.jpg)
Our final newsletter for 2007 is now available online. Click here to go immediately to this newsletter. You can also find this and all our previous newsletters on our website at http://YourWorldMissionaries.org/.
Thank you for your prayer support in 2007. Please continue to pray for good health for us all, for financial provision, and for effectiveness in our ministry.
Lots of things in my life have changed since I was diagnosed with cancer. First, I had to cut back or shuffle around my 2007 travel plans with Book of Hope. Then there was the truly restricting concept of surgical recovery that left me home bound for three weeks following each surgery. That is no easy task for a type-A never been sick worker such as myself. But one area of impact is something I had not expected. My prayers have changed.
No, it's not that I didn't expect aspects of my prayer life to change. The fact is, when you hear the word cancer mentioned by any doctor and the fear and uncertainty that comes with that word starts to overwhelm you, your prayer life will change. I've met those who never really had a prayer life for whom their diagnosis of cancer was the catalyst to start praying. I know others who have been mighty prayer warriors who nevertheless saw a dramatic change in how they prayed when the word cancer hung over them like a dark cloud. That happens and I expected those changes.
No, the change I'm alluding to is different. It is the the simple change in the simplest prayer that nearly all believers will pray. It is the new conclusion to my mealtime prayer. I've been driven by necessity to add an appendix to my prayer. "And Lord, please don't let this meal make me sick." Each time I sit down at the table, the question of impact runs through my mind. My question is not will this meal be good, but is more like will this meal be good to me? Will I be able to go through the day and night without getting sick off of what I'm about to eat? This is my current challenge. And this is my current prayer need; Lord, please don't let this meal make me sick.
One of the greatest joys when waking up each morning is pulling myself out of bed and stepping into a steaming hot shower. The hotter, the better. Today, that is simply a memory from days before chemo. The drugs I am taking are causing my skin to break down. As a result, I can no longer take hot showers. It's lukewarm to cold water that greets my body each morning. Even drying off after the shower has changed. No more rubbing the towel here and there to dry away every little drop of water. Now, its patting here and patting there. A simple shower seems to take ten time longer than before.
So, is it worth it? Absolutely! While I'm being a little more careful about how I care for myself, my chemo drugs are busy hunting down and killing any of those pesky little cancer cells that may remain in my body. Cancer Free! I'm declaring it. I'm believing it. And I'm doing everything I can to make it happen. Thanks for your continue prayers for a complete deliverance from cancer.
I need to ask our awesome group of prayer warriors to come together in prayer for our family once again. We have two pressing needs.
We have just completed our first video update. It is a short video that describes what we have been doing in the first half of our first term of missionary service.
Actually, I found this sign while walking along Arbot Street with Oleg and Irene. Yes, it is as cold as it looks. However, I am nice and warm thanks to a donated jacket and gloves from a friend at Victory Church in sunny and warm Lakeland, Florida.
Wow! What a crazy season this has been. My cancer surgery in August went very well. However, as my cancer doctor was reviewing scans of my body that he had taken following the surgery, he found spots on both of my lungs. That required lots more tests and a biopsy that took six samples of my lung tissue. And after all that, it turns out that the spots were not new cancer, and not an infection, but were simply old scar tissue from a prior infection. Praise the Lord!!!
Now my life enters a new season. For the next year I will be doing what you could call chemo-light. It's not the full blown medical-port in the chest, sick for days, type of chemo that most people think of. My chemo is simply two different drugs that I can take orally, twice each day. My doctors are even allowing me to resume international travel while I'm taking the chemo. God is good!!!
I would appreciate your continued prayers for my health. This may be chemo-light, but it still has some serious side effects that are possible. I could lose my hair, but that's not likely. More likely, I will get sick to my stomach, I will lose my appetite, I may have serious problems with my blood pressure, and there may be problems with my skin. Please join with me in prayer for the Lord's protection against any of these side effects.
Although this story appears in our newsletter, I believe the subject to be too important to lock it in a temporary PDF document. It is being presented here so that a broader audience can understand the need and can join us in finding a solution.
This month's newsletter was truly difficult for me to write. I have just returned from a four-day research trip to Haiti. In addition to my role as the director of The GodMan ministry at Book of Hope, I am also responsible for directing the ministry work in Haiti. That includes both books and The GodMan. While this research trip was very productive, it was also very heartbreaking.
In my time in Haiti, I was able to interview government officials, school directors and staff, and church and community leaders. I also had an opportunity to talk with some schoolchildren about their life experiences. Some of the meetings were one-one-one with leading officials. The other meetings were focus groups with multiple participants. My goal was to identify the leading social issues affecting Haitian children and youth and to determine the significant heartfelt needs for these children and young people.
As the meetings progressed, a few themes began to emerge. Poverty in Haiti is extreme. This extreme poverty causes people to resort to desperate measures to satisfy their basic needs. In the face of this economic situation, a very desperate social situation coexists: children and youth in Haiti are sometimes seen more as property than as family. At a frequency too high to comprehend, parents are making a decision to give away or sell their children to other Haitian families. Their belief is that their children will have better opportunities to receive an education and a better life with families of greater means. However, in many cases, these children are simply exploited for free labor and then abandoned to the streets when they reach the age of 15. As a result, these young people are being turned into virtual slaves. They must live a life of forced service to others, denied the opportunity for education and skills training. They are living a life absent of any hope for their future.
