I have been asked by our regional Navigator leader to lead a summer missions trip to Russia this coming summer. I am really excited about this opportunity, because Russia has been on my heart for a while now.
The trip will be similar to the trips I have been on for the past two summers. I will be leading a slightly smaller group of people, probably around 8 students and staff. I will be doing the recruiting and planning myself, but I will be working with the local staff in St. Petersburg to plan everything that happens in Russia.
Of course, the trip won't be leaving until mid-June, but I wanted to get a headstart praying on it, because even though it is exciting, it also scares me!
1. Pray that I can recruit the right students to this trip, and that God would be moving in the hearts of those that he wants to come.
2. Pray that I would have wisdom and foresight as I plan.
3. Pray for confidence, humility, and good leardership for me as I take on this exciting new task.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
October 14th, 2009
This weekend we will travel to Sacramento. We are taking around 60 people (about twice the number of people in our total ministry last year!) on a service project to the inner city of Sacramento...one of the toughest neighborhoods in the country. We will be doing manual labor at a number of schools, as well as working with young men (8-12) from these neighborhoods, 90% of whom live in single parent households. I am excited because my friend Chris (I mentioned him last week) is coming. Would you be in prayer for this weekend?
1. Safety as we travel, and in the neighborhood we will be staying in.
2. For the Holy Spirit to be changing lives...the lives of the students who come with us, and the lives of young men we encounter.
3. For Chris, that he would be changed and understand the gospel through this trip!
1. Safety as we travel, and in the neighborhood we will be staying in.
2. For the Holy Spirit to be changing lives...the lives of the students who come with us, and the lives of young men we encounter.
3. For Chris, that he would be changed and understand the gospel through this trip!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
October 7th, 2009
I have been hanging out a lot with some guys in the A building...some of them new, some of them I knew from last year. On Monday I played poker with a group of twelve guys (and lost five bucks, if you must know). A great group of guys, and I sense some interest in the gospel. My "insider" is a guy named Chris that is not a Christian, but is interested in reading the Bible together.
This Monday, I hope to read with a few of these guys, hopefully getting a weekly non-Christian Bible study started!
Pray:
1. For the people I've met: Remo, Chris, Gus, Christina, Andrew, Dan, Mary
2. For continued open doors and good relationships there.
3. For the gospel to go forth in the power of the Holy Spirit!
This Monday, I hope to read with a few of these guys, hopefully getting a weekly non-Christian Bible study started!
Pray:
1. For the people I've met: Remo, Chris, Gus, Christina, Andrew, Dan, Mary
2. For continued open doors and good relationships there.
3. For the gospel to go forth in the power of the Holy Spirit!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
September 30th, 2009
This is what college ministry looks like...this is Jesus having dinner with the tax collectors and sinners!
Cavin has been reaching out to his suitemates; hanging out with them and trying to look for opportunities to share the gospel. The other week we sat down together to talk about how it was going and he was a little frustrated. His efforts didn't seem to be getting anywhere. I encouraged him to try and invite the people into his interests instead of just trying to talk to them. "Do something with them," was my advice.
So Cavin did. An avid runner, Cavin invited one of his suitemates to go running with him. They ran once and had a great conversation. That Saturday, a group of students were meeting on the beach for a short devotional and then some surfing. Cavin invited his friend to run down to the beach with him, but told him there would be a short devotional at the other end. To his surprise, his friend agreed, and seemed excited about the challenge of the six-mile run; he remained excited even after Cavin told him they had to be up at 630.
Friday night, Cavin ran into his suitemate around midnight. He was completely drunk! This was not a surprise, but Cavin was a little disappointed, since he doubted his friend would be in any condition to run in the morning.
The next morning, however, Cavin got up at 630 and went to wake his friend. He found him in his boxers in the bathroom, with no knowledge of where his clothes were, or the keys to his room! But despite these obstacles, his friend was determined to go running. After waking an RA and getting dressed, the two made the six-mile run down to the beach, enjoying good conversation. When they arrived at the beach, his suitemate participated in the devotion, and asked some great questions! Cavin made plans to read the Bible with him on a regular basis.
Prayer:
1. Praise God for his faithfulness to Cavin!
2. Pray for Cavin's suitemate (name: Noel)
3. Pray for continued open doors in his suite!
Cavin has been reaching out to his suitemates; hanging out with them and trying to look for opportunities to share the gospel. The other week we sat down together to talk about how it was going and he was a little frustrated. His efforts didn't seem to be getting anywhere. I encouraged him to try and invite the people into his interests instead of just trying to talk to them. "Do something with them," was my advice.
So Cavin did. An avid runner, Cavin invited one of his suitemates to go running with him. They ran once and had a great conversation. That Saturday, a group of students were meeting on the beach for a short devotional and then some surfing. Cavin invited his friend to run down to the beach with him, but told him there would be a short devotional at the other end. To his surprise, his friend agreed, and seemed excited about the challenge of the six-mile run; he remained excited even after Cavin told him they had to be up at 630.
Friday night, Cavin ran into his suitemate around midnight. He was completely drunk! This was not a surprise, but Cavin was a little disappointed, since he doubted his friend would be in any condition to run in the morning.
