Leaving La Barra...but not for good!!

Well, we arrived home today; 3 days earlier than planned. We learned a lot on this trip about so many things. La Barra is a little different than the other places we go to with the gospel with TETM. TETM has been sending teams to La Barra for 7-8 years using different strategies for relationship building such as medical and dental clinics or baseball. So far the strategies have worked and we have built many friendships with the people in La Barra. This last fall we met two believers and just this past February we met two more. However, this December a man by the name of Jose moved into office as Vice President for La Barra and he, along with a few other men, don't like our presence in La Barra, because they know exactly why we are there; to plant a church, a New Testament/La Barra church. When we went in February he told us the men in office met and decided it would be best right now for various reasons that we leave La Barra. We left only to find out from our believing friend Eva that he had lied to us. When we drove back into the village to check with Eva and the President to see if it were true, Jose was furious but we had permission to stay through the President, Arturo. This time, the men of our team met with Jose and Arturo and two other men on the council and Jose did all the talking, telling us we need to leave. He told us that the whole village voted and the majority said they didn't want us here. It ended up he gave us until Saturday (we rolled into La Barra on Wednesday morning). We met with the believers every morning and pray that our time with them strengthened them in the Lord like Jonathon was able to strengthen David in the Lord in 1 Samuel 23:16. When visiting with the people of the village we learned that they wanted us there. As far as we know Jose lied to us about the majority of the village voting for us to leave. We never used names or gave details when we explained to people why we were leaving earlier than planned. We simply said, "The authorities of the village don't want us here and we want to respect them." Everybody knew exactly who it was without us having to say a word. In this case we learned that parading a caravan of people with a big trailer and setting up camp is kind of a slap in the face to the authorities who don't want us there. We decided it would be best to leave in a peaceable fashion with the authorities in town (mainly just Jose). But of course we won't leave for good. The gospel still must go forth in that village and now we know four believers there who are our friends; Eva, Inocenta, Eugenia, and Briseda. However, next time we go it will be a much smaller group of spanish speakers with the intent of going around visiting families and opening the word of God with them as they have expressed a desire. There are many people, friends of ours, in that village that enjoy our company and want to know more about the word and one family in particular was disappointed this time as we pulled out because we weren't able to visit them with all that was going on. Elizabeth said, "Next time you come here you come to my house!" Her face was stern as she said it and I wasn't sure if she was hurt but then as we said goodbye she gave us a huge smile! We did attempt to visit her family this time but the one night we went nobody was home. So, we left La Barra a few days early but with more wisdom as to how to bring the gospel to this village. Lord willing, a small group will return in July consisting of Chris, George (pastor in California, fluent in spanish), Jim (big jolly fellow who plays the guitar and the kids love him), and maybe Jose (a translator that came on this last trip). Lord willing these men will accomplish much for the gospel as they visit with our friends in La Barra about the gospel!

As for the unbelieving husbands you have been praying for, it was a blessing to see evidence of God drawing their hearts to Himself. Rafael, Eva's husband, is very hospitable and kind to us. He was the one who spoke with Jose and got us a few more days in La Barra. OJ, a man from TETM who went on the last trip with us but was unable to go on this trip, sent a package to Rafael with a letter pleading with him to look to Christ. Chris and Jose both had separate conversations with Rafael about the Lord of which Rafael replied with honesty and a recognition of his need but stating he was just 'not ready.' Pray the Lord gets him 'ready.' Also, Pancho (or Endefonso; Inocenta's husband), came to our meeting the last day and opened the word of God with us and followed along. The fact that a working man would take time away from his work to come to a gathering of believers and open the word is evidence enough the Lord may be drawing Him in. We pray this is so! Eugenia's husband, Eduardo, is in the states right now working. Please be praying for his salvation as well. Briseda is the other believer and I just found out tonight from a member of our team that she is married but we don't know his name. Please also be praying for their walks with the Lord that they would grow up in salvation and that they would encourage one another DAILY! Also pray that the wives could live out 1 Peter 3:1-6.

