Nigeria Bound

By the grace of God, I am sitting in the Houston airport typing this en-route to Nigeria. I am confident that the Lord is going to use our team for awesome things as He always does.

The church there is hurting from persecution on the outside and from the pain of watching many walk away from the faith. It’s painful, but not surprising. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of heaven.” And even Jesus promised us that, “In this world you will have trouble…”

And that would be discouraging if the thought ended there, but Jesus continues: “… but take heart, I have overcome the world.”

I can go with confidence into a hard situation knowing that Jesus has already overcome, and that no matter what, there is victory in Christ Jesus.

That having been said, your prayers are greatly appreciated as we go to serve the poor, the broken, the destitute, the widows, and the orphans. There is great power in the prayer of the righteous.
I hope to report soon on the wonderful things God has done in Nigeria as we preach, teach, admonish, and bring aid to the least of these.

In Christ,
- Paul

Humbled by the Humble

Even as I write this blog, I continue to be amazed by how much of an impression my visit to the Middle East made on me, and how much of an impact it has had on my way of thinking.

Every morning, I am reminded of my brothers and sisters when I look at my nightstand, atop which stands a polished granite cross that was given to me by one of the churches we visited as we left. It was as though they were saying, “Please do not forget us.”

Every time I see that cross, I am reminded to pray. And every time I think about the generosity of my brothers and sisters and the hospitality they showed me out of their great poverty, I weep.

Their example has set the standard for me, and by the grace of God, I will never be the same.

Arrival

Our very first morning, we were immediately thrown into the fray when a Muslim from our apartment complex visited us, seeking medical care and advice. Our team spent a good hour with him talking and giving him a free medical exam.

After that time, he confessed something that choked up even our translator: “I swear by Allah that you are better people than Muslims, because you have mercy in your hearts.”

When a devout Muslim swears by the name of Allah, whatever he is about to say comes from the heart. Our friend could have been killed for his words. But he saw something in us that made him say the unthinkable. God is moving in his heart. Pray for him.

For the rest of the trip, he greeted us with a warm smile, and at the end of the week when we departed, a wave wouldn’t suffice: we exchanged hugs. And this dear man will continue to meet with our local missionary and will continue to hear the gospel long after we are gone.

At the end of the day, it’s hard to argue with the love of God. The Islamic faith has copied many things from Christianity, but they cannot duplicate our love.

”By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

When our Muslim friend left, we traveled to a local market to pick up a few sets of local clothing, which I knew would be a bazaar trip. (Yes that just happened… moving on.)

The roads in our city are insane, not quite Nigeria insane, but cars literally litter the road, and maneuvering and finding a parking spot is a full time job. We pulled up in front of some cars, and our local missionary informed us that we’d just leave the keys with the people standing there in case someone needed to move.

My jaw hit the floor. “Is this really the way things go down here?” I wondered.

Actually, as it turns out, he knew the nearby shopkeepers who are men of God who are active in sharing their faith with their Muslim neighbors. So while it wasn’t quite as crazy as I first thought, the whole exchange was intriguing, to say the least.

Walking the streets is not like walking the streets in Nigeria or Central America. Nobody even turned to gawk or stare at us, which happens more or less non-stop in all the other countries I’ve visited. It was only when I pulled my camera out that I started to receive some looks.

And it was when I had my camera out that I found out something else interesting. The people here love posing for photos.

Visitation

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
Galatians 6:9-10

We spent the rest of the trip putting on medical clinics and visiting churches to minister to the people and to encourage our brothers and sisters who suffer intense persecution.

As we got out of the car to put on our first medical clinic, the local missionary confessed that he was afraid of what might happen in the neighborhood we were visiting. We ducked into a small side alley and soon found ourselves surrounded by poor people from the local neighborhood, mostly Christians.

Initially, I was hesitant to take photos until the local missionary encouraged me to start documenting the visit. I pulled out the camera and was instantly swarmed by the local children, who loved having their photos taken. And as I spent time laughing and talking to them in broken English, I began to hear their stories.

The standard of living between the average Muslim and the average Christian is incredibly different. The man in the photo above can’t even find a job as a janitor to provide for his family. Many of those I first thought to be children were actually 16-18 years old. They are incredibly small for their age and they look like they are only 10-12 because they are malnourished and their families are unable to find work.

