India 1 Team: Day 6

India 1: Day 6
     Behold our God's power and majesty! Today was a wonderful day and a wonderful advance in the kingdom of God. We started off the day by having breakfast with Dave and Mary Hall (the missionaries we are working with). It was a great time of fellowship and planning out the days to come. We went to Hamayun's tomb, and visited Old Delhi market place. At first, many of us were skeptical because even though it is fun visiting sites of tourism, we really wanted to do more talking and sharing of the gospel. And you know what is amazing about that? God is so incredibly faithful to allow opportunities even in the most unlikely of places. As we walked the streets of Hamayun's tomb multiple groups of Muslims stopped to talk with us, they asked many questions about who we were and why we were there. We gladly answered and in the end gave them a book on the truth of Jesus, and an SD card that held various biblical resources. They were very grateful to receive a gift from Americans. Later as we made our way to the exit, they stopped Lance to talk. They pointed to the picture of Jesus in the book and asked who he was. Lance shared who Jesus was and the work Christ had done in him. Many other groups wanted pictures with us, shake hands, and share names. We gave as many books out as we could without drawing too much attention to it. As they cheered for getting a picture with Americans we moved on to the next place.
     It is just truly amazing to see that all work is for the glory of God. Our charisma, our smile, our outward appearance are all meaningless without the presence of God. Who are we but broken, obedient servants of our Lord? As we drove to the marketplace of Old Delhi it became more and more clear that we would not be able to stop here. There was a sea of people, cars were mere inches away from each other. You could see nothing but faces, and carts moving market items. It's hard to fully paint the picture of what this is like. We estimated without exaggeration that there was a million people crammed into this tight market place. Most of which need to hear the gospel, India has droves of people and so many of them worship thousands of idols. Pray that the supreme God will be made known in their lives.
     We ate at a Chili's in a local mall, and met a server named Deep Bagga, she was very interested in the girls and they talked about the Christmas story and gave her an SD card as well. She was very kind and very interested in truth of Jesus.    
     As always thank you for prayers, continue to pray that we will be on our guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous and be strong (1 Corinthians 16:13).
     It is truly a sight to see when God takes the most unlikely circumstances and allows us to share His glorious gospel. God uses the small things to build big things in the hearts and minds of others. To God be the glory, forever and ever!
Andrew Kata
India 1 Team

India 1: Day 5

India 1 Team: Day 5 
     This morning we had the opportunity to meet with one of the IMB’s mission strategist named Kyle who shared about the several different opportunities and programs to serve internationally. Our young adults were able to hear about opportunities that are as short as 2 months and as long as 2-3 years. We also were able to be challenged to live outside of our personal comfort zones and to allow the Lord to use all of us for His Glory. This is not just being the hands and feet of Jesus, but beyond, allowing our eyes to cry His tears and our hearts to be stamped with His glorious Mission.
     In the afternoon we visited a Tibetan Refugee Camp called Majnu ka Tilla where we covered the entire village with prayer in teams of two. This little village had homes that were built on top of each other and small cramped curvy streets with stagnate water. Currently there are no Christian missionaries that have yet engaged in this village and our time of prayer was prepping the soil for the seeds to be planted in the future as teams after us would be broadcasting the message of Christ.
      In the heart of the village was a Buddhist temple where candles were burning and monks were there chanting their mantra. On the outside of the temple were these metal containers with writings on the outside. Speaking with a middle-aged man named Justin who was originally from Japan, he explained that these containers attached to the outside of the temple were called prayer wheels. Two times a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, Buddhist would walk around the temple and spin the prayer wheels which represented prayers for prosperity, health, career, and for happiness that would ascend into the heavens. Inside the prayer wheels were pieces of paper that prayers were written out by Buddhist holy men. Although Justin did not know the actual prayers inside the prayer wheels, he viewed this activity as his prayers, to seek a peace in his life that he was lacking. He shared that spinning these prayer wheels were one of the ways that he was able to seek ultimate happiness in all areas of his life. We prayed over the man and asked for him to seek the truth which is only found in Jesus.
     Later in the afternoon until early evening, we travelled to a community park that was near some of the government buildings, including the United States embassy. While in this park, we observed several “new” things since we had arrived in India including large open fields of grass, beautiful flowers, tall trees, and trash cans (yes- these were the first public trash cans that we had seen in four days in a city of 24 million people) .
     In this park, several families were gathering for a Muslim holiday called Eid al-Fitr which is a holiday that marks the end of Ramadan where Muslims families break their time of fasting. As we prayer walked, our intentions were to engage in conversations with individuals about what they believed and why.
    Lance and I were able to prayer walk together and experience conversations with Afghan Refugees that were celebrating Eid al-Fitr together. We spent about 20 minutes talking about their life experiences including how difficult their situation was in India as refugees since they were not permitted to carry work visas and had to nearly beg to find low income work. We were able to exchange email addresses and agreed to find each other on Facebook to continue in conversations that were just begun at the steps of a mosque that held the remains of important Islamic leaders from the 1500’s.  Imagine that. A small town Kentucky boy having a conversation for the glory of Christ with four Muslims from Afghanistan in the midst of an Islamic holiday, God is so good.
     While at the park we also were able to experience culture as Lance and I were invited to play cricket for a few moments with Indians that only spoke Hindi.
     As we engaged the culture, we came to realize that we humans have so much in common including celebrating holidays, playing games and the joys of an afternoon family picnic in an open field of green grass. With all of these commonalties, I was reminded of the common need for salvation. All of humanity is fallen and finds itself in the desperate need of hope. A hope found only in Christ. A saving hope that many have never heard.
     Lord, help us to be your hands, your feet and use our eyes to cry your tears for the masses that are lost in hopelessness without you.
John Adams
India 1 Team