As bad as this forced labor situation may be, its impact pales in comparison to the other reoccurring theme, the sexual exploitation of young girls. Government, school, and church leaders all repeated stories of how young girls are being forced to exchange their bodies for the smallest of financial or material gain. They described this as the most significant issue affecting youth in Haiti today. Some of these girls are slave labor outcasts. Once they turn 15, they have legal protection as workers; however, younger than 15 and there is no one protecting them. As a result, at the age of 15, those who were simply being exploited are forced to the streets with no other skills. Believing that there is no hope, these girls feel compelled to continue selling their young bodies. Then there were the stories of families who would force their young daughters to prostitute themselves or sell their daughters to pimps or brothels in order to bring in the money they needed to survive for another day.
My heart is breaking for these children. I had to fight back a mix of tears and anger as I listened to these stories and recalled the nearly 20 years that we poured love and hope into the lives of children. How could anyone treat a child in such a way? However, that raised the question; what could I do to address this problem? God has clearly called our family to bring the gospel message to the children and youth of Haiti and that is what we will do. We will ensure that our presentation of the gospel in Haiti touches the lives of these children and their families. Nevertheless, so much more is needed. God has specifically called someone to rescue these young girls from this desperation and to minister true love and hope to their parents. Please join us in prayer for Haiti. Pray that God’s specific call for laborers will be magnified a thousand times over so that the ones He is calling to Haiti will hear him today. Pray that those who hear His call will have the courage to respond immediately.
Our Fall newsletter has been posted to our website. Click here to read the latest news update. This focus for month's newsletter is on Wayne's recent trip to Haiti.
Sunday afternoon marked a new milestone in our family's health recovery process. Wayne was able to leave the country and head to Brazil, via Peru. This is his first trip since recovering from cancer surgery and his first trip since Tammy's knee surgery. His leaving means that he is sufficiently healed to follow the ministry work the Lord has directed him to do and that Tammy is sufficiently healed to take care of Rebecca while Wayne is away. Given all the health issues the family has been dealing with this summer, this was a blessing and a major milestone.
But something strange also happened on Sunday. Rebecca knew that she and her mom would be taking Wayne to the airport. However, she was surprisingly giggly about the trip. For a short while, Wayne was actually getting a little down feeling that Rebecca might be happy to see him go. However, that feeling was going to be quickly corrected.
As the day rolled from morning to afternoon, Wayne loaded his one bag and his backpack into the back of the van. Rebecca was placed into her wheelchair and loaded into the van. Rebecca and mom were ready to take dad to the airport and drop him off for his trip. Or, so we thought. It takes about 50 minutes on a good day to get from our house to the airport. As we drew every closer to the airport, Rebecca giggled and laughed more and more. Tammy asked Wayne if she thought she was going. "Of course not, she saw me put my bag in the car and I've told her a dozen times this week that I was going" was Wayne's reply.
Rebecca obviously had other thoughts. When the car stopped and Wayne stepped into the back of the van to give his beautiful daughter a goodbye kiss, she erupted into tears and cries. It was clear that she wanted to go along with me. I explained to her that I needed her to stay with mommy and help her this week. Still she cried. Then I told her that when God is ready, He will provide for another opportunity for Rebecca to travel with me. With that, she pushed a brief smile on her face and worked hard to choke back the remaining tears.
What an amazing testimony of love and trust. Clearly, Rebecca had a desire to go with me to Brazil. There was no mistaking it that her heart was set on traveling once again. However, when it didn't happen, when she was reminded that our call is about waiting on God's timing, not our own, then the smile came back, the tears dried up, and the joy returned in her life. Maybe there is something in Rebecca's reaction that we can all learn from.
Sorry for the delay in posting an update. Everyone is doing much better now. I am back to full strength and working a full schedule. I leave on Sunday for Brazil, and then to Haiti the week following. No time to relax as there is much work to be done. When I get back from Haiti I will be started my post-surgery treatment plan. It is actually part of a clinical trial, as there is currently no formal program for treating kidney cancer. Thankfully, the sponsors of the program are going to pay most of the cost. Keep this in your prayers as it is supposed to reduce the chance of reoccurrence by at least 25%.
Tammy is also recovering well from her surgery. She is walking unassisted and is participating in physical therapy three times per week. Likewise, Ryan is recovering well in Nashville from his hip surgery. He is back to a full schedule at work
Rebecca has been awesome through all of this. She is healthy and happy. She really enjoyed going to the football game a few weeks ago. More about that in a future post.
Keep praying for our family. We are ready to put these attacks behind us and move full speed ahead with our ministry. We have an exciting close of the year planned, as well as a great 2008.
Hello to all our prayer warriors. I just wanted to let you know that I will be returning to work tomorrow. I'm still in the recovery process, but my doctor feels I have done well enought to start logging some office time. I worked in Children's Church today at Church of All Nations and it was exhusting to be on my feet for over two hours. I still have some recovery to go, including a stubbon place on my belly that keeps opening up and discharging liquid. That is really anoying. I need it to heal soon, as I have booked my flights to and from Brazil for the first week of October.
Tammy is doing really well and is getting around very well with her knee brace and cane. Her surgery will be on Tuesday morning, September 25, at 8:30am. She should be home by that afternoon. We are praying for a very quick recovery, as I will be leaving on that following Saturday for Brazil.
Thanks again for all your prayers and please keep them coming.
