Christos doulos

The Shepherd’s Psalm

2010-07-30T00:33:00.001-07:00

Pastor Miles taught a few weeks back on Psalm 23. He took 6 weeks to teach on it and since it is 6 verses long, it equated to about a verse a week. It was a great study of one of the most recognizable passages in the Bible. We learned a great deal about the significance of the Lord as the believers Shepherd.

There are so many great ways a shepherd cares for his sheep and the ways that the sheep trust their master. That is why God uses that analogy to show His care for us, His sheep. I am so thankful that this dumb sheep has the Lord of the universe watching over me, loving me, and caring for my every need for my good.

At the end of this study, Pastor Earl summed it all up for us. Below is a summary of all those weeks of teaching in an amplified paraphrase of this Psalm. I thought I understood this passage before, but this has magnified for me the wonderful truths of all that my Good Shepherd is for me. I hope this is helpful to you too.

We could paraphrase these verses this way in light of what we've seen: The "Great I Am" who is all I could ever need and more than my soul could ever desire is my Shepherd, my Feeder and Caregiver; I will not lack anything that is necessary for my good and His glory in every situation and at every moment of my life. (1) He causes me by His sovereign goodness to relax and rest from fear, conflict, disturbance and hunger and find nourishment for my soul in feasting on His word in the midst of my present carefully chosen circumstances; He carefully and intently and continually leads me to places in life where I can drink deeply from His goodness and be refreshed. (2) He turns me away from empty idols and back to Himself as the Fountain of Living Waters, putting me back on my feet and renewing my peace and joy and courage; He goes before me like a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night - in faithfulness to His promises – to keep me in the wagon tracks of how He has worked in the lives of those who have gone before me so that I might become more like Him to the glory of His name in my heart and through my life. (3) Even though I am led further up and further in to the higher, richer meadowlands through the dangerous and difficult valley of death shade – with its threatening storms, rock slides, rampaging rivers, poisonous plants and hidden predators, I have no reason to be afraid of ultimate evil or harm, because You, my great and good Shepherd, are with me, ready to use Your rod of protection and correction and Your staff of guidance and rescue, both of which bring me the comfort of profound security in You. (4) You, my Shepherd, set in front of me a table full of feasting foods in the sight of all who are hostile toward me and even through their hostility; You cause my head to be fat with fatness – full of happiness in Your welcoming hospitality, set apart for Your worship and service; my wine cup of blessing is saturated to the full, spilling out on others. (5) Without a doubt, only good things for my welfare, prosperity and happiness flowing from a good Shepherd's heart of tender affection and kindness will chase me down with a relentless, violent passion for my good and His glory, driving me into the waiting arms of the Shepherd and securing my place in and enhancing my enjoyment of the family of God now and without end of days. (6) - Earl Miles

Finding Joy in God

2010-06-25T20:31:00.001-07:00

Our youth group at Coast has been studying how to grow in Godliness this year. This month, the topic was on joy. Our lay youth pastor, Dan Rupprecht, shared with them truths from God's word on finding true joy. These are some of the thoughts he shared with them. I hope this benefits them and you as much as it has me.

We all want joy. In fact, the desire of everyone is to find joy (Ecclesiastes 8:15). We look for it everywhere, but most of the time we are looking in the wrong places and at the wrong things. This "cheap" joy, as Dan put it, is everywhere, but it never lasts, and only leads to death. Our sinful hearts cheapen and diminish even the joy we seek from the right source, God.

God designed mankind to find our satisfaction (joy) in Him. It is God who is the source of all true pleasure. Seeking pleasure is not a sin. Seeking pleasure in everything else apart from God is. God tells us in his Word that is idolatry.

Real joy comes only from God through Christ Jesus. Christ came as the ultimate demonstration of God's steadfast love. This manifestation of His lovingkindness is to make us glad and rejoice now, and one day, completely in God's presence (Psalms 90:14).

Most of the time we deceive ourselves into thinking that we know better how to find joy for ourselves than God does. This is just not true. God, through Jesus, wants us to be happy a million times more than we do. In John 15:11 He tells us that He wants us to be full of His joy. Meditate on that thought for a while. Jesus wants us to have His joy in us, and for that joy to be full, complete; that we would be completely filled with His joy. (Can I get an amen, or Hallelujah?)

Our joy will never be perfect while we are here on this earth. It is limited in this life by sin, but it can be expanded through obedient faith. Real joy is also not determined by our immediate circumstances, but by the reality of God and all that He promises us in Christ. Even the reproach of Christ in our lives is greater riches than the treasures of the world (Hebrews 11:25-26; 12:2).

He ended with a list of 10 ways to expand your joy in God. I will leave you with these.

Confess your sin of looking to everything but God for happiness (Psalm. 32:3-11)
Look to Christ for all that you truly need (John. 16:24)
Pray for joyful obedience (Psalm. 51:12; 61:2)
Kill the two-headed pride monster: boasting and self-pity (1 Cor. 1:26-29; Mt. 5:11-12)
Get passionate about your obedience to God and service to others (Romans 12:9-15)
Study to become an expert about what God has promised you (2 Peter 1:4, 10-11)
Take inventory of your circumstances and express thanks to God (Habakkuk 3:17-18)
Take the long-range view of life (1 Peter 1:6-9)
Sing about the lovingkindness of God (Psalm. 90:14)
Do hard things and gladly accept the outcome (James.1:2-4)

Marrying Young – I Do, or I Do Not Yet

2009-08-11T19:01:00.001-07:00

There has been much discussion lately over the topic of marriage, and when is the right time to marry. This recent discussion revolves around an article published in Christianity Today by Mark Regnerus, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Texas. He lays a case against modern American society that says people should prepare first and build a financial foundation before embarking on marital unions. Specifically, Evangelical Churches should pull away from such thinking and promote the marriage covenant more aggressively, and encourage our youth to start much earlier than current statistics show. I agree with him that the church should not embrace such worldviews, and should promote marriage as the gift God made it to be. However, he started the article by laying a foundation that is just another worldly argument that directly violates God's word. And because he started there, it was hard for me to get past that and see the effective rebuttals he made against those who propose postponing marriage until later in life. I suggest that believers should look first to the Bible to see what God says, and with that foundation we can make choices where God has given freedom.

