This quarter was filled with both amazing and devastating experiences, but the Lord was here through it all.
Guyana Trip
In July, I went on my 5th short term trip to Guyana. Each time I’ve traveled to Guyana, God has taught me about some overwhelming theme during the trip, such as trust, encouragement, and power. This trip was no different. The theme was faithfulness: God’s faithfulness to us. Throughout the trip, God repeatedly pointed out flaws and shortcomings in my life and, yes, sins also. Pastors and missionaries sin? Yes, we surely do. But, God took this opportunity to show me that even though I fall short, He is ever faithful. He is constantly chipping away like a master sculptor, taking away parts of me that don’t look like Him. I’m so thankful we serve a faithful God who doesn’t throw the clay away. “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” ~Phillipians 1:6.
In addition to my personal lessons, God also blessed in that I was able to travel with Greg Mann and preach in several villages. Greg and I are excited about the growth of the ministries as the Lord blesses. We are committed to helping national pastors grow as they lead their families and ministries. During the trip, nearly all of the national pastors and church leaders were able to gather together for a series of teaching sessions during which I taught lessons on prayer and fasting, and Greg taught lessons on church planting and church growth. Their desire to learn and grow is encouraging. Greg and I have determined that the ongoing teaching and training of existing pastors and leaders will be one of my primary tasks when I reach the field full-time.
The Great Flood
In mid August, Louisiana was devastated by a historic flood. Areas which have never been considered flood zones suffered catastrophic damage. Over two feet of rain in a short amount of time caused eight rivers to reach record level flooding. As an example, the Amite River, which is at flood stage at 29 feet, crested at 46.2 feet. Among the affected areas, Livingston Parish (county) suffered the greatest amount of damage. 90% of homes suffered damage, and 75% of the parish was considered a total loss.
My sending church, Open Door Baptist Church, is located in Livingston Parish. With 6 feet of water on our property and 3 feet of water inside our main church building, we suffered a lot of damage. Several in my church family lost nearly all they own. However, even through this great difficulty, God has shown Himself faithful. Churches and individuals from all over the country have donated money, supplies, food, etc. to see that the people of our community are taken care of. Teams have traveled from as far as New York to help with demolition and cleaning in our church/school buildings as well as in homes. One of the greatest blessings of this disaster is being able to see people loving one another regardless of differences. Civilians with boats volunteered to help police, fire departments, and national guard with rescue efforts. These civilians became affectionately known as The Cajun Navy. While the rest of the country argued over politics, race, and a host of other topics, the people of south Louisiana were simply loving each other as Christ calls us to love our neighbors. I saw it first hand; it was incredible. There is still a lot of work to do, so please be in prayer for my church and the surrounding communities. Some post-flood pictures of ODBC are below.
Praise the Lord, we now have sheetrock, the walls are primed and ready for paint, and we have temporary seating. There is still much to do in our church and community, so please continue to pray for us!
Prayer Requests
- Wisdom in preparing for ministry in Guyana
- Growth in financial support (I'm currently at 15%)
- Growth in my personal Christian walk
- Provision for Louisiana flood victims
- Wisdom for the Guyanese pastors and leaders