India 1: Day 4

India 1 Team: Day 4  
     This morning we had the incredible opportunity to visit a slum school that is run by  a couple from Bible Bhavan Christian Fellowship nearby. It was amazing for us as Americans, to be involved in a ministry run by a Mexican man, married to a French woman, with a helper from New Zealand, all working together in India to teach these sweet children about Christ through education. While there was an obvious language barrier, it was such a blessing to be able to interact with the kids on a basic level. Our time there involved singing a few songs with them in Hindi, teaching them the children's song "My God is So Big" (which they caught on to very quickly!), sharing a personal salvation story with them, and helping them color. It was such a blessing to be able to see this ministry and be involved in it in a very small way!
     During the afternoon we went scavenging through the local market. We were able to really interact with the locals here and, gain a better grasp of the culture. The whole experience was a great reminder to us that we have absolutely no control of what happens here, but thankfully, we know God does and He is far more trustworthy than any of us!
     Thank you so much for your prayers, they have been evidenced in almost everything we have done and we can see the Lord's hand guiding the direction of our time here. We ask that you would pray for us specifically tomorrow as we go out and witness on a Delhi University campus. Please pray for courage and wisdom, especially as we seek to follow the Spirits' guidance for us and His divine appointments, especially those we will engage tomorrow.
     "Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name give glory, for the sake of Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness! Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Our God is in the heavens; He does all that He pleases." (Psalm 115:1-3)
Hannah
India 1 Team

Malawi: Report #10

Malawi Mission Report #10
     Today we went to Kalolo, and we met with the local pastor, Brino. I was last in Kalolo four years ago, but a team did visit last year. There have been some real changes, so that the local congregation is not meeting regularly. However, the chief welcomed us warmly and invited us to evangelize. Leadership teaching changed to evangelism as Brino is now trying to build up the body of believers in a new but nearby location. I shared the Gospel with about a dozen people, several of whom were already believers.  The others did pray to receive Christ.
     Curt, Hannah, and Alicia went out to do evangelism, Curt and Alicia together and Hannah with Lewis, one of the stronger interpreters. They made several stops, and some prayed for salvation.
     Constance, Wendy, and Maddie conducted the VBS phase. There were a little over 100 children and they were not able to complete the lesson.  However, some of the children were attentive and seemed to understand what they heard.
     At lunch we discovered that that a teenage girl had died in the village next door. While the rest broke into teams for evangelism (no VBS), I went with Brino, the chief, and my interpreter, Peter, to express our sympathy. They had made it sound as if I would deliver some sort of speech or message, but as it turned out, the girl was Catholic, and a local priest came to fulfill that role. We did meet with the father and the family to express our sympathy. WE then regrouped and left Kalolo. Because of the funeral, most in Kalolo will walk to the other village tomorrow. As a result we will travel to a different village and church under Brino’s responsibility.
Matters for praise: Praise God for the day despite the difficulties; all is according to His plan for this village. Thank God for continued blessings of health, safety, and receptive hearts.
Matters for prayer: Please continue to pray for our safety in travel and for prepared hearts as we continue to share our faith in a new village.
Thank you again for praying with us.
Ray Smith
Malawi Team

