Selmore

This morning I had the opportunity to worship at Selmore Baptist Church in Ozark, where my brother and his family are members. (It also happens to be a church that my dad pastored while I was in college and a couple of years beyond that.) It was great to see some wonderful old friends and to also meet many people who have joined over the past few years. It meant a lot to me to have several of these borthers adn sisters in Christ commit to join me as prayer partners. Pastor Josh was very gracious to allow me the opportunity, and his prayer over me this morning meant more than he probably realized.

India

Sorry I haven't updated my blog lately. It has been a hectic couple of weeks. I have moved out of my duplex and am living a somewhat nomadic life this month. Last week I went on a mission trip to India. It was an unforgettable experience! I'll try to share a general outline of the week along with a few pictures.

Early in the week we visited some temples in India. Through this, I gained a greater understanding of the Hindu religion and practices. Below is a picture of a GIANT statue of a monkey-god that is worshipped.

One of the temples was a Hare Krishna temple, where we heard constant chanting of Krishna's name. It was absolutely heartbreaking to see people laying prostrate before statues of Krishna.

Another day, we traveled several hours to the town of Mathura, Krishna's alleged birthplace. As we walked the winding, narrow streets to visit a local temple, we were reminded of the descriptions of Old Testament days. There were people begging outside the temple and people selling things that could be offered to the gods. Our focus for this day trip was prayer walking, but we also had an unplanned opportunityt o do some "prayer-boating" on a lake that is part of a story about how Krishna supposedly turned blue as a child.
On our way out of Mathura, we stopped at a funeral pyre where a body was being burned, as is the common practice in that culture.
On another day, we took a longer trip to Jaipur to prayer walk/prayer drive. We counted camels to help pass the time, and our count reached 125!
In Jaipur, we went up to a mountain fort overlooking the city. It was an amazing site to behold and a fantastic place to literally pray over the city.

The day we traveled to Jaipur was an absotely crazy experience for so many reasons. It was the most intense day of my life! I don't say this lightly, but I truly believe that the Enemy was attacking us because he did not like our prayers and presence in a place where he has such a strongold. Traffic is always crazy in India, but not like it was on our way home that day! Trucks were coming at us left and right, and we lost a side mirror as a result.

As God continues to break my heart for the lost around the world, I find myself becoming more and more restless. I've always cared, but only through GOING have I put myself in a situation to allow God to truly break my heart, and only through a broken heart can I truly be in a position to be used by Him to reach people.

Transition Phase

I've moved nearly everything into storage (thanks to the help of some awesome friends!). This week I am cleaning out my classroom, etc. This Saturday we have the 2nd annual Matthew Merrill Memorial Race at Lake Ozark Speedway. My mom is coming down the first part of next week to help me clean out the duplex, and then I think I'm staying with my brother for a couple of days before leaving for India on the 6th. Things are starting to happen quickly now. Three of us from church will be in India until the 14th. I am really looking forward to this trip. I don't yet know why, but I think God has led me to this trip for a specific purpose.

Moving to Storage

This coming Saturday, May 23, I am planning to move my "stuff" into a storage unit in Springfield. I am hoping to find volunteers to help on both ends of the move. So, if anyone reading this who lives in either Mountain Grove or Springfield is available and willing to help, please let me know. Tentative plans are to load the truck at the duplex in Moutain Grove around 9:30 am. It is a little more dificult to estimate time on the Springfield end. I am guessing that we'll get there around 11:30 am, but I can call Springfield volunteers when we leave Mountain Grove to give you the exact time. That will give you about an hour's notice. I'll also have to give you information regarding the location of the storage unit. I hope to have that settled by Wednesday.

Requesting prayer support is easy for me. It is more difficult for me to come to you with a request for help that involves physical activity. But, I love my brother too much to expect him to be my sole helper on both ends of the move! :) Thanks in advance for those who will volunteer to help.