My trip to Panama started out at the very end of our trip to El Salvador. Wow, was I ever tired. Wayne, Rebecca, and I had just returned home late Friday night from our week long trip to El Salvador. We were there as a family doing Book of Hope distributions and showing The GodMan in schools in the San Jose area of San Salvador. With our late evening arrival from El Salvador, I was up all night unpacking, doing the wash, and repacking for my seven day trip to Panama. This was a trip with ten women from First Assembly of God in Bartow, Florida. The group met me at the airport gate in Miami for a morning flight. They had flown in from Tampa and I was joining them on the same flight to Panama City.
Most of the ladies on the team had never been on a mission trip or even traveled another country before. It was going to be an exciting new experience for all of them. As we landed in Panama we did noticed one thing immediately, the humidly! It had to be 300% instead of the 100% we live through in Florida. Praise the Lord for a bus with air conditioning. We had use of that bus all week. We even had a air conditioning unit on the wall of our motel room, although it only had one setting, "freezing", we slept with it on. The beds only had sheets so some people sleep with their towels on them. But we were very grateful for the air conditioning.
On Sunday morning, we went to a church called Iglesia Biblica Nuevo Pacto for Sunday service. It was at this church that I got to tell the congregation about what we would be doing this week in Panama. Also, our team did one of the skits for the congregation. The worship and praise that morning was very moving.
After church we went to see the Canal De Panama. Even though it was raining all afternoon, that did not stop us from enjoying the canal. Did you know it takes eight to nine hours for a ship to go through the Canal?
After the Canal we realized that we were less than 20 minutes from the Pacific Ocean. Panama is unique in that the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean are only about one hour apart from Panama Cit. Away we went to dip our feet into the waters of the Pacific Ocean. It was a thrill since most of us have only ever be
en to the Atlantic Ocean. There we saw several ships in line for their turn at going through the Canal. For dinner on Sunday night, we went to a mall food court. Yes a mall! Remember, it's an all women team. Malls are a must! Afterwards, we were able to stop by a store and buy blankets for our "freezing" motel room.
On Monday we started our ministry. The first school we visited was a secondary school. This was the school where our translator, Cenit, received her education. Cenit told us that it was at this school that she received a Book of Hope as a child. When she saw the translator who was helping the American team, she said to herself that one day she would be a translator for a Book of Hope team. Amazing! 
Here she is today translating for our team. It was her dream come true.
Our visit at this school was a busy one. In addition to our book distribution work, the school was celebrating its anniversary (50 years I believe). They had a school queen, party hats and decorations and Panama's version of the American Idol winner.
When we finished up there, we went on to our next school. It was a primary school called Escuela El Japon. It was at this school that I met a ten year boy named Gabriel. One of several disabled children that I would meet this week.
On Tuesday, one of the schools we visited was a Technological school for high school kids. This school is focused on teaching trades like mechanics, welding, auto painting, and 
machinery work. It was here that I met three teenagers who needed my help. They didn't finish their English homework and needed answers to past tense verbs. So I made a deal with them. I told them that I would help them with the answers, if they promised to come to our Hope Festival on Friday at a local church. They agreed and I helped with the answers expecting full well that I would never see these three teenagers again.
That afternoon we brought cookies and juice to a nursing home for people who have been abandoned by their families or have no family. The team sang songs and we got to spend time visiting with those who lived there. I met a man named Adof who told me that he lived in the USA, in Bethesda, Maryland, because his parents worked at the Consulate in Washington DC during his junior high school years.
On Tuesday night we went to a local church to show The GodMan. We started out by walking around the neighborhood, going home to home, passing out treats and inviting people to come to see the movie. There were nearly 125 people at the movie and afterwards several raised their hand for salvation.
Our next day was Wednesday, the Fourth of July. It was a day to celebrate our freedom and 
even though we didn't have BBQ and fireworks while in Panama, we did have the freedom to celebrate our God. One of our team members, Hazel, had been struggling with her testimony for days, but today she reviled something from her past to the teenagers as she gave her testimony. As Hazel shared in the school that morning, you could see teenage girls in the audience listening very intently. After she was done she told me that she felt a new "freedom" in her life. It was like a weight had been lifted
from her. You see, Hazel had been holding onto something that had happened to her when she was a young girl and had never told anyone about it until she came on this trip. I believe that there was at least one girl that needed to hear Hazel's testimony that day, but I also believe that God also used the trip for Hazel to be touched by Him. When people go on mission trips they are always looking for what good they can do for others, but sometimes God wants to do good to the person who has answered the call to go.
As the week progressed, I noticed a least one or two children in each of the schools that we 
visited who had a disability. However, on Wednesday and Thursday there were several disabled children in each school. I asked one of the teachers about it and she said that including disabled children in the regular schools was a new concept in Panama. In the past, the disabled children were required to go to special schools or had no opportunity for schooling at all. The teacher said the change was due to the current First Lady of Panama, Vivian Ferandez de Torrijos. You see, Panama's President and his wife have three children and one of them has a disability. So the First Lady has been a champion for people with disabilities in Panama. The teacher even shared that ramps and wheelchair parking were being added to all schools in the country.
On Thursday night we had a special dinner to say thank you and good-bye to the national team leaders. After dinner, everyone was going around the table and sharing stories about the week. When it was my turn I asked for our bus driver, Jorge, to stand beside me. I shared with Jorge how much we appreciated his work with us all week. You see, Jorge got to our hotel very early every morning and returned to his home very late each night. He kept us safe on the road and safe at the schools. He would stay on the bus for hours guarding our belongings. The team and I prayed everyday that Jesus would come into Jorge's life, so on this special night I asked Jorge if he knew if he died tonight that he would go to heaven. His response was a very weak "maybe." I explained to him that when a person answers "maybe" it really means no, so I asked him did he want to know for sure and to have a personal relationship with Jesus. At that moment, with tears in his eyes, Jorge said "Yes!" At that point I was able to lead him into the sinners prayer. The rest of the night you could see a new look on Jorge's face, even though he was very happy and smiling everyday we had seen him, tonight the smile was different.