But if there were any jealousy or bitterness with us, I never caught even the slightest hint. Instead, everyone I spoke with welcomed us warmly. Despite the language barrier, I felt like I was with family. And indeed I was, because the family of God crosses every cultural and language barrier. Truly the Lamb of God purchased men from every tribe, tongue, and race, that we may serve Him shoulder to shoulder.

After our medical clinic and time with the people, they led us into their nightly church service, where we were honored as heroes with rose garlands and a standing ovation from the congregation. And I remember thinking, “You are the heroes. Who am I? I came here one week and you have to live through persecution your whole lives. I’m not the hero here.”

In fact, the first church we visited had just finished putting up a wall around the church building, so that it would take two bombs, rather than one to kill the people.

I was so incredibly humbled that I still break down when I consider what they did for us. Because after they had honored us in their church service, they took us inside and fed us out of their poverty. No doubt, the money we brought for the church more than covered their hospitality, but the missionary explained that even if we did not, they would have gone hungry that night, preferring to feed us instead.

The love of Christ that I experienced among my persecuted brethren defied explanation. One of the churches was so poor that they took up an offering to make sure we were fed a good meal.

This is humbling.

But even more humbling was when I told my newfound friends and brothers that I would pray for them. They responded by explaining that they already pray for us in the States every day.

The persecuted are praying for us? That’s convicting.

Yet perhaps there may be something worse than suffering persecution. Perhaps they pray for us because it is we, not they who are truly missing out on the power of knowing Christ and the privilege of sharing in His sufferings. Could it be that they have found Jesus’s words to be true?

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Suffering, Hope, and Joy

“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.”
Psalm 116:15

On one of our last visits, we visited a church in a neighboring city. We parked next to a small square where worn walls and abandoned looking buildings surrounded a dusty basin and upturned cart. The cart and the scene intrigued me, so I began taking photos. Five short minutes later, we learned from the pastor that short months earlier, three of our brothers were shot down in that very square.

Little did I know that as I was taking photos, I was standing on holy ground.

And yet in that very church that experienced death, the worship was alive and vibrant, the response to the preaching ecstatic, the fellowship encouraging, and a new Muslim convert worshipped alongside the widow of one of the men killed.

Only the blood of Christ can take men and women who were enemies and turn them into family. Pray for the families of those men who lost their lives for Christ, and pray also for their persecutors, because our response to their evil must be one of good. Just as the apostle Paul wrote,

“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse...
Do not repay anyone evil for evil...
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

We will never conquer our enemies with the weapons of this world, we can only conquer them through the love of Christ and the gospel, His Holy Word.

Conclusion

It seems as though this mission trip backfired: I was more blessed than those I visited. And yet, our visit was an incredible encouragement to our brothers and sisters everywhere we went, and they went out of their way to tell us so. The fact that we care enough to travel so far just to stand with them and encourage them in their ministry is a massive blessing for them.

Ministry in the Middle East is difficult. Those who are already Christian suffer intense persecution and prejudice. Meanwhile, the Muslim who leaves the faith can not only be killed by his family, he can also be tried and executed by the state for leaving Islam. Under such circumstances it would be impossible for man to bring change, but be encouraged, God is still saving Muslims even under these very difficult circumstances.

So pray for the peace of the Middle East. Pray for the leaders of the Middle East (just and unjust alike) and the millions of lost souls who will never know God’s love unless someone risks it all to tell them. And most importantly, pray for our brothers and sisters.

Intercepted and Redirected

For those of you who only read the blog post a few weeks back, I was intercepted by providence on my way to Nigeria. Our passports and everything arrived just in time for the trip, quite literally one week before my departure. It seemed as though everything had lined up for our trip.

We received the passports and since the rest of the team was in Boston, I quickly sent all the passports out to Boston the same day. What I didn’t know is that I’d sent all the passports, including my own. I realized this a few days later when I was searching for it. But it was no big deal, it was still a week before the trip and my passport was only a quick priority mail away.

One of the men going on the trip shipped my passport back and I eagerly tracked it. And then something strange happened. It never got delivered. I went back and checked my e-mail and quickly realized that the man had written down my address one digit off. I went to work tracking it down but it was too late, our postman had marked the package “Return to Sender”. I found this out the day I was flying out. My bags were packed, but the only reason I went to the airport that day was to cancel my flight.

