Finishing Strong - URGENT: Your Help Needed

Although the end of our current term of ministry is coming quickly, our finances for this term seem to have reached a premature end. Based on our current account balance with the Assemblies of God, and accounting for the basic ministry and living expenses we have each month, we could run out of funds in January 2009. While the Assemblies of God will underwrite some of our expenses, we will see a significant reduction in our monthly allowance and restrictions on our available work funds if our account balance falls below zero. We will also have the burden of eliminating any outstanding deficit from our current term of ministry before we can start raising money toward our new assignment in Thailand. It appears now that we will fall short by about $7,000 before we start itineration in May. We are urgently in need of your help to prevent this shortfall. Please prayerfully consider making a special donation to help us cover this shortage so that as we complete our first term, we will be finishing strong. You can donate online with your credit card by visiting our website at http://yourworldmissionaries.org/ and clicking on the DONATE NOW link. You can also mail a donation to

Wayne Brown
PO Box 770274
Coral Springs, FL 33077-0274

Checks should be made payable to Wayne Brown. We will issue you a receipt as soon as we receive your check. If you wish to send a check directly to Assemblies of God World Missions, you can sent it to

Assemblies of God World Missions
1445 North Boonville Avenue
Springfield, MO 65802-1894

These checks should be made payable to Assemblies of God World Missions. It is very important that you put our name account number in the memo section of the check. That account number is 293917. Assemblies of God World Missions will issue a receipt for checks they receive directly and for all online donations.

Thank you for partnering with us and helping to address this urgent need. Together, we will finish strong in this first term of our ministry and be prepared to start our second chapter of our work from a position of strength.

December 2008 Newsletter from The Brown Family - Assemblies of God Missionaries

Happy New Year!

Our December 2008 newsletter is now available online. Click here to go immediately to this newsletter. This month’s newsletter includes a special announcement about a change in assignment that is coming in 2009 as well as our itineration announcement. I hope that we will see you during our 2009 itineration cycle.

Cancer Update - The End of Chemo

This cancer update is one that is very much a pleasure to report. I (Wayne) completed my chemotherapy on December 8. This is the same chemo that I started on November 14, 2007. For over a year I have had a twice-daily routine of taking drugs that are designed to destroy any remaining cancer cells in my body. For a man who has never really been sick in his life, this year of chemo was a major physical challenge. I had pain everywhere, but especially in my hands and feet. And then there were the digestive problems. I'll spare you the details, other than to say that I lost nearly 60 pounds during those many months of chemo. It is very easy to loose weight when everything you eat leaves you at the most unexpected times and in the most undesirable ways.

Yes, it was a very difficult year. However, I did not walk through this challenging year alone. The Lord walked with me through the challenges that each dose of chemo brought to my body. With the exception of the times every six weeks when I was scheduled for a visit to the cancer center, I was able to travel all over the world while taking my chemo with me. You see, this chemo was not the traditional IV in the arm or chest kind of chemo. I was on two drugs that came in pill form. I took one drug every morning and every evening for the entire six-week cycle. The other drug was only taken in the morning and only for the first four weeks of the cycle. There were nine cycles in all. Because the chemo was in pill form, I could take it with me anywhere I traveled. And the Lord enabled lots of travel during this year of treatment. I've taken chemo in the cold of Siberia in central Russia, and in the warm summer sunshine of Saint Petersburg Russia. I've carried my chemo with me to Brazil and Haiti, to Kenya and eastern Europe, to Southeast Asia and the Pacific islands. Me and my chemo have been on nearly ever continent on the face of the earth this past year. It wasn't always easy, but the Lord was always there with me to see me through any challenges.

Oh, but now it is all over. Within a few days of completing the chemo, I was no longer getting sick. I could eat a meal and not worry about how much time I had before I would be sick. Within a week I had put back on 10 pounds of the weight that I lost. I'm taking up running and bicycling to try to stop that trend.

It has now been nearly three weeks since the end of chemo. I'm feeling great! No more pain in my feet, no more pain in my hands, no more sickness. I feel stronger than ever and I'm planning to tackle some tasks that would have been unthinkable just a few months ago. Lord willing, I will run in a 15k race in Jacksonville in March with Amanda and some of her friends. Lord willing, I will travel to Haiti to hike a mountain with a very dear missionary friend. Lord willing, I will take a week or two before itineration starts and hike a section of the Appalachian Trail. And Lord willing, I will go back to riding my bicycle between 50 and 100 miles each week.

The Lord has given me a new opportunity at good health so that I can continue being effective in my ministry. I plan to do all I can to remain healthy and effective for Him. My final chemo-related visit to the cancer center is on January 12. There is one last CT scan and one last heart scan (called a MUGA) and one last check-up and last set of lab work that I have to complete for this final visit. Then, when the all-clear is given, I will simply need to come back for a CT scan and physical once each year for about 10 years. My doctor tells me that if I make it past the two-year point (coming up in August 2009), it is highly unusual of my type of cancer to ever return. Please join with us in prayer for a great report from the cancer center on January 12. And thank you for all your prayers that have seen me to this point.

