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
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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
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