Yet the Lord taught me many things back in the states that I would not have learned in Nigeria (besides of course humility – or humiliation, take your pick).

Mid Asia

Fast forward several weeks and I’m sitting here writing this in a ten story apartment overlooking a city that sprawls as far as the eye can see.

I didn’t think I would be here on this trip either, for when we arrived at the airport, our flight was an hour and a half late leaving, which meant that we would probably miss our connecting flight.

We got on the plane, searching through our options. If we had any hope of making it, we would have to sprint the entire length of the terminal, reach the gate, notify them to switch our bags, and board, all in a matter of fifteen minutes or less. Simple right?

As soon as our plane landed in Washington D.C., I sprinted out the front door, ignoring the people around me who said there was no way I could make it. I knew differently. And I was right.. well, sort-of. I got to the gate just in time to see our plane before it left. I watched in disbelief as the plane left thinking, “Not again.”

Fortunately, because the flight delay was the airline’s fault, they put us up in a nice hotel nearby while we waited for our flight the following night. But when we arrived at the front desk, we realized that our bag full of medical equipment was missing. Missing that bag would cripple our ministry.

So back we went to the airport, sprinting down the halls in search of the lost bag. As I was running outside in the chilly night air, I remember thinking about how insane the whole adventure was, especially since we had not even left the United States. By God’s grace the police had picked up the bag and we were able to retrieve it from them with no other problem.

Missing the flight put our trip one and a half days late.

But now we are here. It was God’s purpose that I missed Nigeria, and it is God’s providence that I am here typing this.

This country is nothing short of amazing. I have a great burden for the thousands of lost we encounter when we walk the crowded city streets. The people here are much warmer to our presence than I expected. Indeed, I was pleasantly shocked when one of the shopkeepers we visited embraced me warmly before I left. And as my love for these people deepens, the question that keeps coming to mind is “Who will tell them the good news?” They are wandering without hope and without God like sheep without a Shepherd. I want to see them to see salvation and to know Christ more than my words here can express. This trip will not soon be lost on me.

Tonight we visited a group of believers who have all lost friends and family due to Muslim persecution. Their hospitality and friendliness is unparalleled, though they are suffering in incredible poverty. Many of them are unable to get even a simple job because they are Christian.

My burden is growing as I learn to love these people more and more. Pray for them – that God would save them and that God would also protect our brothers and sisters who face grave danger daily for their faith. I read this yesterday in the Psalms:

“Yet for Your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
Psalm 44:22

Pray that our brothers and sisters would not grow bitter toward their Muslim oppressors, but that they would continue to speak the truth in love, in the hopes that many will be saved.

In Christ,

- Paul

September 2011 - Summary of Ministry

This is my first attempt at this in a long time. I keep swearing I'll get disciplined about this, and I have the best of intentions with this. Still, if I were you, I'd expect the next update sometime in 2015.

I am incredibly humbled that the Lord has been using me like He has. Where can I start?

 

Personally:

I am incredibly blessed to be surrounded by a great number of friends who have been challenging me to share the gospel here in the states. God has provided at least one opportunity every week since I got back from El Salvador to share the gospel with strangers and friends alike. It is an incredibly good thing to be fulfilling the great commission of Jesus Christ. The joy I've found in obedience to the Lord's command is inexpressibly wonderful. I hope and pray that the Lord is driving each one of you towards this end as well. There is no greater pleasure to be had on this earth than serving our King and loving the lost.

 

Summer Missions in El Salvador and Honduras:

This past summer, we spent a month in El Salvador and Honduras building a house for the widow of Miguel, a dear brother in Christ. The widow's plight was incredible, she was raising her five young children alone and in the squalor of a tiny mud hut with a dirt floor. But because of our construction efforts, she is now raising her children in a sturdy concrete structure. And because the team of people who came down was so large, we had the opportunity to preach the gospel door to door and house to house throughout the village while the construction continued. It was an interesting challenge being the primary translator on many of the house visits, but the Lord somehow enabled me time and time again to translate His words clearly in Spanish. God is incredibly faithful, because my Spanish still needs quite a bit of work. (As in, a complete overhaul, but who's counting?)

