Friday is a holy day here in the AP. We spent the morning at A's apartment with our team, the workers and several other families who live here in this country. I got a chance to lead the group in some praise and worship, then we shared the Word together. Joshua the 16 year old son of R and K led out in the study of the Word. It was such a joy to be able to worship in a place that is covered in the darkness of Islam. We had to cover all the windows so that no one from the outside could see what we were doing inside. How often do we take our own worship for granted? In America we have total religious freedom. We closed the service by dividing into groups and sharing prayer requests.
Today (Saturday) we will return home. Before we leave we have a few hours to hopefully engage a few more people. J had a chance to share with a lady this morning as she had her hands done in henna. As I post this blog, the B's are having lunch with Mohamed, a man who works at the souk. They are excited about the opportunity to share the Truth with him.
This morning while on my run by the beach, I had a chance to briefly share with a man named Amin. Pray that God would open the eyes of Mohamed, Amin, the henna lady at the salon, and so many others that we have connected with this week.
Pray for our journey home and for all the flight connections to be made. We should arrive back in OK around 5:30 pm Sunday.
Mark
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Another day in the AP
He was intrigued by this verse and that he could read the NT in his own language. He said he had read some of the NT before.
We also had a chance to share the 5 min video with several people today, one man I shared with said that he liked the story and wanted more stories so He allowed me to download to him another one that had the story of Abraham and the sacrifice of his son which coincides with the festival that they celebrate this time of year.
The B team is having great success in doors being opened because of their baby girl who is on the trip. They have received a couple of invitations to meet people in their homes as well as just making great discussion starters. She hasn't cried a bit since we left home and the people here can not resist her charm.
Lisa and Cheryl are busy visiting and sharing in the local markets along with our own "A" who is serving here in the AP.
Tomorrow we will have the opportunity to have a time of worship with all our team and the workers here at A's apartment. It is always a special treat to worship alongside those who are on the front line of sharing the good news in this part of the world.
Thanks for your continued prayers.
Mark
North Africa team- "The Moon"
We had a great day in the village today! All six members of our team traveled together to this very remote village to serve today. The women even had to get up early to dress in the traditional tamlahaffs that the women of the village wear.
We took more than 60 first aid kits and shared with them some basic tips on how to control bleeding and treat common ailments such as headaches, digestive issues, etc. We also discussed some basic hygiene practices like tooth brushing and hand washing that can significantly improve their quality of life. As you can see from the picture below, we took the first of 100 blankets that we will distribute tomorrow. We simply didn't have room for them all at once on top of the vehicle!
They were very gracious and loving people, and even asked specifically about past team members such as Todd and Sammy; and expressed a desire to see them again and for us to wish them and their families well. They then fed us a delicious lunch of goat skewers and traditional tagines! Opinions among the team varied greatly on how good goat is, but I loved it!
We will return to "The Moon" tomorrow to deliver more blankets and to view the progress of their new garden (which our previous IBC team built a fence around) and to see the new well! Thanks again for your continued prayers and support!
-Craig
We took more than 60 first aid kits and shared with them some basic tips on how to control bleeding and treat common ailments such as headaches, digestive issues, etc. We also discussed some basic hygiene practices like tooth brushing and hand washing that can significantly improve their quality of life. As you can see from the picture below, we took the first of 100 blankets that we will distribute tomorrow. We simply didn't have room for them all at once on top of the vehicle!
They were very gracious and loving people, and even asked specifically about past team members such as Todd and Sammy; and expressed a desire to see them again and for us to wish them and their families well. They then fed us a delicious lunch of goat skewers and traditional tagines! Opinions among the team varied greatly on how good goat is, but I loved it!
We will return to "The Moon" tomorrow to deliver more blankets and to view the progress of their new garden (which our previous IBC team built a fence around) and to see the new well! Thanks again for your continued prayers and support!
-Craig
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Update from the Arabian Peninsula Team
Our A P team divided up today into 3 separate teams, each team going to public places to share the good news. One team at a local mall had the chance to get into a very deep conversation with a muslim man who had a deep desire to have a pure heart. We were able to engage him in conversation that led to us explaining to him how only Jesus can make our heart clean through a personal relationship with Christ. He listened and seemed cordial to our message. We also were able to share the 5 minute video story through the use of the cell phone with a couple of other people.
The other team was able to get an invitation to visit in a home. They also befriended a man today who invited the team members to go out to dinner with him and then go bowling. This man just happens to be the personal assistant to the leader of this country. Coincidence?
I think not. I believe God is opening doors in order for us to share that is nothing short of miraculous.
Continue to pray for our ministry. We have several more days to share. Randy, who dislocated his shoulder is doing some better but still in much pain.
The other team was able to get an invitation to visit in a home. They also befriended a man today who invited the team members to go out to dinner with him and then go bowling. This man just happens to be the personal assistant to the leader of this country. Coincidence?
I think not. I believe God is opening doors in order for us to share that is nothing short of miraculous.
