Gone for God, Gone for Good

Sunday, September 15, I preached a message called, "Gone for God, Gone for Good." It was a great message to share, because it spoke on the truth of Psalm 67, which is known as the missionary Psalm. It talks about how and why God blesses His people, so that He may be known. Included in this message are three stories from people who have been to Kenya, Mexico, and SE Asia this past year sharing the love of God with others. The main thought of this message is, God Works Through people to make Himself known To people. Listen to the message here.

My Role As Executive Pastor

Recently, I read a blog and saw a leadership video on the role of Executive Pastors. Being in that role of I have often been asked, “What does the executive pastor do?” According to Dr. David Fletcher, there are three different kinds of Executive Pastors: Overseer of operations, Ministry Strategist, and the Second-in-Command.

                                

My pastor, Rick Frie, explains my job as, “being responsible for everything that happens outside of the worship service (except for building and grounds).” With that being said, the overseer of operations (writing checks, maintenance of facilities, dealing with insurance) is outside of my job description and I rarely have to do anything with that. The closest responsibility I have to that role would be my involvement as an ad hoc member of the finance team, but my role is for ministry and budget oversight responsibilities.

For my is a combination of the Ministry Strategist and the Second-in-Command. I work with the pastor to clarify and fulfill the vision God has given him for our church. My duties include goal setting and constant evaluations, while overseeing ministry and church functions to free the pastor to shepherd the church. Oversight of our spiritual development, ensuring that we have a process and measurement system in place. When the Senior Pastor is out, I am the one held accountable for the daily operations of the church, staff oversight, filling the pulpit, etc. Additionally, I oversee our spiritual development, small groups, missions, evangelism, discipleship, and assimilation of lives into our church family… and other tasks assigned by the pastor. For example, I have been responsible for three capital stewardship campaigns in my time at First Baptist Jenks, with a fourth campaign looming as we are preparing to expand our children ministry facility.

I am not sure that there is an ideal job description for all executive pastors, but I do believe the key is to make sure the person in that role understands his job. Equally important is for the Senior Pastor to provide his executive pastor with the authority to fulfill the responsibilities he has been given and will be accountable for. Another key component is for everyone on staff to understand what that job entails and the how that affects working together as a team.

For me, I find great joy in being able to preach (about 8-12 times a year on Sunday mornings) and weekly on Wednesday nights. I love the leadership development aspect of my job. God has given me an outlet for my passion of missions, being able to oversee that area of the church. I thoroughly enjoy being able to critically think about our ministry strategy and evaluate how we are doing.

While there are times where the executive pastor role can stretch you, it is in those moments where I find my effectiveness increase as I naturally depend more on God. And be sure about it, God is the source for anything good that comes from my job performance. He provides the ideas, strength for execution, and a heart to fulfill His mission in my ministry setting!

Mexico Mission Trip (3 of 3)

Overall, we were impressed with the partnership the BGCO has established with the Guerrero Baptist Convention. To make this a true partnership, they are pairing local churches in Mexico and churches in Oklahoma to truly work together to plant churches. The leader in Guerrero is organized, smart, prayerful, and strategic. Pastors of the church plants were eager to be about the work of the Lord and reach their communities for Christ.

While the whole region of Guerrero is being adopted, we are looking in and around Acapulco for our church plant. It was a bit odd knowing that we were to pick which of the 18 churches we visited pastors/churches we wanted to work with – the pastors we visited knew this was happening too! Fortunately, we had our dates set for 2013 and are working with a church that had already planned a crusade that week. There were several other pastor/church plants more than worthy to work with as well.

I was amazed by some of the stories of sacrifice being made by the pastors we met. One man moved from Cuba to Mexico (without his family, because he felt called of God to Acapulco – his family is try to move to Mexico legally). Several of the pastors moved their families to the neighborhoods they were trying to reach, giving up comforts of their own home for their calling. Pastors were gladly sending members to plant new churches without regard for how big their own church was. The pastors we meet we true Kingdom minded men.