FBLA

My students did a fantastic job at the FBLA State Leadership Conference, and I should have posted these results sooner. Unfortunately, the entire experience has been tainted by some drama here at school. God has helped me let go of the drama and surrounding frustration and move past it, though, so now I want to focus on the good news. Our Digital Video Production team placed 11th in the state and our Business Financial Plan team placed 10th. Our Website Development team placed 2nd in the state, which qualifies them to compete at the national level this summer in Anaheim CA! I am extremely proud of them! Ali, the leader of this team, has been in my web design class each of the three years (Web Design one year, and then two years of Advanced Web) since I started teaching it, and each year she has been on an FBLA Web team. They have come close each year, so to see her finally succeed is more exciting for me than I can describe. I am extremely proud of Ali. This success only confirms what I already knew to be true about her. :)

FPO

Some of the people I met at the IMB candidate interview conference in February started their 8 week Field Personnel Orientation in Virginia this week. Please pray for them as they prepare to serve on mission fields around the world, including places where a mission presence is not welcome.

Mountain Grove FBC

Sunday morning I visited the First Baptist Church in Mountain Grove and spoke for a couple of minutes in each service about heading to the mission field. I was able to visit with several people after each service, and they were all very kind and encouraging. Many people made a written commitment to join me through prayer. I am grateful that even people who just met me that morning were willing to become involved, and I am excited to see how God will work through and bless this partnership.

FBLA State Leadership Conference

The other business teacher/FBLA adviser and I are driving 2 school vans to take a group of 11 kids to the FBLA State Leadership Conference. We leave Sunday afternoon and will return Tuesday afternoon. These students have earned the right to compete at the state level by winning a competition in our FBLA District. It should be a great trip, but I would appreciate your prayers for safety, energy, and wisdom.

Rock & Worship Roadshow

Saturday night a friend and I had the opportunity to attend a great concert! It's called the Rock & Worship Roadshow and features Mercy Me and Jeremy Camp along with Tenth Avenue North and Hawk Nelson. The unique thing about this tour is that it was born out of a desire to provide affordable Christian entertainment. They didn't sell any tickets in advance, and the cost was just $10 at the door. JQH Arena holds 11,000 people, and they had to turn some people away at the door once it filled. If you enjoy corporate worship, just imagine 11,000 people in one room singing praise at the same time.

I've changed my playlist to reflect the music of the concert.

Church Visits

Just as I recently invited member of my Dad's church in LaPlata to join me as prayer partners, I am making plans to visit some other churches where I have ties to extend the same invitation. This week I met with the pastor of First Baptist Church here in Mountain Grove and made plans to share briefly with the church during their services on April 19. Several people I know here, including several of my students, are members. I am really looking forward to the opportunity to worship with them and to form prayer partnerships with many of them. Even though I will only speak for a few minutes, it makes me a little nervous. Please pray for me as I prepare for this. Please also pray that God will lead people to respond and that He will stir their hearts for missions as well.

Safety

Throughout the past few weeks I've been telling the people in my life about my intentions to become involved in missions in Mexico. The first time someone responded by asking if I was worried about my safety, it absolutely caught me off guard. The person had heard stories of a rise in kidnappings and violence in Mexico and imagined I might become the next victim. I've heard similar reactions enough times that it no longer catches me off guard, but it still surprises me. My personal safety is one of the last things on my mind. Not that I intend to be foolish or careless in any way, but it wouldn't make sense to me to trust God to send me yet not trust Him to protect me. If I am in His hands, it is His concern what happens to me. I have no need to fear. I often remind these concerned friends that something can happen to me just as easily in my own home here in Missouri, so hiding there out of fear offers no true protection anyway. I am far better off to act in obedience to the Lord who has called me to this journey.

Many of the people who have shared this concern are not Christians. so perhaps my responses to their concerns can be a witness that God can use to speak to them.

Easter Playlist

Easter is my favorite holiday. Not just Easter Sunday, but the entire season. Several years ago at church we did a presentation of the Easter story called "A Week Called Holy." It lasted 5 nights with a different piece of the story being portrayed each night. It really captured the quick turn of events from the triumphal entry to the cross, and then the resurrection. There are so many aspects of this story of the Father's love and Jesus' sacrifice that never cease to amaze me. I know a lot of people who would say Christmas is their favorite holiday. For me it is Easter because without His death and resurrection, His birth would have been far less significant. His birth alone would not have brought salvation.

In honor of this Easter season, I have changed the playlist attached to this blog to include songs that celebrate Easter or in some way remind me of the price He paid on the cross.