Continue to pray for our ministry. We have several more days to share. Randy, who dislocated his shoulder is doing some better but still in much pain.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
North Africa Trip Part 2
While the men were hiking and sharing, the women on our team stayed in the town where our friends live to share with neighbors and minister to their family....this meant lots of great visits over tea and pastries and lots of playtime with kiddos. During our first day we visited with a wonderful friend "Rebekah" who fed us and painted our hands with henna. She is a mom raising four children, two teenage girls and two handicapped sons. We were very touched by her hopeful smile and generous spirit.
We also shared tea with "Joy" who is well-known by our friends as a baker extraordinaire. We enjoyed this visit, although we could see for the first time the risk many friends here take if they choose to believe. During this visit there were many extra family members there and we could feel even as our friend talked with them the tension that comes with their friendship. Joy is what our friend calls a watcher, but her hospitality was big.
On Day Two the people here have a big Muslim holiday called L'aid Tefsca, celebrating the stories of Abraham and Ishamael and the provision of a lamb. Similar to our Christmas, the families gather to celebrate and give one another gifts. The day begins with families slaughtering a ram then eating it together as they celebrate. We were invited to share the beginning of this celebration with a precious friend "Mercy" who made great sacrifices to share with us. This friend works very hard in a difficult family situation to provide for her six children. We rejoiced this day as the holiday gave great opportunity to share. Our friend asked about the sacrifice of "Brahim" and if they talked about the story on this day. Often like our Christmas, many of the people celebrate the tradition without understanding the meaning. As Mercy asked her mother about what they believed about the celebration we were astounded as her daughter said, "Yes, we know the story. It's the same that we watched in the movie (God Story shared with them several months ago) where God gives His Son. What a joy to see a precious family here learning and sharing and coming so much closer to genuine relationship with God's Son. Our friend was able to follow up with the teaching that the blood spilled all over town that morning is not what takes away our sin.
We spent the evening in the neighborhood playing and sharing with neighbors - giving gifts brought with us, many of them given by you! We cooked together and played with the kids and enjoyed conversation, stories, and encouragement that is rare for our friend here. Today we visited the downtown area and bought some groceries that we would need to feed the hungry men on our team as they returned from their trip! Our afternoon visit was to "Perpetua" a believing sister who is precious beyond words. We felt the connection to her with the first kiss on our cheeks (the customary greeting here). Her life is so difficult but we parted with the assurance that we would meet again, if not in this lifetime, in heaven with Jesus. Our evening was spent making tortillas, tacos, salsa and guacamole. It was a group effort that took all of us and was a fun time of laughter and sharing stories.
On Day Two the people here have a big Muslim holiday called L'aid Tefsca, celebrating the stories of Abraham and Ishamael and the provision of a lamb. Similar to our Christmas, the families gather to celebrate and give one another gifts. The day begins with families slaughtering a ram then eating it together as they celebrate. We were invited to share the beginning of this celebration with a precious friend "Mercy" who made great sacrifices to share with us. This friend works very hard in a difficult family situation to provide for her six children. We rejoiced this day as the holiday gave great opportunity to share. Our friend asked about the sacrifice of "Brahim" and if they talked about the story on this day. Often like our Christmas, many of the people celebrate the tradition without understanding the meaning. As Mercy asked her mother about what they believed about the celebration we were astounded as her daughter said, "Yes, we know the story. It's the same that we watched in the movie (God Story shared with them several months ago) where God gives His Son. What a joy to see a precious family here learning and sharing and coming so much closer to genuine relationship with God's Son. Our friend was able to follow up with the teaching that the blood spilled all over town that morning is not what takes away our sin.
We spent the evening in the neighborhood playing and sharing with neighbors - giving gifts brought with us, many of them given by you! We cooked together and played with the kids and enjoyed conversation, stories, and encouragement that is rare for our friend here. Today we visited the downtown area and bought some groceries that we would need to feed the hungry men on our team as they returned from their trip! Our afternoon visit was to "Perpetua" a believing sister who is precious beyond words. We felt the connection to her with the first kiss on our cheeks (the customary greeting here). Her life is so difficult but we parted with the assurance that we would meet again, if not in this lifetime, in heaven with Jesus. Our evening was spent making tortillas, tacos, salsa and guacamole. It was a group effort that took all of us and was a fun time of laughter and sharing stories.
North Africa Trip - Day 3,4, & 5
The good news is, we made it back from our hike in the mountains without too many bumps and bruises. The bad news is, we are all a little gimpy and worse for wear (except Tim, who is 21...Aw, to be young again)! However, we did have an amazing time! Our primary goal on these hiking trips is to help our missionary scout out new villages and make new contacts. It is can dangerous (because of the possibilty of injuries and lack of emergency resources) to try to accomplish alone, which is why it is beneficial to have us go along with him. It is also a great chance for us to fellowship with and encourage our brother in Christ! Many people forget that our missionaries are often very isolated from any other believers and therefore miss out on one of the key aspects of church: fellowship. That said, we (Tim, Ben, and I) had an amazing time of fellowship with our brother in Christ! Unfortunately, we didn't get to make as many contacts as usual because of the major festival occuring during our visit; but, we did explore many places and villages where our missionary had never been before. And we did meet one young man in particular who was willing to let us camp out in his yard, and brought us bread and tea for breakfast. This is exactly the type of meeting that can lead to further corespondence and ministry opportunities in the future.