This partnership will not be without its challenges though. Mexico is infamous for the drug cartels and violence associated with them. Many people are scared to travel to Acapulco for this reason, and although it is not nearly as bad as the media portrays it to be, it is a true concern. Also, we will have to deal with people wondering if you can really do a “Real Mission Trip” in Acapulco.

It is my belief that once people visit the city, see the people we will be ministering to, and experience the work God is doing all of this will be resolved. Until, my challenge is to pray for the 15 new church plants, pray for God’s provision and protection, and pray asking God what your role in His work in Acapulco should be.

Mexico Mission Trip (2 of 3)

Day 2 – October 23: Sam arrived the night before. We met for breakfast around 8:30, ate with 3 local pastors, and then our church plant tour. Our first meeting was at a weekly pastor’s prayer meeting. Although we arrived late, most every pastor waited for us. The wife of that church’s pastor fixed us lunch (some sort of fish with rice), and we were off. 

We visited 13 different churches that day. It was really encouraging to see the work being done in Guerrero. We did not venture too far outside of Acapulco as the majority of the population is located within a few miles of the primary city. It was nice to meet some new friends. We returned to the hotel worn out a bit after 10:05PM.

Day 3 – October 24: Our day started with breakfast, then we got picked up again by the church planting strategy coordinator for the Mexico Baptist Convention, Calet (he was our host the whole trip). The agenda was to visit 5 more church plants and continue to decipher how God was leading. Much like the previous day, it was constant moving from one church to another, taking time to visit and pray with each planting pastor. The primary difference was that the churches were further spread out. 

The final church we visited was on top the point of Acapulco. Community members do not consider themselves part of Acapulco. There were 120 homes in this neighborhood and it was also the latest target area for a church plant. One widow donated two plots of land to build a church, and a sponsor church is arranging to purchase two more plots of land. The hope is to create a retreat center for churches to use to get away from the hustle and bustle of daily life.

Day 4 – October 25: We woke up early and flew home.

Mexico Mission Trip (1 of 3)

The Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma has entered into a partnership with the Baptist Regional Convention of Guerrero, Mexico with the hope of planting 15 churches by 2015.   October 22-25, Rick and I traveled with the Volunteer and Partnership Missions Director of the BGCO to tour the Guerrero Mexican state and meet some local pastors. First Baptist Jenks is considering a partnership to work with church plants in Guerrero, Mexico. The following will be a series of post detailing our trip and explaining what we are hoping to accomplish in our partnership:

Day 1 – October 22: We traveled from Tulsa to Acapulco. Our plan was to meet up with Sam Porter in Houston, and meet some Mexican pastors when we landed. Sam’s initial flight was delayed and he did not make it to Houston in time to catch the flight to ACA, then he missed his connecting flight in Mexico City, and ended up arriving over 8 hours late. Therefore, when Rick and I arrived at the airport, we simply went to the hotel and took it easy that afternoon. We got there around 3:45 and waited for Sam to arrive for dinner at 8:00, then found out he would not get in until after 10. Unfortunately, Sam's had a terrible day missing flights in OKC, HOU, and MEX, for us though it led to a pretty easy day since our tour guide was MIA... sorry Sam!

Book Review: 10 Who Changed the World by Danny Akin

A friend of mine, Jarrett Stephens, recommended this book to me and I am glad he did. Danny Akin takes 10 great missionaries are correlates their story with a portion of Scripture that he exegetes as well.  There are many tremendous details of famous missionaries’ stories I had not heard, as well as introductions to missionaries I was not familiar with. Without going into great detail about each chapter, I am going to give you the name of the 10 missionaries and the key takeaway I had from them:

1.     William Carey – Not His Own

2.     Adoniram & Ann Judson – All Good Even When Life Is Not

3.     Bill Wallace – Sacrifice Today for the Eternal Tomorrow

4.     Lottie Moon – Living and Loving Loud for the Gospel

5.     Jim Elliot – Passionate Persistent Pursuit of Proclaiming

6.     George Leile – Slave to the Gospel (True First Modern Missionary)

7.     David Brainerd – Unashamed Self-Denial

8.     Eric Liddell – Surrendered Champion

9.     John & Betty Stam – Courageous Glorification in Life and Death

10. James Fraser – The Prayer Missionary

This is one of the true first books I have read just to read since I graduated from school. It was a great read and I would recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about missions, missionaries, passion for Christ or His mission. This is an encouraging and challenging read for followers of Jesus.