Malawi: Report #9

Malawi Mission Report #9
     Today was our second and last day in Chiwoza. For those of you who have visited there, there are some changes. The little church made of homemade brick has a side wall that is leaning outward, and the wall near the pulpit is leaning inward. It is a dangerous situation, and I doubt it will survive the next rainy season. Also, two years ago there was construction on a large building. This is complete and is a local hospital, funded at least in part by foreign funds. Kamoyo is only 2-3 km away, and the hospital could serve to back up the dispensary Curt has been planning for Kamoyo.
     The morning began on a sad note. One of our interpreters, Gift, received word that his father-in-law had just died. There are no living sons to attend to the funeral arrangements, so Gift has that responsibility. Peter, our logistics man, took Gift back home. Gift will travel tomorrow about 5 hours to the north to Mzuzu, where his and his wife’s families live. That is the second death event to hit this team of interpreters.
     Constance and Wendy worked with the children, assisted by Alicia. There were over 200 children today, some from Mtata village across the river. Once again it all went amazingly well.  Wendy led the teaching this time, and in the afternoon she worked without Constance, who swapped with Maddie.
     Curt, Hannah, and Maddie went by bus to Mkangamira village once again, with the hope of meeting the chief whose father they had met yesterday. He told Curt that he was sure God had arranged the visit to help with his father’s illness. This was a long visit, and there was no other evangelism in the morning.  In the afternoon Curt met a school teacher who is thinking of entering the ministry. This would of course be perfect for a church plant in the village. Curt later discussed this with Balckson, and he was very excited at this prospect.
     I worked with Abusa Blackson again with a small group of leaders in the Chiwoza congregation. There were eight women and five men. After the morning session I fielded some questions about forgiveness. It was during this time that a surprise happened. We had a brief, light rain. Remember this is their winter and the dry season. But none of us got very wet.
Matters for praise: Praise God for the developments in Mkangamira. Thank God for continued blessings of health, safety, and receptive hearts.
Matters for prayer: Please continue to pray for our safety in travel and for prepared hearts as we continue to share our faith in a third village beginning tomorrow--Kalolo. And pray for continued unity.
Thank you again for praying with us.
Ray Smith
Malawi Team

Malawi: Report #8

Malawi Mission Report #8
     Today the team rode to our second village, Chiwoza. We last visited there two years ago, and for Constance and Hannah it was a bit of a homecoming. Two years ago there was a child there who appeared quite ill, with a swollen eye. We saw her today, and she looked quite well. Also, starting today we have a new team of interpreters. Lewis, Dalitso, Laiter, and Gift have joined us for the week.
     Constance and Wendy worked with the children, assisted by Hannah. There were 200 children. It all went amazingly well by all accounts. During the craft time, the older children who remembered the lesson from the morning were selected to guide the others in the craft. On this outing, we had the children morning and afternoon.
     Curt, Alicia, and Maddie went by bus to a large, nearby village, Mkangamira, for hut-to-hut evangelism. Laiter and Gift went along with them as interpreters. In all, 35 people accepted Jesus as their personal savior. Two of these were women who are chiefs in their villages. There was also the wife and father of a third chief who is over several villages. The father was sick, but they presented the Gospel to him and both he and the chief’s wife received Christ. The father remarked that he wished his son could have been there. It is likely that they will return to the village tomorrow, and they will visit the chief (as would be proper).
     I worked with Abusa Blackson again with a small group of leaders in the Chiwoza congregation. Eight were there, morning and afternoon. It was good to see the familiar faces of a couple of them. Afterward they asked a couple of questions, on and off topic, which I and Blackson answered. It was a good day. They are a wonderful group.
Matters for praise: Praise God for the receptive hearts in Mkangamira and Malunga, a village next door. Thank God for continued blessings of health, safety, and receptive hearts..
Matters for prayer: Please continue to pray for our safety in travel and for prepared hearts as we continue to share our faith in Chiwoza village. And pray for continued unity, not only on our team but among the interpreters as well.
Thank you again for praying with us.
Ray Smith
Malawi Team