Merry Christmas - Pray for Thailand

In a few hours, the people of Thailand will awaken to Christmas Eve. As in most of Asia, the dawning of Christmas Eve for over 60 million Thais will mark the beginning of two days of very secular celebration. They will celebrate Santa Claus, they will celebrate Mickey Mouse and all his Disney friends (that's another story), and they will celebrate with gifts and Christmas trees. However, for all but about 0.7% of the population (yes, less than one percent of the total Thai population), there will be no real meaning to all the celebrating. Although Thailand is one of the most accessible areas in all of Asia, it is also one of the most unreached. While the secular traditions of Christian culture have penetrated Thai culture, the true reason for the season is still lost among most of the Thai people.

It is said in Thailand that to be Thai is to be Buddhist. It is against this backdrop that believers across this beautiful country, both Thais and missionaries from other lands, must work to share the good news. It is our prayer that all believers in Thailand will use the secular celebrations over the next two days as an open door to explain the true meaning of Christmas. We are asking everyone in our international prayer network to join with us in prayer for the people of Thailand. Pray that believers throughout Thailand will recognize this special opportunity to share the good news. Pray that they will have the courage to share with everyone they encounter over the next two days. Pray for protection from attacks from the enemy as they share about Jesus. Pray that the Holy Spirit will prepare the hearts of everyone they encounter to hear the good news. Pray that the message of who Jesus is will break through the cultural and spiritual strongholds that prevent the Thai people from knowing the truth about Christmas. Pray that those who hear the truth about Christmas will be receptive to the good news that is being shared with them. Pray that all who hear the good news will be open to an invitation to become a Christ follower. Pray for Thailand and for her people during this very special time of year.

Itineration is Coming

The first term of ministry for The Brown Family is quickly drawing to a close. Our next itineration cycle will begin in May 2009. In less than six months our assignment with Book of Hope will be complete and we will be back in the Peninsular Florida district, going from church to church to share the great things that God has done and is going to do through our ministry.

Our current term of ministry has been exciting and productive. In spite of a difficult fight with cancer, Wayne has been able to travel the world with Book of Hope, coming alongside pastors and lay ministry leaders on nearly every continent. Those travels have seen him reaching out to various communities with teaching and preaching, encouraging believers to reach their own communities for Christ and equipping them to use the Book of Hope movie called The GodMan in their evangelistic endeavors. Through The GodMan, we have seen over 15 million children and youth reached with the gospel message.

Our transition from ministry to itineration will also include a major change in assignment – an assignment that will result in our moving to Bangkok, Thailand. In Thailand, Wayne will be able to leverage his experience at Book of Hope to help the Thailand Assemblies of God and our Thai missionary fellowship to develop a media ministry program. That new media program will provide powerful new tools to reach the people of Thailand with the gospel.

The Brown family will have the additional blessing of working with the Mobilization International Ministry Experience. MIME will be a full-time internship program for Assemblies of God university students in their sophomore or junior years. The program allows students to gain practical missions and ministry experience while completing their educational requirements through distance learning. We will be working to build a family environment where students work, play, and minister together. This part of our assignment will allow us to serve as house parents to these college students while they are away from home. Those who know of our nearly 20-years as foster parents know how much this opportunity means to us.

The start of our itineration will be here before we realize it, so it is time for Wayne to start the process of calling pastors to scheduling services and meetings. Due to the urgency of the needs in Thailand, our new Area Director has asked us to shorten the upcoming itineration cycle and be on the field by the end of 2009. We will be working aggressively to schedule every service opportunity from May 1 through mid-December 2009. We need to be in services every Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday evening throughout this period. We are also looking for opportunities to minister in banquets, conferences, and small group meetings throughout the week and on the weekends. Finally, we are looking for opportunities to come and visit with pastors and ministry leadership who can help us in reaching our schedule and support goals.

We need to raise about $4,000 in new monthly commitments and over $40,000 in cash during seven months of itineration. In addition, we have been asked to raise $35,000 toward the construction program that will build the residentual facilities for the students and for our family. We must raise all of these funds by the end of November 2009 in order for us to receive our field clearances in time for a year-end departure. There are three things you can do now will help us to reach our scheduling and support goals:

1. Pray! Seek the Lord for how He would like you and your church to respond.
2. Schedule! Send an email to Wayne indicating that you want us to call you right away to schedule a service or meeting. This will help us prioritize our calling schedule.
3. Give! Take a proactive step toward helping us accomplish our goals by giving a financial gift to our ministry and making a commitment of monthly support now.

• Financial gifts can be made online via credit card at https://secure1.ag.org/contributions/detail.cfm?LedgerID=D228E68B-633B-45AC-8D69-12C1E4146351.
• Pledges for monthly support can be made at http://worldmissions.ag.org/agwm_commit_form.cfm?AcctNo=293917.
• A pledge form can be downloaded at http://worldmissions.ag.org/downloads/PDF/commit_form_s.pdf and either emailed, faxed, or mailed according to the instructions on the form.
• Checks can be mailed to:
  Assemblies of God World Missions
  1445 North Boonville Avenue
  Springfield, MO 65802-1894
  When mailing a financial gift, be sure to designate “Wayne Brown – 293917” on the memo line.