This foundation I struggled with was an argument for promoting earlier marriage based on sexual statistics of young people. By his statistics, over 90% of young adults have sex outside of marriage, and among evangelicals, 80% who are in a relationship have some form of sex outside of marriage. He says these stats show that teaching abstinence to them just isn't working. All it does is make them feel guilty. Regnerus says when we ask our youth to remain pure "few evangelicals accomplish what their pastors and parents wanted them to." He also says "I'm suggesting that in the domain of sex, most of them don't and won't" abstain. He goes on to say "when people wait until their mid-to-late 20's to marry, it is unreasonable to expect them to refrain from sex." According to him, the church is losing the battle for purity because we are putting unreasonable pressure on them in this present culture.

Now I understand why he says he has encountered such resistance to his view on marrying young. These attacks on the fabric of Biblical principles make it hard to keep listening. I know it did for me. Everything else he said was tainted by the conclusion he made from the data collected. Am I wrong? Should we also conclude that since almost everyone is doing it, we are unfair to expect young Christians to stay pure until marriage?

It is important here to remember that the church is not making unbearable demands on us, but we are teaching what God wants and expects us all to do. God's word is clear about whether it is ok to have sex outside of marriage. 1Thessalonians 4 tells us that God's will for our sanctification is that we abstain from sexual immorality (1 Thess.4:3). And, we are not to act with the passionate lusts of unbelievers, but with knowledge how to have self control of our bodies (1 Thess. 4:4-5). The church may need to examine itself in this area, to see if it has adequately trained young people how to know how to control his/her urges. I am sure this is lacking in the church. We are quick to tell them (and us) how immorality is wrong, but then not prepare them with the right weapons to fight the temptations.

The passage continues, though, to exhort us not to wrong each other with sexual sin, and warns us of the consequences before God for those that do (1 Thess. 4:6). God has called us to be holy, and not impure (1 Thess. 4:7). And finally, a stern warning comes to anyone who rejects this, because they are rejecting God (1 Thess. 4:8). After all, The Lord did not leave us all alone, but He gave us the Holy Spirit. We need to be careful not to ever give a message that abstinence is an unreasonable teaching. This passage and many more tell us that it is God's message. (Romans 13:13; 1 Corinthians 5:1, 6:9, 18; 2 Corinthians 12:21; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 5:3; etc…)

The argument made to marry as a solution to strong sexual desires is addressed in I Corinthians 7, and Regnerus does use that passage toward the end of the article. Yes, it is a valid reason for marriage, but if it is the only reason, then the person is making a grave mistake. That passage alone spends a great deal of time addressing this topic from many different angles. It would take many blog entries to really look at this issue and try to come to conclusions. This passage, by itself, gives us a good idea how complex the answers to this subject can be. The truth is, when a person should get married can only be determined individually. It would be wrong for us to argue a "one size fits all" model for when a person should marry.

Regnerus does say that the church should promote marriage, and I agree. Hebrews 13:4 tells us to hold marriage in honor, and that God will judge those who defile it. And we have an example of marriage in Ephesians 5 that illustrates the beautiful relationship of Christ and His church. It is important for us to revere, honor, and encourage marriage as the good gift from God it is. There are good examples of those who got married young, and there are good examples of those who get married later. So much of that depends on the maturity and calling of each individual.

I want to make it clear I am not against Regnerus. He did a good job of refuting the arguments for getting married later. If you did not read the article, please do, it will make you think. You can find it here:

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/august/16.22.html

The Influence Inside

2009-07-18T05:08:00.001-07:00

The other day I was reading a story my friend wrote for her column. She is very susceptible to the affects of the toxins in hazardous plants. Their yard, however, has poison oak, poison ivy, and poison sumac mixed in the landscape. She knows she cannot do any yard work to avoid endangering her health (I wish I could use that excuse). There was so much work to do in the yard, though, and it coaxed her and pressured her and she began to tackle the landscaping instead of leaving it to her husband. Another voice spoke too, and it told her to "stop … now," and it gave her pause. She decided she would be very careful. She thought she could control the situation. But, somewhere along the way, she got attacked on her right arm, causing it to swell abnormally and painfully. This meant at the very least a trip to the doctor, medicine, possible steroids, etc…

This story immediately reminded me of the message I heard a month ago by CJ Mahaney on "The Troubled Heart" from Psalm 42. The psalmist demonstrates the inner turmoil each of us experiences. You know what I am talking about; that still small voice in your head that can encourage or depress you. Paul Tripp said it best: "You are the most influential person in your own life." CJ asked us to think about the truth of Tripp's statement. We all are in a never-ending conversation with ourselves. From the moment we open our eyes in the morning, until the time late at night when we drift out of consciousness, we are telling ourselves what to do, how to feel, and how to act. I would dare say those "quiet people" we know may actually talk to themselves even more.

What we communicate to ourselves influences us in both our attitudes and our actions. We tell ourselves we don't deserve what we are going through, we deserve to be treated better than we are, etc …, and wallow in self pity. We coax ourselves into sin by tricking ourselves into believing how great it will be, or how we deserve it after what we've been through. The truth is, because of our sin nature, we are constantly giving ourselves bad advice. So, even though we want what's best for "me", most of us, left to ourselves, are our own worst influences. What we desperately need is an intervention.

Enter the influence of God Almighty. I know it will seem like I am contradicting myself, but for those that have been called by God, the Lord is the most influential person in our lives. Let me explain. We were dead in our sin until He made us alive (Ephesians 2:4-6; Colossians 2:12-13). God took our hearts of stone, and gave us hearts of flesh to cause obedience (Ezekiel 36:26-27). This great God, by the purpose of His will, chose us before He created the world, and predestined our adoption as His very own children (Ephesians 1:4-5; 6-10; 11-14). This Divine intervention is what I would call an irresistible influence. God, in love, stepped in and gave us what we were incapable of because of sin. He now gave us the voice we needed all along to be the right influence on ourselves. He did this when He gave us the Holy Spirit to dwell in us (I Corinthians 2:12-13).

We still influence ourselves all the time, but now God has changed us so we can listen to His instruction in the Bible. Instead of listening to that old influence, we need to talk to ourselves with the truth and understanding we now have in Christ. We need to tell ourselves the truth that comes from God's word. This can only happen if we are continually going to it for understanding, knowledge, and wisdom. We need to have the attitude for the knowledge of God that the psalmist has in Psalm 119. He cannot get enough of it and neither should we.