Friday was the day for the Hope Festival at one of the local churches. We had been handing out flyers at the schools all week to invite kids to come for games, entertainment, and prizes. Before the festival, I found a Spanish Bible for the team to give to Jorge, our bus driver. Everyone on the team wrote something in Spanish (with the help of our translators) in the Bible for Jorge. When 
we gave it to him, he smiled and said thank you for changing his life. Later on I saw Jorge call Michael, one of our translators, over to ask him to explain some of the scripture verses that the team had written down. Every time I saw Jorge on this day he had that new smile on his face, the smile of a new believer.
After the Hope Festival, three teenagers came up to me to say hello. Guess who they were? They were the three guys who I helped with their homework on Tuesday. They kept their promise to me that they would come. I got a microphone and took them to the front of the stage and introduced them as men who kept their word, men of honor.
After lunch we went souvenir shopping while Jorge once again guarded our belongings for hours. Then, we went back to the mall for some dinner and more shopping. If you go on mission trip with me you will get shopping in too. Jorge had his son and wife with him so we could met them. By the time the day was done and we got back to the motel, it was very late. We knew it would take Jorge over 90 minutes to get back home, just to get a few hours sleep before he had to be back to take us for a very early air flight. So the team paid for a hotel room for Jorge and his family so they could get a good night sleep.
Saturday was our return travel day. And, it was the 28th wedding anniversary for Wayne and I. I had been telling my roommates all week that all I wanted for our anniversary meal was a salad. You see I find that the most common food item that women miss on a mission trip is salad. You crave it all week and it's usually the first thing you eat once you are back in the USA. So I prayed all the way back to Miami International Airport that my Wayne would be taking me to some place that served large salads.
I 
was blessed with two wonderful roommates on this trip. Hazel, Diane, and I had a great time. I hope to keep in contact with them and perhaps share another trip with them in the future. In one short week we shared laughter and tears, hopes and dreams, but mostly we shared the love of Christ with 10,000 children and one bus driver in Panama.
I was so happy to see Wayne and Rebecca waiting for me at the airport and guess where Wayne picked to take me for dinner? Cheese Cake Factory! The salads there are so big you could share them with three people but not today, it's all mine.
A friend of mine at Book of Hope shared this video with me today. My response to her was "Wow!". Watch it and be impacted for God.
Sometimes they are wheels of joy (Rebecca is laughing at the sight of her mom in a wheelchair) and sometimes they are wheels of pain (Tammy is crying in pain because of her knee injury). Here is both joy and pain in one picture in the parking lot of the hospital in Miami just minutes after tammy injured her knee.
Whenever you think your life is overrun with difficulties, remember, there are others who deal with so much more and yet remain totally committed to Christ. Check out the life story of Nick Vujicic, a man with no arms and now legs who uses what God has given him to share the Gospel with people around the world.
Do you ever say to yourself, "What could happen next?” In the business we are in, the business of battling the enemy on his ground, we have to always be ready for what could happen next. That is true if you are serving like us as missionaries, but is also true for church workers, lay workers, and active believers of all types. When we take the battle to the devil's back yard, it will be just that, a battle, and there will be injuries. I say all this to set the stage for our latest prayer request. While I was in the operating room having my right kidney removed (see our earlier blog entries for more information on the cancer), Tammy took a walk out to the parking lot to get something out of the van. All it took was one bad foot placement as she stepped into the van and, BAM; she was down on the floor of the van with an inner edge tear of the medial meniscus (aka, a torn meniscus). So, about as soon as I have recovered from my surgery, Tammy will be going under the knife for her own surgery. Until then, she is hobbling around the house with a knee brace and a cane, but she is mobile. Please keep her in your prayers. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the Lord were to touch her and heal her without any need for surgery? That is exactly what we are believing for and praying for.
As for me, I am healing up nicely. I can put a few minutes at a time into sitting at my desk and reading emails, responding to a few. It does look like it will take the full three weeks to complete the recovery process, but I should be back at full strength when I do return to the ministry in mid-September. I sometimes have pain, frequently have significant discomfort, and still cannot sleep for more than two hours at a time. Keep praying for a quick and complete recovery, and a good night sleep.
Rebecca is doing great. Continue to pray for the Lord's protection over her. Also, the pain from Tammy's back injury is completely gone. The treatment she had last week worked perfectly. Praise the Lord!!!
I went to visit Dr. Leveillee today. He is the surgeon who took out my right kidney. He is a very well respected surgeon and medical researcher out of the University of Miami. The purpose for seeing him was to allow him to check out my wounds for progress on healing and to review the pathology report. When he came in he asked me to stand up, to sit down, to stand up, and then he laughed. "It's amazing how much power I have over people after surgery." It was a funny moment, but I had to remind him that comedy made me laugh and laughing right now made me cry due to the wounds. At which point I began to laugh and oh, it hurt, but was still lots of fun. He is a very good doctor.