For the next two days, all six of us will travel together to the village named "The Moon" with our entire missionary family. This is the same village that Hope, Sammy E. and I visited last year; and that Todd, and the Spring NA team visited and built a fence in early this year. We will be conducting some basic first aid/hygene clinics with the adults and doing crafts and playing games with the kids. Please pray that God will continue to move in the hearts of the people in this village! Once again, we all want to thank you for your continued prayers as we seek to spread the glory of God to "the ends of the earth".
-Craig
(#bestcampingtripever/epic)
For the next two days, all six of us will travel together to the village named "The Moon" with our entire missionary family. This is the same village that Hope, Sammy E. and I visited last year; and that Todd, and the Spring NA team visited and built a fence in early this year. We will be conducting some basic first aid/hygene clinics with the adults and doing crafts and playing games with the kids. Please pray that God will continue to move in the hearts of the people in this village! Once again, we all want to thank you for your continued prayers as we seek to spread the glory of God to "the ends of the earth".
-Craig
.
Update on the Teams!
Both of our teams are doing well. One member on the team in the Arabian Peninsula fell and hurt his shoulder, but everything is OK. Pray for this team as they do their work of sharing the gospel with individuals they meet in the market, stores, etc.
The men on the N. Africa team have just finished their hike sharing with people in remote mountain villages. Above is a picture of their campsite on the hike.
The ladies on the team have been visiting women in homes and sharing with them. They got to enjoy goat, kidney, heart, and lung brochettes as part of a big festival going on there! The festival gave them terrific opportunities to share the Word. Please continue to pray for the team the next few days as they visit a village we have worked with over the last few trips to the country.
Thanks for praying!
Sunday, November 6, 2011
North Africa Trip - Day Two
Mission trips always involve a little bit of adventure, and this trip has proved to be no exception! After a fairly uneventful day one, we landed in London's Heathrow airport behind schedule. Already having a tight connection flight, we hurried through the airport until Tim and Ben were met by some resistance at the security checkpoint (in all fairness, they both look like pretty shady characters). I rushed ahead to find our gate, which just happened to be a 15 minute BRISK walk away. By the time I arrived all the other passengers had boarded. I pled with the gate official to give us a bit more time as the three ladies in our group arrived. Finally, he told me that he was shutting the door in 60 seconds, and I had to decide if we were going or staying. I told the girls to go on ahead and told them if the guys weren't here in time we would catch the next flight to N. Africa...in 3 days! But fortunately they came running around the corner with only seconds to spare.
We arrived on time in NA with 10 of our 12 checked bags (not bad for this trip). We then rented an additional car and headed down the winding, treacherous, mountainous road to our missionaries house. This too was not short on adventure since the majority of the trip was in the dark of night and the natives are not great at sharing the narrow one-lane road.
However, all things considered we had a great trip out and look forward to resting horizontally tonight! We were greeted with homemade chicken noodle soup and brownies, and got to spend some fellowship time with our missionaries and their beautiful kids! The men are headed out on a 3 day hike in the morning, so I will not be blogging for a few days. The ladies will spend some time in the village meeting and fellowshipping with some of the friends our missionaries have been developing relationships with. We are looking forward to a great week in which we know God will use us to bring glory to his name! Please continue to lift us up daily as we seek to serve alongside our missionary friends in spreading the love of Christ in a dark part of the world!
-Craig
We arrived on time in NA with 10 of our 12 checked bags (not bad for this trip). We then rented an additional car and headed down the winding, treacherous, mountainous road to our missionaries house. This too was not short on adventure since the majority of the trip was in the dark of night and the natives are not great at sharing the narrow one-lane road.
However, all things considered we had a great trip out and look forward to resting horizontally tonight! We were greeted with homemade chicken noodle soup and brownies, and got to spend some fellowship time with our missionaries and their beautiful kids! The men are headed out on a 3 day hike in the morning, so I will not be blogging for a few days. The ladies will spend some time in the village meeting and fellowshipping with some of the friends our missionaries have been developing relationships with. We are looking forward to a great week in which we know God will use us to bring glory to his name! Please continue to lift us up daily as we seek to serve alongside our missionary friends in spreading the love of Christ in a dark part of the world!
-Craig
Friday, November 4, 2011
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Two International Trips coming in November
Please be praying for two different international trips that will both take place at the same time, - the week of November 4-12. The first trip is to our partnership with North Africa. Pray as Craig Whitney leads this team of 5 other missionaries. We are asking God to grant a save journey there and back and provide numerous opportunities to share the Gospel to this people group in North Africa. Also pray for the "H" family, the missionary couple and their children from our church on the field in this remote part of the world.
The other international trip leaves on the same day but to another remote place in the Arabian Peninsula. This group will have the opportunity to share Christ one on one with muslims as well as encourage our missionaries on the field there.
One of those workers is "A" from Immanuel. Also pray for the other missionary families especially the "L" family as we come alongside them to make Christ known in this spiritually dark corner of the world.
Be praying about your involvement in future trips to these and other places to which we will be sending out missionaries. Dates and places will be announced after the first of the year for trips leaving in 2012.