This change from listening to our sinful selves and speaking God's truth to our hearts does not just happen. Each day you need to make a concerted effort to stop listening to the wrong voice and spend the day talking to yourself. Speak to yourself the wisdom that comes from God's word. Sow the seeds of truth into your soul. Water them with the promises God has for us and let the Holy Spirit grow the fruit of faith and trust in our inner being. The skill to be totally dependent on the grace of God is one that needs to be learned. This is a lifestyle change that needs to be addressed on a daily basis and every time we find our troubled soul leading us the wrong direction. This struggle will continue your whole life.

It is time we became a positive influence on ourselves instead of the negative one we have been. We need to change our troubled souls into hopeful ones. We need to ask ourselves why we are down and admonish ourselves to hope in God (Psalm 42:5, 11). We need to listen to the Voice of Truth.

A Living Example

2009-07-04T01:19:00.001-07:00

It sure has been a long time since my last post. I was in S. Africa at Christ Seminary and we had just finished our time in Malawi. So much has happened since then, and I would not even know where to begin to tell it all. Now that the trip is over, this blog will change. My continuing this will depend on whether people take an interest. My intent is to share what the Lord puts on my heart, and be an encouragement to my brothers and sisters in our walk of faith.

There have been big changes this week in our household. Brian, along with Bekka and Jared, graduated from high school on Sunday. And he has now turned 18. Life has totally changed for him in the same week. He is full of questions and uncertainty. He has not found a job, doesn't have a major, and in that, is not sure what he wants to do in life. Sound familiar? Many of us even this late in life are unsure about what we are doing and whether we should seek to change. So he's standing at the first of potentially many crossroads in his adult life and wonders. And I wonder if I prepared him for this? Could I have done a better job?

Julie & I have tried to teach him everything he needs for this moment. We home schooled him. We got him involved at church. We have read and taught him the truths from God's word. But did we show him by example how to walk in a relationship with Christ? Talking the talk is one thing. Teaching him all the right things is good. But, if that is not demonstrated by showing him day to day how that plays out in our lives, then maybe we haven't properly prepared him.

This really hit me last year when I came across Paul urging the Corinthians to imitate him. You know he says this quite a bit (I Corinthians 4:16, 11:1, Philippians 3:17, 4:9, etc…). I have heard this before. God purposed for Paul to be a spiritual giant as an example to us. But can I say that about myself to those around me who look up to me, like my children? Am I supposed to be able to say that of myself? God has commissioned me to be the father and spiritual leader of these children and as such, I need to be able to ask them to look to me as an example. I need to live as an example they can follow. How?

We should look to Paul's example, because he showed us how. He tells Corinth (and us) to imitate him because he imitates Christ (I Corinthians 11:1). You see, the example he followed was the one of our Lord and Savior. Jesus tells us in Luke9:23 to die to ourselves and follow Him. Paul deeply understood this. He did and continually died to his wants and desires and by faith in Christ surrendered to have Christ live through him (Galatians 2:20). It was not even on his own strength or ability that he achieved this life for others to follow. Becoming more like Christ is about letting Christ, through His Spirit, work in my life. If I can demonstrate a submission to the Holy Spirit to work through me for God's glory, then I can ask someone to follow me, as I follow Christ.

Our gracious God has been kind to help me see this truth in my life. I am not a perfect example. I fall and sin. In fact, I still sin a lot. But God has been working there also to show me that even in moments of weakness, I can model a life to follow through repentance and dependence on Christ to fight against the evil in my heart. Daily, by the power of Christ in me, I can humbly say, "Be an imitator of me, as I am an imitator of Christ".

White Fields of Harvest

2008-10-22T04:14:00.000-07:00

Well, we have arrived in South Africa and I am at Christ Seminary in their computer lab writing this post. It has been very eventful since the last time I wrote, and I am sure you all have already heard about some of our situations that we were in, including the accident with the young man that was hit with the combi (van). I am not going to go into any details about that here, or even our breakdowns afterward, but only to say that in all things God has been so gracious to us and has protected us from every and all adversity we have faced. Satan has tried to distract us from the work we came to do, but we are not going to let him discourage us.
God showed us great and mighty things as we travelled up to the northern region of Malawi. What we saw was a group of people who were eager to hear the gospel, hungry to be fed the word of God, and yet not many learned people or bibles with which to learn and grow. Each team member has specific people that they were impacted by, and how great the need is for a good solid basic understanding of the gospel of our Lord. Indeed, the fields are white and ripe for the harvest. We really do need laborers who are willing to go to this people in remote places, without electricity, or phones, and even limited clean water. Those who are willing to sacrifice in order to reach the lost for Christ. Going there can only leave your heart broken over the great need for the Lord's workers to reach these people. May God indeed provide such workers.
It is so good to be in the beautiful countryside here in Polokwane. This is the Africa I have grown to love. Not that Malawi is not on my heart, because it is so very much. But if God were calling me back to the mission field, this is where I could see us going (sorry, Julie). What is going on here at Christ Baptist Church is very exciting and I think is what the people of Africa need. They need to continue to grow this method of training African pastors, teachers, and missionaries to model a bible centered church that looks to the gospel as the means to reach their world for Christ. Not only do they have the Seminary here, but they also have a missions program where people can come on short-term missions trips and help share the gospel to various peoples groups here in SA. I do not have more details for you now, but will bring home much information about that ministry.
This Seminary is why we have sent 2 Malawi men here to be trained. Men like this is what is needed to go and reach the north of Malawi for Christ. Men who are trained with a solid Biblical foundation and are able to properly teach and train their congregations how to reach maturity in Christ. This is what is so desperately needed in the churches in Malawi.
Well, my time is up and I must go have lunch with the students. I am looking forward to it.

God is Good!

2008-10-15T11:17:00.000-07:00

Wow!!!! This was so much different than we could have ever imagined. It was so very interesting when we drove up the countryside on our way to Mzusu. For the first 150 Kilometers it was very similar to Namibia, and I was kind of homesick for there. Then we started to get into the mountains of northern Malawi and everything changed. It looked kind of like our mountains but with a distinctive African twist. There were trees of Africa mixed with many trees we would see in the States. Then, would you believe we started seeing pine trees. That is right, pine trees. There is the largest man-made pine tree forests in southern Africa in Malawi. That was a shock.

When we got to Mzusu we got our second shock. After a bumpy ride down several torn-up dirt streets with houses on the side, we came around the corner to a sea of people with the women dressed up in purple and white dresses, singing and dancing their hearts out. We got out of the car and they proceeded to parade us around and then into the house, where we were seated like kings in Brasswells living room. All this time they continued to sing to us. Then there were several introductions on all sides and we were each asked to share a word with them. I was so proud of the boys and what they had to say. Then they fed us and again they treated us like kings. I am sure the food we ate was way beyond the churches means. We were indeed humbled.

