The team

After talking about the team in different ways, it is about time I let you in a little more on who we all are. For those of you who may not know who we are this picture will give you a face to go along with the name. I am not going to give a detailed biography of each member here. In fact, I am going to share with you my opinions and observations about them briefly so you can know what they mean to me. I am confident my admiration for these gentlemen will only flourish and grow during and after our trip. Anyway, these gentlemen from left to right are: Charles Patterson, Josiah Patterson, Dan Rupprecht, Brian Deyarmond, and myself.


Dan Rupprecht is an elder at our church. He is a wonderful example of what a lay shepherd is. That is, at Coast we believe God's word tells us that elders, even if they are not on staff or "pastors", have the responsibility to be shepherds and teachers to the body. I can remember that almost immediately after meeting him, he had already begun to encourage me and admonish me in my walk with the Lord. Not that I was doing very well, either. This church, though, is committed to God's word and living it out as it explains pertaining to the body. He has demonstrated through his own commitment to the word and to prayer, that joy and life is found in Christ. Dan is a committed husband, and father of 6 children. They home school their children to raise them in the knowledge of the Lord. Dan also runs the family owned company that designs and makes molds. These molds are then used by other companies to manufacture their products. His integrity and work ethic are an example to me of how to honor God in the workplace. I am indeed honored to call Dan a friend and thank God for how He has used Dan to sharpen me and mold me into the servant of Christ I desire to become one day.

Charles Patterson has always demonstrated a heart to reach people from every people group, tribe and nation. Because of that, he has been a very active member of the missions ministry at our church. He is always consumed with finding out how God is using different people to further His kingdom around the world. I love his passion for world missions. It is this excitement that led him to read about Brasswell and then determine he wanted to establish communication with him. If it was not for this passion to see God's work around the world, we would not be making this trip or working with Brasswell. He is married to Donna, and they also have 6 children. They, like the Rupprechts, home school their children. Charlie's heart for missions has modeled for his children (and for us) what God's heart is for unreached peoples from around the world. I encourage you to read the comments he made on my August 16 post. It will confirm for you his passion for the furthering of God's kingdom around the world.

Josiah Patterson is Charlie's oldest son. He is 16, and will be a junior in high school this year. Their family home schools their children as I stated earlier, and they belong to Aslan Academy. Josiah has learned from his father to have a heart for peoples around the world and he has been pen pals with one of Brasswell's children. This is one of the reasons Josiah expressed a desire to experience firsthand what God is doing in Malawi. He thought it was important enough that he took a job as a host for the Island's restaurant in Irvine to earn as much of the money for his trip as he could. I look forward to see how the Lord will change him through the experiences he is about to go through.

Brian Deyarmond is my oldest child and I have been so blessed to have been entrusted with him as my son. Brian has just turned 17. He is now a senior as they started school today. We also home school our children. Brian has a sister, and 2 brothers. I am amazed and grateful to God for placing in Brian a heart that sees Jesus as the only source of satisfaction for life. Some of his favorite stories have been about missionaries that have left everything they have known and committed themselves to living with people that have never ever heard the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ so they might be a witness to the love of God. Even so, I was shocked when he told me that he wanted to see if he could be allowed to go to Malawi and experience what God is doing on the other side of the world. He also took a part time job, and is working at Dan's shop to earn as much of the costs of the trip as he can before we go. I am not sure he really comprehends how much God is going to change him on this trip. But he is excited and willing to be used by God however He sees fit.

I am out of time. My information is not all that exciting. I am just happy to be able to go with these fellow servants for Christ. I hope that I might be worthy of their companionship and that God may use this jar of clay as He sees fit in the days to come.