Go Into All the World

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28: 19-20).

I actually forgot I hadn't blogged the last few days! I guess I'm still catching up from being away for a couple of weeks!

We had a staff meeting this morning and the subject of my missions trips came up. There were questions and comments about my missions trips; their frequency and length; was it good for me to be gone etc. It was a lively discussion with honest dialogue. It made me think deeply about why I go on these trips.

My first missions trip was to Liepia, Latvia in June of 1993. My second trip was to Omsk, Siberia, with Houston Miles and a team from Evangel Fellowship in March of 1996. There I met Bruce McDonald, and Bruce and I have been going to India together since 1998, and to Africa together since 2002.

As a local church pastor, my primary responsibility is to minister to the congregation at Victory Fellowship. As a church, we have outreaches to our community fairly regularly, and are planning to ramp up out local outreach even more.

I believe that our missions outreaches keep up from becoming too focused inwardly, and keep us aware of the needs of the whole world. We support 23 missions organizations or individuals each month. Since God so loved the whole world, I believe we should help in some way with the evangelization of the world. In doing so, I believe that God honors our efforts and blesses our church in a large way.

We will continue to sponsor short term missions trips to other countries as long as the Lord allows. I'd encourage you to go on one of these trips with me to another country. Just one trip will be life changing.

My next trip is to Ethiopia this January. We have 16 churches under our name there, and work with over 100 more in developing leaders and in community evangelism. We just helped a church build and new building in southern Ethiopia, and we will be dedicatiing it to the Lord on this next trip. We will also visit churches that have been established in the Omo Valley of Southwestern Ethiopia. This is a very rustic area that is still prsitine and undeveloped.

Until Jesus comes, we have a mandate from Jesus to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature and to make disciples in all nations. I believe that if we continue to do our part, God will continue to shine His favor upon us! Thanks for helping me obey what I beleive the Lord has called us to do together!

Abandon Yourself to His Care

For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matthew 16:25-26).

Life is full of the unknown. We are finite beings in relationship with the infinite God Almighty! His desire is that we give ourselves unreservedly to Him in faith and surrender. Jesus said that if we love our natural life more than our relationship with Him, then we would suffer great harm and loss. But, He continued, if we put our relationship with Him first and foremost, then He would see that both natural and spiritual needs are satisfied!

When confronted last week with great danger when fighting broke out while I was in the Congo, I found a great sense of security on knowing that my life was wrapped up in the will of God. The safest place to be is in His will! If you are doing what He is asking of you, and are purposing to please Him, then things will work out for good in your life.

Instead of bemoaning the circumstances that suddenly change, let’s learn to “roll with the punches” that life brings and lean on the eternal faithfulness of our infinite God! He is bigger than every circumstance that looms before us. He always sees the end from the beginning. He knows the crooks and bends in our road of life. As we trust Him with faith and patience, He will shine His light on our path and make a way for us.

Resist the temptation today to worry or complain about the “suddenly” things that surprise you in life. Take one day at a time, and expect your Father to take care of you. He has never failed a person who really trusts Him.

Some Goma Congo Missions Trip Pictures

God's Sovereign Care!

It's wonderful to be home again after this testy missions trip! The Lord showed to me His love and mercy during this trip by protecting us in some dangerous situations we faced. I want to thank those of you who took time to pray for us, I firmly believe that your prayers for our safety help protect us from harm. Let me share one story with you.

Wednesday, October 29th, we were visiting the refugee camps just outside of Goma in the afternoon in preparation for ministry in the four camps the following days. We had to meet with the overseers of the camps and the security officers there just to make sure that things were ready and they were comfortable with us going in to minister.

We were on the way back into Goma around 3:00 PM or so when we were met on the road by a huge convoy of Congolese troops exiting the town at a high rate of speed. There were tanks, personnel carriers, trucks with huge guns mounted on them, and an assortment of private vehicles packed with soldiers on the run. We had no idea of what was going on. Then we notice that pedestrians began running away from town too as the convey of soldiers passed.

