That night, both teams came together and rejoiced in the Lord with our stories of the day, of how God used us all to share with many people.

The next day, our team set out to another village area. After we visited a school that is being run by a local CP, we went for a walk by the river to see where many baptisms have taken place. Again, we drew a crowd. There were fishermen in boats casting fishing nets, and I joked that the team should go on a boat ride. Our translator then arranged a short boat ride for two of our team, which again drew much attention. The crowd followed us back to the school, where we shared the story about the miraculous catch of fish, and then shared the Gospel with the crowd, which was about 150 people. There was a young drunk man who was disturbing our sharing, and when he could not get anywhere, he told the crowd he was leaving and that everyone should follow him. No one did, and they even told him to be quiet and listen or go away. He walked away, but then came back to listen since no one followed. We prayed for the crowd, since no one accepted right there, however the Gospel was shared with many who had never heard before.

We then went to an area where many people gathered again, about 100, and we shared the Gospel. No one accepted, but again the seed was planted in many people's hearts. We moved on to share to another low caste village, and about 8 people accepted Christ. Again our two teams came together that night to rejoice in what the Lord had allowed us to do.

There is one more day to tell about, but since this post is so long, I'll leave it and the wrap up for the next post. Thanks again to our team who shared the Gospel with so many. You were the hands and feet of Jesus during your trip.

16th Anniversary

I just wanted to take time to thank God for my beautiful bride. 16 years ago today we were married, and I could not have asked for a more loving and Godly woman. We have been through much in these years, but God has been faithful to guide us and keep his promise to always be there for us and never forsake us. We could not have done it without Him. I never thought any of our years would be spent anywhere overseas, let alone on the mission field serving the Lord. But through all the trials, God has grown and matured us to be ready for the call He placed on our lives to be here in South Asia. I wouldn't have it any other way than to follow Jesus in obedience together. I love you T, and I pray we have many more years to grow in the Lord together.

We have been married 16 years, but if anyone ever to asked me in person how long we have been married, I'd tell them: "Not long enough!"

Remembrance

With a heavy heart, we have suffered a loss in our family. My Gramps, who had recently been diagnosed with bone cancer in his spine, was admitted to ICU on April 14 with multiple organ failure. There was nothing more the doctors could do but help him to be comfortable. My Dad rushed from across the country to his dad's bedside to be with his mother, brother and sisters so that they could all say goodbye together. He passed away on April 15, 2008. I know it was a hard journey for my Dad, but I thank the Lord for him being able to be there when Gramps passed peacefully. I thank you for all your prayers for our family during this time.

What can I say about my Gramps, except that he set the example as an honorable and Godly man. You see, the Dad that I speak of is my Step-Dad, and he and my Mom have been divorced since I was about 13 or 14. Even though I am not blood related with him, he treated me with the love that any young man growing up should have from a real father. He didn't have to, but he did anyway. That is why my only son is named after him. His parents, my Grams and Gramps, as well as my Uncle and Aunts showed me the same love; that of a blood family member. God gifted me with such a loving family that I could never even begin to repay the kindness and love they have given me over the years, and Gramps is the head of the family that gave this love that never expected anything in return.

It was hard not to be with the family during this time, but God allowed us to visit Grams and Gramps before leaving for South Asia. That is a time I will never forget. I know he was proud of what I and my family are doing for Jesus. I never planned on showing pictures of any family members on this blog for security reasons, but I make an exception for an exceptional man, so those who are reading this remembrance can look
on the face of a kind, loving, gentle, and Godly man. Gramps, I know you are praising the Lord Most High right now, and I look forward to the day when we see each other in heaven. Well done, good and faithful servant.

Rejoice!!

Our training in specific areas goes on over a 4 meeting period, with a couple of weeks in between meetings. I recently finished the first training which was a two day event about 1 hour from where we live. About 125 believers, 37 of whom were baptized after the training, were in attendance. Our first training consists of challenging them with the statistics of how many of their fellow people are dying without even knowing about the salvation that Jesus has made for us. The numbers here are astonishing. Every day about 2400 people die in our state, the majority of whom are going to hell because they had never heard of Jesus. So there needs to be a sense of urgency to share the Gospel and give everyone the same chance that they have been given- a chance at salvation.