Thank you for helping us to bring the good news to all the people of Thailand. We look forward to connecting with you very soon. If you have any questions, please contact Wayne at 954-673-6946 or 954-724-3026. We appreciate any help you can give us in this effort.

An Important Announcement - We Are Moving To Thailand

Tammy and I want to inform you of a change in our ministry assignment with the Assemblies of God. Our first term as Assemblies of God missionaries will end on April 30, 2009. At that time we are scheduled to go on itineration to raise funds for our second term of ministry. Our second term of ministry will be served in Bangkok, Thailand, where we will be working with a college internship program, directing a new media ministry work, as well as working with youth ministries across the country. We are excited about the new doors the Lord has opened for us and the opportunity to serve on the filed.

Please continue to lift us up in your prayers. This is a big move for all three of us. We are being asked to shorten our itineration cycle and be on the field by January 2010. With a $40,000 cash budget and over $4,000 in new monthly commitments that we must raise, this shortened itineration cycle will be a very busy and difficult cycle. Without the Lord's intervention and provision, the fundraising goals we have set will be impossible to meet. If you would like to help us reach either of these budget goals, please visit our website at http://yourworldmissionaries.org/, then click on the Support link and go to the "How Can you Give to The Brown Family?" page. And pray for us as we work to quickly fill up our itineration schedule and look for other opportunities to gain the support of churches and individuals throughout our district and across the nation.

Student of The Year

Rebecca was recognized as Broward County's Student With Disabilities Student of the Year this weekend. This first picture is Rebecca shaking hands with the Master of Ceremonies at the luncheon.

This second is a picture of Rebecca with her award. It was a very exciting day for her and a special day for her parents.

More Good News From the Cancer Center

I had my follow-up at the cancer center this week, including a new CT Scan. The place where the suspected tumor was is now just an empty spot in my upper right lung. No tumor, no nothing! Whatever was there is now gone! My oncologist is very happy as are we. Thank you for your prayers concerning this issue. I am now in cycle eight of my chemotherapy program, with one more cycle to go after this one. It will all be finished in mid-December. Please continue to pray for a minimization of side effects and for no further cancer concerns.

Cancer Update

I am a blessed man! I am currently in the middle of my seventh cycle of chemotherapy. I am dealing with some side effects, but none that are too difficult. The Lord has really blessed me in this regard. In fact, in a few hours I will board a Delta airliner and fly to start a 15 day trip that will take me to Saint Petersburg, Kiev, Warsaw, Sofia, and Paris. God has been so very good to me as I've endured these many rounds of chemotherapy. My next major milestone is on September 11 and September 15. On the September 11 I will have my next CT scan. On the September 15 I'll visit with my Oncologist. Your prayers for a good report and confirmation that the situation I experienced in the Spring has truly been a miracle healing from the Lord will be much appreciated as will prayers for safe travel and effective ministry in Europe. And finally, please keep Tammy and Rebecca in your prayers as they stay behind for Rebecca to start a new year of school and for Tammy to catch up on some work at Book of Hope.

Summer 2008 Newsletter

Our Summer 2008 newsletter is now available online. Click here to go immediately to this newsletter. This month’s newsletter focuses on Rebecca’s summer, our new Speed the Light vehicle, and a special wedding announcement.

Thank You Speed the Light

Rebecca is showing off her new Speed the Light van. She and her parents extend a very big thank you to the youth of the Pen-FL district of the Assemblies of God and to Speed the Light.

She enjoys getting into the van through the rear. No more driving around and around the mall parking lot looking for a special wheelchair accessible parking place.

The ramp folds down out of the rear of the van at a very easy angle to roll into place within the van.

Once in place, Rebecca sits comfortably between the two modified second row bucket seats in the middle of the van.

Social Networks - Are You Connected to Us

Collectively, social networks are among the fastest growing categories of Internet websites. Within the USA, MySpace is the biggest social network and facebook is growing rapidly to catch it. These social networks have become great ways for friends to stay in touch, especially when there are miles or even oceans and continents separating them.

Over the past several months, I have been investigating social networks for Book of Hope. They are very popular among youth around the world and we are looking for ways to connect with them for the purpose of evangelizing and promoting discipleship activities on the web. As my investigation progressed, an amazing thing happened, my friend network started to grow. Friends from school, friends from church, friends from our district churches whom we met on our last itineration, even fellow missionary friends from around the world. Tammy and I both are now using facebook as a significant means of keeping in touch with our friends, without regard to what country we are in on any given day. Even Rebecca is getting into the social network arena with her own page.

Another means of staying in touch on social networks is through applications. Facebook have an application called Causes. People can join Causes even if they are not your direct friends. And friends can recruit people to join a cause, helping the cause's network to grow even larger. We have created a cause called The Brown Family - Your World Missionaries. We use this clause to communicate ministry updates as well as special prayer requests. If you are on facebook. please click here to go directly to the cause. Once there, to join our cause, click on the Join link under our picture on the right side of the page.

You’re Never Too Young Or Too Old

Recently I (Tammy) went on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic with Lakeland Florida's Victory Church. There were a total of seventy-seven people on this trip, twenty of them on my evangelism team. The youngest on the evangelism team was a nine-year-old named Kayla. The oldest was Fred, a man in his seventies. Both of them were among the first to volunteer to be in the dramas and to share how Christ had impacted their life. They knew that God could use them and that God did not care that they were so young or too old.