India 1: Day 3

India 1: Day 3

     India is so different than anything I have ever seen or experienced. There are shrines to all their many gods on almost every street and it breaks my heart. They bow down to gods that have been made by human hands, hoping to get blessed by them, but never actually receiving anything for their dutiful prayers. Their gods are empty gods with empty promises.

     Today we were able to visit a church of believers, called Bible Bhavan Christian Fellowship, which was a relief in such an unknown place. The service was in English and much like our Western services in America with hymns and praises. Being there was like a breath of normality in the middle of a very dark world. It was a blessing to be so welcomed into the church and to watch the people worship the same God I worship, instead of the millions of gods that are worshipped just outside the door. BBCF was very centered on prayer and fellowship, which was beautiful to witness and be part of for the day.

     Later we were able to fellowship over lunch with other missionaries and also walk through the market with them too. As we walked we were able to stop and pray over a woman who has been showing a great interest in Jesus, and let us speak openly to her about Him in her work place. She is of the Sikh religion, where you can only pray to the Guru while at the temple, so she was confused at first as to how we would pray when not at a temple. Mary explained to her that our God, Yisu (which is Jesus in Hindi), is an all present God, so He can hear our prayers no matter where we are. The woman has been married five years and has yet to have her first child. In India you are supposed to have your first child within one year of marriage, so we prayed that she would soon be able to have the child she so desperately wants. As we left she said, "Yisu, this is a god I can pray to." I felt very blessed to have been a part of praying for such a sweet woman, and I will continue to pray that she has a child and that she will come to know the love of Christ.

     To finish the day we went to Dave and Mary's home for dinner and also to hear Dr. Wolfe give a lecture entitled “History On A Page”. His emphasis was that Jesus is the hinge of history and he gave us practical applications to use while witnessing.

     Please pray for us, that God will work through us in this dark place, and pray for all the people we meet along the way. Also pray for the other missionaries here as well, that God continues to send them and that His will is fulfilled through them.

     The Bible says, "The Lord is near all them that call on him, to all that call on him in truth." (Psalm 145:18)
Elisabeth
India 1 Team

India 1: Day 2

India 1: Day 2,
     Our team woke up this morning and prepared to fully encounter the specific cultural and religious idolatry/evil that we are facing in Delhi.  Accompanied by the missionaries we are partnering with, we were given a tour of Northern Delhi places of worship by a converted Hindu Pastor named Ravi.
     We toured a Hindu Crematorium, Birla Temple (Hindu), Bangla Sahib (Sikh), and Nizzamudin Mosque (Muslim). Our team prayed together and prayer walked the sights praying that our Lord light would penetrate the darkness. The team felt a great sense of awareness of the principalities of the dark and harsh stares of those worshipping there. There is so much darkness and desolation in and around these beautifully architected temples here. We see the same darkness at home, but this darkness has a different face that we are not familiar with.
     This morning at the crematorium we saw people carry their loved ones ashes to the (Hindi sacred) Yamuna river in hopes that they'd find favor with their gods and receive salvation after the river had accepted them. Our team prayed for the misled and the for God's truth to penetrate this stronghold in dead tradition.
     Our prayers in the temples were that the people of India will stop worshipping the dead and following the living Savior Jesus Christ.  We pray that the veils are removed from their eyes and they will turn from the false teachings the devil has used to hide the truth from them.
     From there, we got to hear the incredible testimony of our guide, Pastor Ravi, describe his journey of conversion to Christianity.  The power of his testimony will stay with us because of his passion and comfort in his salvation in Christ. This was evidence to him by challenging God to reveal Himself to him.
      Furthermore, while in the elaborate temples/mosques we followed standard traditions as anyone entering the temples would, and it certainly stretched us outside of our comfort zones. In the places of worship we saw the idolatry and confusion of people who worshipped unknown gods, performed religious rituals to a language and teaching they cannot understand. One of the most interesting parts of the day was when prayed against the forces of darkness in a sacred Muslim place where a Sufi saint was laid to rest and only Muslim men were allowed to pray. The spiritual warfare in that small space was clear to us while praying for their repentance and salvation at one of their ceremonial alters.
     Pray for us that we will not have a spirit of fear, but of boldness and that we will trust the Holy Spirit to guide us in all of our interactions with the people of Delhi. Thanks for your prayers, we can see the evidence of faithful followers praying to our Lord.
Lance
India 1 Team
Acts 5:11-32