Yesterday we travelled up here to Rumphi, and then went on to the Beteri training center which is about a 30 minute ride out of town on old dirt roads. When we got there we received almost the same greeting as we received before. We then got into meeting, and Charlie spoke first about servant leadership. Then after a long break so the others could eat (we did not), then we met again and Dan shared with the pastors on the importance of the gospel and how they need to be bold, gentle and blameless with the gospel. Then we had trouble with our accomodations (they were poor for Brasswell's standards) so we needed to go and make other arrangements. The place is quite modest, but I am sure top notch for this area.

Today, it was my turn to teach. After several small delays, we were off. Down the road we went. Then all of a sudden, an alarm in the combi (van) went off. Long story short, we were out of water. And we were also low on oil. We were stranded with what seemed like no option. Then someone came with some water and we began to fill up the reservuoir with water. We were stuck there between an hour and 1 1/2 hours. I began to think God did not want me to teach today. But, we finally got the engine cooled down, and got back on the road and to Beteri. God was so kind to me and gave me exactly what He wanted them to hear. After a break for a late lunch, then Charlie shared the vision of Coast for a shared responsibility for the building of the training center there. Because it was so late, we could not travel to Kalopa today. So, we had to arrange lodging at the same place as last night, and tomorrow morning, bright and early, we should be headed to Kalopa. We may even see animals tomorrow.

Well, I must go. Please continue to pray for us. We have had many bumps in the road that I have not had time to share, but God has been so good and faithful. Pray that we continue to be kind to one another and not get on each others nerves. The next 2 days will probably be the hardest of the trip. But, if the last 2 days are any indication, our hearts will continue to be blessed beyond our comprehension. Our lives will forever be changed by this experiences for sure. The people here have to trust God in ways we just cannot possibly understand. God is Good!

We are here!

2008-10-12T11:28:00.000-07:00

We have arrived. We are exhausted, but we have made it all in one piece. God is very good and he has provided for us at every step. We have many stories to tell already and we have not even arrived at our destination. We are in Lilongwe, Malawi, and after what we hope to be a good night sleep we will make the 330 kilometer drive to Mzusu in the morning. It will take most, if not all of the day to get there. Then the real stories will begin.

Please keep us in your prayers. It has been very challenging so far, but we have seen that God is faithful and has provided for all our needs. We had a hitch in NY with our bags, but God has been gracious to us and we received all our bags and everything we bought appears to be here too. Brian got sick before dinner and went to bed without eating. We think it was exhaustion and motion from the plane. We will see.

I am not sure if I will have any access to the computer before we come back here to the ABC Bible College next Monday. If I can get access somewhere, I will give you some update. I wish I could write more, but the time has come, and we must go to bed. It will start very early in the morning.

God is doing great things!

Goodbye & God Bless

2008-10-08T20:05:00.000-07:00

Well, with less than 34 hours left before we leave LAX, this might just be the last post I do before we leave. We are practically packed, and we are about as prepared as we are going to be for this trip. It is so exciting and yet at the same time very difficult to believe that the time has come. What seemed like dream a year ago is becoming a reality before our eyes.
It is amazing to see how God answers prayer. I will confess to you here that for a while I have been praying for God to lead Brian in a spiritual direction as he enters into his adult life. Not that he has been lacking spiritually. I must say I have seen the hand of the Lord on Brian's life long before I began praying for his spiritual wellbeing. But, it is hard as the Lord is changing me (and wow has HE been changing me), not to have high spiritual ambitions for my children, especially my oldest. We want him to become the man that God wants him to be, and yet I cannot help but ask if He would not have full time ministry planned for Brian. And with that, here we are. Without any prompting from myself in this matter, Brian expressed a burning desire to see firsthand what God is doing literally half way around the world. And now, we are just moments away from an experience that will change his life! Do not get me wrong, I do not interpret this as God's calling Brian to go into missions, but I do know this is all part of God's sovereign plan for Brian's life, and I am just so pleased to be an eyewitness to God's answers to many tearful prayers.
I cannot go on and speak about all the things on my heart right now. There are so many things I have wanted to share. I still have not shared the mindset that has been molding me most for the last 7 months. That will have to wait until later. I will be teaching on it with the people of Malawi, and I promise to share it in great detail with those who will read after I come back. But, just so you are not totally in the dark, it is the subject of Jesus as our Lord (Kurios), and his disciples (Christians) who are his slaves (doulos).
I do need to go. I still need to prepare for the other main topic I want to teach on, worship of God. It is so much more than singing songs on Sunday morning. It is about everything we do. What we look to for joy, happiness, and satisfaction. And if we worship anything other than God, then we are no more than idol worshippers.
Please pray for us. Pray for our safety, and for our health. Pray that we would say what the people of Malawi need to hear from the Lord. Pray for our families as we are away from them. Pray for the ministries we will leave behind that the Lord will provide for them while we are away. I am always amazed at how God is sovereign and has planned everything from before the foundation of time, and yet we are to pray and ask God to work in ours and other peoples lives. Then He blesses us by meeting those needs far beyond all that we could ask or think. It keeps reminding us that we have nothing else in which to trust, and that God is faithful to those He has chosen to be His slaves.
Here is our itinerary so you can keep up with where we are suppose to be. Remember there is a 9 hour difference ahead (from PT) where we are going, so we will be ending our day as you begin yours.
God bless each of you and may His hand guide all of our steps until we are together again.

Malawi 2008 Proposed Itinerary:

Oct 10th (Fr) Depart LAX at 6:15AM PDT on United Airlines UA 84; Arrive JFK at 2:30PM EDT
Depart JFK at 5:20PM EDT on South African Airways SA 204

Oct 11th (Sa) Arrive JHB at 5:00PM; taxi to BIMS House in Harmelia; meet Brasswell; stay overnight

Oct 12th (Su) Taxi back to JHB; Depart at 11:30AM on SA 170; Arrive Lilongwe, Malawi at 1:55PM;
Rendevou with Brian Beidebach at airport for transport to African Bible College for overnight stay and ministry overview

Oct 13th (Mo) Kondwane (Brian’s driver) will drive us to Rumphi (full day travel)