Our nine-year-old Kayla was a young missionary of amazing strength. Among all our team members, she was to fist to volunteer to give her testimony at the schools. In spite of her very young age, she showed great strength, even when many of those older than here were too shy step forward. Kayla knew that she had something to share with the children in the Dominican Republic. Her testimony told how she grew up with a mother who did not take care of her, who failed to provide food and shelter, who caused her to suffer through a lack of attention. But a few years ago Kayla's story changed and her testimony was birthed. Kayla came to Victory Church where she met a family who would become her new parents. Kayla told the children that if they felt alone, sad, or unloved, that there are people out there in the world who love them and that she loved them too, but most importantly, that God loves them.

Being the first to give a testimony was not easy for Kayla. In fact, this was the first time she had ever given her testimony. However, after sharing one time with the children of the Dominican Republic, she had such boldness and such confidence that she wanted to do her testimony at every school we visited. Throughout that week, many children were touched by Kayla’s testimony and by the dramas that the team performed. Kayla knew that she was not just tagging along with her new family on this mission trip. She realized that she too was sent by God to do His work. For this week, she saw herself as a young missionary. Please join us in prayer for Kayla. Pray that this spirit of ministry that God has birthed in her spirit in the Dominican Republic will continue to grow. Pray that Kayla will continue to seek Him and grow in His Word.

Learning to Lead in Kenya

I (Wayne) went to Kenya in June to attend an eastern Africa regional leadership meeting. This meeting provided an opportunity for leaders from our Book of Hope ministries and key partners from Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda to come together for training and fellowship.

Leadership training takes on many flavors. There is the aways exciting classroom lecture, where a topic expert gets up and tells everyone what they know about a particular subject. We had our share of lectures on topics related to leadership, partnership, collaboration, and even one from me on new techniques for using The GodMan.

Another flavor of leadership training involves team building exercises. Each afternoon, our team members would leave the comforts of our meeting room and venture into the cold misty outdoors environment. Out on an open grassy field, we participated in several different games designed to help us get to know each other as well as how to depend on one another. The photo above is an example. All the team members gathered in as near perfect a circle as a group of people can construct. Facing the center, they slowly stepped in together, drawing ever closer while maintaining the near perfect circle. When they had stepped in to the point that they were all overlapping their shoulders, each person turned to their left. They then placed their hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them and again stepped in so the circle drew even closer. When each participant was only inches apart, they began to bend their knees and started the process of sitting on the knees of the person behind them. At this point they were all instructed to let go of the person in front of them. When they did, the entire group dropped onto the lap of the person behind them, but no-one fell and no-one felt the full weight of the person sitting on their lap. In fact, most people said if felt like a small book was placed on their lap. The purpose of this exercise was to physically demonstrate that when we all work together, we can accomplish a difficult (read that as heavy) task while individually only carrying a small part of the total load.

But my favorite flavor is the flavor brought by the presence of the Holy Spirit. Each day of the leadership conference started and ended with a time of worship, Word, and prayer. In the evenings, we would proceed the time of devotions with a report from one of our represented countries. Then, with the scope of ministry and associated needs of the country fully understood by all, we would gather around these leaders of the reporting nation, lay hands on them, and pray for the ministry. Our repeated prayer for every country was for the anointing of the Holy Spirit and protection of our laborers. Each team is trusting the Lord to provide for their needs and to protect them from attacks of the enemy. I encourage you to join us in praying for our leaders from Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Pray for wisdom as they plan new ways to reach children and youth with the gospel. Pray for protection as they travel throughout their country and minister in situations that are frequently punctuated by violence. And pray for anointing, that the power of the Holy Spirit will always be with them and that all those they minister to will be receptive to receiving the good news.

Pray For Kenya

I was blessed to have been able to spend a week in Kenya last month. The purpose of my trip was to train and inspire our leadership from around the region to reach more children and youth with the gospel in such a way that it becomes a life changing encounter with God's Word. The men and women I met with are pastors and lay ministry leaders. Each of them are evangelist to the children and youth in their countries and are passionate about seeing everyone reached with the gospel.
I received the following prayer request from Pastor Cal Ratz, our regional director for eastern Africa, this morning. I ask that you join with us in prayer for peace to return to Kenya and for these young people to look to God as their solution to their most urgent needs. The following is the request received this morning from Pastor Ratz:

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST FOR KENYA:

Earlier this year, close to 1,000 people were killed and several hundred thousand people displaced in post-election events that swept through Kenya. Now violence has broken out again, though this time it is not connected to the elections.

Kenya is country where children beg parents to allow them to attend school, Now Kenyans have been shocked by the latest violence to erupt across their nation as students have burned down their schools and dormitories in a massive protest.

The wave of student strikes and riots has closed about 500 high schools over the last month. There have been arson attacks at about half of them. Scores of teenagers have been arrested and thousands more sent home. One student died in a dormitory blaze. Both government and private schools are affected. The government is considering closing all secondary schools.