We do this by teaching them how to share the gospel, because many do not know how and think that they need to bring someone to a pastor or church leader for them to be saved. This issue is solved by teaching them Matthew 28:18-20: that Jesus has given all of us the authority to go and make disciples. We teach them a method of sharing the gospel that is very easy for them to understand and remember, even though they may be illiterate. It is called 2-3-4. The 2 represents the Gospel, which has 2 parts- The first part is (1)Your Story or Testimony, and the second part is (2)His Story, or Jesus' story. Your story has 3 parts- (1)Your life before Christ, (2)How you met Christ, and (3)Your life after Christ. His story has four parts- (1)Judgement, (2)Repentance, (3)Jesus' sacrifice to take the punishment or the judgement for our sins, and (4)God raised Jesus to new life so that we could also have new life. We also teach them Romans 10:9, that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

We then challenge them to write out a list of all the people that they know who need to know Jesus. These are family members, friends, shop owners, etc. They are then to pray for God to lead them to the ones who will be most receptive to the Gospel, and share it with them using
2-3-4. They are to share with at least 5 people per week and tell the group the results during the next meeting. This is a way of showing them that we must be accountable to each other.

Yesterday, I did a 2nd training meeting with this group. The group dropped from 125 people to 60, but the results about their sharing was incredible. Some did not share, others shared with some, but many shared with at least 10 people if not more. We tallied up the totals and over 200 people heard the gospel for the very first time. We also counted how many accepted, and OVER 120 PEOPLE ARE NOW NEW BELIEVERS AND FOLLOWERS OF JESUS!! So, as the title of this post says, REJOICE!!

I reinforced to them on the great job they did, and told them that even though some of the people did not accept Jesus, those people have the seed of the Gospel planted in their hearts and minds and it is up to them to make the choice to follow Jesus now. We cannot force them to follow, only show them the way and let them decide.

So now, our next trainings are to encourage the people to continue to share the gospel, but then also teach them 2-3-4 and help them to start sharing the gospel also. We have also told them that they can baptize the new believers, as this is the first step of obedience to being a follower of Jesus. The teaching we are giving them, they are to begin grouping those new believers and teach them the things we are teaching them. We follow Paul's pattern in Acts, and through his letters where he entrusted his teaching of the Gospel to obedient and faithful men and women who would also go and teach it to others.

I look forward to meeting these obedient followers of Jesus again, and see how many more people have heard the Gospel and are now followers of Jesus. What's that sound? It's either the devil stomping mad or all God's people rejoicing! (Or both!)

Good Friday

So, why is it called Good Friday? My wife and I were visiting some neighbors in our building, ones that we have grown close to and have been building a relationship with. Our relationship with them has grown to where we call upon them with cultural questions regarding different celebrations and such. They have also invited us to be at the wedding celebration of their son in May. We are very fortunate to know them. We have shared with them that we are followers of Jesus, to which they have said they also worship Jesus, along with their other gods. We have given a New Testament Bible in their language, but have not had the best opportunity to share the Gospel in full with them.

This weekend we are in the middle of the Hindu festival called Holi. Tomorrow people will be celebrating by throwing colored dry and wet paint at each other. It coincides with Easter, in which we celebrate the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The wife asked if we had any other celebrations like Holi in America, and I said that this weekend we celebrate Easter and we color hard boiled eggs in bright colors. We color eggs, you color people, so it is similar. She responded by saying, "Oh, today is Good Friday!" She then asked a question I had never even thought of : "It is called Good Friday because Jesus came back to life this day, right?"

Only the Holy Spirit took over in answering, because the response came from me immediately. I said, "Jesus was crucified and died on Good Friday. God raised Jesus to new life on the third day, Easter Sunday." Then she said, "I always had it in my mind that Good Friday was the day that Jesus came back to life, because it is called Good. Why would it be called Good Friday if Jesus was crucified on that day?" (What a perfect lead in to share the good news!) I said to her, "The reason it is good is that when Jesus was crucified, He took upon himself the punishment for the sins of all people of the world, and made a way for us to escape the coming judgement that all people will face one day. The even better news is that on the third day, Sunday, He was risen to new life so that we could also have new life." After this, we saw that she was deep in thought and contemplating the new way of thinking about Jesus and His sacrifice.

A large gospel seed was planted today. Pray with us that this family begins to realize the truth about Jesus. Pray they will realize that He is not just another god, but the Only God. Pray that the Bible we gave them at Christmas is a light among the dark idols in their home, and that the simple mention of the name of Jesus brings them a peace they have never felt before.