In His Service,
Mark
One of those workers is "A" from Immanuel. Also pray for the other missionary families especially the "L" family as we come alongside them to make Christ known in this spiritually dark corner of the world.Be praying about your involvement in future trips to these and other places to which we will be sending out missionaries. Dates and places will be announced after the first of the year for trips leaving in 2012.
In His Service,
Mark
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Sturgis Day Seven
The last day in Sturgis was spent seeing some of the sights around the area, Mt Rushmore and Crazy Horse Monument. Then we headed up to Sturgis to work the evangelism tent. Things seemed much slower today plus we had a lot of help from other faith riders groups from
other states. Pat, Brett Ellard and I left early to head down to the womens shelter and the men's shelter. Pat and several ladies had a cookout for the residents there. At the mens shelter I shared a message with about 75 people then we fed everyone.
Tomorrow we head back home. We will make it to Hays, KS tomorrow night and then be back home on Saturday.
Pray for a safe journey
Bro Mark
other states. Pat, Brett Ellard and I left early to head down to the womens shelter and the men's shelter. Pat and several ladies had a cookout for the residents there. At the mens shelter I shared a message with about 75 people then we fed everyone.
Tomorrow we head back home. We will make it to Hays, KS tomorrow night and then be back home on Saturday.
Pray for a safe journey
Bro Mark
Sturgis Day Six
What a special day this was for the Oklahoma Faith Riders. We had the wonderful opportunity to travel down to Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. On the way we stopped off and visited the historic site of Wounded Knee battle ground.
The experience of sharing the love of Jesus with the people at the church there in Pine Ridge was a joy. Pastor Irl and his wife are doing a wonderful job of loving on a group of people who are considered to be the poorest in the US.
We got to feed hamburgers and fellowship all afternoon with them. The highlight was giving all the children rides on the backs of our bikes. This was the first time many of them had ever been on a motorcycle. Continue to pray for the pastor and for this church to be lighthouse in this community. I am seriously praying about the opportunity for our church to come back here and do a VBS sometime.
Thursday is our last day here in Sturgis. We will work the tent form 1-4 then go over and serve at the rescue mission in Rapid City. Pray for me as I will preaching tonight at 5:30 pm.
The experience of sharing the love of Jesus with the people at the church there in Pine Ridge was a joy. Pastor Irl and his wife are doing a wonderful job of loving on a group of people who are considered to be the poorest in the US.
We got to feed hamburgers and fellowship all afternoon with them. The highlight was giving all the children rides on the backs of our bikes. This was the first time many of them had ever been on a motorcycle. Continue to pray for the pastor and for this church to be lighthouse in this community. I am seriously praying about the opportunity for our church to come back here and do a VBS sometime.
Thursday is our last day here in Sturgis. We will work the tent form 1-4 then go over and serve at the rescue mission in Rapid City. Pray for me as I will preaching tonight at 5:30 pm.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Sturgis Day Four
I want to start off by saying thanks to all of you who have been praying for us. We have seen God work today in miraculous ways and I believe it is a direct result of a answer to prayer.
So far as this afternoon at 5 pm we have seen over 300 people pray to receive Christ in the evangelism tent.
Today the people were so much more receptive. I only had one guy turn around and walk out on me today. On a truly positive note, I had several people pray to trust Christ as their Savior for the first time. One guy was a 29 year Air Force serviceman. I had a chance to share with a lady named Trish who was paralyzed. She explained to me that she is in constant pain. She was mad at God for what had happened to her. I was able tell her that God did love her and she allowed me to pray for her healing. I told her that I would be sharing her story with my church and we would be praying for her. Would you please be willing to stop reading this right now and pray for Trish?
Each person in our group has a special story to tell of how God has used them thus far. It is so incredible to watch God take lives that are totally available to Him and use them for His renown. My desire for next year is to see our total number of missionaries double for Sturgis 2012. Would you be willing to ask God to stir your heart and give you a passion to come alongside and help us in next year? This is a money back guarantee. If you are not blessed by what takes place here I will give you your money back. I encourage you to talk to one of the team members and ask them how it has made an impact on their life.
Tomorrow we will leave out early and go to the Indian reservation. Then we will finish up on Thursday by sharing in the tent again. Thursday night we will be helping out in the local rescue mission and I will be preaching that evening.
Again, thanks for the prayers.
Bro Mark
So far as this afternoon at 5 pm we have seen over 300 people pray to receive Christ in the evangelism tent.
Today the people were so much more receptive. I only had one guy turn around and walk out on me today. On a truly positive note, I had several people pray to trust Christ as their Savior for the first time. One guy was a 29 year Air Force serviceman. I had a chance to share with a lady named Trish who was paralyzed. She explained to me that she is in constant pain. She was mad at God for what had happened to her. I was able tell her that God did love her and she allowed me to pray for her healing. I told her that I would be sharing her story with my church and we would be praying for her. Would you please be willing to stop reading this right now and pray for Trish?
Each person in our group has a special story to tell of how God has used them thus far. It is so incredible to watch God take lives that are totally available to Him and use them for His renown. My desire for next year is to see our total number of missionaries double for Sturgis 2012. Would you be willing to ask God to stir your heart and give you a passion to come alongside and help us in next year? This is a money back guarantee. If you are not blessed by what takes place here I will give you your money back. I encourage you to talk to one of the team members and ask them how it has made an impact on their life.
