This update one will cover the highlights of our last few days on our trip and include on-going prayer needs.
Monday, 1/30: We spent the morning and early afternoon at Seeb Souq and Beach. We had an opportunity to shop and share with merchants. One team member purchased an abaya (and one of our fellow "tourists" shared the Good News with the shop owner). Divine appointments! We spent an extended time on the beach praying for this community, its people, its leaders, ... The wind was blowing the sand all around and it stirred our hearts to pray that the Spirit would blow all over this land, stirring up every crevice. DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF PRAYER??? DO YOU TRULY BELIEVE THAT YOUR PRAYERS OFFERED IN FAITH HAVE MORE POWER THAN YOUR HUMAN DRIVEN ACTIONS? In our western way of thinking doing often overshadows praying; results and numbers become our goal more than submission to His Spirit. In God's economy, faith-filled, trusting prayers unleash His power to move unlike man-inspired action. After a sandy picnic, the ladies went on to our new friend's home for tea and conversation while the guys met up with new friends to share fellowship and truth. Both groups spent the evening at the festival. Please continue to pray for these and others with whom we have had divine appointments.
Tuesday, 1/31: We spent most of today driving to various tourist sites and praying as we passed communities, mosques and people on the streets. We ate lunch with items we purchased at a local market, while making connections with the cashier. ARE YOU AWARE THAT PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS WATCHING YOU AND IN EVERY ENCOUNTER YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE AND SHOWCASE THE LOVE OF JESUS (or perhaps you showcase your impatience and pride)? There is no neutral ground ... you either showcase God or you showcase yourself!
Wednesday, 2/1, Last Day: We had a rough boat ride along the coast. Despite being soaked to the bone, the beauty of this land is breath-taking (or maybe that was the chill from the wind and spray). At any rate, we were reminded that God is God even over these more difficult places. In this land, there are less than 20 reported believers of the 2.5 million nationals. Can you imagine that... LESS THAN 20! Unlike here, many have never met a true believer, nor experienced His love through our hands. "It is not about converting a Muslim, it is about showing them the love of Jesus." HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED THIS LOVE? IF SO, YOU ARE EQUIPPED TO SHOWER THAT SAME LOVE ON A MUSLIM? They are all around us here in Hampton Roads. We MUST be vessels showering His love on all those around us! After our boat ride, we visited a museum and met a friend who is curious about our faith in the interest of understanding other cultures. May God stir that curiosity into a passion to know Him.
Read more!
Monday, February 6, 2012
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Update #2 from the Middle East
25th:
Thank you all so much for your prayers! We went through immigration and customs though with NO PROBLEM! Huge praise! We arrived at our friend's house in short order. We woke to the call to prayer at 5 a.m.; a great reminder to keep these people in our hearts.
Today was spent enjoying our friends, touring the town, and enjoying the local culture. Lunch was schwarma--good stuff! The people are warm and welcoming - nothing like the media makes you feel about them. Our hearts continue to grow for these people.
26th:
Great time today of encouraging the family! Imagine five adults and four children in a vehicle for five hours - with one of them being a two-day-napless two-year old. Fun times! We visited the site where J went swimming with His prerunner. We visited the Dead Sea & Mt. Nebo (where M looked out across the land that he was not permitted to enter.)
We spent a full day with our sweet friends mainly encouraging them, loving them and letting them show us their temporary home country's highlights. We had the opportunity to visit with our guides at the Jordan River, a French family traveling for ten months throughout the Middle East, and brothers from Arkansas.
Tomorrow, the Sabboth, is our last day here before we move on to our next site. Our flight is five hours, starting at 1:00 a.m. Saturday will feel like a V-E-R-Y long day!
So thankful for you all!!!
29th:
We have had two very full days here at our second site. We have spent a few hours of both days with a local worker sharing information and strategies to reach these people. Be praying for soft hearts, the Spirit's working, and dreams and visions (this is a major way He moves these people to seek out Christians.)