With the laughing over, we then sat down and reviewed the pathology report. Yes, it was cancer and my cancer has a name. It is called Chromophobe Renal Carcinoma. I just like to call it that big ugly thing that ate my kidney. According to the American Cancer Society, Chromophobe Renal Carcinoma is the third most common type of kidney cancer. It accounts for about 5% of all kidney cancer cases. The cells of Chromophobe Renal Carcinomas are pale, similar to clear cells, but are much larger and have certain other features that can be recognized by the experts. The report went on to state that the cancer is a stage 2 and a grade 2, both of which are assessed on a 0 to 4 scale.
So what is next? I've been asked to consider participating in a clinical trial of a preventative program for kidney cancer survivors. While reoccurrence is rare, especially for scores of 1 or 2, it does sometimes happen. The two companies that make drugs to address reoccurrence are testing those drugs as a preventative measure instead of as a treatment after reoccurrence. This is something I would love to do, but I don't want to have to take months off from our ministry work at Book of Hope Being a clinical trial, there is no assurance that the treatment I receive will be actual cancer treatment and not simply a dummy treatment as part of the double blind study. Please pray with me for wisdom to know God's will for me in this study. A decision about applying to be a part of the study will need to be made in the next week or two.
Here is the latest on our prayer needs:
And a praise report:
Have you ever had a deadline at work or at school and even though it was approaching fast, you could suddenly find so many other things of no importance to do instead?Some people call them distractions or diversions. I call them shiny objects. Do you know that the phrase shiny objects cannot be found in the Bible? At least that is what I thought, but an example of it is found in Matthew 16:23, when Jesus said, “Get behind me Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” Satan is the biggest shiny object; he does not want us to succeed in what God has called us to do.
Because of shiny objects, I almost failed to finish the school year. You see, it took me failing the first three tests to recognize a shiny object. For me the shiny objects were things like taking a nap after only studying for ten minutes, or cleaning a closet after reading the first essay question. Therefore, to help me recognize shiny objects I started to state out loud the phrase “Shiny Object.” My husband, Wayne, even starting helping me do this. Whenever he saw me feeding the ducks in our back yard or watching TV when my books would be sitting on the study desk, opened, but not being used, he would cry out “Shiny Object.”
One of the biggest shiny objects for me was when I started to think that I could not do this program and wanted to give up. The shiny objects of “I don’t really need this program. It’s not as if I’m ever going to pastor a church one day. I’m already where God wants me. I’m a missionary.” Or, the shiny object of “I’m too old to be in school now, why should I be bothered at my age with test and essays?”
However, when I learned to call out the distraction I was able to study better and pass all the other tests. I was even able to retake the three tests I had failed and pass them as well. Yes, the shiny objects were still there, but I did not let them
stop me from the task.What about you? Are there any shiny objects in your life that stop you from doing what God has called you to do? If so, just state out loud “Shiny Object” and get started, do not let anything be a stumbling block.
Everywhere; what a beautiful word! It is a short, simple way to describe where we minister. I spent most of my day today on the phone with pastors and their staff across the Peninsular Florida District attempting to bring in some more support for our work. Yes, we are already running low on funds, but that is material for a different post. Most of the churches I called are places where we visited during our itineration. The pastors and staff know us and remember us. I mean, who can forget Rebecca?
Some of the calls that I made today were to churches we did not visit or to churches that have had changes in their staffing, including new missions directors or even new pastors. The most common question I get relates to were we minister. That was also the case when we were itinerating. Pastors and missions directors want to know where you will be serving and what you will be doing. The answer to the what question was easy. We will be taking the gospel message to children and youth around the world in a format that is relevant to their life and appropriate for their understanding.
In these encounters, the where question was much more difficult to explain. Yes, we are based in the Fort Lauderdale, FL, area. That is where the Book of Hope international office is located at. However, that is not the only nor even the primary focal point of our ministry. Lots of important work takes place in Fort Lauderdale. If this work were not being done, the gospel message would not be going out in the form of the Book of Hope and The GodMan. However, many more hours of time, many more dollars, many more people are laboring in the great harvest in all regions of the world. You see, Book of Hope is a ministry that is called to be "Everywhere."
Called to be everywhere, how is that possible? Over 20 years ago, God gave Bob Hoskins a vision for reaching every child and youth in the world with the gospel message. That means we must go everywhere. We do not just focus on the easy places or the places that are cheep or nearby. We also focus on the difficult places. The places that are the strongholds of the enemy. Places like Haiti, the Middle East, India, and the most difficult parts of Asia. Our goal is to be everywhere with the gospel.
When we were itinerating, we would emphasize that our ministry was a worldwide ministry. While we did not start officially until May 2006, I was already able to travel to Peru in January 2006 to teach and to bring a message from the Lord. That was followed by two trips to Russia, a trip to Ukraine, the Philippines and Thailand, a trip to a Mediterranean country, and a trip to Africa. A little over half a year of ministry on four continents in seven countries. And 2007 has started out just as aggressive with trips to Haiti, Brazil, twice to El Salvador, and again to Russia. Even with two breaks for unexpected surgeries (appendix and kidney), I will be traveling once again to Brazil, Russia, the Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, and other Southeast Asian countries. Three continents, and over seven countries in one year.
These trips all have multiple focuses. Sometimes they are for the purpose of planning ministry or developing new ministry materials. Sometimes they are for training, to equip the national church leaders with the tools necessary to reach the children and youth of their country. Sometimes, even at times unexpected, they are to bring a message from the Lord. While I am rarely called to a country to preach, God continually opens the doors. I have to be ready to fill the role of Pastor Wayne at any time. This is good as we are all called to be ready to share the good news whenever the opportunity presents itself. It is amazing what the Lord is doing with those opportunities. The lost are being saved, people are coming forward for healing and for spiritual anointing. God is bringing a word of challenge and encouragement. And He is doing it EVERYWHERE!
