Don't Call it a Comeback...

I know that we have been slacking over the past couple weeks due to a back-breaking schedule and some traveling; for this we apologize! Here are some of the highlights from the past couple weeks.


Tires. I know this may not be so exciting for you, but it sure is for us! We had two tires go within a week, but thankfully they blew out right in front of our house, which made changing them easy, spared us any dangerous roadside blowout. Our sweet chariot is now equipped with four new shoes that can take some of the rougher terrain of Portland and look great as well.


Last week, I had the joy of attending the Gospel Coalition's national conference in Chicago. You can check out the plenary session talks here. I would certainly recommend all of them but specifically Matt Chandler, D.A. Carson, Tim Keller, and Alistair Begg. It was also a sweet time to connect with some very dear friends and Kirsten's brother, Drew. I remember my first visit to NYC as a kid, and ever since I have been in love with city life. So it was a really good time to see the hustle and bustle of Chicago, wait in the dank subway, and enjoy a variety of yummy foods! In addition to all the incredible messages delivered at the conference, I also learned a juicy fact. Chicago's nickname, "The Windy City," is a reference to long-winded politicians rather than just the weather system created by Lake Michigan!

While I was away, the Youth Fellowship was set to perform in a choir concert alongside other youth choirs in Kingston. The concert was to be part of a series of concerts to raise funds for the youth summer camp put on annually by the Fellowship of Independent Baptist Churches. However, the Friday concert was postponed, which meant our local Youth Fellowship had to scramble to put pieces in place to cover our meeting here. Thankfully, our leadership team stepped up to the plate. Damion, who has been leading the praise and worship portion of each meeting led the entire evening, even teaching the lesson. Without any hesitation and of his own initiative, Damion stepped up and taught a lesson on Romans 1:7-16, verses he had been thinking on during his personal devotions. All that to say we are seeing movement in the leadership areas. Please pray with us that the young leaders continue to grow and develop and that other leaders will be raised up from within the group. You can also be in prayer for the other concerts that are scheduled that they will be a success and that we will be able to raise a good amount of money to lower the cost of camp and enable more young people to attend.

We are now gearing up for a hectic month of services, teams, and planning. In addition, I will be finishing my seminary class, which has gone well and has been a great encouragement to me. Please be in prayer for us over this month as we continue, full steam ahead, to summer!

We apologize to the faithful who regularly check in on us for the delay... but we are now back in action!

True Community

After World War 2, William Levitt started an American phenomenon. It may help you to know how Levitt became famous although only geography geeks and Trivia Pursuiters usually care! William Levitt was a developer who is credited with beginning the planned American suburb community. Think bad 60s classroom films (a la Epcot Center attractions) that include statements like "the way of the future" or the community from Edward Scissorhands and you will be on tracking with me. These planned "communities" were meant to be places in which family life existed in the quiet context of "leg room" while maintaining the feel of daily interaction with neighbors as they share life together. In a word, suburbia was to be typical of an American uptopia, "The American Dream."

I grew up in one these planned suburb communities. It fit the model of having "leg room" and being quiet, but the community of people, though lovely, were largely unknown. The fences were too high for us to climb, which created a disconnected and isolated environment void of true community.

There is a point behind the geography and negative vibe, which gives way to seeing Christ more clearly. Here it is:
Last week we said goodbye to new friends. They were from our old stomping ground in New Jersey, a college-age group from Greentree Church in Egg Harbor Township, NJ (Kirsten will want you to know that her stomping grounds are NOT south Jersey but Pennsylvania...I am sure you PA people see her point). The group used their spring break to come and serve the Lord instead of heading to the Caribbean for some great sun or home for time with families. They came to serve and give of themselves instead of trying to earn a couple of extra bucks or catch up with their friends and family. The team did a wonderful job. They funded and completed a painting project ffor the housing center, the GLOBE. They also ran a week of VBS in one of the communities in addition to leading worship services and devotions at various locations. We are thankful for their work and are proud of them for the effort, time, and love they have given to the ministry.

