Run with God

The Demise of my Wife is Greatly Exaggerated

Several people have called very concerned about my wife. Since I haven't blogged about her return, saying she was home safely, she must not be okay.

Fearing the worse, since there have been no major plane crashes reported in the past couple days, her flight must have fallen into some space-time continuum (circe Michael Crichton novel "Airframe").

Or somehow she got trapped on an island in the South Pacific (nevermind that she was on an Atlantic flight) with these crazy people called "the Others" who are obsessed with women's reproductive organs and this smoke animal that eats all evil people (circe LOST, tv show).

Or she was never really in the Ukraine, and the Ukraine trip for the past 10 years has really been a cover for a secret government spy group that is trying to unravel a terrorist group called SD-6. Amy was rushed off to South America (Colombia to be exact) to battle toe-to-toe with her Arch Nemesis who was attempting to dethrone the American Economy by spoiling all the coffee beans (ie- no Starbucks, no economy). (Circe ALIAS, tv show).

Or, I'm going to go out on a limb here, we're both very tired. Amy's mother-in-law could have been in town for Amy's arrival on Tuesday and Wednesday, and then Amy and I could have spent Thursday up @ C28, and not really have had a chance to tell the world she's okay.

Whatever her "excuse" is, she will be posting on CFMissions.org very soon, and I'll let you know when it's up.

Thanks for those of you that continually check in. Seriously, thank you.

Ukraine Group

Wanted to share with you a picture of Amy in the Ukraine. It was sent to me by Robert Crisler, one of the students on the trip. Some of the group came back this weekend, and the rest will be over there through July 31.

Ukraine Train Wreck

To spare everyone else from calling...

There was a train wreck earlier today in Ukraine. If you want to read the story on AP, you can find that here.

Long story short, while there was a wreck in Ukraine it was along way away from where Amy and the rest of the team is. It's basically the equivalent in distance from Miami to Texas... Niezhen is on the Russia border of Ukraine (east border) and this accident was on the Poland border (west border). Essentially, the accident is on the other side of the country is not in any way impacting the mission trip. And from all reports, casualties at the train wreck is minor, and NOT RELATED to chemical issues. Ukrainian News and International News are reporting no deaths due to the toxic nature of the cargo. This is not the next Chernobyl.

But please, by all means, continue to pray for the trip! If you would like any messages passed on to the crew, let me know.

Franklin Graham Crusade in Kiev

While Amy is in Ukraine, she and the rest of the group were going to stay in Kiev to help out with the Franklin Graham Crusade... She's posted an update on CFMissions.org, but we're also getting word of the crusade stateside... so I wanted to share an article with you on that...

Quoting The Church Report...

Over 120,000 Attend Franklin Graham's Ukraine Festival

The Franklin Graham Festival in Kiev, Ukraine, drew more than 120,000 to Olympic Stadium. This weekend event was a nationwide expression of religious freedom for those who were formerly subjugated to strict communist rule. This event would not have been possible 16 years ago.

The Festival on July 6-8 drew 124,586 people to Keiv with more that 107,000 participating in the event via live satellite broadcast in 104 additional venues across the country. Some attendees traveled 17 hours one way just to attend the event. The second night of the festival saw more that 40,000 people standing in the rain as thousands filled the field at the end of Graham’s message. By the end of the event, 6,694 people responded to the invitation to follow Christ.

“For years, Samaritan’s Purse has used the Ukrainian Antonov airplane to transport hundreds of thousands of our Operation Christmas Child shoe box gifts,” said Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse. “Now I am here in your country, not because of the Antonov, but because of the Gospel, the good news that you can have spiritual freedom found in Jesus Christ.”

The president of Ukraine sent his Presidential Orchestra, and in an official written welcome to Franklin Graham and the Festival said: “This Festival is one of the greatest things that can bring us closer together. Thank you for all the work you are doing here. May God bless you.” This is a stark contrast to the region’s religious restrictions under communism.