Philip Mungai Nganga, Book of Hope’s national director says, “We have work to do. The education department has already asked me to have Book of Hope produce a new book dealing with the hopelessness, frustration and stress youth are experiencing. We will include this in our strategic planning meeting in September.”

Yesterday, the Kenya government released new information showing an increase in HIV/AIDS In the country.

Philip Mungai says, “The hottest topic in Kenya concerns what is ailing our children. What a time for Book of Hope to step into the situation!.”

How To Buy A Child In 10 Hours - Child Slavery In Haiti

I traveled to Haiti in October 2007 for a two-day research trip. We did meetings with government officials and multiple focus groups with educators, political leaders, and ministry leaders. In nearly every meeting, I heard the heartbreaking story of child slavery in Haiti. I came home angry at the situation and frustrated that so little was being done to help these children who are regularly being sold into labor or sex slavery. While Tammy and I are not in a position to personally touch and help these exploited children, we did channel our efforts toward building a bigger network of evangelistic workers throughout Haiti. Since then, our Book of Hope program has grown from one major distributor reaching about 100,000 children per year to three major distribution groups with the potential to reach over one million children per year. Please continue to pray with us that our work in Haiti will bring about transformation, not just in the individuals reached by the Book of Hope and The GodMan, but in entire communities, entire cities, and even the entire nation. It is only through spiritual transformation that families will stop selling their children into bondage and the government will do their job at preventing this exploitation.

The three links below will take you to the three segments of the full nightline story:

Part 1 http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=5336644

Part 2 http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=5336634

Part 3 http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=5336628

This next link will take you to a World News segment taken from the entire Nightline story:

World News http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=5330271

Note: The ABC News website is not the most responsive. If the video does not start to run or you get an error, try again later.

Photos From The Dominican Republic

We have posted photos from Tammy's trip with Victory Church to the Dominican Republic on Flickr. Click here to view them.

Photos From East Africa On Flickr

I have just posted a few photos from my trip to Kenya for the East Africa Leadership Conference on our Flickr archive. Click here to view the pictures.

Good News From The Cancer Center

Thank you all for your prayers. The Lord has answered us with good news. I have just completed my visit at the cancer center. The pathology report shows that the lung samples taken during last week's biopsy are free of any cancer. There is still something there that is growing, but it is something other than cancer. My oncologist has forwarded the biopsy samples over to experts in lung ailments to confirm that there is nothing else to be concerned about. Please join with us in praising the Lord for this good news. And continue to pray that the additional analysis that will be done on the samples will show that this is nothing more than a minor infection that clears without any additional invasive procedures.

Monday Is Coming

Monday is the big day. I had my biopsy this past Tuesday. The surgeon took four slices out of the suspected tumor and sent them off for analysis by a pathologist. Monday is when I find out what is in the pathology report. This waiting has been harder than I expected. I fully believe that the Lord can and will deliver me from any additional trails with cancer. However, I also know that sometimes we must walk a difficult road as we serve Him. I believe we are ready for whatever news we are given. However, please be in prayer with Tammy and I as we travel to Miami early Monday morning. Pray for peace in our lives and for good news.

May 2008 Newsletter

Our May 2008 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/. This months newsletter features photos and news from Wayne's trips to Brazil & Haiti, as well as an update trips that he and Tammy will be taking in June.

A Difficult Cycle

I am currently starting the fifth week of my fifth cycle of chemotherapy. I have to say, this has been a difficult cycle. Each cycle seems to be unique, with a different side effect being dominant. The list of side effects doesn't change much, but it appears that each side effect has its day in the sun, or in this case, its cycle to be the mother of all side effects.

You've seen previous posts about hand foot syndrome. That was a major issue in cycle one and came up again briefly in cycle four. There has been the ever present chemo-gut sickness that seems to be more pronounced in the evening. This has been there for every cycle, but seemed to be dominate in cycle four.

This cycle has brought on two issues that I am asking you to pray for. The first, is one that has always been there but just not in a significant way. It is fatigue. Fatigue is that feeling of absolute total tiredness, a feeling that you can't even afford to expend the energy to get up from your chair. On some days, it is so bad that even the act of getting out of bed after nine hours of sleep seems to take too much energy. It isn't an everyday problem. Take this week for example, Tuesday was horrible. I slept nearly ten hours before waking up late on Tuesday. I woke up tired and stayed tired, no, exhausted, all day. However, the next two days were great, some fatigue, but no exhaustion.

The other issue that has come up this time is a new one. It is something that I feared when I saw it on the side effect list at the start of my chemo program. It is depression. Not the total dark, suicidal, kill me now kind of depression. No, this is just a vale of darkness that seems to fall over me when I least expect it. Sometimes, as I'm getting ready for bed. I'm so tired but can't get strength to sleep. That darkness will fall. Or maybe it's at the office and I just can't put it all together to complete an important task. That darkness will fall.

Finally, there is the issue of the findings from my last CT scan. Has my cancer returned? Or, is it simply unexplained shadows or a malfunction in the CT equipment? I go to the cancer center on Monday for a new set of CT scans, then back again on Thursday to visit with my oncologist. I believe that the weight of the fact that there may be something more that is wrong with me has only contributed to the fatigue and the depression that has been there for this round of chemo.