On Mission (Run to Win)

This past Sunday, August 12, I had the opportunity to preach. Continuing with our sermon series (The Real Church) I felt led to preach about how The Real Church is On Mission. The sermon came from 1 Corinthians 9:16-27 and focused on how the real church Proclaims Christ Crucified, Proclaims Creatively without Compromise, and Proclaims Conscious of the Crown. It was awesome because God showed up and spoke through me! May we all be on mission and run to win! Click this link to listen to the sermon.

Kanas City Family Mission Trip

August 1-4 our church went to Kansas City for a Family Mission Trip. Christy & I decided that we would take all of our children with us, including Clay who is only 19 months old. I wasn’t nervous about taking the kids for the afternoon and evening activities (we rested in the afternoon and put on a VBS for FBC Platte City, MO in the evenings), but we both had some concern for how they would do in the morning.

We worked with a ministry called Hillcrest Transitional Housing, which assist homeless families get back onto their feet and off of the streets. We painted, cleaned, pulled weeds, worked on a playground, and even built a brand new playground set. To our delight, all of our kids did great. Chloe (6) was a true helper and go getter. Coleman worked hard, wanted to paint, and brought the adults (along with his big sister) water. Clay even got in on the act, picking up stuff to throw away (rocks included) and wanting to paint! It was a phenomenal trip for all of us.

In addition to my family, we had 11 other families go to. It was really great to see how well everyone worked together, and how hard they all worked individually. FBC Platte City were great hosts. Hillcrest gave us plenty of work to do. We saw over 25 children pray to receive Christ, and we left feeling as though God had used us in a great way.

For anyone thinking about taking your family on a mission trip, let me say that you should definitely do it!

11 Helpful Tips for Mission Trips

I read this article today and found it helpful and interesting, so I am sharing an abbreviated form of it here. For the full article from the original source, click here for Jeremy Parks post.

1. Know the difference between Missions vs. Ministry: Ministry is about loving people. Missions is about loving people so that His kingdom might expand into the hearts and minds of people. Mission teams usually need to be about missions, not ministry.  

2. When in Rome, Eat as the Romans Eat: Eat what you are given, when you are given it. Never refuse, make faces, joke about, or make a big deal of what’s offered, it is typically their very best they have to offer. Eat like your grandmother was serving you your meal.  

3. Flexibility: You’ve go to go with the flow in regards to your schedule, job changes, tasks, and inconveniences… go along and get along.  

4. Just accept it: Don’t critique the choices that the missionaries make: food, shopping, clothing, schooling, driving, how they spend their money, how they educate their children.

 5. Don’t be high maintenance: Consider not going if you are diabetic or hypoglycemic, an extremely picky eater, if you must have air conditioning, or if you are a vegans, vegetarians, and gluten-free eater… leave your diet at home too!  

6. Minister to the missionary: Financially, personally and vocationally, do whatever you can to encourage others. Remember that you could very well be the only American Christian they see and spend time with all year, always be a source of encouragement to them.  

7. Practice your testimony. Be able to share your story in 3-4 minutes.  

8. Learn the Language: Make an attempt to learn the basic of communication with nationals, whether through gestures common to the people or through some basics words, but do it without constantly asking the missionary.  

9. Partner: Unless you possess a special set of skills that is needed in a variety of locations, find a missionary, a strategy, and a people group with whom you can partner for a few years.  

10. Think: Show a willingness to use creativity and the wealth of resources we have in the United States in order to present high quality work and projects.  