 

International Student Ministry:

With the end of the summer and the beginning of school, the international student ministry is once again in full swing. Earlier this month, I found myself sitting down to lunch around a table laughing and talking with people from four different countries: Saudi Arabia, Syria, Brazil, and Germany. And as a result of that lunch, the Lord has graciously allowed a dialogue to continue with the young men from Syria and Saudi Arabia.

 

Today, the student from Saudi Arabia requested that we meet just one more time before I leave for Nigeria. Note that his hunger for friendship and for a discussion of faith is so great that he is the one asking me if there is room in my schedule.

 

Truly the fields are ripe for harvest in the international student ministry. The students are starved for friendship and family so much so that a Muslim will go out of his way to meet with a Christian who has continually preached the gospel to him.

 

Every time we meet, our discussion turns to matters of faith, and we have not had a discussion shorter than two hours. Every discussion we end up discussing the Holy Scriptures and getting into deep conversations about the truths of the Bible.

 

Please pray for my friend, that God would bring him to a knowledge of his truth.

 

Nigeria:

Tomorrow, I will also be leaving for Nigeria for twelve days. I am excited about the prospects of continuing my ministry in a country that has completely captured my heart. Yes, the food is terrible and the climate is hot, but the Lord has given me an incredible heart for the Nigerian people and their desperate need for both physical and spiritual help. This trip, we will be training up godly men in all of the new churches that have sprung up as a result of the ministry. Two of the three churches are in Muslim communities. One of the communities has completely turned to Jesus Christ, and the other is in the process of receiving the message. Please pray that the Lord continues to show the ministry incredible favor and that He continues to protect his church there.

 

In addition, we will also continue to meet the physical needs of the poorest of the poor and to orphans. Check out the video below for a summary of our work in Nigeria:

 

 

When I return, I hope to bring back more stories of how God is working in the hearts of the people of Nigeria. I have never been so excited about a trip as I have for this one, and I have no idea if it just my external circumstances or if the Lord is planning to use us for something powerful this time. In any case, please pray that we would be bold in sharing the gospel and that God would give us the right words of compassion and truth to share with the people we encounter.

 

I apologize as I have only written a short account of the things that are going on, but I have yet to even begin packing for my trip (and it's already 1:00 AM). I don't think I'm going to sleep tonight.

 

Please let me know if you have any questions about how you can personally get involved in the ministry.

 

Psalm 44:6-8

I put no trust in my bow,

   my sword does not bring me victory;

but You give us victory over our enemies,

   You put our adversaries to shame.

In God we make our boast all day long,

   and we will praise your name forever.

Grace and peace to you all,

Paul

The Missions Conference

Just when I thought I had things figured out, God decided to throw me another curve ball. I thought I was doing well at the end of my last missions trip. And usually I get a lot of compliments on my ‘passion’ for the Lord.

But what goes on underneath the surface is pride... pride in what I’ve done, rather than in the Lord alone. Yet at the same time, I’ve been praying the prayer my pastor warned me about. “Lord, teach me humility.” He told us to be careful when praying it... because that’s the kind of prayer the Lord will answer.

But ironically, before the trip, and all my prideful feelings, I was having frequent thoughts that, “I’m not doing enough.”

Let’s review. Every week I teach at a youth group, I also meet monthly to speak with Muslims and share my faith with them, I go on two missions trips a year, I help teach 5th grade every month on Sunday. I pray daily. I (try to) read the scriptures (nearly) every day. You get the idea. A lot of people would take a look at that and say, “Wow Paul, the Lord’s using you.”

Yet one night, I found myself in my car on the verge of tears. It’s not enough. I know so many lost and hurting people. I’m still wasting my life on my own entertainment. There are a lot of needs I could be filling, but I’m not, because they’re not convenient for me. 

So here I’ve got the meeting of my pride and my ineffectiveness. But there’s something else that’s missing. It’s this: a passion and awe and love for the Lord Himself. What good is all the work in the world if it isn’t done in love for God and men alike? What good is humbling myself if I’m not elevating the Lord?

Everything else is all well and good, but it all needs to stem from a genuine heart that seeks the Lord...