Tomorrow we will leave out early and go to the Indian reservation. Then we will finish up on Thursday by sharing in the tent again. Thursday night we will be helping out in the local rescue mission and I will be preaching that evening.
Again, thanks for the prayers.
Bro Mark
Monday, August 8, 2011
Sturgis Day Three
We were able to work at the evangelism tent this morning from 9 till 1 pm this afternoon.
As of this morning we have seen over 70 people pray to receive Christ. I don't have the totals for the end of today but I will try to post them tomorrow. The day started out rather slowly. It seemed as if people were very skeptical about coming into the tent to hear the Gospel. At one point a group of the faith riders decided to go to the back of the tent and pray for God to move among the people. Shortly thereafter we began to see more and more people willing to allow us to speak with them. As I looked around I saw every faith rider sharing the gospel with someone else. Someone reported that a couple from Sweden had given their hearts to Christ.
I can't over emphasize enough how much we need prayer warriors praying for us tomorrow. We will be in the tent from 1:30-5:00 pm central time. If you would be willing to pray for us, please post your comment so we will know of your support.
God bless you
Bro Mark
As of this morning we have seen over 70 people pray to receive Christ. I don't have the totals for the end of today but I will try to post them tomorrow. The day started out rather slowly. It seemed as if people were very skeptical about coming into the tent to hear the Gospel. At one point a group of the faith riders decided to go to the back of the tent and pray for God to move among the people. Shortly thereafter we began to see more and more people willing to allow us to speak with them. As I looked around I saw every faith rider sharing the gospel with someone else. Someone reported that a couple from Sweden had given their hearts to Christ.
I can't over emphasize enough how much we need prayer warriors praying for us tomorrow. We will be in the tent from 1:30-5:00 pm central time. If you would be willing to pray for us, please post your comment so we will know of your support.
God bless you
Bro Mark
Sturgis Day Two
Today we drove from N Platte Nebraska on in to Rapid City S Dakota. Again cool weather accompanied us the whole way. We did run into a very large thunderstorm right before we arrived at the church were we are staying. No one was injured but a few of us did get hit by some of the golf ball sized hail. Again we were greatful for the motorcycle helmets.
The Calvary Baptist Church here in Rapid City is being so very gracious to allow us full use of their facility as we stay here this week.
All the Oklahoma Faith Riders arrived here safely. After dinner we met for orientation and a brief devotional. On Monday we will be working the evangelism tent from 9 am till 1 pm. If you would like to see what we are doing, there is a web cam in the tent. Just go to sturgisbikegiveaway.com and click on the link. Remember that we are in mountain time here. Thank you for your continuing prayers.
Bro Mark
The Calvary Baptist Church here in Rapid City is being so very gracious to allow us full use of their facility as we stay here this week.
All the Oklahoma Faith Riders arrived here safely. After dinner we met for orientation and a brief devotional. On Monday we will be working the evangelism tent from 9 am till 1 pm. If you would like to see what we are doing, there is a web cam in the tent. Just go to sturgisbikegiveaway.com and click on the link. Remember that we are in mountain time here. Thank you for your continuing prayers.
Bro Mark
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Sturgis Day One
We appreciate so much all the prayers for our journey thus far. First off we prayed for nice cool weather. We had a nice cloud cover for the first 4 hours of our journey. A nice shower even came before us and kept things around 85 degrees until it finally warmed up a bit more.
The greatest answer to prayer though was the way God took care of us. A couple that went along with us from Choctaw (Joel and Carilee Delano)experienced the divine protection of God.
About 9 am this morning Carilee was riding on the back of the bike when she told Joel she wasn't feeling well and was very dizzy. Before he could get the bike stopped she passed out and fell off the bike at 50 mph. Wearing her helmet and protective gear she fell to the right side of the bike into the ditch which had just previously been graded and was composed of soft dirt.
When she came to she just laid there face down in the dirt. She said that she was ok. The paramedics arrived shortly thereafter and could not believe she was not seriously injured. After being transported to the hospital in Woodward it was determined that her only injury was a chipped bone. She will spend the night in the hospital for observation. She was able to share with several of the caregivers the reason why she was going to Sturgis. Even though she and her husband Joel won't be able to complete the trip they have already had a chance to share God's precious grace and protection with so many.
Thank you Lord for your wonderful hand of protection on our group.
We are staying the night in N Platte Nebraska tonight. We will make it into Rapid City tomorrow.
Continue to pray for us.
Bro. Mark
The greatest answer to prayer though was the way God took care of us. A couple that went along with us from Choctaw (Joel and Carilee Delano)experienced the divine protection of God.
About 9 am this morning Carilee was riding on the back of the bike when she told Joel she wasn't feeling well and was very dizzy. Before he could get the bike stopped she passed out and fell off the bike at 50 mph. Wearing her helmet and protective gear she fell to the right side of the bike into the ditch which had just previously been graded and was composed of soft dirt.