India 1: Day 1

India 1: Day 1

The team has finally embarked on a great journey. We left the airport not fully knowing what to expect. We may be ready in a physical sense, but our emotions, and spiritual life will be tested in all areas on this trip. When we first arrived, the thing that stood out the most was the sheer chaos that is called traffic. There is no rhyme or reason to it. People drive while straddling the road lines, horns going off in every car, and cars so close you could easily reach out and touch them. However, regardless of the trials and dangers we may face, Christ is made greater when we become lesser. Our reliance on The Lord will be our guide, and prayer will be our hope. Please continue to pray for us as we become a beacon of light in a dark place, pray that the gospel will spread like a wildfire, and pray the enemy will be kept at bay. C.H. Spurgeon says: "If sinners be damned, let them leap to hell over our bodies." There is an urgency here, and we must be obedient to the Fathers guidance.
We go out today to a Hindu temple, a Sikh temple, and a Muslim mosque. We will witness cremations, scattering of ashes, and just how they conduct themselves in worship. We will certainly pray over Gods hand to work in these areas. Prayer walking will take great precedence on this trip, for prayer is the slender nerve that moves the hand of God in these places. Pray for divine appointments so we may meet with individuals and share our story. Our personal story will be one of the greatest ways to capture ones heart. Pray for us to have comfort in sharing and comfort in an unknown place and people, and that we may have confidence. Any leader is measured and judged by there followers, and likewise Christ is judged and measured by our actions in being His followers. Thank you for your love, prayers, and encouragement in this time! May God bless you as you go out during your day!

Andrew Kata
India 1 Team

Malawi: Report #7

Malawi Mission Report #7

Today we left for the new guest house. Curt and Maddie had been asked to help in an early service in town before we drove to the village. Maddie sang and Curt preached while the team moved luggage to the guest house, where we later converged and made our way to Kamoyo village.

We arrived as the service was just beginning, and the team took part in the Sunday service. Constance and Wendy led the children in a lesson for Sunday school. Hannah, Alicia, and Maddie did a program for the youth and helped them memorize Phil. 4:13. I led an adult Bible study.
In the morning service that followed, during the time of singing (and a little dancing) the team was asked to sing. Maddie led us in two songs (no dancing). Curt preached from Philippians 4 about rejoicing and knowing the peace of God in difficult times
It was good to see men and women there whom we have seen since the earliest days of ministry there. Their reception was warm. And we ate our customary lunch of Malawian food (nsima, ndiwo, and some meat). We passed a restful afternoon in our new rooms.
Matters for praise: Thank God for continued blessings of health, safety, and receptive hearts..
Matters for prayer: Please continue to pray for our safety in travel and for prepared hearts as we go to share our faith. Monday and Tuesday we will be in Chiwoza village.
Thank you again for your partnership with us.
Ray Smith
Malawi Team