The funny thing is this: most of them lived no more than 15 minutes away from where we lived in New Jersey, but we knew only 4 of the 12 before they came. In fact, one of the team leaders, Jason, grew up in my neighborhood, and I never knew it. The "Levittowns" of the world fail because people, in general, are lazy and selfish and do not make the effort to connect (all my fingers are pointing at myself)! However, where William Levitt fails, Christ succeeds! During the first day of the team's visit, Jason and I discovered our commonalities. It was quite funny, as in both funny-"ha-ha" and funny-"strange" because it took a remote town in Jamaica to bring us to a place to meet. And the wonder of it all is that it took a small remote town in Jamaica to bring brothers in Christ together to share in the work of the Kingdom of God! How incredible! The relationships that are formed in the midst of serving God and through the unity of the Holy Spirit are deep and real. This is a common occurrence when teams come, and it also is a beautiful picture of the unity of the Church and a reminder of the surpassing joys we have in Christ. The fellowship, community, that we shared throughout the work of ministry far surpasses the community of Northfield Estates (where I grew up and is neither in Northfield nor are the homes estates). The community of believers is the true community because we are united by Christ who is the source of True Life, which leads to being able to engage in true community.

The Church has several issues because people are involved. However, when we walk by the Spirit and not in the flesh (see Romans 8) we can experience in part what we will know one day in full - true community, centered in and around Christ Jesus, our Lord!

Promise keeping

Last post, we told you about the focus on discipleship that is happening in Buff Bay and said we would keep you updated - promise kept.

It has been almost three weeks since the North Shore Baptist team left, and the groups here are still going strong. Last night we had about 50 people out for the D-groups! For those familiar with the church in Buff Bay, we filled the entire right side of the church. Two Sundays ago we underestimated the number of people attending and ran out of lesson handouts (I think there is a thing or two about having little faith in the Scriptures...)!

It is incredible to see the excitement, joy, and fellowship that is taking place in the church. Moreover a shared ownership and delight in the spiritual life of the church is growing. Please pray with us that this continues! Pray for the lay leaders who are leading discussion groups. Please also pray for grace, understanding, and insight as I try to tailor the lessons to the church.

More posts to come this week - stay tuned!

Who invited March?

The past three weeks have been lightning fast and very tiring yet fantastic. As we had already posted, a team from NYC (joined by some Oregonians, Carolinians, and Jerseyians) served tirelessly with incredible grace for three weeks! Amidst various ministries, the one we are most excited about is a discipleship program that they began. The team led 10 sessions with the Buff Bay church members on a variety of different topics (e.g. the gospel, the local church, family life, giving, prayer to name a few). The church members here have been so incredibly encouraged and blessed by the ministry that they cannot help but talk about the blessings of the team at every opportunity.

We were greatly blessed as well, but what has us so excited is not what happened last week but what is now happening now that the team is gone! The people who participated in the discipleship groups all want to continue to grow in understanding and fellowship. Therefore, Pastor Allen has canceled the normal Sunday evening service and has made Sunday night now the official discipleship night. As we met last night to review, share testimonies, and officially make the transition, there was a great feeling running through the room. The people are really excited about what is happening in the church. North Shore Baptist Church (the church in NYC where most team members worship) is going to help with some preliminary material as we try to manage the groups and leadership for now. I will also be responsible for writing material for the D-groups, which I am excited about. As we move forward, please pray for us as we make these transitions. We are also incredibly grateful to Pastor Ed Moore (from NSBC) and all those that came to serve these past three weeks. Pray with us that we will make it our own here and not try to duplicate what has already been done but rather tailor it to the church of Buff Bay.

We will be sure to keep you posted on the growth, progress, and other ways you can be in prayer for the discipleship groups!

E.T. is phoning home

Well, we are no longer illegal aliens! Immigration approved our request to extend our visas with little fight, which means we are no longer traveling in unmarked and inconspicuous vehicles, with aliases and fake mustaches. Needless to say we are thankful for this news, but we are not out of the clear yet. We are still waiting for our work permit paperwork to make its way through the bureaucratic channels. There is not any real concern about the actual permit, only the fee that it carries. We are upbeat and praying that God will show grace by allowing us to get the waver for a second time. Please pray with us as we trust in the Lord to provide; as soon as we know, so will you!

This past week we have been on the go with the team from North Shore Baptist Church. They have been doing a terrific job and have ministered to hundreds of people through medical and dental ministries, vacation Bible school, school devotions, hospital visitation, etc. Their nightly ministry in the past has been two weeks of evangelistic crusade meetings in two of the circuit churches, but this year they have been doing discipleship meetings. The team is leading small group lessons and discussions with the focus of making disciples! The church members of Buff Bay, Orange Bay, and Mount Vernon have been faithful to attend each night and are enjoying growing in God's Word and fellowshiping with one another. This is the first time for many of the church members to have classes such as these (each group is age and gender specific) and they seem to be eating it up. Please pray for these discipleship meetings that they will continue when the teams leave and that the disciples of Jesus Christ in Buff Bay will be motivated to make other disciples, thus fulfilling the Great Commission given by our Lord and Savior.