The next morning, however, Cavin got up at 630 and went to wake his friend. He found him in his boxers in the bathroom, with no knowledge of where his clothes were, or the keys to his room! But despite these obstacles, his friend was determined to go running. After waking an RA and getting dressed, the two made the six-mile run down to the beach, enjoying good conversation. When they arrived at the beach, his suitemate participated in the devotion, and asked some great questions! Cavin made plans to read the Bible with him on a regular basis.
Prayer:
1. Praise God for his faithfulness to Cavin!
2. Pray for Cavin's suitemate (name: Noel)
3. Pray for continued open doors in his suite!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
September 23rd, 2009
As I was walking home from campus on Monday, I started to feel a heaviness in my spirit. I had spent the afternoon preparing for a talk I was going to give the next day. As student after student walked by the Starbucks where I was working, I had started to feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of people at the school. How few of them had any notion of who God was! How few of them ever stopped to consider their condition before God! How few of them knew where acceptance with Him could be found!
The thoughts returned to me as I walked home, even stronger. So I started to pray. I knew that the hopelessness I was feeling was a lie. God is more powerful than the forces of evil on our campus! He reigns over Long Beach State. But I also knew that his heart breaks for the lost, those "sheep without a shepherd." I found myself crying as I prayed.
It was an emotional moment.
Would you pray for me?
1. Pray that God would open new doors for his gospel to go forth!
2. Pray that God would soften hearts and prepare them to hear the gospel.
3. Pray that he would make me and his other servants bold to proclaim the gospel.
I need your prayers. I alone cannot face the forces of evil on this campus. But in the power of God and the prayers of his saints, we can advance the Kingdom together!
I am so grateful for you!
The thoughts returned to me as I walked home, even stronger. So I started to pray. I knew that the hopelessness I was feeling was a lie. God is more powerful than the forces of evil on our campus! He reigns over Long Beach State. But I also knew that his heart breaks for the lost, those "sheep without a shepherd." I found myself crying as I prayed.
It was an emotional moment.
Would you pray for me?
1. Pray that God would open new doors for his gospel to go forth!
2. Pray that God would soften hearts and prepare them to hear the gospel.
3. Pray that he would make me and his other servants bold to proclaim the gospel.
I need your prayers. I alone cannot face the forces of evil on this campus. But in the power of God and the prayers of his saints, we can advance the Kingdom together!
I am so grateful for you!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
September 15th, 2009
Would you like to know a little bit about what the Bereans are up to this semester?
Jordan is going to start reading the Bible with a Jewish friend of his. He approached me excitedly at NavNight to tell me that he had asked his friend, even though he had been pretty nervous.
1. Would you pray for discernment and Spiritual power for Jordan as he reads the Word with his friend?
Andrew is going to be leading an IBD for his friends in his prestigious scholarship program (to even be considered, you have to be a valedictorian or National Merit Scholar). These are some smart, intellectual people that Andrew is going to be sharing the Word with.
2. Would you pray that the wisdom of God would make foolish the wisdom of the world and that these smart students would see the light of the gospel?
Ben is going to be co-leading a Bible study aimed at freshmen. This has been a little discouraging because despite a lot of recruitment, no one showed up to the first meeting. The leaders, however, made a pact to each bring one person to the study this week.
3. Would you pray for new interest in this Bible study, and that Ben would have the opportunity to disciple a young believer this semester?
Jordan is going to start reading the Bible with a Jewish friend of his. He approached me excitedly at NavNight to tell me that he had asked his friend, even though he had been pretty nervous.
1. Would you pray for discernment and Spiritual power for Jordan as he reads the Word with his friend?
Andrew is going to be leading an IBD for his friends in his prestigious scholarship program (to even be considered, you have to be a valedictorian or National Merit Scholar). These are some smart, intellectual people that Andrew is going to be sharing the Word with.
2. Would you pray that the wisdom of God would make foolish the wisdom of the world and that these smart students would see the light of the gospel?
Ben is going to be co-leading a Bible study aimed at freshmen. This has been a little discouraging because despite a lot of recruitment, no one showed up to the first meeting. The leaders, however, made a pact to each bring one person to the study this week.
3. Would you pray for new interest in this Bible study, and that Ben would have the opportunity to disciple a young believer this semester?
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
September 9th, 2009
I had a great morning sharing the gospel on campus with one of my guys. It was great to see his perseverance as he got rejected no less than 6 times! At the end we prayed together and even though it was a discouraging first time for him, he was excited and eager to try again.
There are so many lost students on campus...possibly as many as 35,000! The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. What does Jesus say?
"Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest field."
I need your prayers as I take these guys into the harvest field and give them a taste of laboring in our Lord's field!
1. Pray for the guys I will be taking out: Ben, Cavin, Andrew, Jaime, Jordan
2. Pray for open hearts and open doors to spread the gospel.
3. Pray that the Spirit of God would go with our words and produce new life in the hearts of the men we speak to!
There are so many lost students on campus...possibly as many as 35,000! The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. What does Jesus say?
"Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest field."
I need your prayers as I take these guys into the harvest field and give them a taste of laboring in our Lord's field!
1. Pray for the guys I will be taking out: Ben, Cavin, Andrew, Jaime, Jordan
2. Pray for open hearts and open doors to spread the gospel.
3. Pray that the Spirit of God would go with our words and produce new life in the hearts of the men we speak to!
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