Oct 14th (Tu) Ministry with Brasswell in and around Rumphi and Betere
Oct 15th (We) Ministry with Brasswell in and around Rumphi and Betere
Oct 16th (Th) Ministry with Brasswell in and around Kalopa
Oct 17th (Fr) Ministry with Brasswell in and around Kalopa
Oct 18th (Sa) Ministry with Brasswell in and around Mzuzu
Oct 19th (Su) Ministry with Brasswell in and around Mzuzu

Oct 20th (Mo) Drive from Rumphi back to Lilongwe for overnight stay at African Bible College

Oct 21st (Tu) Depart Lilongwe at 2:45PM on SA 171 to arrive in Johannesburg at 5:15PM

Oct 22nd (We) Christ Seminary and Christ Baptist Church
Oct 23rd (Th) Christ Seminary and Christ Baptist Church
Oct 24th (Fr) Depart Polokwane at 3:40PM on SA 8812; Arrive JHB at 4:45
Depart JHB at 7:10PM on SA 203; Arrive JFK at 7:05AM EDT

Oct 25th (Sa) Depart JFK at 11:55AM EDT on UA 87; Arrive LAX at 3:07PM PDT

The Lord says "GO"

2008-10-03T00:15:00.000-07:00

The time is upon us. In just 1 week, Dan, Charles, Josiah, Brian and I will embark on the long trip to Malawi, if the Lord wills. As Dan stated to us last night in our final planning meeting, this is all surreal. Indeed it is. We went over all the final details, made a plan for attacking the final needs, and are really close to physically being ready to go. The truth is, I would leave in the morning if I could. I can hardly wait to see what the Lord is doing amongst His people in Africa to prepare His bride. I am very excited.
I am reminded in John Piper's book, Don't Waste Your Life, why we as representatives of Coast Community are going on this trip to Malawi. He talks in chapter 9 "The Majesty of Christ in Missions and Mercy" of the heart and desire Christ has to take His message to the ends of the earth and to make disciples (Matthew 28:18-20). He has chosen to use His disciples (Christians) to do this. Whether we are the ones to actually go, or whether we support others through prayer and our finances, we as believers are responsible to be the hands, feet, and mouths of Jesus Christ to peoples who need to hear the message for perhaps the first time. This is not an option, it is the purpose we are here for.
Thanks to the missions team at Coast, the 5 of us are about to get a small taste of what it looks like to "go". Of course this is not like those who God give an unyielding desire for the hearts of those that have been unable to hear of God's mercy, and cast aside the callings of this world and make it their life's mission to enlist His elect into His heavenly kingdom. But we will get to, in some small way, be a part of this glorious work that God continues to do until all is fulfilled and His kingdom is complete. Wow, what a privilege!
What we get to do is special, and what I think fits right into some of the gifts God has graciously given me. We get to encourage the body of Christ in the towns we will be visiting. This means we will teach the congregations from God's word to strengthen their faith. We will have opportunity to admonish the leaders and the pastor's of these churches to faithfully and accurately grow up their congregations in the knowledge of our Savior Jesus as He has revealed Himself in the Holy Scriptures. These things will happen in different ways. One will be organized meetings where one of us adults will be allowed to teach on different subjects. Another way will be in our casual times of fellowship. When we are travelling with some of the pastors, we will have many opportunities understand their needs and culture, and show them things in God's word that may help them to see Christ better.
I am sure that in all of this, I will be blessed, convicted and taught even more than they will. This will probably be the case with all of us. It would be presumptuous to think that we have all the answers and knowledge. As Paul tells the church in Rome in Romans 1:11-12, his intention was to impart to them some spiritual gift, and that he would be encouraged by their faith. God is always faithful, and there has never been a time when I have with open hands been a willing vessel to be used as He sees fit, where the blessing I receive is far greater than the small offering that I give. And that is just here on this earth. He has promised far greater in the life to come, and as such I cannot begin to fathom what awaits us in His glorious kingdom.
Please continue to pray for us. Each of us has much still to prepare for our teaching opportunities. We need strength, diligence, and most importantly the Holy Spirit to guide us and give us the right words to speak. That starts here as we plan and organize our thoughts. Also pray for the young men who are going. I am confident that God has planned for them far beyond their wildest imaginations on this trip, and it is my hope that their eyes will be opened to things they never even dreamed of. Pray that they will never be the same again. Pray that we all will come back as different people, more and more conformed into the image of our Lord Jesus Christ.
To Him be the honor and glory and praise forever and forever. May our Jesus find us worthy to being numbered as one of His slaves.

Faster than a Speeding Bullet

2008-09-24T21:27:00.000-07:00

Hello! The long lost blogger has mysteriously re-appeared. Thanks for those of you who have been waiting so patiently for me to give you some kind of an update. I would like to say that I have just been too busy, and to some extent that has been true. The truth is, I have just been in somewhat of a funk and have not been sure what to share. I also was beginning to think that the only one reading this blog was Charlie. Thanks for those of you that have shared with me you have been reading, and I am sorry for my negligence. I will do my best to keep you updated as the day rapidly approaches.

There are now only 16 days left and this one is almost gone. That means we really have only 14 days to prepare our messages, obtain whatever supplies are still needed, pack and go on day 15. The time is rapidly approaching. In fact, the days are flying by like a 100 car freight train going full speed downhill with no brakes. Thankfully, our great God has planned each of our steps and we have no need to be anxious. We need to be diligent and faithful, but we can also rest in His faithful plan for us.

Yes, there is much to do, but I think I can speak for the others when I say we are getting so very excited to go. I have waited a long time to get to finally meet pastor Brasswell, and to see firsthand what God is doing to grow His church in Malawi. I am filled with anticipation to see the completed classroom block at the training center in Betere. This has been a long-term dream of Brasswell's to create a place to bring people in to teach them how to grow in Christ. The walls have been completed, and we have sent him the money for the metal roof panels. They should be up by the time we get there. Here are the latest pictures of the classroom.

Please remember the Patterson's at this time of grief. It will be a difficult time for them as they deal with the loss of Donna's mother. Please pray for the whole family as they will each deal with this loss differently. Pray that Charlie and Josiah will be able to sensitive and supportive these last couple of weeks. God has His hand in this for them at this time, even if we do not understand His timing of these events. But we know that He works all these things for our good, and for His glory.

Each of us has our own list of things to accomplish before we go. Charlie has his family situation, and another class this Saturday. And next Friday he will teach the youth about making ones life count for Christ around the world. Dan has his business to attend to and prepare for his absence, while still dealing with his elder duties. The young men are dealing with school, jobs they have never had before, and get themselves ready to be used by the Lord. All of this while dealing with the growing excitement of the trip looming just around the corner. I am confident that God will allow me to get everything done I need to do, but I need to be faithful with my time.