SWAG

For those who like watching award shows, attending conventions, or are simply obsessed with The Office, you probably know what SWAG is. However, for those in the dark, let me fill you in. SWAG (Stuff We All Get) are the trinkets given away in award shows to the presenters (a quick search on TMZ.com may allow you to find out what the presenters to last night's Grammy Awards walked away with; I am sure that it was at least a TAG Heuer watch, Swarovski crystal, and a new Bentley). On the convention floors it includes the free frisbees given out by the booth next to yours. However, you do not have to be in showbiz or be a corporate salesman in order to get SWAG; you can just be a missionary!

On Friday we welcomed the initial team from North Shore Baptist Church in Queens, NY. The rest of the team will be arriving on Thursday of this week. It is like having family come into town. We have known many in the church for about 5 years or so. Kirsten and I have worshiped with the saints at NSBC numerous times and have been encouraged greatly by their ministry in the Big Apple. The church is also a supporting church financially, practically, emotionally, and spiritually. One of the ways they do this is by bringing us SWAG! To be honest, Kirsten and I actually pay for most of the stuff through various online dealers but then send it to Queens to be packaged and brought down. This allows us not to have to pay 17.5% sales tax on top of hefty shipping and import fees. Goodies such as taco seasoning, books, MATERNITY CLOTHES (for a quickly growing mommy), and other odds and ends completed this year's SWAG.

The stuff people sent down for us is great, and we are incredibly thankful for it all! But the point of this post is not to talk about stuff but about God's grace shown through the faithfulness, kindness, and love of the saints. God's provision for us in the ministry is mind-blowing. There are too many examples to list although we make it a practice to try to name them anyway (Psalm 40:5). For those that sent items down for us, we are humbled by your thoughtfulness, and we give God praise for your generosity. Even more important than stuff are the people. As I said already, spending a month hanging out and serving God and his people with our dear friends from NYC is a tremendous blessing, encouragement, and privilege.

Please pray for the ministries throughout the next 3 weeks. The team will be doing extensive, in-depth discipleship training which we are praying will lead to much fruit over the long haul. The team will also be doing medical ministries by way of hosting general medicine clinics around the church circuit as well as a dental clinic to extract teeth for free. (Last year the dentist extracted around 500 teeth in five days!) Please be in prayer with us for the ministries, those ministering and those being ministered to that all that is done will be for the glory of God and the good of his Church!

Making Moves

It is official; we are celebrities. Okay, not really, but we were on national radio and TV this week! The Buff Bay church was asked to play host to a live broadcast for a national radio and TV station. The service was sent out live over the airwaves while the television broadcast will come this upcoming weekend. Kirsten tickled the ivories as usual while I opened the live broadcast with prayer before ducking out of the service to preach in one of the other circuit churches. I thought it went really well, but I got some strange looks when I screamed into the microphone, "GOOOOODDDDDD MOOOOORRRNNNINGGGGG, VIETNAM!" Honestly, if you were on live radio, wouldn't you do the same?! If we can find the video we will post it for your viewing pleasure, but if not take our word for it, the service went well and Christ was exalted! Please pray for any subsequent broadcasts that they would be used to draw people to Christ to the glory of God!



The other major movement in life over the past couple weeks has been a new undertaking of mine. I just completed my first week of classes toward an Masters of Divinity degree at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kentucky (www.sbts.edu). There are two primary goals for beginning this program. First, I hope to be able to use the classes as a way to grow in effectiveness and ability in our current ministries. Second, this begins a longer process to enter into long term vocational ministry. Here are some ways you can pray for me as I begin this program: 1) personal spiritual growth, 2) time management skills as we balance a busy schedule, 3) practical use of the information in the immediate context of our ministry, 4) greater delight in God, his Word, and his Church!

Lastly, we did watch the Superbowl last night. Kirsten once again picked the winner. If you recall we had a little Superbowl bash last year with some friends from NYC as they were here for a month of ministry. We were without our friends this year, but we made due. We were able to watch on a big screen (a large white sheet) and share some of our culture with local friends. It was a good time to talk and enjoy the game (despite the Steelers and the Black Eyed Peas' shoddy performances).