I'm being very open with everyone here. Open in a way that I have not really been before. Why? It's simple. I need your prayers. This cycle of my chemo and my current emotional state has been more than I had been prepared to carry. I know that our Lord is able to see me through this. Please pray with me that He will provide the strength I need to continue doing with I love to do each day at Book of Hope. Pray that the darkness that creeps up occasionally will be cast away with the enemy who brings it on. And pray that the visit to the cancer center will reap nothing but good news and praises to our Lord.

Thank you for your prayers and thank you to all those who have sent notes of encouragement. I truly appreciate you all.

Photos From Haiti on Flickr

Photo's from what is likely Wayne's last official trip to Haiti are now posted on Flickr. Click here to view them. Wayne has transitioned the Regional Director's responsibilities for Haiti over to Richard Luna, our Regional Director for the remainder of Latin America. Wayne will now be focused on Innovation, finding and developing the next new ministry tools and processes for Book of Hope.

Photos From Southern Asia & Brazil on Flickr

Photos from Wayne's April trip to Southern Asia and May trip to Brazil have been added to our Flickr photo archive at http://www.flickr.com/photos/yourworldmissionaries/.

A Week In Brazil

I've landed in Brazil. This is my third trip to this beautiful country. I will spend most of my time this week working with church partners in Recife and New Iguacu, near Rio de Jeneiro. My goal for this trip is to better understand how ministry takes place in Brazil, then work with our national leadership team to engage in a little innovative thought about how to be even more effective in reaching all the children and youth of Brazil. Please keep us in your prayers this week, as the work and planning we are doing will impact the ministry in Brazil for years to come.

The Saga Continues

I had a very interesting visit with my oncologist yesterday. Those of you who have been through cancer or helped a family member deal with this affliction know that the last word you want to use to describe a visit with an oncologist is the word "interesting." When I had my last CT done about 13 weeks ago, it was much like the previous two scans, showing a few small shadows, but nothing that was a concern. This week's CT scan shows a 1.3 cm spot on my lung and a 0.6 cm spot on my liver, as well as numerous swollen lymph nodes around my spleen. My oncologist was noticeably concerned about these findings. I am going to have the CT scan redone in five weeks and a determination will be made then about the need for a biopsy of the lung and liver.

Needless to say, this was difficult news to receive. Tammy and I continue to believe that the Lord is going to provide a complete healing. We ask that you join together with us in petitioning heaven for the same results. And pray for comfort. Five weeks really isn't that long, unless you have this type of issue hanging out there.

Pray For Healing For Dan Carl

I have been working closely with Dan and Liz Carl, our distribution team leaders in Haiti, for over a year. Together, we have developed strategies to reach the entire children and youth population with the gospel message in the next six years and have started the work to make that happen. Dan has recently been diagnosed with a skin cancer issue. Please review the note we received from the Carls yesterday and remember Dan in your prayers.


Dear Friends and Prayer Partners,

Greetings from Haiti. This is very last minute since we were asked to move quickly. Dan received some test results back last week from a mole that had been removed from his back a few weeks ago. The tests indicated that there was Malignant Melanoma Skin Cancer present. After consulting with a plastic surgeon yesterday, the decision was made to do a second operation to remove a larger section of the tissue to confirm there is no other Melanoma present. The surgery is scheduled for today at 10:00 AM here in Haiti.

This is being done as an out patient procedure with a local anesthesia. Normally, complete removal of the infected tissue is the treatment for this type of disease. The doctors believe that the Melanoma was still very shallow and was only beginning to go deeper into tissue below the skin. Therefore, after the operation, the tissue removed will undergo another test to confirm there is no Melanoma present.

Please pray that God would lead the surgeon to remove any remaining Malignant Melanoma that could be present. Our faith is in the Great Physician, Jesus Christ who is the only one who can heal Dan's body with or without the use of the surgeon. To Him be all Glory, Honor, and Praise!

Thank you for your prayers.

Love,
Dan & Liz

Prayer Request For Thailand Missionary Family

Last Spring we were privileged to have the Sorenson family, missionaries to the deaf in Thailand, here to help us in filming a special version of The GodMan created specifically for the deaf. The following is a communication we recently received from the ministry the family works with. Please lift them up in your prayers.

Dear Friends and family of Mark, Lulu, Marissa, Krysta, Tyler, Nathan, Hanna, Stephen and David,

I am sure most of you know that Mark had a very serious biking accident on January 5, 2008 in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Mark was preparing for a triathlon. As he was practicing “speed” biking, he suddenly came to an open ditch. He went headlong into the ditch with such force that his helmet actually broke in half.

Mark was temporarily paralyzed, some local villagers who found him called an ambulance and he was transported to a local clinic. This clinic realized they were not equipped to deal with his injury and transported him to a local hospital.

Mark had both X-rays and MRIs. He was admitted to the hospital. He has damage to his cervical spine; especially in the areas know as C5 and C6. This damage gave him a lot of pain in the neck and shoulders, as well as numbness, weakness and limited range of motion in his left arm.

Now several months have passed. Mark has had medication, heat pack, physical therapy and several consultations with Thai doctors. However, he is still experiencing significant problems. He has tightness of the neck and shoulders, sometimes radiating into his fore arm. He then experiences “pins and needles” in his fingers. At times he experiences difficulty in breathing. He has also had the “pins and needles” tingling in his left leg. He can not type on the computer or sign for any length of time, and is often very tired.