When she came to she just laid there face down in the dirt. She said that she was ok. The paramedics arrived shortly thereafter and could not believe she was not seriously injured. After being transported to the hospital in Woodward it was determined that her only injury was a chipped bone. She will spend the night in the hospital for observation. She was able to share with several of the caregivers the reason why she was going to Sturgis. Even though she and her husband Joel won't be able to complete the trip they have already had a chance to share God's precious grace and protection with so many.
Thank you Lord for your wonderful hand of protection on our group.
We are staying the night in N Platte Nebraska tonight. We will make it into Rapid City tomorrow.
Continue to pray for us.
Bro. Mark
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Next Mission Trip: Sturgis August 6-13
Pray for the mission team as we make final preparations this week to leave early on Saturday morning. We will be brushing up on our 3 minute testimonies that we will be sharing with the folks in Sturgis. Pray that God will give us plenty of divine appointments along the way, during the week and on our way back home. Pray for a safe journey on the road. Pray that God will give us some relief from the stifling heat as we journey across Kansas and Nebraska. Riding a bike in 110 degrees is not fun!
Pray for the contacts we will be making at the homeless shelter and at the indian reservation during the week. These are two new ministries we will be adding this year. Pray for me as I will be preaching at the homeless shelter on Wednesday night.
Brother Mark
Brother Mark
Friday, July 22, 2011
Quito Day Seven
Our seventh day in Maranatha was incredible. When we pulled up to the church we were met by over 75 people waiting inside and outside the church. The crowd was steady all day long and I had numerous opportunities to share the evangecube. All the doctors, nurses and support personnel were both tired and blessed by the end of the day.
Another unexpected chance for us to share the gospel to thousands of people came when a television crew showed up to interview Dr. Stewart and me. They asked several questions regarding why we had come to Quito and what we thought of the people here. Then the interviewer asked me if there was anything else I would like to say as a special message to the people of Quito. Talk about throwing me a "softball". I was able to share God's love to everyone during the local evening news.
The total count of patients for the day was 357. For the week we were able to touch 1519 lives with the truth of the Gospel.
Praise the Lord, that's the most we have ever been able to reach in one week. I give all the glory to God for a wonderful mission trip. Thanks to all of you who have prayed for us before and during the week. Thanks also to those of you who have given, money, hats, toys, glasses, and all the other supplies we took with us. Thanks to all those who helped make the neck warmers. The people of Quito loved them.
Tomorrow we will spend the day relaxing in Otavalo, a small town famous for the outdoor market. Then part of the group will fly home on Sunday and part of the group will stay and visit the Galapagos Islands. They will return on Sunday July 31.
Another unexpected chance for us to share the gospel to thousands of people came when a television crew showed up to interview Dr. Stewart and me. They asked several questions regarding why we had come to Quito and what we thought of the people here. Then the interviewer asked me if there was anything else I would like to say as a special message to the people of Quito. Talk about throwing me a "softball". I was able to share God's love to everyone during the local evening news.
The total count of patients for the day was 357. For the week we were able to touch 1519 lives with the truth of the Gospel.
Praise the Lord, that's the most we have ever been able to reach in one week. I give all the glory to God for a wonderful mission trip. Thanks to all of you who have prayed for us before and during the week. Thanks also to those of you who have given, money, hats, toys, glasses, and all the other supplies we took with us. Thanks to all those who helped make the neck warmers. The people of Quito loved them.
Tomorrow we will spend the day relaxing in Otavalo, a small town famous for the outdoor market. Then part of the group will fly home on Sunday and part of the group will stay and visit the Galapagos Islands. They will return on Sunday July 31.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Quito Day Six
Another fruitful day as we journeyed to Maranatha Baptist Church in South Quito.
The people were already lined up ready for our arrival. The church members were ready too and had set up tables, chairs, and rooms ready for our clinic to begin.
Pastor Ramiro and his family were so gracious to us all day long. We saw almost 300 people by 3 pm. One of those patients was a little lady who was 94 years old.
She could barely walk and was so grateful for our coming.
I got the opportunity to share the Gospel multiple times today using the Big Cube.
It's basically a large version of the evangecube. People were very responsive and many gave their hearts to Christ.
The church prepared us a snack of empenadas as we got ready to go home.
We anticipate even a larger crowd tomorrow as the "word" gets around town.
We look forward to our final day of clinics but we'll miss the sweet fellowship of this dear church as we make preparations to come home on Sunday.
The people were already lined up ready for our arrival. The church members were ready too and had set up tables, chairs, and rooms ready for our clinic to begin.
Pastor Ramiro and his family were so gracious to us all day long. We saw almost 300 people by 3 pm. One of those patients was a little lady who was 94 years old.
I got the opportunity to share the Gospel multiple times today using the Big Cube.
It's basically a large version of the evangecube. People were very responsive and many gave their hearts to Christ.
The church prepared us a snack of empenadas as we got ready to go home.
We anticipate even a larger crowd tomorrow as the "word" gets around town.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Quito Day Five
Day five started out with a long long drive down to South Quito. We had to detour around a mudslide which made us late getting to the Shekinah Baptist Church this morning. Mudslides are very common here in Quito. When we arrived at the church we had to set up black plastic to separate the large worship area and make 4 smaller "doctors offices". Modification and adaptation is the name of the game here. The crowds came rather steady at first and then slacked off in the afternoon. We shut down around 4:15 pm but still were able to see 230 people.