So with my condition in mind, I had the opportunity to visit a world missions summit in Baltimore. It was three days long, and unbelievably powerful. Inside the massive convention center, the missionaries had set up massive exhibits. Some were mocked up to be like the regions they represented. The African region resembled a tribal village... a slice of life for the people who live there, and their dire needs. In Eurasia, we were hassled by people in customs, run through a busy marketplace, and then seated by soldiers. And in America, we saw the dire plight of immigrants as they struggled to make their way in our culture. It was an experience, sure. But then I started talking to the missionaries and realized that all the stories represented in the African, Asian, and other experiences weren’t just dramatizations, they were the true stories of many who had come to faith... and many who remained locked in darkness. At that point I realized that:

1) There’s a lot of needs in this world.

2) I cannot fill them all... or even one.

I was broken. I was convicted that I had nothing to be prideful about. I walked around like a kid in a hall of spiritual giants. There ARE people who are working day in and day out for the Kingdom of God... and I’m not one of them... not now.

So was this only a conference for me to beat myself up over? I get enough reminders of my shortcomings every day. I don’t need that; it doesn’t help with my pride anyway. So what did I need?

I needed this reminder from a pastor in Iraq who spoke. My life is not my life anymore, but rather His life. I am not my own, I was bought with a price; therefore I need to honor God with HIS life. At the end of the conference, he offered us the chance to recite a pledge of allegiance to Christ and His kingdom. It was an oath, a vow to use my time for missions here in the states.

Of course, it’s easy to get caught up in the emotions in a conference. So the question is, what impact will that vow and pledge mean in the long run? What kind of plan is in place to make sure that my words are more than just empty words.

I’ve made it my daily goal to use some portion for the glory of God, and to read His scriptures daily. And no, I don’t just mean opening up a Psalm, I mean serious study. And I trust that in His timing, as I renew my mind, that God will transform me.

And so the process continues... the Lord is killing my pride as projects and ideas I had die in my hands. Naturally, my first reaction is anger, until I realize that this is the process of me dying to myself.

A dead man has nothing to lose.

As for the feeling that I’m not doing enough, that’s why I’m focusing on being with the Lord. There is no way I can meet even one of the needs I saw in the missions conference, but I do know the man who can: my Savior, Christ Jesus.

If I have a genuine passion and awe for Him, then I’m confident the work of the Lord will bleed out into my life. And it’s impossible to be double minded or hypocritical when the good deeds you do come from a heart that’s genuinely seeking the Lord. So I’m throwing off outward appearances and focusing on my heart.

It’s going to be a fight... but I’m ready.

El Salvador, Winter 2008

We arrived back from Honduras and rested one night... the next day we began the exhausting task of cleaning out La Esperanza... for the arrival of 58 people, including a film crew from the Discovery Channel and security guards for the equipment. Fifty-eight is twice as many people as the largest team La Esperanza had ever seen. Understandably, Mike, the missionary was pretty stressed out.

For you see, on this particular trip, the Dugger family from The Learning Channel was visiting. I wasn’t sure how it’d all work out, and to be honest, I was a little more than a bit anxious, because I didn’t exactly like the idea of doing ministry that may have ended up on national television. Of course, I needn’t have worried, because the Lord always provides, and the Lord is always faithful.

We spent two days preparing and cleaning La Esperanza. It was exhausting in the dry heat, but even with all the stuff we had to do, I was able to meet up with two local youths, Adiel and Reynaldo yet again. Neither of them have accepted the faith at this point, but I pray that through our continued friendship (and my pitiful attempts to play soccer with them), that they will come to know Jesus as I do.

By the way, in case you were wondering, my favorite moment of cleaning up was when we found a mother scorpion behind a couch... and on it’s back? Oh about 50 billion baby scorpions just ready to scatter about the property. It helps me sleep better at night knowing the little things like that. (I try not to dwell on it).

On Wednesday, the team with the Duggers arrived, and soon the camera crew was scouring the terrain and recording everyone as they unpacked. I nimbly dodged most of the shots, although I think they still may have caught me. I’ll find out when I watch the show when it comes out in February. 

En route to La Esperanza, Mr. Dugger brought a large quantity of expensive food supplies to give to all of the families we visited personally. At first, I thought they’d bought all the food for themselves until they loaded up the supplies to prepare for the house visits, I quickly changed my attitude from disappointed to impressed.