Recently, I (Mike Buus – DOOR) agreed with his family that it is time for Mark and family to come to the US and get some second and third opinions. The Sorenson family was scheduled to come home later this summer for “home ministry,” therefore; it was a simple matter to change the dates.

The Sorenson family will be returning to the U.S. on May 8th. Mark has appointments with specialists on May 14th.

We ask you to join us in prayer that the doctors would have great wisdom and insight into the best course of treatment. Pray for Mark’s healing. Pray for the family as they travel a great distance. Also pray that the additional finances would come in to get them through this period of time in the U.S. Mark hopes to keep up his leadership and translation work while he is recuperating.

Grace and peace,

Mike Buus

President DOOR International

Changing Roles, Increasing Responsibilities

As we approach the completion of our second year of full-time ministry at Book of Hope, we are seeing our responsibilities change and grow. For the first two years of our work, our primary responsibility was to direct the new movie ministry work at Book of Hope. That included direct leadership over our distribution activities for The GodMan as well as oversight of the development of new versions and dubs of this movie. In December 2007, our executive team at Book of Hope asked us to assume some new responsibilities. We will continue to provide leadership for our new media ministry products, including The GodMan. However, we will now be serving as co-leaders of a new ministry group within Book of Hope. This new role will put us in the position of identifying, developing, and implementing new ministry concepts for Book of Hope and for our ministry partners. We call this new group the Innovation Team. We are thrilled to have Jeremy Varo-Haub, one of the most creative people we know, serving with us as the creative director for the Innovation Team, and Vinny Cesar, a man with an amazing eye for detail, serving with us as an international coordinator on the team.. Please join with us in prayer that the Lord will bless and anoint our work on the Innovation Team and that through this work many new tools to reach children and youth around the world with the gospel message can be discovered.

April 2008 Newsletter

Our April 2008 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/. This months newsletter features photos and news from Wayne's trip to Southern Asia, as well as an update on the health concerns for him and Rebecca.

Prayer Update

We covet your prayers!

The past month has been very difficult for us. It started four days before Wayne left for Southern Asia. Rebecca was hospitalized with an infection in her throat that was resistant to traditional antibiotics. She had to be hospitalized so that they could give her some very strong IV antibiotics. Wayne actually had to leave for Southern Asia hours before Rebecca was released from the hospital. That was very hard for him and for her.

Rebecca continued to be sick with various problems over the 17-day period that Wayne was in Southern Asia. At the same time, Wayne was starting his fourth cycle of chemotherapy. The first cycle back in November was very difficult for Wayne; however, the second and third cycles included only the most minor of side effects. But this fourth cycle was more like the first than the other two. Wayne suffered with significant pain, digestive issues, and fatigue as a result of the chemo. Nevertheless, God was faithful. His touch on Wayne during this period allowed him to continue his work with only minor adjustments.

While Wayne was dealing with his issues in Southern Asia, Rebecca continued to be feel ill. On the day of Wayne's return, she was once again admitted to the hospital. Like the earlier hospitalization, this one was due to an infection that traditional antibiotics could not resolve. This time, the infection was in her ear and she required stronger IV antibiotics. She ended up staying in the hospital for eight days before the infection completely cleared. Even so, her trademark joy-level never diminished. Each time a doctor or nurse came into the room, she would be all smiles and squeals, especially for the young male interns - students from Nova Southeastern University's medical school.

As of today, Rebecca is healed from her infections and is as full of energy and joy as ever. Please join us in prayer that her health will continue to be strong and that God will protect her from any future attacks from the enemy. Wayne is in the final week of cycle four of his chemotherapy. He starts cycle five on Thursday. Pray with us that this cycle will be uneventful and free of significant side effects. He has a total of nine cycles of treatment, ending in November, the day before Thanksgiving. And pray for Tammy. Being the only healthy person in the home has put her in a double caregiver role. Pray for strength and patience for her and for protection from any attack of the enemy.

January - March 2008 Newsletter & Video Update

Our first newsletter for 2008 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/.

You can also access our first video update on our YouTube site at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egTj-BWjww0.

Fatigue

Have you ever been tired? I don't mean that end of the day, following lots of mental or physical work, where you are ready to curl up on the couch and take a nap kind of tired. I mean where you are so tired that you can't focus on doing the things you love. Things like reading, watching a favorite TV show with your daughter, taking a walk around the block with your wife. And then having to deal with that kind of tiredness day in and day out. That is my definition of fatigue. And that is the most significant side effect of my chemotherapy.

There are lots of side effects from the chemo. Many of them of a nature that I will not share in a blog. But the one that is having the greatest impact on my life is fatigue. I can't really tell you when it first hit. It just seems to have crept into my life and taken root. There are nights when I can sleep for ten or twelve hours, wake up and start my daily routine, and within a few hours be sitting in a chair or on the sofa with no energy or drive to do anything.