In addition, we spent both days doing some general touring and praying during the driving and in the various sites. Today we saw the city's Grand Mosque. It was gorgeous, lavish and luxuriously cared for. Do you realize you are that building for the Spirit? It was convicting and humbling to see the great care and the great devotion they have toward something that brings no eternal satisfaction. Do you care for your temple that way? Or do you pump it full of trash in the form if food, entertainment, tv choices... The Muslim people come to the Mosque throughout the day to pray. Are you at all that devoted to being sure you talk with Him throughout your day?
The last 3-4 hours of our days here are spent at a festival celebrating this nation. It is a two week festival. We are here for the first five days. Pray for divine appointments, for boldness, for sending and obedience to the Spirit's leading. It is all way, way beyond us.
These people are very gracious, loving and generous. They are curious about Americans and happy to talk. Their homeland is lovely. Our hearts are full of great love for them.
Read more!
Thank you all so much for your prayers! We went through immigration and customs though with NO PROBLEM! Huge praise! We arrived at our friend's house in short order. We woke to the call to prayer at 5 a.m.; a great reminder to keep these people in our hearts.
Today was spent enjoying our friends, touring the town, and enjoying the local culture. Lunch was schwarma--good stuff! The people are warm and welcoming - nothing like the media makes you feel about them. Our hearts continue to grow for these people.
26th:
Great time today of encouraging the family! Imagine five adults and four children in a vehicle for five hours - with one of them being a two-day-napless two-year old. Fun times! We visited the site where J went swimming with His prerunner. We visited the Dead Sea & Mt. Nebo (where M looked out across the land that he was not permitted to enter.)
We spent a full day with our sweet friends mainly encouraging them, loving them and letting them show us their temporary home country's highlights. We had the opportunity to visit with our guides at the Jordan River, a French family traveling for ten months throughout the Middle East, and brothers from Arkansas.
Tomorrow, the Sabboth, is our last day here before we move on to our next site. Our flight is five hours, starting at 1:00 a.m. Saturday will feel like a V-E-R-Y long day!
So thankful for you all!!!
29th:
We have had two very full days here at our second site. We have spent a few hours of both days with a local worker sharing information and strategies to reach these people. Be praying for soft hearts, the Spirit's working, and dreams and visions (this is a major way He moves these people to seek out Christians.)
In addition, we spent both days doing some general touring and praying during the driving and in the various sites. Today we saw the city's Grand Mosque. It was gorgeous, lavish and luxuriously cared for. Do you realize you are that building for the Spirit? It was convicting and humbling to see the great care and the great devotion they have toward something that brings no eternal satisfaction. Do you care for your temple that way? Or do you pump it full of trash in the form if food, entertainment, tv choices... The Muslim people come to the Mosque throughout the day to pray. Are you at all that devoted to being sure you talk with Him throughout your day?
The last 3-4 hours of our days here are spent at a festival celebrating this nation. It is a two week festival. We are here for the first five days. Pray for divine appointments, for boldness, for sending and obedience to the Spirit's leading. It is all way, way beyond us.
These people are very gracious, loving and generous. They are curious about Americans and happy to talk. Their homeland is lovely. Our hearts are full of great love for them.
Read more!
Monday, January 30, 2012
Disaster Relief Training Opportunities
If you are interested in participating in Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) Training, please take advantage of the opportunities offered below. Advance training and credentialing are required to participate in SBDR. The one day, 8:00am to 5:00 pm training workshop will be held on Saturdays in February and March. The cost for first time training is $30.00 and $20.00 for recertification. Register at:
http://www.sbcv.org/disaster_relief.
The dates and locations for training are:
February 11-Poquoson Baptist Church, Poquoson
March 10-Colonial Heights Baptist Church, Colonial Heights
March 24-Spotswood Baptist Church, Fredericksburg
March 31-Great Neck Baptist Church, Virginia Beach
Read more!
http://www.sbcv.org/disaster_relief.
The dates and locations for training are:
February 11-Poquoson Baptist Church, Poquoson
March 10-Colonial Heights Baptist Church, Colonial Heights
March 24-Spotswood Baptist Church, Fredericksburg
March 31-Great Neck Baptist Church, Virginia Beach
Read more!