11. Learn: Most missionaries are forced to use out of the box techniques for reaching people for Christ, pay attention to what they do and apply it to your work back home. Go with your cup empty, not full!

Hell Is the Wrath of God in Effect by Mark Driscoll

Do We Really Believe What We're Saying? by David Platt

Do We Really Believe What We're Saying? from The Church at Brook Hills on Vimeo.

Francis Chan's Tremendous Example

“Christian famous” pastor quits his church, moves to Asia
By, Eric Marrapodi, CNN

He pastored a 4,000-member church in California. He was a sought-after speaker at major conferences, wrote two best-sellers and launched a DVD teaching series.

Then he abruptly resigned and left the country.

But in Francis Chan’s unexpected journey there apparently is no hidden scandal, no money trail, and no ‘other’ woman.

“I just want to disappear for a while,” he said in late September as he prepared to leave Cornerstone Community Church in Simi Valley, California for an undisclosed location in Asia.

Before selling his house and packing up his wife and three children, Chan was becoming “Christian famous” in Evangelical circles.

“Even in my own church I heard the words, ‘Francis Chan’ more than I heard the words, ‘Holy Spirit’,” he said.

That was a big part of the reason he walked away at the peak of his professional career.

“I think there has been too much emphasis on me. I want to be used by God, but I think we have this desire to make heroes out of people rather than following God and the Holy Spirit.” For the rest of the article, click here.

Later on in the article it says, "His fame was straining his work as a pastor." Note that his church was continuing to grow, he did not have a problem delegating, or caught in some scandal. He simply viewed his image as detracting from God, so he walked away for a season. It is my hope and desire to make Jesus famous, and now there is an example to make sure He is always more important than me!

SBC 2010: Great Commission Resurgence (GCR)

The biggest thing about this year’s convention was the passage of the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force Report (GCR). When I first heard about it, I personally felt like it was an indictment against Southern Baptist that we had strayed so far from what we (The Church) were created to do that we needed to push for the Great Commission to be our focus again, after all, what else is there for the church! Now, a little part of me still feels that way, but more of me is excited that we as a convention noticed the need to change our course and move in God’s direction for us.

There are 7 main parts of the GCR that can be read here, but basically it can be summed up by saying our goal as Southern Baptists is to penetrate the lostness in our world for the cause of Jesus Christ (fulfilling that which He called us to do). The main point of contention came with component three, “Celebrating and Empowering Great Commission Giving.” The reason this was controversial is that some thought it would take away from the CP (Cooperative Giving as established by the SBC in 1925). This point was minimized many times by Ronnie Floyd, NAMB, and the GCR task force as it only really includes giving to SBC causes and not rogues efforts – something I find silly since the Great Commission is not centered on the CP, the CP should be centered on the Great Commission.

Danny Akin addressed this at the B21 lunch when he said, “The CP has not become a golden calf, it’s worse than that.” (I am pretty sure I quoted that correctly, and I am pretty sure Danny Akin was the one who said it) Anyway, this component was changed a little bit to make some feel better about the sanctity of the CP, but I found the change unnecessary.

Some called this the most historic moment in SBC life ever, some called it he most historic sin the Conservative Resurgence, I call it getting focused on what we should be focused on. I am glad it passed, was happy to vote for it, and pray that we as church whom make up the SBC will be Kingdom minded Great Commission churches!

Here are some articles on the GCR:
The GCR
The GCR Campaign Page
SBC messengers approve GCRTF report
Hunt, Floyd discuss their increased CP commitment
GCR passage won't change SBC

Another important Resolution passed was on the Centrality of the Gospel, click here to follow (on Timmy Brister's blog).

March Madness and Jesus' Mission

March Madness is my favorite sports event all year. I love how NCAA basketball is on television from the time I wake up to the time I go to sleep (well, for the most part anyway). I love the purity of those who are playing, as exhibited by Cornell University and Northern Iowa this year. I love how the tournament through filling out brackets gets my wife into interested, as well as creating an avenue for my friends and family to reconnect. I also love how exciting the games are with the buzzer beaters, strategies, competition, and amazing athletes. When thinking through this, I was brought to a point where the greatness of March Madness is parallel to the greatness of our faith.