Our first and only stop of the evening after everyone was settled was with the extremely poor family located behind the church. It was a fitting visit: the Duggers now have 18 kids, and this family has eleven. It was neat watching their faces as we brought the gifts in the name of Jesus Christ. On the path there and back, I was able to talk with several members of the family, and I grew more and more relaxed about the trip. The Duggers are a great family, and I’ve never seen the show, but you can be certain that they are both genuine and Christ centered in person. Not once during the trip did I see or hear any complaining, arguing, or fighting. They’re not perfect, but it was refreshing to know that they are on national television, living loudly their faith.

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We continued our tradition of ministering in the orphanage, visiting it twice. The kids ran up to Dan and I when we approached, calling us by name. It’s an incredible honor to have these kids look forward to seeing us like that. The second time we came, the nuns asked if we could bring lunch for the kids. So we brought hamburgers for them and sat down and ate with the kids. I don’t know if words can express what it’s like to share a meal with orphans, but I would rather share a meal with orphans than with kings, dirty fingers, mess, and all. After lunch we played with the orphans for at least an hour 

A group from a local corporation showed up while we were playing with the kids. They had piñatas, loud music, balloons, and a lot more things than our group had to offer. Still, the kids stayed with us up to the moment we left, clinging to us. It’s no offense to the other group, who were doing a good thing, but genuine love is what these orphans really need, and no amount of gifts and special effects will change that.

Unlike times past, I can’t wait to go back. God is still working on my heart with children, and I really feel like I’ve finally developed relationships and rapport with the kids there... and with relationships comes trust, and with trust the opportunity to do even more good for the kids.

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The primary reason why I refuse to miss a December trip is the village ministry. A family from the States has headed up gathering and preparing hundreds of Christmas gifts every year... so we can present each child in three villages with a Christmas gift. This family never asks for anything in return, but selflessly makes sure there’s gifts for the people of El Salvador year in and year out. For many of these kids, the gifts we bring are the only Christmas gifts they’ll receive. It’s not much, but the kids are grateful.

The three villages are each unique, with their own character. My favorite is El Peradon. It’s a village over the river and through the woods... and up a hillside just for good measure. We begin by heading down a narrow road that follows a cut through a hillside. Deep down in the cut, I try not to think about how much fun a rockslide would be at that particular moment. But we quickly pass that, and down the other side, we cross the river... and the crossing for the river’s the best part, as we have to drive the truck through the water and rocks. It reminds me of a safari or something. Maybe someday I’ll start a missions themed amusement park... hmmm...

Once at the villages, we wait until the townsfolk are gathered in the square, and then play some music to welcome everyone. After that we’ll entertain the kids with some goofy skit. It’s a pleasure to see them laugh at our foolishness. But the skit always has significance. The next speaker explains the significance, and also explains the true reason we celebrate Christmas, namely, Jesus Christ come in the flesh for us. And then... comes the gifts. The kids line up, and we give out hundreds of gifts while entertaining them in the line. Then, afterwards, we watch and laugh and play with the kids... which usually involves some type of soccer game where I get schooled (and that schooling has nothing to do with a place of learning, either).

Destroyed at soccer or not... I love the gift giving, the presentation, and the time with the children in the village.

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One breezy, beautiful afternoon while the rest of the groups were out ministering, we went out with a few translators and walked the streets of the village, looking for children to invite to the big Christmas party at La Esperanza. While we were out, we also had the opportunity to share with a woman and her granddaughter who were out putting up Christmas lights.

We shared with her about how Christ came to give us new life here and now on this earth, and about how He was part of God plan to bring us redemption and resurrection. As we shared what we could in Spanish and the rest of it through a translator, we all watched a smile spread across the old woman’s face. She’d never heard the gospel like this. We left her, a cherished old woman, smiling and pondering the hope and promises of God.

Sometimes I think we’re so focused on the judgments of God that we fail to mention the promises and hope of God. When the apostles preached, sometimes it was indeed fire and brimstone, but other times, they would merely talk about the hope and promises and redemption come through the Messiah. The hope that God offers is so much better than any empty promise from the world. It’s redemption we need to preach... repentance from sin, turning to God and the promise of something better, not just the fear of something worse.