Update from the Middle East
Things are going well with our team in this region. We hope to share more in later updates, but here are some pictures:
Read more!
Read more!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Live the Mission Magazine
Click on the link below to access our latest Live the Mission Magazine:
http://www.turnit.com/index.php/ci_id/91325
Read more!
http://www.turnit.com/index.php/ci_id/91325
Read more!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
SBCV State Convention Missions Opportunity-Haiti
   |
| ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SBCV/Florida Haiti Rebuild ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
| Dear Craig, As we approach the 2nd anniversary of the January 12, 2010 earthquake, some 400,000 to 500,000 Haitians are still homeless and therefore, we appreciate your love for Christ and your desire to serve Him by being the hands and feet of Christ to the people of Haiti. The date for the next trip to Haiti is February 3-11, 2012 and we pray that you will respond to God's call to serve in Haiti.
There are 15 openings for the Rebuild Haiti Trip from February 3-11, 2012. The total cost of the trip is approximately $1500 (depending on airfare from your location). We have budgeted about $800 for airfare and the other $700 for in country expenses, such as: accommodations, meals, transportation, and security.
Please fill out the Rebuild Haiti Trip Registration form (by clicking on the link below) and also see the FAQ's for more information on the work we will be doing. When I receive your registration I will promptly reply to you with the additional information needed for the February trip.
Hold down the Ctrl key and click on the Rebuild Haiti Trip Registration below to open the registration form:
Rebuild Haiti February Trip Important Dates and Trip Details:
Please share this opportunity with others in your church, DR training in not required!
We look forward to hearing from you soon and partnering with you to assist in the Rebuild Haiti efforts for God's glory. In Christ,
Aubrey B Ralph SBC of Virginia Rebuild Haiti Coordinator 703-868-8889
Jack Noble
|
Read more!
Vietnam Update #2
Hello again,
Thank you for your thoughts and prayers up to this point! Last night was awesome - it was so great to see familiar faces half-way across the world and to make new friends, some of whom just recently became Christians, or "got the light" as they phrase it here. The Lord provided a friendly coffee shop for us to meet in and about 30-35 students came to meet with us. There have been miscommunications over the years due to the language barrier regarding whether or not some of these students actually understand the Gospel or know the Lord personally. The missionaries here are working to continue to strengthen the faith of these students through discipleship and weekly meetings but it is still difficult to follow-up with each student that comes.
We learned this morning that one of the members of our team's grandmother passed away last night and we're not sure how that news will affect the rest of our journey - please pray for the Thomas family, for peace and reliance on the Lord in light of such sad news.
We will be traveling to Haiphong today to spend time with the pastor of a house church and his family and to celebrate Christmas and New Years with the believers there. Please pray for travel mercies and for doors to be opened in Haiphong as it is still rather unsafe to share the Gospel there.
Just like Paul in 2 Timothy 4, "In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction."
Read more!
Thank you for your thoughts and prayers up to this point! Last night was awesome - it was so great to see familiar faces half-way across the world and to make new friends, some of whom just recently became Christians, or "got the light" as they phrase it here. The Lord provided a friendly coffee shop for us to meet in and about 30-35 students came to meet with us. There have been miscommunications over the years due to the language barrier regarding whether or not some of these students actually understand the Gospel or know the Lord personally. The missionaries here are working to continue to strengthen the faith of these students through discipleship and weekly meetings but it is still difficult to follow-up with each student that comes.
We learned this morning that one of the members of our team's grandmother passed away last night and we're not sure how that news will affect the rest of our journey - please pray for the Thomas family, for peace and reliance on the Lord in light of such sad news.
We will be traveling to Haiphong today to spend time with the pastor of a house church and his family and to celebrate Christmas and New Years with the believers there. Please pray for travel mercies and for doors to be opened in Haiphong as it is still rather unsafe to share the Gospel there.
Just like Paul in 2 Timothy 4, "In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction."
Read more!
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