Malawi: Report #5 & #6

Malawi Mission Report #5 & #6
Today was a second day of planned urban ministry. The team spent the entire day working in a second neighborhood next to the one they visited yesterday.  It is named Chinsapo 2.  There is a Baptist church near this neighborhood, and Curt suggested that we work with members of that church so that believers would have follow-up. The pastor of that church and several members went with the team. They spent the morning, took a break for lunch, and then spent the afternoon meeting people and sharing their testimonies and the Gospel. In all there were 75 decisions to receive Jesus.  However, I was not able to work with the team today as I came down with a water-borne illness.
We will be moving tomorrow to our new lodging. Our current host did not take the news well. However, we finally did settle up with him, and later, when I stopped by to give him the money, he invited me in to sit with his family. It is the last of Ramadan and they are Muslim. I tried hard to direct the conversation toward a chance to share the Gospel, but he is quite a talker and I was not able to steer the conversation. It all was quite pleasant, so that our departure has ended on a good note.
Matters for praise: Thank God for the responses we have seen so far. It is a great encouragement to see God working.
Matters for prayer: Please continue to pray for our safety in travel and for prepared hearts as we go to share our faith. Pray specifically that no one else will come down with my illness. I so want the team to have positive experiences on this trip. And God has provided so far.
Thank you, again, for your partnership with us.
Ray Smith
Malawi Team

Malawi: Report #4

Malawi: Report #4

Today we traveled to Kamoyo village again. School was officially in session, but as there was no school work to be done, the children were dismissed to VBS. There were nearly 200 children taking part. Wendy did the story in the morning session—her first ever—and Constance did the second, with Maddie as their helper, along with their interpreters. It was a wonderful, full day with the kids, and afterward many were showing me their craft, pictures from the resurrection story that they had colored.
Curt took Alicia and Hannah on hut-to-hut evangelism. In the morning they went to a “not-so-nearby village” in the area, traveling by bus. At that village there was a female chief who was very interested in the Gospel. She and a large group of 10 men, plus women and children, about 30 in all, listened to the message. Many prayed to receive Christ. The chief asked for a Bible, and Peter, an interpreter, gave his to the chief. She intends to have Bible studies in the village. We suggested to pastor Blackson that he might plant a church there. On a second stop in a village nearby, they presented the Gospel to another group of about 10 people. Later they met the chief, who was sick with malaria; they prayed over him. There were many who responded to the Gospel here as well. In the afternoon they went to two other villages with a good response to their message. Once again they prayed over illnesses of two women. In all there were 71 decisions for Christ.
I (Ray) worked with the pastor on discipleship/leadership studies. Three men and 12 women attended. Not surprisingly, as part of the topic was spiritual warfare, there were questions about spiritists and about reincarnation.
Matters for praise: The bus is repaired, and now we are traveling together. We continue to be healthy and in good spirits.
Matters for prayer: We continue to work through the wi-fi issue. At least we are able to keep in contact with our church back home. Also, the water works is having significant problems with their pumps. This is the second evening with no showers. And the hotel lacks what most have: a large reserve tank. Bummer. Pray for a solution for this. As I write this, showers appear to have returned (but for how long?).
Thank you for your continued prayer in our behalf. God is at work.

Ray Smith

Malawi Team

Alaska: Day 5

Alaska: Day 5 Tuesday was a busy day. We got up to a wonderful breakfast of biscuits and gravy made by Pastor Brent's wife, Carrie. Mmmm, mmmm good!  That filled us up for a busy morning of walking around neighborhoods to hang door knockers for the park party. Virginia had some car trouble when she left the lights on for about 15 minutes. Poor battery. After that we got a few hours of down time before the party at Balta Sepalla park, we worked for 4 solid hours setting up, working, and then breaking down the party. Wow, what a night!

Malawi: Report #3

Malawi: Report #3
Today the team traveled to the Dowa District to see Hope House, and orphan feeding center. Jim and Janelle Hamilton, a retired couple, began this work after many mission trips to Malawi in the early 2000s. There are many orphans in Malawi homeless;  orphaned as their parents died of AIDS. It is estimated that 5 out of 8 orphans in Malawi are HIV+. The Hamiltons began the work on a shoestring budget to feed just 20 or so. Now they feed about 350 in three separate centers. They grow their own vegetables, raise chickens and rabbits, and receive an enriched meal from Feed the Children. They teach the orphans to sew as a source of future livelihood. They help them with their education. We were able to visit the third Hope House, where Constance was able to visit with an orphan she sponsors. God has blessed this work over the years, and they continue to expand their reach. They will be expanding to help widows, many of whom are old and destitute.
After the children got out of school, we were able to join them for a time of singing songs and choruses, dancing with the orphans as they sang, accompanied by a drum. The team was able to take part briefly in helping to serve the feeding of the orphans before we had to leave. It was a wonderful time for the team to see a simple work begun in faith which God has blessed so. Tomorrow, back to Kamoyo.
Matters for prayer: Please continue to pray for prepared hearts as we work here. Please pray for the team in their preparations and work. Pray for continued good health. Pray for me as I lead, for sensitivity to God’s direction and for wisdom.
Ray Smith
Malawi Team