Pray for Jose, that the Lord would soften his heart and open his eyes to his need of a Savior, who is Christ. Pray for Pablo as well. Pablo doesn't want us there just as much as Jose but Pablo isn't as outspoken on it possibly because he is not in office and he also still talks with us as if nothing is wrong. I will say hello to Jose when I see him and he will answer but that is about it. Please be praying the Lord brings salvation to these two men!!

Thank you for all your prayers. Apart from the grace of God and your prayers, there is no way I would want to be on the mission field. To have a network of prayer going on while I'm on the field is like having a safety net under me while walking a tightrope 100 feet above the ground. There is security in knowing so many of you are praying. Thank you and know that through your prayers and my going, God is establishing His people, His Church, His body, in La Barra. You and I have been blessed and privileged to be a small part of the work He is doing in La Barra. I don't know when I will return to La Barra or if I ever will. Only the Lord knows. But thank you for your prayers and know that you accomplished just as much through your prayers for the people of La Barra as we did in going and doing the work among them. I love you all and thank you all for everything!!

La Barra News

Praise the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name!!

The trip down to La Barra was uneventful until the last day. We left around 7 am only to sit on the highway for an hour and a half while the road was cleared of an accident. No one was hurt that we know of. We were able to give a man the booklet Ultimate Questions as we chatted with those on the road waiting. Later we saw his friend reading it in his truck. We were back on the road again until around 1:30 pm when we came to a dead stop again. Apparently a village several kilometers ahead was protesting by blocking the road until 7 pm because the government wasn´t supplying them medicine. Maybe we will stop by there on our way back and give out some of our medicines! Due to this stop we stayed another night in a hotel in Salina Cruz just several hours from La Barra.

Finally, Wednesday morning we arrived in La Barra. That night we were told to meet with Jose (VP), Arturo (Pres), and the secretary and treasurer. Jose did all the talking and basically told us to leave, because the majority of the people in La Barra voted for us not to come back (this was a lie). Rafael later that night did some negotiating with Jose and we were told we could stay until Saturday. Thursday, some of the men from the team went to talk to Jose but couldn´t find him but found out instead from the people they visited with that they never voted for us not to come back. As the story unfolds we are realizing more and more that the village people love us and want us here. Jose is the only one who is persistent in our not being here. Pablo, a good friend from times past and one who loves La Barra, feels the same way but has never been outright angry with us. He has always been kind and still calls us his friends. Tonight the men from our team played baseball at the field and Jose was there. The contact was friendly but please be praying that the Lord would remove his heart of stone and replace it with a heart of flesh; that God would save him and make him a new creation, for His glory. Pray also for Pablo that God would save him.

As we seek the Lord we see this trip as a time to really strengthen the four believers who are here: Eva, Inocenta, Eugenia, and Briseda. We met this morning, except Briseda, and sang praises and Paul Poppe exhorted them from Colossians 1:3-8.
Please join us in prayer that God would strengthen these believers to press on to know Him long after we are gone. For some westerners this may sound strange, but there has been some real outward spiritual warfare going on in Eva´s house (before our arrival), especially dealing with her 5 year old daughter Dayana. Please be praying for Eva and for the salvation of her husband Rafael and their children Israel, Jonathan, and Dayana. The hardest part about being here is that we don´t necessarily get the threats but Eva and her unbelieving husband do. They have a lot they could lose for standing firm in the faith, and Rafael is not even a believer (that we know of)! They could be reduced to nothing and forced to start over and if this happens then God is faithful and will provide but please pray for the gospel to go forth in La Barra, whatever the cost; that God would shine His glory in this dark place and that the gospel would penetrate the hearts of those in this little village. Pray that the witness of the four believers would be used by God to change hearts. I have so much more I wish to tell you but I think this will suffice.