What of the benefits of being in S. Quito is being able to have a beautiful close up view of Cotapaxi, one of several large active volcanos in Ecuador.
Tomorrow we will head down to South Quito again to Maranatha Baptist Church. We will be there for our last two days of the medical clinic.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Quito Day Four
Just to finish up day three, Scott Stewart and I had an unbelievable experience as we got to speak live last night on the international talk radio program called "Refugio Secreto" on radio station HJCB. We spoke of how our church first become involved in missions in Ecuador and how we have had the opportunity to share the Gospel with so many in this part of the world. The radio host who also serves as pastor at the church were we held the medical clinic told me today that the listening audience for Quito was 400,000. and throughout Ecuador it is 4 million, and then it literally is broadcast all over the world! We saw several people there today who listened in last night and came over today.
Today we had the chance to minister to 357 people. Toward the end of the day we began to run out of all the medicines we had allotted for this day. We were at least able to give every person something. The main thing we gave away today was the Gospel message as again many of the patients prayed to receive Christ.
I had the personal pleasure of speaking with a 55 year old lady who was blind in one eye. We gave her some reading glasses that helped her some but of course it didn't alleviate her physical problem. However I then sat down and explained to her the truth of the Gospel and with tears in her eyes she prayed to receive Christ.
Her physical blindness was still there but the spiritual blindness was gone!
Bill Brasher had a chance to minister to a lady who just 2 weeks ago saw her 2 year baby get run over by a car.
Everyone on our team had an opportunity to touch someone who was hurting both spiritually and physically. God continues to use this incredible team and for that I am truly grateful.
We cherish your prayers as we go to Shekinah Baptist Church on Wednesday. It will be another long day as Shekinah is located in far south Quito.
Thanks for the prayers.
Today we had the chance to minister to 357 people. Toward the end of the day we began to run out of all the medicines we had allotted for this day. We were at least able to give every person something. The main thing we gave away today was the Gospel message as again many of the patients prayed to receive Christ.
I had the personal pleasure of speaking with a 55 year old lady who was blind in one eye. We gave her some reading glasses that helped her some but of course it didn't alleviate her physical problem. However I then sat down and explained to her the truth of the Gospel and with tears in her eyes she prayed to receive Christ.
Her physical blindness was still there but the spiritual blindness was gone!
Bill Brasher had a chance to minister to a lady who just 2 weeks ago saw her 2 year baby get run over by a car.
Everyone on our team had an opportunity to touch someone who was hurting both spiritually and physically. God continues to use this incredible team and for that I am truly grateful.
We cherish your prayers as we go to Shekinah Baptist Church on Wednesday. It will be another long day as Shekinah is located in far south Quito.
Thanks for the prayers.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Quito Day Three
One of the highlights of the day was accompanying Dr. Butcher as he and I made a home visit to a man who was bedridden. Dr. Butcher had an opportunity to treat his injury and then I prayed for him. He and his mother (Gladys) who also helped with the clinic last year were very appreciative of our coming.
One of the pastors at the church Ivan who also works for the well known international radio station in Quito HCJB radio has invited Dr. Stewart and I to come to the station tonight and join him for a live call in radio show. He asked that we come and talk about why we have come to Ecuador. We will then field questions from the listening audience. I never cease to be amazed of how God just keeps opening doors for us each day. God only knows how many people we will be able to reach tonight. Pray that He will give us clarity in sharing the message on live radio. For those of you who would like to hear us tonight, click on www.radiohcjb.org There you will find a "listen live" link. I am not sure if the program is live on the internet or if there might be some delay. The program begins at 9 pm tonight. Whichever I hope everyone will listen in.
Continue to lift up the team in prayer. Tomorrow we will go back to the same church for the clinic.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Day Two Quito
We had a wonderful day of worship. We divided into two groups. One group went to Maranatha Baptist Church and the other group worshipped with Shekinah Baptist Church. The highlight of worship at Shekinah Baptist was watching 13 new believers get baptized. Pastor Thierry sent his greetings to our church. This was the 5th time to be with these precious believers.
The 2nd group at Maranatha Baptist enjoyed hearing a message from Pastor Ramiro. In his message he mentioned how important IBC was to their church in Quito. He spoke of how they have used our "left over" medicines from years past and have taken their own mission trips. Several churches have been started as a result of this ministry. It's so wonderful to know of Immanuel's influence of seeds planted in past mission trips continue on today. Maranatha Church gave us several gifts including a decorative display of wooden pots signifying faith, hope, and love. Each team member also received a wooden box containing handmade chocolates.
We will be in these two churches thorough out the week, Wednesday at Shekinah and Thursday and Friday at Maranatha.
After lunch at a local restaurant we visited some sites at the historical district.
Tonight we are making last minute preparations that begin in the morning.
Pray for the team as we will be in Carapungo tomorrow. Last year at this site we saw over 400 patients in a day and a half.
