Please be in prayer for the elections that are occurring today in Sudan.  They are the first free elections that they will have had in 24 years.  The presidency is at stake with the current president Omar al-Bashir; having allegations of ties to Osama Ben Laden as well as being charged by the International Crimes Court for crimes against humanity .  The elections are being monitored by international oversight, including former President Jimmy Carter.  There is substantial fear that these elections are not fair, free elections because several of the other opposition party candidates have dropped out of the race.

Rob Wegner, Pastor of Life Mission at Granger Community Church says it better than I can on his post this morning…

Would you take a minute and pray for an upset right now? Elections are occuring as you read this.

This election does concern us. We serve a Global God and that makes us a Global People.  First and foremost, we are citizens of the international Kingdom of God. We do have skin in the game in Sudan. Right now, without leaving your computer, you can exercise a global influence through prayer. From the light of eternity, we will be shocked to discover that some of our most influential moments were the moments spent in secret prayer, unnoticed by the masses, but duly noted by our Maker.. . .

EnterMission has been fueling a grassroots church planting movement in Sudan for the last two years.  Currently,

…we have 125 church planters in training,

…who have personally shared the Good News with more than 34,000 people.

….Out of that number over 7,500 have joined on-going Bible Studies, which will be transitioned into new churches.

…Over 2,950 men and women have been baptized into the faith and

… already 32 churches are up and running!

This is where the hope for Sudan ultimately lies, not in a government, but a Kingdom, a peaceable Kingdom.

As everything else has fallen apart in Sudan, the Church has not only remained, but thrived. In many communities, our church planters are the ones providing food, shelter, clean water, and even, education.

Let us pray today for our brothers and sisters in Sudan.  That as the words of this young man in the video says, “that we might have peace.”

Amen.  So let it be.

Salam Sudan from World Relief NEXT on Vimeo.

Hey All,

I apologize for not getting an update out sooner.  All of our flights went smoothly and we arrived Saturday night around 11:45pm local time.  All of our bags arrived with us and we had no trouble getting through customs with all the meds.

Sunday morning we did some shopping at a market in Phnom Penh.  Sunday afternoon we loaded up the van and the truck and headed to the province of Kompong Chhnaing (I don’t know how to pronounce it either.).  The hotel here is nice.  The air conditioners work great and we have hot water.

Today, we had a great first day at the village.  It is about 1 hour and 15 minutes from our hotel. Dr. Blake Little and Dr. Kit (a missionary Dr. with New Tribes Mission) saw 50+ people.  We shared the gospel with those who were seen.  Nurse Terry Osborne assessed everyone before they were seen by the Doctors.  Nurse Julie Reed and I worked in the pharmacy and we found some time to play with kids.

It is very HOT, but we are all surviving.  Terry and I both have colds.  Dr. Blake put us on antibiotics.  We both have bad coughs and squeaky voices.

Jessica, the missionary we are working with, is great.  She is taking wonderful care of us and did a great job of getting all the details taken care of before we arrived.

We are looking forward to another good day tomorrow.

Thank you for your prayers,
Brock

I am heading to Phnom Penh, Cambodia with four others from Forest Park.  It is going to be a medical mission trip to (tenatively) a village called Srai Chan.  It is on the Mekong River and we will be staying in the providential capital and traveling to the city each day to set up clinic.

I am going with a doctor, two nurses and Brock Cummins, our missions pastor.  I asked the doc that is leading the trip if he could call Brock and I “doctor” for the trip–”Spies Like Us” style!  I am doubting that is going to happen…but it is always worth the try!

Actually, Brock and I are going to be the “gophers” for the trip–which is awesome!  We are going to be doing whatever they need us to do…anything from helping with the medical exams to playing with the children.  Probably going to be a lot of playing with the children…which is cool.  There is going to be another national doctor that will help Dr. Blake set up clinic in the village, so we are hoping to see several hundred people over the 5 days we are doing clinic.  All the while, we are able to share with them the hope we have!

Please pray for the Cambodian or “Khmer” people that we see in clinic…that they would find medical answers to what ails them.  Pray also for them to find answers that only the Gospel can bring!

I will give more updates in the coming days, but for now, check out some of the articles on Wikipedia concerning Cambodia and their history.

• Cambodia  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodia
• Mekong River  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mekong
• Phnom Penh (Capital City)  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phnom_Penh
• The horrible Killing Fields  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Killing_Fields

Watch the film, “The Killing Fields” to get a good idea of the where we are going to be…in the villages right around the Killing Fields.

Here are few pictures of the people and places of Cambodia…be in prayer for them please.

We have started our Generations Campaign last weekend and we are SO excited about what God is going to do over the next 6 weeks in growing our faith!  One of the awesome things about this spiritual growth campaign is a 40 Day Prayer and Devotional Guide.  We actually have started a website that you can go to and comment on each day about what the Lord is teaching you.  We believe this is going to be a very powerful tool for us as a church family.

Check out the “pretty” format that looks like the paperback books on our website here.  You can also check out our new website called “PAUSE:  Stop. Learn. Live.” On that site you will also be able to learn more about a daily reading plan, how to journal, how to fast, etc.  The daily reading portion will be up and in full swing after our 40 days of prayer and devotions are over with the Generations campaign.

We will continue a daily reading program after our 40 days of Generations prayer and devo is completed.

Don’t starve!  Feed yourself!  Grab a Bible, a pen, a journal, and a Generations Devo (or hop online) and join us on this adventure to spiritual maturity!

