FINAL STRETCH

Well folks, I would say that the end is in sight...but I cannot see the end because of the heavy coursework still to be accomplished!

Five classes/projects are remaining to meet the requirements set forth by the U.S. military in order to go on active duty as a chaplain. It has been crazy trying to complete a 4-year degree in under 3 years and if I had to plan things over again, I would plan differently! However, with God we know that all things are possible (as long as it is His will) if we forge ahead in His strength and not our own. I must confess that this academic journey has found me several times grunting... and snorting...my way through classes. However, it is in the moment of total frustration that I find God's grace is sufficient for me, and He was simply waiting for me to figure that out! Wow, things would be easier if I could remember that more often than I forget it.

As many of you are aware, I am transitioning from the Navy Chaplain Corps to the Army Chaplain Corps. The reasons are many but the foremost being the desire to minister with the "boots on the ground". As a Marine, my experiences were primarily with ground combat troops and in addition special operations. My desire is to be with those whom I "understand" and can relate to. The doors of opportunity can be greatly increased when common ground is seen from the start. The Army has several opportunities being offered to me that would capitalize on my past experiences and use them uniquely in ministry. I must admit that I am excited about these possibilities and look forward to realizing God's exact plan for our very near future.

Many ask where we might be stationed initially and the easy answer is "I dunno". We are assigned permanent duty stations based on the needs of the military. I will begin active duty with further military training at Ft. Jackson in Columbia, SC in January, 2008 but this will only be for a few short months. After this our family will be moved to our permanent duty station for the next three years. I will not find this out until at my military training following the new year. We are selfishly hoping that it is still in the south - we've been in Florida too long I guess.

I hope you all like the changes we are making to the website. Compliments to my brother, Matt, the web-dude. He has sacrificed much and as the rest of my family is a vital part of our ministry.

My next entry will give an update on the additional ministry opportunities that God has given our family to include the great response to the military tracts. Thanks for the prayers and don't quit yet!

Chaps

Africa 2006

From September 30-October 8, 2006, Maureen and I were privileged to go on a medical mission’s trip to Ghana, West Africa. What an experience! Mo and I have been on several mission’s trips over the years but this one was drastically different than anything we had previously experienced.

To begin with, God showered financial blessings upon us by providing the full expenses for our trip - not just for me, as was the original plan, but for both of us. (What a blessing it is to serve the Lord on a foreign field with your spouse.) The total expense for our trip was approximately $4200 dollars! Right up to the last minute, I just assumed God did not want me on this trip. The truth was that He wanted to continue to show His love by letting me get to the point where I knew I could not make it happen - and then HE could provide without me getting in the way - so that HE gets all the glory! Needless to say, we were thrilled at the opportunity when the call came that God had used some very special people to provide the funds for our trip.

Unlike previous mission’s trips out of country, everything went smooth on the travel there and back. Whether Customs, Immigration, or airline security; there is always something that happens to either slow down the process or exhaust the strength of the travelers. We did not have one problem, not even a lost piece of luggage! Praise God for He was clearing the way for an experience that few in America will ever see.

The medical trips are structured in a way to provide as much free medical care in a specifically chosen village as possible in a given day or two at the most. Over the course of our time in country, we traveled to three different remote villages in Ghana. These villages had been chosen because of their great need, the receptiveness of the Gospel, and the desire of the national pastor, Pastor Dapaah, to start Independent, Fundamental Baptist churches in those strategic locations.

The daily organization also went without a hitch. Getting all of the supplies, four doctors, two dentists, five nurses, three evangelists, and about ten seminary students/interpreters to the “job site” was an accomplishment in and of itself. It would take approximately thirty minutes to set the clinic up and then we started sending the hundreds maybe thousands of patients through. The patient would first register, then be escorted to the doctor or dentist or eye professional. Upon receiving their care and medication they were escorted to the rooms with the evangelists. Each individual that went through the clinic would sit down, no more than a small handful at a time, and here a simple Gospel presentation before leaving. When the villagers spoke fair English we would not need an interpreter. Otherwise the many language dialects necessitated one of the fine seminary students to assist.

Since my wife and I have no professional medical training, we were the evangelist and cook respectively. Mo was one of two cooks that provided all sustenance for the team for the week. In addition those two ladies were intricately involved in the clinic operation as well. Mo was the “pit boss”. Her job was to maintain structure and organization of the people moving through the different stations of the clinic. She was awesome and I was so proud of her hard work for the Lord! I had the distinct blessing of simply “reaping the harvest” all week. UNBELIEVABLE! The people were so open and ready to hear the truth. They were tired of the false and demonic ways of the medicine men or witch doctors. With childlike faith I watched as these men, women and children eagerly accepted the free gift of Salvation. Their eyes showed the joy of being the recipient of such unconditional love from our Savior. There wasn’t any debating of the innerancy of Scripture, or the muddied down sects of Christianity that are so rampant here in America. I sat with a Bible and led person after person into the loving hands of the Father - all day long! Can there be a better job? By the end of the day, all were exhausted. But by the end of the week, the hard work from the medical professionals as well as the spiritual professionals had paid its dividends. Over 1700 patients were seen in that short time period, which is remarkable. Out of that 1700, were many infants and children, but still 1403 African nationals made a profession of faith in Christ as their Lord and Savior! You may say, “that’s not possible” or “you were stacking the numbers”. May I take you to the book of Acts where several times it is pointed out how thousands and many multitudes were coming to Christ in a day! Our humble team experienced that type of miracle in Ghana. It cannot adequately be explained only experienced. After we left Africa, the pastor and the seminary students took all of the contact information for each individual and went into those villages to start churches. The ones who were saved will bring their friends and family to the new church and the numbers for Christ will only increase. I am reminded that it is our job to plant and water the seed, it is God’s love that brings the fruit or increase - but we were given the great and rare privilege of reaping the harvest of souls in a field that is truly ripe. May God continue to provide an open field and laborers into the harvest of Ghana, West Africa.

Thank you for your prayers and support for my family, and may we continue to answer the call to fight the good fight of faith until His return.

You can view our photos of this trip by clicking here here