Thank you to all who have shown an interest in what God is doing for us and through us. We cannot thank you enough for your prayers, encouragement and support of various kinds. Your reward will be waiting for you by Him who is faithful, abounding in steadfast love, gracious and merciful to those He has chosen. May our great God be exalted and lifted high, both now and forevermore.

Malawi Update

2008-09-03T23:30:00.001-07:00

We received a report from Brasswell yesterday. Instead of trying to tell you myself what is going on, I am going to just let you read it for yourself. It is exciting to hear of new believers who are now part of the Kingdom. Please pay attention to the prayer requests at the bottom of his letter. Just think, we will be on our way to Africa in just 37 days.

Hi Brothers in the Lord,

Am so glad to report to you about the work of God that has taken place here in my area. We had a revival meeting which took place at Ekwaayiweni, our new preaching point. Eight people were baptized in the Lunyangwa river. The Church is growing rapidly. They have already burned bricks ready to build a church building. Deacons B. Phiri and B. Kajogolo are the ones who are helping this church to grow. The pictures will be sent to you later.

The churches in the NTHALIRE area are also growing. The fastest growing is Mibanga.Mr John Kabaghe is helping these Churches. From the funds you sent us to use in our family I was able to buy a bicycle for John Kabaghe. Mr Kalua is helping the church at Nthaalire center. Kalopa is growing little by little. We need someone to be put there to help the church.

Betere is doing good. Recently before the beginning of the building of the Training Center, several people came to the Lord. For your information, Dacosta has started another preaching point. It is named Chibeku Baptist preaching point. This church is cituated in Mzimba south west. Last Sunday, fourteen people were baptized. Dacosta is planning to leave Betere by next year. Betere will be left in the hands of Jam and Moyo. The widow at Betere is doing well now. I gave some of the money to her.

The president of the Baptist convention has also given me the responsibility of taking care of the Chibavi Baptist Church. The church is doing well in terms growth, both in quality and quantity.

I had a car accident on 8th June, 2008. The accident happened on my way to Lusaka, Zambia. The journey was to help me and other preachers from Malawi get a training on how we can evangelize our continent of Africa. I thank God because none of us were hurt.

The training center is now at window level. The pictures will be sent to you tomorrow.
By the end of September the classroom block will be completed.

PRAYER REQUESTS;

1.Pray that all the young preachers I have trained would have a zeal to serve the Lord without compromise.

2. Pray that our work of the T. Center be completed on time without any hindrances.

3.Pray that my family should remain in good health.

4.PRAY THAT THE LORD WILL PROVIDE ME WITH A RELIABLE MEANS OF TRANSPORT.

5.PRAY THAT GOD WILL PROVIDE ME WITH A LAPTOP COMPUTER FOR EASY COMMUNICATION WITH YOU.

6.Pray that the Lord will give me trusted people with whom i can work with.

Brassell & Felista

Conspiracy, attack, or coincidence

2008-09-01T22:33:00.000-07:00

With all that has happened since the last post, I have to wonder what is going on here. Most people would say there have been strange coincidences taking place. Others might say there is a conspiracy going on or Murphy's law is at work. Having a strong belief that God is sovereign over every event in our lives, I know these are not true. I also know that our struggle is not against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12), so in light of these recent events, I wonder if these things are attacks from the evil one allowed by God do distract us. There is a temptation to back off and not stay focused on the preparations necessary for us to effectively minister the gospel to those God has chosen for us. I know the fight is on now and we must continue to pray diligently for God's grace to have the time to prepare properly.

I have meant to make a post for a few days now, but different circumstances have detoured me from all plans I have made. We had an episode with our youngest son, Joshua, when after 9 on Saturday night, he had an allergic reaction in his eyes to something mysterious, which sent us on a 4 hour excursion to the emergency room. Needless to say, I did not get to post then. Then yesterday just got away from me with these issues with my neck. Trying to get comfortable, get rest, and medicate myself to handle the discomfort, left me at bedtime wondering where the whole day went. The morning practice, and worship service with all its difficulties, was also a blur in hind sight.

That being said, there is still so much to do and only 37 days to accomplish them as of Tuesday (for you Charlie). As a group, we still need to purchase more Bibles for the people. we need to purchase 7 sets of MacArthur study Bibles, Bible dictionaries, and concordances for the seminary students. Then we need to work out getting them there in our luggage. We need to make arrangements to get a shuttle for all of us to take us to the airport. We also need to get together and figure out what other details need to be taken care of before we go. There are many little logistical items that need to be finalized and we need prayer to help us identify them all. The finances are coming together, but we are still not quite there yet. My experience is that God will provide it when it is needed. He always does. The Patterson's have most of their immunizations taken care of, and the others are planned for. Brian and I have our appointment with our "travel doctor" on Thursday at 3:30pm. Brian got his hepatitis A taken care of at his regular doctor, and I had it when I was 13, so we are good there, but the rest we will be dealing with on Thursday, Lord willing.

We heard from Brasswell a few days ago, and I had meant to tell everyone then, but as I stated before, I have been hindered from doing so each day. He told us that the training center building is up on the foundation and the walls should be completed within 2 weeks. Below you will see the pictures that he sent us. Charlie also received some pictures in the mail, and hopefully I can put them up soon.

I had a similar experience with loading sand into a flatbed truck and taking it to the construction site when Julie and I were in Namibia. The picture below of the gentlemen shoveling it off the truck brought back some memories. We drove the truck to a dry river bed, shoveled sand in the truck, and then took it to the construction site and offloaded it. We made several trips. On the first trip, I was so enthusiastic to help that I was actually throwing the sand over the bed and onto the ground on the other side. All the local workers got a good laugh out of that one. I do not recall a more gruelling day of physical work than that day! I have had my share of hard working days, but that one is at the top of the list.

Please continue to pray for us. The fight is large, and we need the Lord to keep us on His timetable. Thank you so much for your encouragement and support.

Mounting Pressure

2008-08-27T22:13:00.000-07:00

I can feel the pressure mounting, literally. I went to the doctor today for a check-up to check my blood pressure before the trip. I had to tell him of some stinging, numbing pain in my back and down my arm. This pain has been going on for about a week now. As it turns out, I have degeneration of the disc between the 7th and 8th vertebrae (or between the cervical, and thoracic sections of the back). This means there is less of an opening for my nerves to get through and one is being pinched, causing the irritating pain. It was also discovered that I have arthritis in my cervical (or neck) section as well. Both of these are just signs of getting old. Praise God this happened now and not while we were in Malawi. My doctor has started me on some nerve pain medication, and Lord willing, we will have the dosage figured out before we leave.