If I told you my heart´s cry it would be from a begging position, pleading with you to pray for salvation for the people I have mentioned in this update as well as many more I haven´t mentioned: Eduardo (Eugenia´s husband) and Pancho (Inocenta´s husband) to name a few more. We don´t know if we will be here much past tomorrow and we know that God can move mountains. He can accomplish anything He desires in whatever time frame He chooses. Pray He uses us for His glory to plant seeds and Lord willing, reap a harvest. Thank you for joining me in prayer. You are a HUGE blessing to me!

Life Since La Barra

I like to think I keep you all well informed of what is going on while I'm on a mission trip but then I go back to the states and the update emails slow to a screeching halt. I want to inform you all of what I have been up to the last month of my life. We will see if you can keep up with me...sometimes I can't keep up with myself!!

A few days after returning from La Barra I hopped back into a car with my parents and this time drove North East from Austin instead of South. We drove to visit my brother and his wife, Ryan and Sarah, who live in Kentucky. Ryan is attending Southern Seminary while Sarah works at a school. I of course loved being back in Kentucky where the fun and the fellowship is overflowing. Ryan and Dad built a new deck on the back of Aaron and Kari Plevon's house who live just above Ryan and Sarah. They did a fine job if you ask me! (L to R: Dad, Ryan, Mom)



Then I returned to Austin for a few days and fellowshipped with my family in Christ at Dayspring Fellowship where I attend church. I have really enjoyed getting to know those at Dayspring and sitting under solid and edifying and challenging teaching.

Then I hopped a plane to Kansas City to visit my friends Shane and Laurel and their baby girl Hallie who went with us to La Barra last fall. I hadn't seen them since Thanksgiving so it was a sweet reunion. Hallie Lou hadn't grown too much and was still her cute little self! We hiked a few trails and saw a really HUGE tree!!





What I enjoyed the most about my trip to Kansas City was getting to know some of the families at Faith Community Church, where Shane and Laurel attend. The fellowship was amazingly sweet and extremely encouraging. I also had the privilege and the joy of eating lunch Sunday afternoon with the whole Spencer family (not enough time to describe how amazing the Spencer family of 10 and one on the way is), Shane and Laurel, another couple in their church interested in missions, and Frank and Marie Drown. You may not know who Frank and Marie Drown are so let me explain. Do you remember when five men by the names of Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, Roger Yoderian, Ed McCully, and Pete Fleming were martyred in Ecuador 'at the end of spears' made by Auca (now called Waodani)? At this time Frank and Marie were missionaries in another area of Ecuador and had worked with Roger and Nate was their pilot. When Frank was told there were five men down in Auca territory he was asked to organize the search and rescue party. He went and helped pull the bodies of these men, his very own friends, out of the river and bury them on the beach. He performed their funeral service using scripture from memory because of the severe storm falling upon them. He and Marie continued as missionaries there in Ecuador, and my favorite part...had five babies in Ecuador. We had the joy and privilege of sitting around a dinner table with them and learn from seasoned missionaries who had seen some of the worst of times and best of times. It was a blessing to see their faces still beaming with joy at the age of 86, still going strong in serving the Lord. What a testimony of how full a life is in Christ ALL THE DAYS OF OUR LIVES!! Well, needless to say this whet our appetite to hop the next plane to South America and locate an unreached tribe and begin the great task of learning the language and the culture all for the purpose of one day communicating to them the glorious and beautiful gospel of Christ that brings hope to sinners because there is a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ! Then we snapped back to reality and realize we have some preparing to do...



I was back in Austin only two days. I was thinking of my good friend Julie Mustard who will be serving with a camp for a month this summer in Ecuador and a month in Canada with Mission Fuge. I thought...maybe I could go visit her while she is in Ecuador just so I can get a taste of South America. No sooner had I been thinking of calling her did she call me! I answered the phone with an exuberant pouring forth of speech telling her all that I told you in the previous paragraph. She then told me that a girl on her staff dropped out and she needed a replacement...long story short, I'm going to Ecuador and Canada this summer to work with Mission Fuge as a Bible Study leader. I'm so excited about this! Twice when I was in the youth group I went to Mission Fuge and was changed in many ways by my time spent at M-Fuge. In fact, the first time I heard the name Jim Elliot was at M-Fuge in Tennessee. That was the name of our small group! Things have come full circle! I will be in Ecuador for the month of June and Canada for the month of July. I will share more on that later...