We pulled off the road and stopped momentarily as the convoy passed. Suddenly one of the tanks lost control, leaving the road and heading straight for our vehicle. Just before it looked as though it would run right over the top of us, it suddenly diverted back onto the street, missing us by no more than 2 feet! This happened so quckly that we had no time to pray much less respond. The Lord protected us! Thank you for those who prayed for our safety!

We continued our journey into town after asking and receiving no clear understanding of what was going on from the fleeing pedestrians. They were in a panic. As we traveled in to town we notice soldiers commandeering motorcycles and cars ahead of us, stealing them and leaving town in them. Our driver became concerned that our hired vehicle would be stolen and diverted us onto some really horrible side streets. We darted in and out steering clear of soldiers as they eyed our vehicle and motioned for us to stop! Forty five minutes or so later, we arrived safely at our hotel.

As we ate dinner that Wednesday night, fighting once again erupted a couple of miles form our hotel. The sound of tanks and big guns firing could be heard in the distance for several hours. The electricity was cut off a few hours later so as not to bring attention to our hotel. Machine gun fire could be heard in the streets fairly close to us during the night hours. We found out later that 20 or so soldiers and civilians were killed in the fighting, 13 or so civilians were wounded; several women were raped by soldiers and a number of stores were looted.

We canceled our planned meetings at the refugee camps on Thursday so as to access te situation. Several UN monitors came by our hotel the next morning for breakfast in the dining area. I can see the hand of the Lord in this. They told us what had happened the night before and advised our leaving Goma to stay in Rwanda, just across the border. Another UN negotiator came by the dining area and gave a clear assessment to us of the situation and advised our leaving the city during the night. The situation had calmed but was certainly volatile. On Thursday afternoon we moved from our hotel in Goma to a hotel in the Rwandan border city of Gisenyi. Ministry began on Friday and continued through Tuesday.

The Lord protected us as He promised! We were able to get the information we needed so we could make sane and safe decisions as to ho to proceed. Certainly underneath us are the everlasting arms. I've posted some pictures for you of some of our ministry experiences. I'll show a brief 5 minute video synopsis of our ministry in Goma Congo in our services on Sunday.

On the Way Home

I've not been able to get online since Sunday afternoon your time. I'm now at Heathrow Airport in London. I've been traveling 24 hours so far on my journey home!

Here's a brief update. On Monday, we ministered to pastors again at a pastor's conference in one of the refugee camps. I opened it up for a time of questions and answers, and we had a lively time! Questions ranged from how to stand when it looks like your prayers are not being answered, to what to do when you are older and can't read the small print and feel really tired by still have the preach in you, to questions about marriage and family issues and even about the meaning of Revelation 12! They were greatly encouraged and felt the love we had for them. We fed these pastors every day of the conference, which was Thursday through Monday! Staving bellies have a hard time hearing what you're saying.

Monday afternoon we held another evangelistic crusade in yet another refugee camp. We stopped on the way to pick up several large bags of food for the pastors at the camp to distribute. We bought enough to feed 1000 people. They were overjoyed!

I preached in this crusade. We have thousands in attendance. We were encircled by people on all sides. I preached on being ready for death, on the reality of heaven and hell and the after life, and the coming judgment for those who do not know Christ. It's hard to count them all, so I will say that well over 2000 people were saved! We had a time!

After some brief exhortation for those who were saved to pray and attend a church in the refugee camp, I ministered briefly on healing and offered prayer for the sick. God's compassion is very real in these settings, and when you preach, you can feel His presence so strongly! As I offered a mass pray for healing, God's power swept through the place and hundreds raised their hands to testify of being healed! It was just amazing. They jumped for joy! We had time for only a few testimonies of healing and had to leave so we would have time to cross the border to get to our hotel in Rwanda.

On Tuesday we visited a Pygmy tribe in one of the refugee camps. We bought enough food on the way to feed this tribe of a thousand or so for 1 full week! They did not know we were bringing food. The important thing to note here is that Pygmies are looked upon as the scum of the earth, even in a refugee camp. And they get the last morsels of any food distributed. When they saw the food we brought, they danced and danced for joy.