The real pressure I feel is from God's word. II Timothy 4:1-2 tells us to be ready always to preach the word. Also implied in verse 3 is that it needs to be sound teaching. But, if one were unclear about the implication there, it is clear in Titus 2:1-2. Even if what Paul tells Titus in verse 1 is just for pastors, what he says in verse 2 I must apply to myself. My body tells me I am an older man. I was also reminded that I am the oldest one of the group. And, according to Malawi statistics, I am older than their average life expectancy. I must be sound in my doctrine and in my faith. We all have a responsibility before God to teach His word to these people without error.

I also want to be sensitive to the Malawians spiritual needs. It will not mean much if what we come prepared to share does not meet the needs of where they are. It is my prayer that each of us will have discernment to see areas where they need to grow in the Lord. May the Lord open our eyes in the brief time there to be able to shift gears if He should show us something they need to hear. If this should occur, we need His grace and mercy to lead us and give us the right message to minister to that need.

We also want our every action, deed and speech to model Christ. And yet we are sinful men saved by grace. Again in Titus 2:7-8, Paul tells us to be a model of good works, to show integrity in our teaching, and have sound talk that can withstand any opponent. We need to demonstrate love toward our brothers and sisters there. That is why we need to be continually looking to Jesus and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Without Him, we will fall flat on our faces.

You may be thinking by now I am overwhelmed. I actually am not. It is true that all these things are on my mind. But, they are far from consuming me. In fact, God has given me real peace about this. He has been giving me grace for each day for everything I have needed to get done. Sometimes more, but never less. He has even at times brought extra things that I did not plan, but He has always brought what was needed at the time. He is truly good. It has been exciting to see the Lord bring things in my life to help me to trust Him more. I can't wait to see what He has prepared for us to challenge us to trust Him.

Prayer Requests

2008-08-23T20:16:00.000-07:00

Thanks to those of you who have come visit this blog to learn about Malawi and our trip this October. It was really nice to hear from Abby Prescott. She is Norm Wakefield's daughter. She commented on the last post. I would encourage you to look back at previous blogs and view the comments there. Unworthy slave (Charlie Patterson) always adds an interesting perspective as he has been there. He openly shares his heart for world missions and is not afraid to share his fears and concerns.

The time is rapidly approaching. The Lord willing, we will be on our way in just 48 days. I was reading just the other day in Proverbs 16:1-4,9 where it tells us that we make our plans, but it is God who establishes our steps. We have set our sights on going to Malawi, and it looks like that is where God is leading each one of us, but we know from His word that we will only go if that is what He has planned for us.
(Check this out! If you hover your cursor over any of the scriptures in my blog, a window should appear that will display the passage for you.)

There are still so many things that need to happen before we go, and many possible obstacles that could hinder us from going. That is why it is so important for us to pray and put our trust in our great sovereign God to get us ready and to our destination. We covet your prayers for us as well. Please join us in our efforts and share in the blessings from God by being prayer warriors for us. Let me share with you some of the items we could have you pray for us.

As a group we have common needs. All of us still need precious time to prepare spiritually for our time there. The enemy will try to bring things in to distract us from our plans. We all have to get vaccinations and medicine for the trip. There is also pneumonia still travelling around at church and it reminds us of the importance for us to remain healthy. We all still have a ways to go to pay for the trip. God has blessed us, and the boys (young men) are over half way there to reach their goal. We men have almost a 1/3 of our needs met. Pray that God will provide for us out of His abundant goodness and according to His good pleasure.

We also each have individual needs and let me end this with things you can pray for each of us.

Dan Rupprecht

Grace for the strength to be able to handle the heavy load at work.
He would be able to have the time to prepare for his teaching lessons.
For God to grant the grace to have adequate time with his family and lead them as God wants.
To be an effective leader and a Godly example to the team.

Charlie Patterson

Wisdom in knowing what best to share so as to encourage the brethren in their fight to learn and maintain the Word that was once for all delivered to the saints.
Wisdom in planning for my family's needs and in developing the vision for ministry at home while Josiah & I are away.
Health: to be well rested and mentally prepared for this trip.
For God to bless his studies to finish current class and his September class

Josiah Patterson

As I am preparing for the trip, I would like prayer for My work - that I may be a witness
My school -- that I can get as much done as possible
My health -- that I won't have reactions to any immunizations and that I will stay healthy while there.
My message -- that the Lord will give me a message to share while there if I am asked.
My heart -- that I will have the right attitude.

Brian Deyarmond

That work hours and school hours would be worked out so he can continue to earn money for the trip
For preparations to have words of encouragement
To finish his testimony and to be prepared to be able to give an answer to the hope he has in God
For eyes that are open to see what God has prepared has planned for future.

Ric Deyarmond

That I would be a willing and available slave to accomplish all that He has planned.
To make the most of my time as I prepare to be able to teach on being trustworthy servants of what Christ have given us, and what it means to worship our great God.
That I would be able to still devote the time needed to the worship ministry.
To be focused on my families needs and be the father/husband I need to be while I prepare to go.

The team

2008-08-19T19:01:00.001-07:00

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.

The excitement builds

2008-08-18T23:38:00.000-07:00

The days are just flying by and the excitement and anticipation is mounting. We are just 53 days from leaving LAX for Malawi. It is happening too fast. There are too many things that still need to get done, and each day that goes by without doing anything toward the trip means less time to get it done. We have lessons to prepare, verses to memorize, vaccinations and medicines to get for things like hepatitis and malaria. We still need to come up with a list of essential things to bring. We need to get study materials to give to the seminary students to aid their studies, and try to stuff them in our luggage.

Thankfully, Christian Bettenhausen has been such a great servant to us as unto the Lord! If it weren't for him, I do not know if we would be making this trip. He has been personally involved in every aspect of the travel arrangements. These include the plane tickets, our accommodations when we are not with Brasswell, and even our van rental. Thank you so much, Christian. You may not be going, but the Lord will remember on that day your servant love for your brothers.

I was very encouraged by a message I received from Brasswell early this morning. I had recently contacted him by e-mail and this was his first response to me. I am so excited to meet this man who desires to have God use him to reach his people. Let me leave you today with the note he sent me.