We truly are world missionaries. It is reflected in our ministry name - Your World Missionaries. We are working hard every day to send the gospel message forward in every nation. But not just to send, we are also taking the gospel message forward at every opportunity.
If you would like to partner with us in taking God's eternal word Everywhere, there are three things we would like you to do:
Every year, Assemblies of God World Missions releases theme materials that are used to cast the vision for world evangelism to churches across the USA and around the world. This year, the theme is called "Everywhere!" The introductory video is beautiful. You can preview it at http://missionsmusical.ag.org/movies/EverywhereHigh.wmv, or by clicking on the graphic or title of this post.
Well, our week of ministry in El Salvador is complete. Wayne, Tammy, and Rebecca all saw the newly expanded teams off on Friday morning, then drove to the airport for the return flight. The expansion came as three different teams merged together for the final day of distribution and the start of Hope Celebration. It was bittersweet to see them off. Even Rebecca expressed wonder as to why we were not getting in our van, next to her favorite driver, for another day of ministry.
Rebecca was amazing this week. She wasn't real sure how to react to all the attention she got during the week. However, by mid-week she had clearly warmed up to the kids and to all the attention they payed to her. God has a special plan for everyone, including Rebecca. We always knew that but did not know what to expect once Rebecca could visit other countries. This week was an eye opener. Without exception, in every school we visited, dozens of children would gather around Rebecca. They would ask Wayne about her: Why she was in a wheel chair? Why cannot she talk to them herself? How do we communicate with her and how does she answer us back? As best he could with the Spanish he knows, Wayne would answer each of their questions. At one school, this opened the door for Tammy to share a message that focused on the special value that everyone has in God's perfect plan for this world. It was truly a special time of ministry and the beginning of Rebecca's role as a member of our international ministry family.
The trip back was easy. Rebecca sat next to the window and Wayne next to her. She squealed with excitement and perhaps a little fear as the plane was rising high above the city of San Salvador. Wayne explained to her that this was the city we had been ministering in all week and she smiled one of her classic big smiles. Then she laid back, closed her eyes, and enjoyed a well earned period of rest while the plane flew to Miami.
We want to thank everyone who prayed for us on this trip. God was truly with us. Rebecca did great, everyone stayed healthy, thousands of children and youth in the Soyapanga area were impacted by the gospel as we distributed books and invitations to Friday night's Hope Festival and El Salvador premiere of the new Latin American version of The GodMan. Your prayers and God's grace and provision made it all possible.
One final item that needs to be mentioned is finances. This was a personal trip for the Brown family paid for with personal funds. No ministry funds were spent as a result of this trip. This is important as we are currently running short of ministry funds each month. If you have made a commitment to our ministry, we really need you each and every month. If you have not committed, we encourage you to do so today. Visit our website at http://YourWorldMissionaries.com and click on the support link. There you will find information on how to give one-time and monthly. Thank you for your support!
Tammy Distributes Books at Llcelo Bautiste Iropanga School
Students at Fabio Castillo School read their Book of Hope immediately after receiving them from our team.
Rebecca gives two thumbs up to a skit being done by our team at Llano Verde School.
A seventh grade student at San Rafael School reads the Book of Hope he has just been given.
Children at the Las Brisas School are intently watching The GodMan.
Rebecca interacts with the children at San Rafael School.
Wayne prays with the students at San Rafael School.
Wayne and Rebecca settle in at Jardines de San Jose School.
This is what we do, we provide God's eternal Word to children around the world. Children like this young lady who is reading the book she just received at the Jardines de San Jose School.
Rebecca has not had the luxury of riding from place to place in her wheelchair. However, the sacrifice has not impaired her happiness. She enjoys being in the front seat, snugly positioned between her dad and the driver.
Today was a travel day for the Brown family. Although this was not Rebecca's first time traveling by air, it was her first international flight. And she was very excited. She was smiling from ear to ear when the immigration agent in El Salvador issued her visa and stamped her passport.
Even though this was a travel day, it was also a work day for the distribution team. We met this evening for training on some of the skits and interaction activities we will use when ministering in the schools this week. The picture to the left shows Tammy and Liz training the team on a choices skit. In this skit, a student is called on to come up and choose between what Liz has in her right hand or in her left hand. But first, the student must call on a friend to help her with this decision. When the student leaves the room, Liz reveals that she has candy in her hands, but has actually been sucking on one of the candies. She spits that candy out into the wrapper and then closes her hand. The student comes back in and the friend must help her to make the right decision. This is a great object lesson on good choices and having a trusted friend to help in those choices. It is also a great introduction into a personal testimony about how the presenter may have made bad choices because of relying on bad friends. With Jesus as our friend, we can always make good choices.
Wayne and Roberta worked with Liz on a big strong student versus smaller student challenge. In this skit, the big strong student has to stand on one leg, while the smaller student stands on both legs, spread apart, and firmly planted on the ground. Liz then uses a little bit of pressure, equally applied to both the big and the small student. Without fail, the bigger student will fall over. The object of this lesson is to show students that we need a strong foundation in our life. It leads into testimonies where the presenter can express how Jesus has given them a strong foundation to fight against the pressures of life.