Malawi: Report #2

Malawi : Report #2Today was our first day of ministry. We drove out to Kamoyo, the village where First Baptist Norfolk planted a church a few years ago. Constance and Wendy had scheduled VBS activities, but because school was in session the program had to be delayed until the afternoon. (This is the first time we have had such a conflict in July.) However, the afternoon went quite well, and 210 children were present for the program about Jesus’ life, miracles, and love for children. Curt Breland led Alicia, Hannah, and Maddie, along with Constance and Wendy, in hut-to-hut evangelism. A smaller group went with him in the afternoon. There was a wonderful response, even among some people claiming to be Jehovah’s Witnesses. In all there were 85 professions of faith in Kamoyo and two nearby villages. And I (Ray) taught a group of 15 church members in the leadership development part of the work.

Matters for praise: We are in good spirits and working well together. There is a real sense of unity in the group. And God is blessing our work here in Malawi. 

Matters for prayer: We took our accommodations in part for the promise of wi-fi. It has been more a matter of where-fi. We are having to transport down to a hot spot of cyber-café to connect for these reports. Pray for continued good health. Pray for people yet to be reached. And pray for our transportation. I had scheduled a bus for us, but we are currently in two SUVs while the bus is being serviced. I am concerned about additional cost as a result. 

Thank you for sending and partnering with us in this work.

Ray Smith

Alaska: Day 4

Alaska: Day 4

What a day! There were 80 dozen donuts delivered to the church that were then divided into boxes of 8 each. After, we divided into 2 vans with the Plant City team and delivered them to different businesses in the morning. Reagan and Virginia took a dozen to a party store (like Party City) and then bought some props for the photo booth at the park parties later in the week. After a great lunch, we divided into different teams for the afternoon project. We went to a mobile home park and went door to door asking if they had smoke detectors. If they did, we asked if they needed any batteries. If they did not, we would offer them one or two and even offer to install them for free. The reason True North Church has started this ministry is because of the winters. They are brutal with all of the snow and cold. It is hard for the fire trucks to get through the snow to get to those homes. The smoke detectors will at least give the family time to get out and save their lives.

Malawi: Report #1

Malawi: Report #1

We arrived safely In DC, stayed overnight Friday the 18th, and left for Africa on the 19th. About 12 hours later we landed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The transfer was difficult, but we arrived at 12:30 in Malawi to a large group of ministry. They took us to the lodge—definitely we are going “native”…not the arrangements we had with the host missionaries. So family and friends, we arrived safely. Ministry begins for us on Tuesday, and we will keep you posted.

Ray Smith

Alaska: Day 2-3

Alaska: Day 2-3
What a day we had on Sunday!  We attended and worked church at the library. Everyone helped with setting up the nursery, preschool and children's areas and then work one if not both services.  After we all helped pack everything up, we headed for our annual trip to Byron glacier. For Jimmy and Virginia, it was a shock to see how much it has receded since last year. Reagan and Makenzie had a great time walking on the rocks and in the water. As you can see, all of the girls bonded by getting in the water for a picture. The girls did convince Mike to get in as well.

It is Monday morning at 8 AM and we are preparing for the day. True North Church has been delivering donuts to local businesses for the past few years. It is something that the businesses have come to love. This afternoon we are doing something new: the church is going to local mobile home parks to install smoke/ carbon monoxide detectors. If they already have one, we have batteries to change or leave them a few extras.

              

West Virginia: Day 2

West Virginia-Day 2
We are planting the seeds, telling the story and patiently waiting for the harvest.

West Virginia: Day 1

West Virginia-Day 1

Today we started VBS at Scott's Trailer Park (11 children) and Yellowbud Apartments (19 children). This is the largest 1st day turnout! The children were waiting for us to arrive. Guess those door hangers really worked!  We started giving out the adult clothes which were much appreciated.  Everyone seemed to enjoy the curriculum and loved their sunglasses.