I’ll always remember the smile on the woman’s face. Our translator from El Salvador said she’d never heard the gospel preached like that... that her church always preached in a very canned and manufactured manner. As a result, I’m pondering the idea of hosting a conference on preaching the Gospel at La Esperanza, because people need to know for themselves and for others what the gospel really means. And for us in the states, I hope we’ll remember that the gospel is exciting news. We should be excited to share it... not because we have to, but because we want to.

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Our final day together as a large team, we hosted a huge Christmas party at the church. It’s been carefully planned for weeks, and Alex, the local medical worker keeps track of all the children, their ages, and their names up to a few days before... just in case another baby is born. So after a grand party and the Christmas service, we gave out the gifts. It was incredible to see it... we called each child by name to receive his or her gift. They all waited in eager anticipation... waiting for just the right moment to spring up to the stage and receive their gift and a set of hugs. You watched it on their faces. Then, we’d call out their name... a huge grin would spread across their face, and they’d go dashing to the front, and give everyone on stage a huge hug. It was beautiful. We called each one by name... it reminds me of how Christ knows us all by name, and he calls each of us by name.

Although I’ve been to El Salvador in December before, this was my first time with the big Christmas program in the church, and it won’t be the last time. I’ll go out of my way just to be there... For me, Christmas day was December 14th... with the children of El Salvador.

Despite the fact that our team had 58 people at its largest point, and the fact that we only had a little time to get to know each other, even the non believing film crew noticed how unified our team was. One said that he’d been on all kinds of volunteer organizations, and he’d never seen a team gel so quickly. Yes, it wasn’t perfect. Nothing this side of heaven is, but we know why we had such unity, because there is unity in the body of Christ. The love we have for each other goes beyond any worldly love. We’re not just people of the same religion, we truly are brothers and sisters... and that is powerful.

So as you read this, pray for the Discovery crew... that they could know Jesus. He’s the only one who brings real change in our lives. Sorry this was a bit scattered, but there was just too much to share in so short a time...

The show should be on TLC sometime in February, but I’m not sure about the date. I’ll be sure to post a quick blurb once I find out. Until next time... God bless! If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail or comment!

My Return to Honduras

It was short.

Too short.

Whenever you spend a month getting to know people, three days is far too short a time to spend with them, especially if you hardly speak the language. We arrived on Friday and spent time fellowshipping and greeting the believers. The weather was fresh, cold, breezy, and cloudy, a far cry from the heat of El Salvador. On a side note, I definitely wouldn’t mind living in Honduras some day.

The church there is continuing to grow, but there’s been some minor infighting and jealousy among the believers. When I heard about this, I was saddened, because those are the things that tear up friendships and brotherhood. When Satan finds out that he cannot defeat a church with outside pressures, I believe he tries to attack and divide up the brethren, because a kingdom divided against itself will be ruined (Matt 12:25).

There was a clothing giveaway a few months ago that caused some of the brothers to get angry with each other, because they were concerned that someone got more clothes than the other. It’s a childish fight, but then again, these men and women in the church are youth in the faith.

As a result, on that night, Mike informed me that I would be teaching the believers the next day.

“Great,” I thought. “I didn’t need time to prepare anyway.” 

Preparation is truly a luxury. Especially on the missions field...

So, the next morning, I spent my time scrambling to prepare, but God was with me and somehow I managed to put together a coherent message, which is evident that the spirit of God was over it. Then, after breakfast, we had a miniature seminary where Mike and I exhorted the brothers to live in unity... and warned them of the effects of pride, materialism, and hypocrisy. I taught from Ephesians 4:22-32, where Paul exhorts the believers to put off the old ways and to put on the new self... by renewing our minds. And our minds can only be renewed if we’re in contact with our creator who sustains us.

We told them that it’s foolish to think that there will never be conflict. We’re sinners ministering with and to sinners. But what do we do when we end up in conflict? Do we reconcile and forgive, or do you hold grudges and spread gossip?

And I feel their pain, because I’m terrible at confrontations. I’ve been the one to spread gossip, and I’ve been the one to hold a grudge. Forgiveness for people we’re at odds with is NOT something we can do in our own strength. It is completely foreign to fallen man, who only forgives for selfish reasons. It’s something I’m learning... and I’ve been asking: For whose sake do we forgive? For the sinful person who wronged us? For ourselves?

