A Little Update on My Life =)

Hello -

It has been a little while since my last blog. I wanted to give a small update to keep you informed on my life out here in Springfield, Missouri. I spent last week in St. Louis, Missouri at a Compassion Forum put on by the International Ministries Department of AGWM (Assemblies of God World Missions). It was a week jammed pack with information on some of the "best practices" in Compassion Ministry. Speakers spoke on some of the issues that older methods of compassion ministry have faced and introduced new ways of looking at things. They talked about the importance of the local church in all ministries. The idea is to empower and to build capacity in individuals. There was a lot of good information.

The emphasis was on international compassion ministries, but the information was relevant for domestic compassion ministry as well. My suggestion (for what it is worth) is that prayer and research need to happen first if any church or individual wants to reach out and make an impact on a need in the community. Some of these steps include: Evaluating the problem, seeing what other groups are doing, to remember that problems are complex and therefore the answer will be complex, work with other groups (why start a different ministry if others are creating effective solutions), and remember the reason for all of it is Christ’s Love and the way it can transform a life!

These are just a few of the things I took away from this week. A little while back I read a book called White Man's Burden by William Easterly. The title itself is a critique of western aid. It is long on economics, but an interesting read once you get past all the numbers. If you couldn't tell by the title there is plenty of sarcasm, which provides a good chuckle now and then. It might make you mad, it might make you think, but if you’re interested in this type of thing I recommend reading it. You can always chew the meat and spit out the bones.

I am back in Springfield working on Convoy of Hope teams and planning on going to El Salvador in October. Hopefully I will be able to go to a domestic Convoy of Hope outreach and another conference on sustainable development in December. I just wanted to share a bit of my experience with you all as well as informing you on future plans.

Thank you for all your prayers and support! They are very much appreciated!

Hey -

I arrived back in Springfield, MO Tuesday night. I was suppose to fly out Monday, but because the flight was delayed leaving San Jose I was going to miss the connecting flight from Denver to Springfield. I was given the choice of taking a red eye out of San Francisco or flying out the next day. I choose flying out the next day. I have taken the next couple of days easy between El Salvador and Sarah's wedding I was pretty wiped. I am unpacking, grocery shopping, and so on. I plan on going into the office tomorrow to work on reports and newsletters.

I think the question I have been most frequently asked is "Where are you going next?" I wish I had a good, solid answer to give everyone, but at this point I don't. I am in Springfield for the next week or so and then I have a Compassion Ministry Conference that I will attend mid August. This conference is put on by the International Ministries department of the Assemblies of God World Missions (AGWM). I am looking forward to this conference and hope to glean some new information about compassion ministry. During this time in Springfield I will be attending meetings, maybe doing some training and out of this time will come my next field assignment. These times in Springfield are always in preparation of what will come next and are necessary to be successful in the next assignment and project.

Some things to pray for:

In two weeks I will need to move. I need a room or apartment. One difficult thing about not knowing my next assignment is not wanting to sign a lease if I will be in a different country for months at a time. So, please pray for wisdom, discernment and a place to live.

You can pray for Convoy of Hope and the leadership as they assign and cast vision for the continuing projects and projects in the future. (including where my next assignment will be!)

Pray for continued protection, and wisdom and discernment.

Here are some pictures of the wedding: