Everywhere Part 2

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:

1. Pray - We would rather sit home for the remainder of our lives than to venture one foot forward without your prayers and God's anointing on our ministry and protection over our lives. We post specific and immediate prayer requests to this blog. We also maintain a prayer request list on our website. Click here for our latest prayer requests.
2. Give - It takes a considerable amount of money to make this ministry work. Unfortunately, we are running about $2,000 short each month. At our current rate of consumption, we will run out of funds in December or January. We need you to give generously and give today. Click here for more information on how you can support our ministry.
3. Go - Join us in our efforts to take the gospel message to every child, to every young person, in every country, Everywhere! Book of Hope has regular trips to various destinations around the world. Or, contact us if you have some places specific you want to go and you want the Brown Family to join you.