We will visit two schools each morning and two schools each afternoon this week. I hope to be able to post a blog entry each evening that catalogs our work and shows how Rebecca is playing a role in bring the gospel to the children and youth of San Salvador, El Salvador.
In India, we call our movie The HopeGiver. We do this because the name GodMan has other meanings in this land that are not always positive. We were blessed with the opportunity to use broadcast over the Easter weekend to send this movie into millions of households throughout India. Check out the article in Missions Network News for more information.
In addition to the broadcast, we had thousands of volunteers who showed The HopeGiver in their homes using VCDs. Many of those homes are continuing to reach out to children and youth in their commumiites.
Wow, has it really been a month since our last update. Sorry about that. It is not for lack of stuff to report on. On the contrary, life at Book of Hope and in the Brown household has been very busy. In fact, maybe a little too busy. Nevertheless, we will attempt to take a few minutes this evening to provide an update on what has been happening.
First, an update on Wayne's health. The healing from the appendectomy has continued nicely. No pain, only an occasional itch or slight pull when lifting heavy stuff (like Rebecca). As for the kidney, Wayne returns to the doctor on July 11 for a surgical consult to determine the type of surgery that will be used to remove the kidney. Keep praying. Wouldn't it be great to hear the doctors say that for unexplained reasons the cancer is no longer there.
With Wayne feeling strong and able to take on more work at Book of Hope, he was given a new task that was very much an old task for him. Prior to our becoming missionaries, Wayne was a technology manager at Publix Super Markets in Lakeland. Much of his responsibilities related to business process improvements and leveraging technology to enable those improvements. When our ministry partners in Brazil reported that they were consolidating three offices into one new office and wanted help in designing the right technology solution to help them be more efficient, the ministry directory immediately called on Wayne. A few days later, he was in Brazil working with the Brazilian ministry team to understand their current technology and to design a better solution for their new location. It was like being back in the technology arena at Publix. Isn't it great how God can always leverage our skills and strengths, even when our current role is defined as something vastly different.
In addition to helping the team in Brazil to identify their technology needs, Wayne was also able to spend a day working with the
director of our ministry in Brazil, Pastor José. Along with a very dedicated ministry team and thousands of church and lay ministry volunteers, Pastor José will be leading the effort to distribute over 11 million copies of the Book of Hope to children and youth throughout Brazil. Their focus for 2008 is to energize and excite the national churches to evangelize their communities. To facilitate that effort, the Book of Hope Brazil team has developed a new version of the Book of Hope called the Family Book. This book is designed to be an at-home project where parents and their children work together on the tasks and at the same time are given a clear presentation of the gospel message. Project Jonah, as this year's project is named, has already been very successful at empowering thousands of volunteers in hundreds of churches in the largest cities in Brazil to reach out into their communities. They are expecting transformation to occur, not just in the children, not just in the families, but in entire communities as the church becomes a major force in affecting the destiny of their cities.
Okay, the headline to this post doesn't express good news, but it isn't necessarily all that bad either. The more detailed CT Scan I had done on Monday clearly shows a solid mass with blood flow and characteristics of cancer. The good news is that even though the mass is very large (over 9 cm), the part that looks cancerous is small. The doctor feels that this is a minor cancer and one that is very slow growing. When I asked about the urgency of having the surgery, he said it should be done sometime in the next few months. As for potential reoccurrence, he said reoccurrence is extremely rare. He said I should expect to live a fully normal life on the one remaining kidney.
The only outstanding question now is what approach the surgeon will use for removal of the kidney. My doctor has referred me to another surgeon who specializes in laparoscopic kidney surgery. The advantage of laparoscopic is that it only requires one day in the hospital and recovery can be as short as a week. Traditional surgery can involve up to a week in the hospital, followed by two to three weeks of recovery.
So, how do we pray about this? First, I continue to believe that God will touch this kidney and miraculously heal the cancer. Please agree with me in prayer for this. Second, if surgery is necessary, pray that the laparoscopic option will be available for me. And finally, pray that God will continue to give me and Tammy patience and comfort as we wait for resolution of this issue. As time passes with this issue being unresolved, patience is becoming a growing concern.
I had my latest visit with the kidney doctor today. He reviewed the MRI results along with feedback from two other doctors who specialize in looking for cancers. He also ran some test to ensure that nothing had spread to my bladder. The good news is that there is nothing wrong in my bladder. The somewhat good news is that the MRI did not provide conclusive information that there might be a cancerous tumor. In fact, due to the lack of parasitic blood flow in the tumor, it is more likely to be benign or a very small cancer. I will be going back to the hospital on Monday for a more detailed CT Scan, then back to the kidney doctor on Thursday (next week). If the results are still inconclusive, he will do a needle biopsy.
I am increasingly optimistic. We have gone from hearing that the kidney must come out to the current situation that it may be nothing to worry about. Please continue to keep this situation in your prayers. We are believing that God is going to provide a complete healing and that there will be no further disruptions to our ministry work.
One of the major issues we all face in life is uncertainty. The impact that uncertainty has on a person depends on how that deal with it. For some, it means great anxiety. For others, it is simply a minor nuisance that one must work through.
Today, we were hit with the issue of uncertainty. For three weeks we have had doctors saying with strong certainty that the growth on my kidney was in all likelihood cancer. We received a referral to a doctor who is considered the foremost expert on kidney disorders in all of Florida. He reviewed all the facts from the other doctors and looked at the two CT Scans. Then he gave us his thoughts on the issue. We were all prepared to hear him call for immediate surgery to remove the kidney. But that is not what he said. You see, he is just not sure that the tumor is cancer. There is a very large growth, and the appearance of the growth on the CT Scan could be cancer, but it could also be a benign cyst. Instead of surgery, I will be going to the hospital for an MRI on Saturday morning. Then back to the kidney doctor on Wednesday for more tests and an evaluation of the MRI.