I've been blessed in that God has allowed me to stay focused through the workday at Book of Hope. However, where I used to spend two hours or more each evening reading or studying, now I can hardly focus on that task for 15 minutes. And on most evenings, staying up past 9:00 is a real challenge. It is kind of sad in that I'm in bed well before my teenage daughter.

I'm sharing this so that you can join with me in prayer for release from fatigue. Pray for energy to work a ten-hour day and still be a participant with my family in the evening. Pray that I will have the focus to continue my studies. Those studies are critical if I ever what to reach ordained minister status with the Assemblies. And pray that fatigue does not disrupt my international travels and the tasks that I perform as I travel around the world. My next trip will be to India from March 28 through April 14. Pray for the strength and stamina to be effective day and night during these weeks.

Cancer Update

Yes, I know it's been some time since I posted an update on ministry or health issues. Sorry about that. This post is to let you know that I'm doing well. I am nearing the end of my third cycle of oral chemotherapy and will start the fourth cycle on Thursday. There is a pattern that is starting to develop. There are two different pills that I take during my six-week chemo cycle. One involves four pills each morning for four weeks. The other is two pills in the morning and two in the evening for six weeks. Based on my first three cycles, things start out easy, build up to mild complications in the later part of the second week, then get harder by the end of the third week and continuing that way until the end of the fifth week. From that point to the end of the cycle things get much easier.

Okay, you say, so what does it mean to be easy, mild, or hard. Well, there has really been no consistency with those definitions. The first cycle was devastating to me. There were times during the hard days that I could hardly move and I was so tired that I didn't even want to get out of bed. However, since then, God has bless me. The hard periods of cycle two and three were both better than the mild period of cycle one. My nurse tells me that it is normal for patients to develop resistance to the toxicity that causes the side effects. However, it is also normal for side effects that seemed to be behind a patient to suddenly flare up in a future cycle.

My prayers for this period of my life remain consistent. I am asking the Lord to give me the courage to walk down this path He is taking me down and to help me to have the strength to overcome any physical issues that may arise. I've also been praying for my hair, but it does not appear that my hair is on the top of God's issues list for me. But that's for another posting.

Thank you for praying with me and my family. We feel your prayers and I know that God is listening. I am getting stronger with each cycle of chemo and I fully believe it is the hand of the Lord that is making that happen.

One more note: I'm losing weight like crazy. I don't recommend cancer or chemo as a traditional weight loss plan. However, it feels good to be 30 pounds lighter than I was before the ruptured appendix that started all this one year ago.

New Photos From Southeast Asia Travels

I've added new pictures from my travels in Southeast Asia, including: Thailand, Cambodia, Philippines, and Indonesia to our site on Flickr. You can find them at http://www.flickr.com/photos/yourworldmissionaries. Enjoy and feel free to leave comments.

Pictures From Thailand On Flickr

I've added some new pictures from my travels in Thailand to our site on Flickr. You can find them at http://www.flickr.com/photos/yourworldmissionaries. Enjoy and feel free to leave comments.

Southeast Asia- January Update

Wow, it is hard to believe that January is almost over. This has been an incredibly exciting month. I have been traveling throughout southeast Asia for most of the month. Those travels have taken me to Thailand, Cambodia, and the Philippines. Tomorrow morning I leave for a few days in Indonesia before starting the long trek home. Lord willing, I will be back home with Tammy and Rebecca on Saturday evening. Be in prayer about that as one of my international connections only allows for an 80 minute layover in Korea. It sometimes take longer than that to get through the security checkpoint at the transfer desk.

I have been amazed by the courage and commitment of our ministry partners in each country we have visited. With one exception, all of these partners are nationals who work with little or no pay to reach children and youth in their communities with the gospel. Why would they work so hard for so little? They measure their compensation differently than most in the USA. They see their compensation in more eternal terms and not just in how much money they will have at the end of the month. These men and women are truly living a life of service and sacrifice in order to take the good news to a people who are not always receptive or understanding.

The southeast Asian region is culturally, economically, and religiously diverse. There are areas that are heavily Buddhist, Christian, and Muslim. In some places, two or three of these groups peacefully coexist. However, in other areas there is extreme hostility toward anyone bringing a Christian message. Nevertheless, the young men and women who make up our national distribution teams work tirelessly to take the gospel to every child and every young person in their area. Please pray for their safety and for provision of every need as they continue to minister.

Most striking for me was the cry of pastors and lay ministry leaders in one area we visited. They are desperate for laborers. The pastors have vision, but lack the resources to see those visions become reality. The political and religious situation is open in a way that it has never been open before, yet there are few workers ready to respond to go through these open doors. This is truly a modern and living example of the harvest fields being white for the harvest but the laborers being few. This openness may last for many years. However, it is just as likely that it will close at any time. Pray with us for the Lord of the Harvest to call out laborers. And pray that those who are called with not delay one minute in responding to that call.

While I am excited to be coming home at the end of the week, I am going to miss this area of the world. There are many places in this world where the people have touched my heart. However, few of them have touched me in the same way as those here in southeast Asia. I haven't even left yet and already my heart longs to return.

We All Can Praise

Pastor Rodel, the worship leader at International Charismatic Service in Metro Manila sings a solo in Tagalog that encourages everyone to worship, without regard to their singing quality. Today was the 32nd anniversary for ICS.