Jesus’ Mission is All-day, Everyday. He says that we are to be in the world not of it, and he prays for our protection from the evil one, that we would be protected when faced with temptation, opposition, persecution, etc. While far too many of us have adapted to the world instead of transforming it (In our language, entertainment, attitude, reactions), we must remember that we no more belong to the world than Jesus himself does.

Another similarity is that Jesus’ Mission is Pure. We all need to be sanctified. Sanctified comes from the Greek word hagios, which means holy or different or separate with 2 meanings: To set apart for a special task and to equip with the qualities of mind and heart and character which are necessary for that task. Simply put, we need to trade the rubbish of the world for something better God has for us! Here is the irony of the world we live in: the world is the enemy of our purity, yet in Jesus’ prayer it is the object of a living purpose expressed in mission.

Jesus’ Mission is also All-Inclusive. The directive to proclaim Christ to others is to the calling of every believer. Many think to live on mission equals us going on a mission trip (to Nicaragua, Alabama, Dallas, Nicaragua, etc), but the reality is going is as central to Christianity as love is. It is part of his nature, and you cannot spell God without GO! It is not special for the pastors or those on mission trips – its for every Christ follower. Evangelizing, sharing Jesus with others is the call of everyone who calls themselves Christian. To take the pressure off we need to understand 2 things: Our job is to share Jesus with others, not save them and we cannot save anyone, only Jesus can do that.

The problem is that we tend to see ourselves as business people trying to earn a paycheck when Jesus sends us out as His representatives or His missionaries. Thus, we need to think like missionaries. This occurs by being constantly aware of the lostness around you; constantly prayerful of those outside of a relationship with Christ; constantly looking for opportunities to share Christ; and constantly living as a person in a relationship with Christ. God’s mission is fulfilled through you and me and everyone else who identifies with Him

The final parallel is that Jesus’ Mission is Exciting. Jesus told us, “As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.” The same mission Jesus came to earth to fulfill is the same we are to fulfill. We are to bear witness to God (and produce followers of God), just as Jesus has done. God equips you for His work – the Holy Spirit is constantly moving, working through and around you.

Recently, I had the opportunity to lead a person to Christ. It was exhilarating to listen to this man I had not seen in 9 months refer to our previous conversation where I shared Christ with him by saying when asked if he had thought about our conversation, “I think about it very much, many times.” Although I was not around to share with him and although no one had spoken to him about Jesus, the Holy Spirit was speaking to him “very much, many times!” There is nothing as exciting as leading a person to Christ and it is my hope we will all join in the excitement our Lord and Savior calls us to engage in!

BA Mission Trip: Wednesday & Thursday

Our last day in Argentina started early. Mark woke up around 3:00AM with a stomach bug or food poisoning, and struggled with that all day. Around 10:00 or so we went to La Boca, a tourism site, but were only able to stay briefly due to Mark’s illness. It was not really disappointing to miss out on the sightseeing as tourism stuff is not a big deal to me.


Aaron and Stacie Bray were gracious enough to let us crash at their house so Mark could rest and feel better. While he was sleeping, I went to a local restaurant to eat lunch and read. It was comical to order my lunch through an iphone app as the waiter spoke zero English and my Spanish was not good enough to communicate either!


Upon my return to the missionary’s apartment, Aaron took me to our hotel to collect our luggage. I really enjoyed the time listening to his heart and desire to serve God globally. He and his wife are waiting to find out what they will be doing long-term in missions. Please pray for the doors to be opened and for clarity in the process for them.