I then spent some more time in Austin before setting out to Eldorado. My sister was in desperate need of my help with three boys and Chronic Lyme Disease and the Exodus of Mormon children from the compound just a few miles from their house.



Now, I want you to know that every day of my life isn't perfect and without it's struggles and problems as it may come across in my updates. I want to give you the high points but I want you to know also that the last week and a half of my life has got to be one of the hardest weeks I've had in a long time when it comes to Spiritual warfare and killing sin. But God is faithful and full of strength and grace and we cannot be failed when we draw our strength from the well of His power and grace. He will never run dry! He is a spring of eternally flowing strength and grace for whatever we face. This all may sound cheesy but seriously...when we are the weakest we have ever felt and at the point of throwing our hands up in surrender and just can't pull ourselves up to walk in what we know we need to walk in...He is there to call upon and His power is made perfect in weakness and His grace is sufficient for you in your weakness. I experienced this again this last week and a half more than I ever have before and I love Him that He is our Savior and our Strength. I love Him because without Him we would still be dead in our sins and without hope in the world. But He is rich in mercy and abounding in loving-kindness. The kind of loving-kindness that gives up your only Son for the redemption of sinful mankind, to bring them out of the kingdom of darkness into the very Kingdom of God as His children! I could go on...instead...read Ephesians 1 and 2 and just rejoice in the gospel and don't let Satan steal your joy....EVER!!

So, now I am back in Los Fresnos and we are planning on setting out at 5 in the morning for La Barra. Maybe you know the scoop by now with La Barra, maybe not...here are the prayer points:

*TEAM UNITY – caps lock doesn't stress how important it is for the team to be united...please pray fervently for this even though it is just a week long. Think John 17 when you pray this as well as John 13:35.
*The gospel to go forth and permeate the village!
*This trip we were told by the leaders of the village we were not allowed to do the dental clinics. Medicine isn't as much of a need anymore in the village because they have access to a medical clinic in town. So, this may open up more time to visit the families of La Barra that we know that want us to visit with them and share with them more of the word of God. Pray for conversations to be filled with the gospel and the word of God!!
*For the believers: Eva, Inocenta, Briseda, and Eugenia (and for their husband's salvation; Briseda is single)
*For my spiritual disciplines: prayer, reading the word, scripture memory, etc. I have felt your prayers so many times in this area of my life over the last few months and I thank you soooo much for your prayers for me on this!

Thank you so much for all your prayers and support thus far in my missionary journey that has taken me all over the place. I pray one day soon I will be with a team among an unreached tribe somewhere in South America or Papua New Guinea. Who knows where God will send me. I just pray, and ask you to join me in prayer, that God would raise up a team of close knit people with like minds in taking the gospel to an unreached people group, preferrably tribal (according to my desires), and that we would be launched to that nation with the name of Jesus! Please join with me in praying towards this end. After this summer I am going to continue my search of a way to gain more medical experience until the time comes to go to the field. Pray God directs my steps in that as well and that He provides the perfect scenario for me to gain medical experience that will be applicable in the area I will go to on the mission field. Thank you again, my extended team, for all your prayers and support. I love you so much and see you as a part of my team when I go to places like La Barra. Many of your faces come to mind as I thank the Lord for the opportunity to go to the nations because I couldn't go without your prayers and financial support. Thank you for being obedient to the Lord in supporting what He is doing all over the world by prayer and finances in drawing His people to Himself as he sends missionaries to carry His name to the lost and dying. Thank you.