In this case, uncertainty is a good thing. We have been praying that the hand of God would touch this problem and make it go away so that no additional surgery would be necessary. Lacking the MRI, there would be no proof that God had healed the kidney. Please continue to keep this need in your prayers. Pray that the healing process will be complete before the MRI on Saturday. Pray that when we go back to the doctor on Wednesday, he will be shaking his head and talking about how he cannot explain the difference between the CT Scan and the MRI. Pray with us for a miracle from the Lord. And pray for peace within our minds and spirits as we continue to wait for a final diagnosis and plan of action.
Something very special happened today. For the first time since I got sick, I was able to put in a full day at my Book of Hope office. It may seem strange, but I really loved being back at work. There were ministry decisions to be made, planning for new implementations of The GodMan that had to be reviewed, and even activities in preparation for 2008 that have already started. Maybe not the most exciting work in our ministry, but very much necessary work. And just what I needed after three weeks of being either in the hospital or confined to the house. All in all, it was a very good day.
Tomorrow is another special day. I will be visiting with the kidney specialist to determine what to do about the tumor on my right kidney. Have you ever noticed that once you know there might be a problem, every little pain you suffer seems to originate from that spot. That was the situation this afternoon. As the workday drew to a close, my middle and lower back started to ache. Most likely just the stress of being in an office chair all day. However, I must admit that my mind went directly to thoughts of the kidney every time the least little pain ran through my back.
Please keep us in your prayers tomorrow (Thursday) morning. The appointment is at 10:00.
I had another visit with a doctor today. She said my healing is progressing very well. She did extend my antibiotics to run until Tuesday, when the staples are due to be removed. Please pray for no additional infection and continued recovery.
In addition to the doctors office, I was also able to attend a staff meeting at Book of Hope today for a few hours. It was a wonderful experience, especially when the team gathered around Tammy and I for prayer. My gratitude goes out to our family at Book of Hope for their commitment to prayer and for believing with us for a complete healing and a miracle touch on my kidney.
I had my second follow-up visit with the surgeon today. First, the good news:
Then the not so good news:
I do appreciate your prayers and ask that you continue to agree with me in prayer for a full recovery from this surgery as well as a miraculous touch from the Lord concerning my kidney.
For years I have been told stories about how difficult ministry is in Haiti. About how this is a country full of evil. How it is a stronghold of Satin where the light of God's Word cannot penetrate the darkness. However, my visit to Haiti this week simply shattered those statements and exposed them as exaggerated myths.
I'm not saying that evil does not exist in Haiti. It does. The very reason that Wednesday evening church takes place in the daylight hours of the afternoon is because of safety concerns. However, it was late on Wednesday afternoon this week that I was exposed to the light of truth in Haiti that is growing brighter by the day. It was at that time that I was able to participate in a worship service in Port-au-Prince.
The service on this Wednesday afternoon was an extraordinary event. I was invited by the pastor, through our Book of Hope partners Dan & Liz Carl, to bring a message from God's Word to the youth and young adults of Caribbean Grace Tabernacle in Port-au-Prince. It was during my brief time at this church that I found a body of young believers who are on fire for God. They are excited to worship Him with all their energy. They are motivated to be the light that breaks the myths of the power of darkness that surrounds Haiti. They are the living proof that God is all powerful and has no problem beating down the enemy.
The message I brought was a simple one. Based on three scripture passages, the message focused on these youth being God's creation, created with a purpose, a purpose that requires them to maintain courage in the face of the enemy. With that, and aided by a tremendous move of the Holy Spirit, these young people were called into action. Called not just to take the gospel message to their community, city, or country, but also called to take the good news to nations throughout the Caribbean and around the world.
There are many who feel the challenges of Haiti are too difficult to overcome. Those who think that are right. Limited by their own power and might, the challenges of Haiti are too difficult to overcome. In their way of thinking, Haiti cannot be saved. However, I know a God who makes child's play out of doing the impossible. As I began to prepare to deliver the message that evening, the Holy Spirit confronted me with this. I was challenged not to simply motivate these young people to get involved with Book of Hope in Port-au-Prince, but to encourage them to think beyond a place that they have ever thought about before. To think in terms of God-sized boundaries, not Haitian boundaries.
I am a firm believer that whenever a church stretches beyond their boundaries to reach the loss, God pours out blessings in overflowing proportions. This was true in El Salvador 20 years ago when the Book of Hope was first distributed to nearly one million students in that small country. And now, 20 years later, El Salvador is a beacon of God's light and love that is sending missionary apostles throughout the world. And as a pour country like El Salvador continues to give so that their own can go, God pours out his blessings. I believe, no I am convinced by the Holy Spirit, that Haiti can be the next beacon of God's light and love.
Some say that this vision of Haiti being a hotbed of Haitian-driven ministry and worldwide missions is impossible. However, I know that it can happen. It just is just a matter of the church, the body of believers, being willing to break through the myths that tie them to the past and move forward into God's perfect plan for Haiti and for her youth. Please join us in prayer for Haiti. Pray for courage among those who God is calling. And pray for peace among the body of believers that the petty issues of the past will not be a hindrance to the call and purpose that God has for the youth of this country.
Posts
All Comments