Once we collect the luggage, we headed for the airport. The trip back was my best flight experience ever; a special thanks to Mark’s friend who gave us free business class upgrades. A lady in business class looked over to Mark and said, "Sir, those socks are pathetic." Albeit hilarious, the funniest part was the utter rudeness from the lady, and how clueless she was in regards to her words. Mark was not quite sure how to respond, but I had no problem piling on my buddy! Anyway, on the flight we were served a 5 course meal including filet mignon and ice cream; we sat in reclining seats that almost went flat; instead of junky headphones, they provide you with a Bose headset; we were given a normal size pillow and blanket, and a complementary toiletry bag including a toothbrush, toothpaste, socks, eye cover, earplugs, and mints… coach will never be the same!!!


Argentine Insights:
* Instead of knocking on a door, they clap and call for whomever they’re looking for.
* They always kiss on the cheek with a greeting
* When they get an ice cream cont they don't lick it (and they'll laugh at you if you do), they scoop the ice cream with mini spoon
* At a restaurant, they won't bring your bill until you ask for it
* Yes doesn't always mean yes, will tell you what you want to hear in order to be polite
* If property goes unclaimed for 2 months families can claim that land for free and it is illegal to remove them if they have children, they are referred to as squatters
* Argentines' traditional drink is called Matte. It is a tea that some have described as tasting like grass clippings. You drink it community style from the same straw. Your turn last until there is a slurping sound, at which point the cup is refilled with scolding hot water. You are expected to take at least two turns, once you've had enough you say "gracias," if you say it beforehand they will skip you in order to be polite.
* Argentine food is really bland. They do not use a lot of spices or salt, which is the opposite of what most people would expect. Also, the two primary meals are steak and pasta.


Ironic lesson:
Our translator, Nestor, told us Mexico is disliked by South Americans and Hispanics because they are known for torturing and mistreating illegal immigrants.

Highlights:
Meeting with Javier was a huge blessing for me. He has had some tough church experiences in the past and it was great to encourage him. He seemed genuinely appreciative of our time together. Hopefully, he will get plugged into a local church again.

It was also great reconnecting with my longtime friend Mark Spence. We grew up together, and have not spent quality time with each other in years. His vision for the ABBA project and love for Jesus was inspiring. I really enjoyed the time spent with my friend.

The trip in general was a blessing to. Being a part of the ABBA project has left me more inspired in my work with our partnership. Hopefully, we will see the same results as Mark and NRHBC has seen with theirs!

This was our breakfast everyday... the glorified croutons were referred to as toast, and the coffee tasted like meat!

BA Mission Trip: Tuesday

Today was another good day. We started the morning off by meeting with the Team Leader for Argentina. He and Mark discussed strategy, exploring the possibility of renting an apartment for two years. Obviously, there are many considerations and this was an exploratory conversation, but the fact that it was even discussed speaks to the level of commitment NRHBC has to the Adopt a Barrio strategy!


For lunch, we traveled downtown for lunch and ate at Hard Rock Café. Afterwards, we went to Recoletta cemetery to visit the tomb of Ava Peron, aka Evita… don’t cry for me Argentina.


We then had four great meetings. We went back to Esmeralda & Lucas’ place to have another Bible study on assurance of salvation. Their desire to learn and willingness to lookup various verses was great to witness. Mark had me lead this study, which I really enjoyed.


Our next meeting was with Armenda, an 83 year old believer who has a passion to reach her neighbors, friends and family for Christ. Our time with her was primarily to encourage one another and pray. It was very interesting to hear her talk about everyone who lives around her, and their spiritual state. She said her goal in her house was to always use it for the glory of God and that she believes she has been blessed because of that. She asked prayer for her nephew Anibal to rededicate his life to Christ, and for her neighbor Hugo to be saved.

Javier and Maribel had us over for a second time on our trip… but this time planned! We brought some sodas and cookies over to eat as we visited. Javier is a great man who seemed to be genuinely encouraged by our visit. He has had some past hurts with church experiences, but his faith and relationship with God is being restored and made new. Please pray that they would both draw near to God and find a revived passion for our great God and Savior Jesus Christ!


