MA Summer 2014 Comes to an end with last team of the summer

Last week was our last official summer group of 2014 for Mission Adventures.  We had an amazing week, saw kids lives changed, people come to Christ, and students challenged to go into missions.  Summers basically fly by when your running an MA program. We had a great summer, and I look forward now to gathering all the information from all our other MA partners in North America to hear stories, and see statistics at how many young peoples lives were changed through Mission adventures this summer.  Stay tuned for some of those stories!

The Harvest Was Plentiful in July!

As I am writing this, I am simply in awe at the faithfulness of God.  He askes us in His word to open our eyes for the fields are ripe unto the harvest.  This has been a reality for us this past month as we have seen 52 people give their lives to Christ doing the Gospel Guy.  From gang members, atheists, and skeptics to an entire family at one time, the Lord has blessed us with the honor of seeing people come to know Him in such an amazing real way.  All glory to God.  

Gang Member Comes to Christ

"Listen man, I will go to hell when I die, and that's just the way it is.  With all the things i have done, aint no god going to save my soul dawg." This is the response I got from a massive man named Femi after I asked him our question of the day which was "What do you think happens when you die?"  Femi was a mammoth of  man.  He was from Nigeria, and looked like he could basically beat up any guy in the world.  As I began to speak with him, he shared his life story, how he had been in prison a time or two, done some bad things, but all his life he had a feeling God was looking out for him in some way.  About a month ago, one of our staff members ran into him on the street while doing the Gospel Guy and had a great "seed planting" conversation with him.  At that time, Femi was not open to the idea that maybe God could love him still after all he had done.  Well, the Holy Spirit had been working on him for the past month, and the other day, Femi gave his life to Christ rite there on the street.  God finally broke through his hard heart.  I look back to that initial conversation my friend had with him...the "seed casting" one and thought about how faithful God is when seeds of faith are planted in the hearts of man.

Thirteen Come to Christ with Mission Adventures Teams

This past week we had an amazing time with our Mission Adventures group.  One of them was from Salem, and the other was all the way from Gaines, Alaska.  For that team, it was the first time ever for many of these kids to leave their town.  I cannot describe how amazing the week went, other than these amazing students ended up seeing 13 people come to Christ during their 5 days with us.  The Lord simply blew us away with his faithfulness, and these students lives are changed forever.  I cannot remember such an amazing week in my many years with Mission Adventures.  Amazing students, open to learn, yielded to God, and hungry to reach the lost.  Will miss this crew for sure!  

This 14 year old young man shares his testimony during our Thursday evening open air evangelism

Picture of students and their leader Albert leading a young man to Christ

Super blessed to have the Alaska group buy copies of "Proceeding On" to take back to Alaska

Monthly Prayer Requests

I was recently challenged by one of our supporters to make our prayer requests more known.  I guess I have failed in many regards in making them known.  Lots of times in ministry you tend to focus on the "doing", when many times we need to focus on the prayer needed to "do the doing".  So, I will try and once a month put up a post that specifically has our prayer requests on it.  I will simply list them in a list order...no specific order of importance, just I like doing things in lists. this one is a big one since it is the first one in a ling time! Thank you all for your prayers and support in our ministry.  And to my good friend who reminded me to make these things known, I thank you for that good reminder.  As iron sharpens iron...

1. Continued health of family 

2. Provision for home schooling curriculum

3. "Proceeding On".  Pray for more sales and that it would be a blessing to whomever purchases it.  i am trying to find a Christian outdoors ministry, camps, etc...that may be interested in purchasing a bunch.  Prayers appreciated.

4. That all our children will walk with the Lord

5. A small vehicle to run errands in.  We are truly blessed to have a van, but juggling life with 6 kids and one vehicle can be hard at times.  Pray for wisdom and provision if we were to get another vehicle.

7. Wisdom for future ministry with Gospel Guy.  To put it short, this ministry is exploding and I need wisdom on how to further proceed with it...how to grow it...how much to grow it...vision..etc

8. Fall Outward Apologetics School. I have been working hard putting this school together that starts in September.  Prayers appreciated as September comes closer!  Pray for more students...we have a confirmed 7 rite now.  Would love to see 10!

9. For my lovely Sarah as she raises our kids and as the new school year approaches!

10.  I ask you to pray for the confirmation of the Lord on a specific ministry related project  am considering doing in the future.  I am not privileged to share what it could be, but all I ask is you pray for God to make it clear to me if it is something I should do!  That's it!

11. For our last two weeks of summer Mission Adventures groups!  That we would finish the summer strong!

12. Increased monthly support.  I am trying to raise $500 more month this year for our family.  Pray for the Lord to cross our paths with those whom may be  interested in our ministry.

Annual Father Son Camping Trip and Anders Turns 12!

I just got back from our annual father son camping trip.  The boys and I headed for two days and nights to beautiful Central Oregon, to the Metolious River area.  We hiked up Black Butte, went swimming in some amazing lakes, and generally just enjoyed the beautiful outdoors.  Sarah and the girls stayed home and seemed to do just fine.  I guess next year the girls will be getting old enough for a father daughter camping trip!  Cant wait to see how that one pans out!  We re so blessed to live in this amazing area.  Oregon is truly a majestic place.  The camping trip was a prelude to Anders 12th birthday which we celebrated July 26th.  How time flies bye!  He still is determined to be a missionary pilot. Anyone feel led to pay for flight school? :) 

Anders feeding a chipmunk on top of Black Butte

Aidan in the Metolius River.  He caught some salamanders.

Anders once again got a chipmunk with his slingshot. Open fire delight!  Good thing mom was not with us!

We celebrated Anders 12th at the YWAM base.  Him and his buddies caught crawdads, had pine cone wars, wrestled, played volleyball, cops and robbers, and had smores.  Not much more a 12 year old boy could ask for.

Mission Adventures North America is Busy

One of the hats I wear is that of Chairman of Mission Adventures in North America.  In a nutshell, what this means is I lead a team of 6 awesome people who help oversee the Mission Adventures program across North America.  I love being a part of this team, and it is summer times that I am filled with awe at how amazing the Mission Adventures program is and how the Lord is changing lives through it.  As I write this, we are having our first MA team do outreach with YWAM Yosemite.  Today, a group of 56 students arrived to do Mission Adventures in Boston.  Hundreds of students have already done inner city ministry in the tenderloin district with MA San Fransisco this summer.  The Gospel is being preached on "the strip" in Las Vegas with MA Vegas. Hundreds more have built homes in Mexico for the poor with MA Tijuana.  Others have reach out to the Lakota Sioux on the Pine Ridge reservation with MA Minneapolis.  MA Orlando just sent teams of to Costa Rica.  MA in Jacksonville FL also just had teams return from Costa Rica.  MA in Idaho has sent teams to India, Salt Lake City, Seattle, and Boise this summer.  MA in Vancouver Canada just hosted a team of 40 students and saw amazing things happen in their city. Here in Salem students got to be a part of seeing a whole family come to Christ on the street the first time they ever did evangelism, and next week we have a group of students from Alaska coming who have NEVER been outside their villages!  MA in Nashville just had their first team for their newly started program.  These are just a few of the many things going on rite now with Mission Adventures in North America.  It helps to see the BIG picture of what we are involved with at times.  God is so good!  Thanks for all your prayers!