Yes, those are good reasons... but that alone won’t bring change. Because the only way to forgive is to forgive as Christ forgave us. So I ask again, for whose sake do we forgive? For the Lord’s sake. In other words, don’t resolve an argument or fight where you both compromise on your beliefs. Agree in the Lord. (Phil 4:2-3). There is never compromise when something is done for the Lord and through the Lord. If you agree on human terms, will your reconciliation last? Will it strengthen your faith?

When sinners argue, sin is present on both sides of the fight. Rather than giving into the other person’s sinful point, agree with them for the Lord’s sake. Forgive them for the Lord’s sake and in gratitude to what He’s done.

After the meeting and a snack, Mike left me alone with the Honduran believers and (thank goodness) a translator. So we traveled up and across the road, and up the ridge near Hacienda Grande. We spoke briefly with several of the families, including a mother who had a very sick child that the believers were praying for. Thank God that the child was healed... and doing quite well. The mother was grateful for our prayers. We visited several others on the ridge briefly, sharing words of encouragement and exhortations from scripture, but did not get involved in an in depth conversation.

Afterwards, we rested at the top of the ridge near a Mayan ruin (yeah, Honduras is just that way), and goofed off. Marvin found a pistol shaped rock and explained to me that it must be an ancient Mayan pistol. Naturally, I felt the urge to strike a pose with said rock.

Marvin returned the favor.

I was able to speak specifically with Marvin about the dangers of pride afterwards through the translator, because as the first believer, we’re particularly concerned that he won’t fall into the trap of pride.

Let’s be clear. Pride will KILL your faith. The moment you begin thinking you are something special (beyond what God is clear on in scripture), is the moment that you lose your dependence and reliance on God. God uses the foolish and weak things of this world to shame the ‘wise’ and the ‘strong’. If we consider ourselves ‘strong’, ‘wise’, or overly important... we’re not, and we’re going to rely on ourselves rather than on God.

I’ve been trying to kill my own pride recently. So I exhorted him with something that’s helped me: Christ’s example of humility in Philippians 2. God uses the humble... he brings up the lowly, but he’ll lay the proud low.

It was a good conversation, and I pray that God will help Marvin be an example in humility for the brothers and sisters there. As you read this, pray for him!

We ended out the day with an excellent meal cooled by Laticia... and I was reminded yet again of how much I miss Honduran food. We met and discussed the church and some of the issues facing the believers. There’s still quite a bit of persecution. Many people who want to come to the church cannot for fear of being kicked out of their homes or having their water turned off by the leaders of the village. Yet someone has said that she will shortly be attending the church services despite all the threats. So we’re praying for Gumercinda Contreras (the woman)... that God will protect her and bless her decision to stand up to the persecution.

The next day, we held church services, and left after saying goodbye to the brothers and eating lunch. It was too short, and before long, we were on the road again. But there’s something else I haven’t mentioned. In January, there’s going to be a church wide wedding for the couples who are living together. In obedience to the Lord, seven of them will be getting married, including my friend Marvin.

Mike told a story that when he was speaking on marriage and obedience to the Lord, a man unexpectedly stood up in the middle of the service.

He walked over to his girlfriend of thirty years.

He dropped on one knee.

And he proposed to her.

Beautiful. That’s what I have to say about the Lord’s work there. He couldn’t even wait until the end of the teaching. He wanted to obey the Lord and show love for his wife in front of everyone. This is what the grace of God does to people who are living in sin.

The people of Honduras, especially Marvin, have invited me to come to the wedding, and I’m greatly honored. I pray that I will somehow be able to raise the finances and to find a cheap flight there, because I really want to support something so amazing.

A church provided the money for the weddings, because the people would be too poor to register for a wedding license or hold a ceremony. They’ve provided enough funds for a celebration that even the unbelieving friends and family can attend. Everyone will be invited, because we want everyone to partake in their joy, and to have a chance to see what the grace of God is doing.

So keep praying for the church there. Pray that the believers in secret will overcome their fear of losing their houses and family, and that they will openly profess Jesus’s name. Pray that the leaders of the village will have their hearts changed, and that they too will come to faith.

Pray for Hascienda Grande, Ostuman, Carsialon, Carisalito... those are the villages where our brothers in Christ live there.

Thanks for reading,

- Paul