Ikor and Veridiana were our final meeting of the day. I was not sure what to expect when we got there, but as soon as we arrived the led us inside, departed momentarily and returned with their Bible’s in hand to go through a Bible study together. It was obvious from their quick ability to find each verse that they have been spending time studying. This study was on Jesus as Lord and the ramifications of that in our daily lives. Please pray for their continued growth and maturation in Christ Jesus. I really enjoyed this and every visit today; it was great to be a part of!


Dinner: Penne pasta with pesto sauce.

BA Mission Trip: Monday

Today was a day of encouragement. We spent the morning visiting with 3 career missionaries: Randy, Young, & Mark. Randy is the lead and has 3 of his 4 children and 2 grandchildren living in the States. He and his wife will be able to finally meet their 2nd grandchild (6 months old) Friday, as they will arrive to celebrate Thanksgiving with them for a week. He is from Oklahoma and has the misery of being a poke fan. Young is originally from Korea, but immigrated to the USA to study at Liberty University, followed by a second Master’s degree from Dallas Theological Seminary. He and his wife have not been able to have children, but his parents still live in Seoul and celebrated their 60th anniversary last year. Before moving to Argentina, he pastored a Korean church in New Jersey and served briefly in Venezuela before coming to Argentina. Mark is from Arkansas. He was an electrician who went on numerous short-term mission trips, served as a deacon, and taught Sunday school when he felt God was calling him to full-time missions. At that point they went through their training and have been in Argentina for a little over a year now. He has two girls, 5 and 7. All three of these men have made enormous sacrifices for the cause of Christ and I would encourage you to pray for them.


Lucas & Esmeralda are both new believers. Esmeralda accepted Christ in February and Lucas accepted Christ in July. Today, we had the opportunity to go through a follow-up Bible study on being saved. We went through separation of God through sin, the gift of salvation by grace through faith, and the new life we have in Jesus. It was a blessing to watch them study the Scriptures. Esmeralda helped Lucas figure out how to look up passages and he seemed genuinely happy to study. Tomorrow afternoon we will return to study assurance of salvation; it will be great. Pray for their continued maturation as they grow in and closer to Jesus.


This evening we met with Tiby, a seminary student at the Word of God Institute here in Argentina. He is from Romania and became a believer 5 years ago, July 24, 2004. The following year the same group came to his country and he volunteered with them, he soon developed a heart for Argentina and is now studying during the week and ministering on the weekend. He has asked that people would pray that he would have assurance of what God’s will is for him, and for his father (Deenes) who is not a believer.


Dinner = Salmon topped with some sort of almond cream sauce and spinach soufflé.

BA Mission Trip: Sunday

This morning we went to a local Baptist church. Their worship was very expressive and genuine; encouraging to be a part of. During the middle of the service the pastor recognized us. He had us come forward and then I was put on the spot without a clue of what to say or do. Through our translator, I thanked them for having us and told them it was a pleasure to be with them. The pastor wanted me to say more and I'm not sure what came out next, but it was something about how we are to shine and share the love of Jesus.


After church, a local missionary couple had us over for lunch: Jason & Kelly Frealy. Their presence alone is inspiring as they have a 4 year old girl Daniela and 13 month old boy named Nicholas. It was nice to spend the afternoon with them and listen to stories about daily life here, seminary, and what their life was like back in the States (he was a police officer with lots of great stories).


In the afternoon, we hosted a soccer watching party at a restaurant. 4 or 5 people from the neighborhood came and fellowshipped with us. Mark shared his testimony and the Gospel with those present at halftime. One of the guys present asked for prayer for his family at the end of the game. He seemed overwhelmed with gratitude for the prayers and it was obvious God was moving.


After the event, we actually went to a soccer game. With all the riots and murders and insane fans, I was a bit nervous about going, but the fears were unwarranted for our experience. The home team, River Plate, won 3-1. All of the fans stood, sung, jumped, and danced the entire game. It was crazy to watch and I think I was more entertained by the atmosphere than the game... not that the game was bad, especially for soccer!