In conjunction with the Festival, Graham’s Operation Christmas Child project handed out some of the more than 100,000 gift-filled shoe boxes to needy children in Ukraine. Graham visited with poor children and orphans at a local charity hospital where he also hand-delivered the shoe box gifts.

Heard from Amy

Talked to Amy today for about half an hour today. (She's in Ukraine on a mission trip with 15+ people from Christ Fellowship). Things are going very well, and it sounds like this is the smoothest trip they've had in a while. Everyone is happy and healthy. The camps so far are going smooth.

Wanted to update y'all (forgive me) on this. Some of the crew will come back next Saturday, but the remainer (Amy included) will be there for the rest of the month.

They are trying to update CFMissions.org, but evidently there is an Internet "shortage" in the Ukraine. The two Internet Cafe's are closed down and they have been unable to find a house that has it. As soon as they can find a solution, they'll post away.

Thanks for your continued prayer for her while she is away.

Pray for Amy in Ukraine

Above is a feed from CFMissions.org, the site that Amy (and other CF Missionaries from around the world) will be posting to. Amy will be gone July 1-31.

Wisdom from Cuba

Christ Fellowship Miami got permission from the Gov't to do Mission Trips to Cuba! How cool is that! I've been praying about going on the trip in August. One of the trips just got back. I've heard plenty of stories about their dwindling economy and how the blackmarket has their own currency printed. What I wanted to share, however, is a quote:

Cubans over there say that America is better than Cuba only in two areas: MOVIES and EVERYTHING ELSE.

That's a quote. Having been exposed to preCastro International Cinema, we do make better movies... but I do think there are some things that Cubans do better...

10 things done in Cuba better than done in America:
10) Cigars
09) Speak better spanish
08) Driving - (sorry, I can't even pretend on that one.)
07) Cigars
06) Arroz Con Pollo
05) Stronger Passion: Do you really see an American clinging to a raft for a couple days in the tropical heat to escape to another life? Answer: NO. We'd rather complain about the conditions than do anything about it.
04) Cigars
03) Loyalty (who else would have stuck with Communism this long?)
02) Play Follow the Leader: they follow Castro to the brink of implosion. Meanwhile, we gripe at Bush every chance we get.
01) Cigars

What's your country's top 10 list?

Missional?

Eric just got back from an Executive Pastors conference somewhere up north (everything is up north...we live in Miami). He blogged about it, though, and I found myself wanting to yell BOO-YEAH at one point.

From Eric's Blog:

God is burdening pastors for their churches to be more missions-focused (missional is the new buzz word). For the last several years we have ramped up our commitment to missions locally and globally at CF. We are serving our city, supporting more missionaries, launching additional campuses, and sending more people on trips. God is doing similar things in churches all across the Country. This fires me up. As God desired Israel to be a blessing to the surrounding nations, God desires the church to do the same. It grieves God when we stay within the walls of our church doing just tons and tons of programs. And churches are stepping outside the walls.

Two years ago I don't think I knew what missional was. Within the past year, though, missional seems to be the passion of everyone I meet, and I pray that God will give me strength to use the resources He's given me to spread His renown.

Now, understand that "missional" is not "missionary". Missional is more than just a 2 week mission trip to some overseas country. It's a lifestyle. It's your lifestyle.
It's realizing that Miami-Dade is the second most unchurched county in the country.
It's understanding that the Lost will not know Christ unless you tell them.
It's also understanding that they don't want to be hit over the head with the Bible.
It's having non-Christians for friends, and having conversations that don't always lead to theology.
It's investing in a single life over time, not trying to convert your entire office by lunch.
It's listening, more than talking.
It's going to the world, not making the world come to you.

With that being said, I am very excited that 30+ Executive Pastors of "mega-churches" get into a room and say the word "missional". Gives me hope in the "church's" future...

I encourage you to do some reading on the "missional" mindset. For a brief synopsis, check out Missional Apologetics, and for a full overhaul of missional in the blogosphere, check out Friend of Missional. Consider it. Pray about it.

Thank you, God, for the opportunities You've set before us...