Alaska: Day 1

Alaska: Day 1

Good morning from Alaska!  It is 9:27 AM here in Anchorage and as most of you know, we made it! We got here safe and sound with only a slight delay leaving Dallas. After getting our luggage and dropping it off at the church, we grabbed dinner at McDonalds. We started to settle down about 11 PM since our bodies told us it was 3 AM back home. After a good nights sleep (with a slight upset stomach for one) we are sitting here planning our day. The first thing: a real breakfast!!! After that we will be heading to the wild life reserve and then downtown for some shopping at the local market.

Montreal: Day 1

Montreal-Day 1

The team arrived safely.  We attended the worship service on Sunday.

It was a wonderful worship service.  The gym auditorium was packed with music and preaching in both English and French. It was a very enthusiastic and engaging worship service.   A couple visiting the church sat in front of us and it didn't take long for that couple to become fully engaged in the service.   So many different cultures were represented in the service that it truly reflected how the Lord reaches out to all cultures.  There are mission teams from Texas, Mississippi, Florida and our Virginia team and, all are here to help on Tuesday's out- reach projects.

 We had our devotions and team meeting in a park overlooking a large rapids filled river.

Bill & Judy Bassette

For the Montreal Team

Montreal: Day 4

And the Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood...John 1:14 (MSG)

Speaking of neighborhoods, that's exactly where we spent our day!  After saying goodbye to the Mission Team from Malta, TX who left today (along with the two teams from Mississippi), we made our way to the church offices...after our obligatory stop for coffee at Tim Hortons. Once there, Matthew, the associate pastor of Le Contact, the church executive assistant, Julie, and a church member and aspiring pastor, Michael met us and we all shared in a devotional and prayer time focused on servanthood and meeting the needs of those around us, which perfectly captured the purpose of this entire trip.

And then the walking began!  The church had made up around 1500 flyers depicting an action shot of the praise band and a ton of information about the church, their website and their Facebook page. Yesterday volunteers had cut out and prepared the flyers for distribution and with Michael as our local guide we began canvassing the neighborhoods around the church and the town of Repentigny, finally placing the last flyer late in the afternoon.  Along the way we learned about Michael and how this church, Le Contact reached into his life of drugs and emptiness and provided hope and life just over a year ago. He is a changed man, so on fire for The Lord that he brought his mother and sister to Christ as a well, getting to baptize them himself this past Easter. His exuberance was infectious and truly made the day fly by.

Tonight we closed the day with a second devotion, centered on prayer and how the early church used prayer. Reading in Acts about the power displayed by the Holy Spirit in answer to those true believers reminded us all that we should be ready for tongues of flame to appear, rooms to shake and people's lives to be miraculously changed by going to God with His Will as our guide. Let us be so bold as to expect that each of our prayers will be answered as powerfully.

Blessings,

The Montreal Missions Team

Montreal: Day 3

Day Three

LeContact church had been planning the activities of this day for many weeks. It had many of the characteristics of our own BIG SERVE event.  However, unlike BIG SERVE, LeContact had placed an ad in the local newspaper advertising free help to single mothers and the elderly who needed help in moving or household chores.  Eight projects were identified, of which about half were for people who had no church affiliation.  Our team along with the mission teams from Texas and Mississippi dispersed into small groups and began tackling the projects.

Several teams were faced with the daunting task of moving a family's entire possessions from one residence to another. This often included moving refrigerators, stoves, washers and driers down several flights of stairs around tricky corners in confined spaces. Coupled to these logistical obstacles were the sweltering heat and humidity.

Other teams provided help in cleaning homes and utility sheds, building storage shelves, painting rooms, cleaning windows and cutting grass.

What was most perplexing to those non-church members who received the help was why were the teams willing to offer free assistance.  The answer of course was that the teams just wanted to show the love of Christ in action.  What the long range result will be we don't know, but the recipients know that LeContact is the church that reaches out in love.

A very tired and soiled team returned to our lodging thankful for each of the day's opportunities of sharing the love of Jesus.

Bill Bassette