Dear brother Ric,

It's a privilege to be part of the team God uses to spread the Good news of our Saviour Jesus. For me I did not dream about becoming the person God will use for his own purposes. I was busy shepherding my Father"s cattle where He picked me. Your coming to Malawi will be a great blessing to the body of Christ. The Church in Mzuzu & Rumphi is too excited for your visit. Come and see for yourself. Malawians are peace loving people. If the days were to be pulled we would have pulled them to come near. In Mzuzu you will be accommodated in our home. Are you ready to eat Malawian foods such as Nsima? [made from corn]. I hope you are. I am so happy to meet you face to face in Jo-burg South Africa.

Greet your entire family & the Body of Christ there.

Brasswell Nkhonjera

CCC Missions

2008-08-16T20:59:00.000-07:00

55 short days and we will leave for Malawi. Let me spend some time and get everyone up to speed about who we are and what we are about. Many of you know us already, but there are some friends and family that may be unfamiliar with our church and this small country in Africa we plan to go to and minister. So, let me introduce everyone to the church we are a part of, the country of Malawi, how we came into a relationship with this place, who is going, and why we are going there now.

My family started going to Coast Community Church in August of 2003. Coast Community (Coast for short) has been a wonderful church home for us. Coast is a member of the Southern Baptist Convention. We are reformed in our theology, which means we adhere to the doctrines of grace. We currently meet at Thomas Paine Elementary in Garden Grove, CA. Earl Miles is our Pastor. He is a dedicated Shepard of the flock that our Lord has entrusted to him. We all at Coast feel blessed that God has given to us a man who models for us how to look to Jesus for life. He is dedicated to the word of God as the revelation of God to us that leads to eternal life. It is his desire for us to see our Lord Jesus Christ as our hope for joy and satisfaction. If you want to get to know more about our church, you can visit their website at http://www.coastcommunitychurch.com/ .

The missions team at our church became interested in Malawi several years ago when a member of our missions team read an article about a Baptist Malawian pastor that has a heart to reach the northern part of his country into a real faith in Christ. He started communication with this pastor and their relationship grew. As he and the missions team got to know him, they decided that he was definitely someone they wanted to support as he endeavors to add to the kingdom of God. The missions team member is a dear brother of mine in the Lord, Charles Patterson. The African pastor that found Charlie's heart is Braswell Nkhonjera.

Malawi is a country in the eastern part of Africa. It is surrounded on the east, south, and west by Mozambique. To the north is Tanzania, and Zambia borders the northwest. Lake Malawi makes up about 20% of the country's mass. Malawi has a population of approximately 13 million. Modern statistics say the country is 80% Christian, but that is very misleading just as it is in America. Most people are "Christian" by affiliation only. Islam is also making a real push here also. Reality is this country is among the poorest nations of the world, With 80% of the people living in rural areas. Most of these people make their living in farming by planting crops that will feed their families. Official estimates say more than 14% of the population has HIV, but unofficial estimates based on hospital admissions estimate it at closer to 30%. There are close to 3/4 of a million orphans in this country, mostly because of the Aids epidemic. The Child mortality rate is over 1 out of 10. The life expectancy of men in Malawi is 43 years and for women is 42 years. For more information on Malawi go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malawi .

Braswell Nkhonjera is local pastor who has made a tremendous impact on reaching his country for Christ. His focus has remained for the most part on the northern portion of the Malawi, as he lives in the town of Rumphi. He has never been content to just his hometown, but has travelled throughout the north of Malawi where he has planted several churches, and has raised up and mentored several pastors. He currently has 5 pastors that attend seminary classes in the capital city of Lilongwe. Along with those, there are 2 other men that Coast is supporting to go to Christ Seminary in Polokwani, South Africa. They travel back and forth to school where they stay for 2 months of study and then return home for a month to be with their families. To find out more about this Masters Seminary go to http://www.tmainternational.org/site/default.asp?sec_id=13 .

So, several years ago, we on the missions team at Coast had a desire to go to Malawi to visit Brasswell so we could meet him and see firsthand what was going on there and how we could better help him and his heart to further the gospel of Christ. Well, 2 years ago, Christian Bettenhausen, Charles Patterson, and our pastor, Earl Miles got the chance to go and visit the exciting work of the Lord in the "warm heart of Africa". They each got the chance to teach the word, encouraging the believers there and were encouraged by them also. They also caught a vision Brasswell has to create a training center in Betere, which is by his home in Rumphi. They have now begun the classroom block construction and it should be well underway by the time we get there.

The missions team thought it would be good for us to go back again this year to continue to minister to the believers in northern Malawi and to show them our support of the furthering of the kingdom of God there. Charlie is returning and is the veteran of the team. We also have Dan Rupprecht, who is an elder in our body. He is representing the leadership of the body of Coast. I am also going as a representative of the missions team, and also as worship leader. We also wanted to see what other interest there might be amongst the body and we asked the body what interest there was. While many were interested, various conflicts kept many from being able to go with us.

There were 2 young men that displayed an interest and were also not swayed when they were told they would have to be responsible for the cost of the entire trip. These guys are Charlie's oldest son, Josiah, who is 16, and my oldest son, Brian. These 2 have each taken jobs to earn as much of the cost as they can. It has been so exciting to see 2 young men such as these show such interest in world missions and to reach people from every nation. Their lives will never be the same after they see God as work in another part of the world.

Well, that is all I can do for now. If you are still reading then maybe you have caught the vision and heart for Malawi. I hope and pray that this may attract some of you to join us in the work of Malawi. We can use all the prayer support we can get. Please join us by praying for us. We still have much work ahead of us as we prepare to go.

Here we go!!!

2008-08-13T23:09:00.000-07:00

Hello!!! Even a guy like me can do this. I have now really entered the digital realm.

I started this because in 58 days, 5 members from my church will be leaving on a missions trip to Malawi, Africa. One of our elders will be going, as will one of the members of the missions team. He will be taking his oldest son with him. I will also be going and taking my 17 year old with me as well. I wanted to let people in on what is going on to prepare to go serve our brothers and sisters in Christ on the other side of the world.

This first post is to just get things started. I really did not think it would be this easy to start this thing, but also realize it will take a little bit of work to get all the information out there for everyone to be informed.

So, this blog for the next 2 months will focus almost exclusively on the team and our preparations, setbacks, and plans for the trip. I want everyone to know the team members, how the preparations are going, what needs we have, and how you might be able to pray for us.

Please bear with me as I try to make this site presentable. I am excited to see what God does to us and through us as we seek to serve our Master.