New Partnerships

Its really easy to doubt God. Many lost people doubt that God is real. Christians sometime doubt God is concerned and cares about us. Others might not even think that there is a God running things up there. That he just kind of put things in motion and let it all work out for the common good or bad. Which ever way you look at it.

This week I have been working on building new partnerships for the ministry. Yesterday I met with Inman Houston the pastor of Lawrenceville FBC. Inman is thirty-two, smart as a whip and has a tremendous pasiion for reaching the lost.

We are constantly looking for new avenues to share the Gospel with the lost. Inman is interested in what we do because he sees a need for community development in Lawrenceville. FBC currently has an ESL class on-going at their church, that is doing quite well. Nevertheless Inman sees the value in taking the church to the people. He has been pasturing in the community long enough to understand that many immigrants are not going to come to traditional church. but he will have to go to where they live.

Very soon we will meet with Pastor Houston again hoping to establish a new work in Lawrnceville.

I have been working to make contact with the Gwinnett Community Improvement District. today I received an email from Chuck Warbington (Chairman). We are in the process planning an introductory get together so that we can mesh our two organization together and make the "Village"a safer place. Please pray that God will open the door of progress between us.

New Partner

We are always praying for Godly people to be placed in our lives. We need people like this to guide us and to keep us held accountable to our calling and ministry goals. Recently I told you about my partner, David Crews, and how God placed him in my life. Saturday Cornelia and I was blessed to have a new partner come on board. His name is David McCleskey. David is the Chairman of the deacons of FBC Lawrenceville and is Christian leader with a big picture approach. David also works for the Gwinnett County Board of Education reporting directly to Alvin Willbanks. He will be helping us work on our fund raising.

Today I will be working on a submitted report as part of the requirements for a grant. Also I will also be working to get our August news letter out to our supporters

We Love You All.

Introductions

Cornelia and I had lunch with Mike Griffin the Missions Travel Coordinator for First Baptist Church Lilburn. Mike is in charge of missions as well as various other structures. He has extensive experience in his field and has a great passion for the middle east. We are looking forward to working with Mike and forming a partnership to provide opportunities and information as he continues to evangelize the Muslim community.

Our goal is to get to know as many front line people as we possibly can so we can share information about our mission field and partner to share the gospel in a strategic approach.

Last night I worked with the youth program at Mountain Park First Baptist by request of Richard King youth pastor. Richard and I have a burden to see youth aged kids rediscover God's Word. Most youth these days read their bible very little and rarely even bring a bible to church.

Richard is going through a study with his group called UnChristian which basically brings out into the open immoral acts that youth take as acceptable in today culture in their language, the way they view sex, drinking, and specifically the way they relate to each other as Christians.

I believe this will make a big impact within their culture if they decide to buy into it. I hope so for their sake.

Please pray for Cornelia and I as we are wading through some rather big issues with our family at this time.

Love You All!!!

Mountain Park FBC Youth

Thanks to the Mountain Park FBC youth group for coming this past Saturday to Villas Nueva. They did an outstanding job cleaning the playground and ministering to the children. They also helped distribute school supplies.

The kids here really need the help when it comes to getting their supplies. It's even more important than ever before because of the economy. A school teacher friend of ours was telling us that people paying school dues is way off this year. I guess people just can not afford it.

Mountain Park also brought the kids coloring books which was a big hit. And as usual face painting was also very popular.

I received a You Tube video via email last night that was railing on immigrants. Like I said before if we are followers of Christ, then we need to have compassion for the lost no matter what the popular census says. Jesus did not worry about the political status of a person. He was concerned about their eternal status. Like Jesus we are the same. We only worry about the place in eternity the people we minister too will be when Jesus returns.

We Love You All

School Supplies Distribution

We collect school supplies from churches each year to give out the first week or two of school. We give them to kids that live in impoverished conditions. This year we ran short on these supplies because of the increased demand and the decrease in donations. It's extremely hard for us to turn kids away because we ran out. So one of our partners made the decision to buy almost a $1000.00 dollars of school supplies out of his own pocket and divide them between two of our missions. Me in my on shallowness said to him are you sure you want to do that? He said its got to be done. Man what faith!!! For the first time God revealed to me the reason he has placed us here on earth.

School supplies for one of our missions.

Many people are experiencing "hard economic conditions" for the first time in their lives. Those of us who grew up in the Jimmy Carter era know what its like to feel the pinch. Young adults and students have never experienced a recession. Most are used to having most everything they desire given to them by their parents (personal opinion). So many people are worried that they are going to have to give up hard earned personal possessions or maybe even loose their homes.


My dad used to say that we go through times such as these as a wake-up-call so that we don't get to proud of ourselves. Even though he was not a Christian when he made this statement, the bottom line is that we have for gotten that everything we have belongs to God.


God tells us specifically not to store up treasures on earth. He tells us that we should be about the business of giving our money and possessions away. When we get this concept down then we begin to understand why Jesus told us not to store up treasures on earth. It all belongs to God!!! We are supposed to pay it forward not store it in Barnes. So first and foremost if we are not giving our 10 percent to the church then we are not in fellowship with God and we out-right disobey his instructions.

If we hold back form giving to missionaries, ministers, and others who do God's work to benefit mankind, then we are disobeying God. This is not meant to guilt any of you who may read this, but intended to make you see God's priorities for our life is not how we sometimes interpreter it .

I would like to challenge you to pray about something you might sell or give outright to fill the need of a fellow human being. I guarantee you there is no feeling that will liberate you than giving to fill others needs.

Yesterday was a great day.

Peace!

We Love You All

New Partner Prospect

One of the main objectives of this job is to reproduce one's self. So we are always on the look out for other people that feel God's call to help us or to take on their own mission site . Yesterday I met with Jason Sebren, the Senior Youth Pastor at Chestnut Grove Baptist Church in Grayson. Jason is the director of a summer program called

Revolution. Revolution basically challenges students to step outside of the four walls, and take Jesus to people who may never attend church. Jason has also been involved in ministry to the "homeless." And a 5step program for homeless women. He and his partners recently converted an old church, that was being use as a warehouse, to shelter for women. The shelter is designed to provide women a safe haven from life on the street.

I had a great conversation with Jason about the possibility of using our mission locations as an outlet for ministry in conjunction with his program. Another way of putting boots on the field.

Please pray that God will use Jason and his program to partner with us in our work. Thanks Jason for a great time of sharing.

Love You All!!!

Olympic Fever

We took today off to take care of various personal items. For we missionaries working on Saturday is a very common thing, so sometimes we have to very our days off to accommodate the people who live at the complexes and the people who thankfully come and place extra boots on the ground on Saturdays.

We had a great family time tonight and then watched the opening ceremony of the olypics.Wow...how impressive it was. I can't wait for the athletic events to begin.

Starting next week I will be surveying many of the 20 some odd apartments and managers to find our which ones are friendly and open to what we do. You just can't never tell how any given manger may react.

We praise God all he does for us giving us such a wonderful provision of love and assurance measured by patience.

We will update you again in a couple of days