A news reporter from a Nairobi paper tagged along with us for this trip to the Pygmies, and was thrilled to see what we do. He also writes for the LA Times. He told us he would send us a copy of his article on what we were doing in the camps.

We hurried from the Pygmies to a University in the center of Goma. There, Bruce delivered 400 Bibles in Swahili and French. The students were very appreciative.

We left on our long journey home your time on Wednesday at 2:00 AM.

I'll be home at 4:10 pm on Thursday! Thanks for praying for us. We were alerted that fighting broke out again in Goma on the Tuesday night before we left. Please pray for these people, that the violence would be stopped, and that peace would return to this troubled town in Congo!

I'll post some pics of my trip when i get back to the States!

Our Awesome God Showed Himself Today

I have a testy connection here, so I'll be brief! We had an awesome day on Sunday. We crossed the border into Goma from Rwanda early and I preached in a church in the city. A great time of worship, and they just soaked up the Word!

After a brief lunch, we headed for the refugee camps which are located at the base of an active volcano. This thing erupted just a few years ago and covered the place in lava. It's hard to walk on! What a setting! The refugees are displaced from the war with the rebels. They have little food, and little hope. It's heartbreaking to see all this. I will bring you to tears to see the families in little make shift huts made of straw and covered with tarps to keep out the rain. Children play on the grounds here, which is nothing more than hard, cutting lava rock. There are tens of thousands of people in the refugee camp where we went. And thousands of make shift homes dot the landscape as far as you can see.

Our crusade was on a platform in the middle of the camp with the volcanic mountain looming over us in the distance. The speakers are blaring as the praise team sings from their hearts and dance with utter abandon.

Then the rain begins as Bruce preaches his heart out and confronts the people with their sinfulness, the reality of hell that will come if they don't repent, and of the salvation offered through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. There were perhaps as many as 10,000 in the crowds that were watching. When the altar call was given, well over 2000 responded for salvation. It was awesome! Joy erupted when the salvation prayer concluded. Man is this fun!

Then a mass prayer for the sick and afflicted was offered. God's power fell on us. You could feel it in the atmosphere. He loves these people so much! I would say hundreds were healed. Again, joy erupted. We had time for only a few testimonies from those who were healed. Several cripples were healed. People were astounded by God's love and power. Absolutely amazing!

We had to leave abruptly so we could cross the border before it closed. We will return there today. It's 6:30 AM on Monday as I write this. I must prepare to teach pastors this morning in the refugee camps, and we will hold another crusade this afternoon. Thank you, thank you, thank you for praying. This is not a walk in the park. It's tough!

I'll be back in touch when I return today!

Saturday in Africa

Our day began today with a real long border crossing. We had to go to the government office in Goma to get a multi-entry visa so we could pass through quicker and easier. As you know, we're staying in Rwanda at night and crossing into Congo each day to minister.

The situation remains calm yet unpredictable in Goma. We are exercising great caution as we plan day to day. I have a peace that all will be ok.

Today we ministered in a refugee camp to pastors. They were both hungry and excited. They never have visitors from the outside to encourage them. There exuberance is contagious. I'll show you some pics when I get home.

This afternoon we went to another refugee camp to conduct an evangelistic crusade. The choirs were singing, a huge crowd of people had gathered, and the excitement was growing. Then a Noah's flood rain came! It was complete with fireworks(loud thunder and lightning). The people continued to sing and dance in the rain until they were drenched. We fled to the waiting vehicle and had to get back to Rwanda before the border closed!

Tomorrow I will preach in a church in Goma for their Sunday morning service. Then in the afternoon we will conduct another evangelistic crusade in a different refugee camp. Please pray that we will be able to minister this time! The people are eager to hear. I'll give you an update tomorrow.

I'm preparing for tomorrow and will be retiring for the night soon. Here it is 8:30 or so at night on Saturday. Don't forget to set your clocks back an hour tonight!