The 2nd group at Maranatha Baptist enjoyed hearing a message from Pastor Ramiro. In his message he mentioned how important IBC was to their church in Quito. He spoke of how they have used our "left over" medicines from years past and have taken their own mission trips. Several churches have been started as a result of this ministry. It's so wonderful to know of Immanuel's influence of seeds planted in past mission trips continue on today. Maranatha Church gave us several gifts including a decorative display of wooden pots signifying faith, hope, and love. Each team member also received a wooden box containing handmade chocolates.
We will be in these two churches thorough out the week, Wednesday at Shekinah and Thursday and Friday at Maranatha.
After lunch at a local restaurant we visited some sites at the historical district.
Tonight we are making last minute preparations that begin in the morning.
Pray for the team as we will be in Carapungo tomorrow. Last year at this site we saw over 400 patients in a day and a half.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Day One in Quito
Praise the Lord we made it through customs without any problems this year. Thanks so much for praying for us. We spent our first day here visiting Mitad del Mundo (the equator) and then drove to a retreat center to visit the missionaries who built the facility. The retreat center is called the meeting house. The missionaries are Tom and Joan Beak.
If you think you are too old to serve the Lord, note this: Joan will be 90 on Monday and Tom is 96. We had the awesome privilege of hearing them share their personal testimony with us. They spent several years on the mission field in Togoland building water wells. They built 100 wells and planted a church in each place. Afterwards they moved back to the states and then to Ecuador where they build the retreat center about 10 years ago.
While visiting with the Beaks today we sang Happy Birthday to Joan and then presented Tom with a portable oxygen tank that we brought from Shawnee. They were so appreciative of the gift and we were so blessed by hearing them share with us.
We returned to the guest house and began to organize all the medicine and supplies for the busy week to come.
Pray that God will give our church of vision of how we might utilize this retreat for future mission trips to Ecuador. Pray for the Beaks to continue the work of sharing Christ this wonderful facility. Pray for our team as we visit two churches tomorrow and worship with them.
If you think you are too old to serve the Lord, note this: Joan will be 90 on Monday and Tom is 96. We had the awesome privilege of hearing them share their personal testimony with us. They spent several years on the mission field in Togoland building water wells. They built 100 wells and planted a church in each place. Afterwards they moved back to the states and then to Ecuador where they build the retreat center about 10 years ago.
While visiting with the Beaks today we sang Happy Birthday to Joan and then presented Tom with a portable oxygen tank that we brought from Shawnee. They were so appreciative of the gift and we were so blessed by hearing them share with us.We returned to the guest house and began to organize all the medicine and supplies for the busy week to come.
Pray that God will give our church of vision of how we might utilize this retreat for future mission trips to Ecuador. Pray for the Beaks to continue the work of sharing Christ this wonderful facility. Pray for our team as we visit two churches tomorrow and worship with them.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Quito Medical Mission Trip July 15-24
Preparations have been made and the team leaves tomorrow (Friday July 15) for Quito, Ecuador. We will be working in 3 different locations providing free medical care and sharing the Gospel with the people of North and South Quito.
Please be praying for our team of 21 volunteers (3 Doctors, 3 nurses, 2 pharmacists, and a great support team) as we touch the lives of so many people.
Please be praying for our team of 21 volunteers (3 Doctors, 3 nurses, 2 pharmacists, and a great support team) as we touch the lives of so many people.
Be praying for a safe journey with good flight connections. Pray that all our medicines, supplies, gifts, etc. make it through customs in Quito. Regulations in Ecuador have become very stringent and it is becoming more difficult to bring medicines in to the country. Pray that God will give us divine appointments as we travel and as we move throughout the area. I am excited about what God will do next week. Our 2011 Medical Mission Team is: Dr. Scott Stewart, Robyn Stewart, Parker Stewart, Reid Stewart, Will Stewart, Lisa Loftin, Bobby Antosh, Bill Brasher, Dr. Eldon Gibson, Pat Gibson, Marcia Thomason, Candyce Green, Don Warden, Sharon Roberts, Atheda Fletcher, Dr. Michael Butcher, Rhonda Butcher, Larry Troyer, Sandy Troyer, Nancy Antosh, and Mark Wright
Welcome!
I’m excited for Immanuel Baptist Church to begin this blog to help you connect with mission work around the world. Our church has a passion for missions in our own backyard and around the globe. In Matthew 28:19-20 Jesus told His followers, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." We want to be intentional in fulfilling this command and hope that this blog will encourage you to do the same. We believe that sharing the gospel of Jesus should be the center of any missional effort we make. Only faith in Christ can transform lives and give the hope all people search to find.
Even as I write these words we have a group of teenagers ministering in Belize. They have given a week of their summer to work together to teach Bible School and do construction work. Their work is no more important than those at home who support the mission work of IBC with their generosity and their prayers. Our goal is that this blog will connect both.
IBC sends out as many as eight mission teams throughout the year, each numbering from four to twenty-five members. Our hope is to share needs and updates both before and during trips. This blog also will serve as a way for friends and family to stay connected to those ministering away from home. In addition, we hope to continually add content to this blog that will equip and encourage you to be engaged in missions.
As the pastor, my vision for IBC is that we look beyond our own walls. There’s a world of people lost in darkness. Our focused passion must be to love all people and Reach the World with the light of the Savior we serve.
Bro. Todd
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)