The thing that breaks my heart is really that these children, really they are just babies, don’t live in a vacuum. They live, some of them, in jacked up homes, living jacked up lives, because of jacked up parents.  One of the guys at my table at dinner opened the dinner conversation with “I wish my parents would not be split up.  It really feels like it is my fault sometimes.  I just want our family to be together.”  You’ve got to love a kid to not sugar coat anything!!  Let’s not “ease” into the conversation by talking about sports, move to my dad played sports, my dad coaches my team, my mom doesn’t come to many of my games anymore because they are split up, etc.  This dude cuts to the heart of the matter–I am hurting for my parents and because of my parents.  Unbelievable.

It really seems to put in perspective quite a bit what I do for a living, I think.  I almost feel like it is my job to not only make fully devoted followers of Christ, but to help teach this generation how to actually LIVE OUT that salvation–IN EVERY PART OF THEIR LIVES . . . ESPECIALLY THEIR FAMILIES!!  My heart breaks for all of these families that are having such difficult times right now.  It seems there is so much struggle going on . . . that no one talks about–until it is too late.  There are several marriages in the Forest Park family that are in a very similar situation as this kid tonight at dinner.  So much hurt, so much blame.  So much nonsense, honestly.

Here is the amazing thing.  God’s Word never returns void!  Our theme this camp is “God is Our Rock” based on Psalm 18.  Try a little on for size here from the Message:

I love you, God— you make me strong.
God is bedrock under my feet,
the castle in which I live,
my rescuing knight.
My God—the high crag
where I run for dear life,
hiding behind the boulders,
safe in the granite hideout.

3 I sing to God, the Praise-Lofty,
and find myself safe and saved.

4-5 The hangman’s noose was tight at my throat;
devil waters rushed over me.
Hell’s ropes cinched me tight;
death traps barred every exit.

6 A hostile world! I call to God,
I cry to God to help me.
From his palace he hears my call;
my cry brings me right into his presence—
a private audience!

I just got done with a little “devotional” with 5 little boys that are beginning to understand that they have a Heavenly Father that is a strong fortress and a deliverer and a refuge.  I love the fact that they are “getting it” for the first time (I have the littlest guys at camp–they are still in the children’s Bibles and stuff).  But they are taking notes, and sitting on the top bunk thinking of “ways we can worship God.”  “Thinking of things we can talk to God about.”  Amazing!  Jesus said it best in Matthew, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Pray for God to move in the hearts of boys and girls at camp this weekend.  Pray that God would change our hearts as adults as well!

In Loving Memory of

Valerye Jean McMillan (Tweedell)
January 12, 1954 – June 23, 2008

From a sweet little girl, to a great wife, to an unbelievable Mom, and now an Angel of the Lord.  She was the most kind, caring, faithful, and loving person we’ve ever known.  Her example of God’s love and selflessness will be her legacy.  Please join us in celebrating her life on Friday June 27th, at 10:00 a.m. at Barnes Family Funeral Home – 1700 S. 15th St. – Ozark, MO 65721 (417-581-7811) Visitation will be held at the same location on Thursday evening, the 26th, from 6pm to 8pm.  Hazel’s Flowers (417-581-2328) will be providing flowers.  However, In lieu of sending flowers, Valerye asked that donations be made to MANNA WORLDWIDE in her honor.  As a missionary with MANNA, Valerye received great joy in her work and would like that work to continue even after her passing.

Please make donations payable to MANNA WORLDWIDE 4201 W. Risinger Road, Ft. Worth, TX 76123
(817) 346.3641.  Please write Valerye McMillan Memorial on your check.

It sure seems on the surface that things are good at church . . . on the surface. We, like many churches in this area, are struggling with finances. I think it is a matter of trust (sounds like a Billy Joel song!) We really do have a hard time “waiting” on Him as the Scriptures tell us. However, in the midst of these difficult times, there is a sense that God is really moving in a powerful way! We have always prayed that God would allow us to be a part of something only He could do–and as Bill Bright says, “God, you’ve got a problem.”

I think we have exhausted all of OUR resources and God is going to have to provide HIS resources. As if we really have much of anything to offer to the God of the universe. I often wonder if He kind of sits back and smiles as we do all of our stuff and really try harder to do things “for Him.” I think there are times, like these, when He simply says, “Are you finished?” Then He comes in and does what He wills to do.

In the midst of a pretty dark time, I am reminded of what a cool people we have at Finley Crossings. Jenny and I got this email today and was a HUGE encouragement to us both!  Here is the prayer/email.

God I pray right now that you would reach down and wrap your arms of Love around David and Jenny.

I pray that you provide for their every need. I ask you to give them peace that passes all understanding.

God I ask that you give us wisdom, discernment, vision, and clarity. I ask that you provide us with every thing we need to complete the task you have placed before us and that you would make it completely clear what that task is. God may we be disciplined in being on our faces before you, that as we seek you, you will be found by us. Fall on us. Do a work. Provide our needs. Move in a way you have never moved before. With everything that we have Lord, we believe. Help our unbelief. where there is doubt, grant reassurance. where there is pain, grant comfort. where there is confusion, grant clarity. where there is pride, purge us. Break us of everything that is not of you and rebuild us resting solely on who You are. It is not about us God. But about You, and glorifying your name. Glorify your name in us and through us. Make us rest in your strength alone. Not in our capabilities-but in yours. Without you, we can do nothing.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

Thank you for the encouragement!!  The Lord really knew we needed it!!

Here is the great quote from Sir Francis Drake circa 1577 (emphasis mine):

Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when
with the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wilder seas
Where storms will show Your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.
We ask you to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push back the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.

This we ask in the name of our Captain,
Who is Jesus Christ.

I pray this would be our prayer at Finley Crossings as we continue to reach out to an unchurched world the life changing message of the Gospel–especially when it seems we are dangerously close to becoming just like the words of this poem!