1 Chronicles 16:24 - Chosen but Unworthy to Declare

Declare His glory among the people, His marvelous works among all peoples!

I am so excited to be going back to Peru this summer.  I could not be more ecstatic The Lord has chosen me again to declare His glory among the people of Peru.  We live in a lost and depraved world that is desperate need of the salvation that The Lord provided when He sent His son to Earth.  Peru is not exempt from that need.  

The Peruvian are a beautiful people with a family-based culture.  They honor and respect their elders and take care of their families.  They are also extremely receptive to foreigners.  They accept the cultural differences with open arms and welcome them into their homes.  Peruvians are incredibly giving.  They offer whatever they have to give and they offer it willingly.

Despite this, they are lost and need the Savior.

These reasons and many more are the reasons I am so amazed that The Lord chose me, the chief of sinners.

I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

1 Timothy 1:12-17 

"Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!"

[1 Chronicles 16:24] - See more at: http://www.prayers-for-special-help.com/bible-verses-for-missions.html#sthash.iR7IqH09.dpuf

"Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!"

[1 Chronicles 16:24] - See more at: http://www.prayers-for-special-help.com/bible-verses-for-missions.html#sthash.iR7IqH09.dpuf

"Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!"

[1 Chronicles 16:24] - See more at: http://www.prayers-for-special-help.com/bible-verses-for-missions.html#sthash.iR7IqH09.dpuf

"Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!"

[1 Chronicles 16:24] - See more at: http://www.prayers-for-special-help.com/bible-verses-for-missions.html#sthash.iR7IqH09.dpuf

"Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!"

[1 Chronicles 16:24] - See more at: http://www.prayers-for-special-help.com/bible-verses-for-missions.html#sthash.iR7IqH09.dpuf

Preparing for the Mission 1

The evening of Monday, May 5, 2014, was our second team meeting (the first was April 28th). We are ten weeks away from our flight to Peru, and we each need to attend eight meetings to unite us as a team and get the nuts and bolts of travel and ministry accomplished. But our main purpose is to be united in love and purpose centered around our Lord Jesus Christ. That is already happening. Both of these first meetings were very positive and filled with excited anticipation.

Although most team members just started meeting in these two weeks, our team leader, David Millsaps has been on task for months. He has been in contact with Pastor Pablo Carhuashin (correct spelling to be used later when I figure it out) and with Dawn Morton (Hickory Grove Baptist Church's mission trip planning expert). Pastor Pablo has been working out our itinerary so that we will hit the ground running and have no wasted moments until our LAN plane lifts off for home. He and David are in nearly daily contact.

Dawn has been reserving plane tickets and our travel dates and itinerary are already set. We fly out of Charlotte, NC on July 30th and land back in Charlotte on August 7th with a lot of Kingdom ministry in between.

Never doubt that the Lord has been at work as well. He is preparing hearts on two continents so that He can give all involved: Peruvian and American, lost and saved, travel savvy and wet behind the ears, an experience of ministry that will cause us to grow in Him as well as introduce many to His Son, Jesus Christ.

Our team has some new members, while some who went last year didn't feel lead to go this year. David and Walker Millsaps are returning, and we are praying that Trudy (their wife and mom) will be able to go as well. Ginger (teacher), Meagan, and Lindsay (Isenhour) are also returning and Rob (their husband and dad) is going along this year. Judy (nurse) and Kurt Lawrence (teacher) are returning this year, and Cindy (their daughter and a teacher), is going; she went to Peru with David and a college group two years ago. Others are joining this year's team: Dr. David Kwon, a dentist; Cynthia Connor, a nurse and praise team singer; Sandy Comer, a retired teacher; and Shari Davis, who owns a horticulture and landscaping business with her husband, and speaks sign language. We are a diverse group who are being unified into God's team.

Every spiritual gift represented in this group, and some we don't know we have are vitally needed for our mission trip. Some of us have an idea how we will be used, others just sense the Lord leading in this direction. He is binding us together to become His team, to accomplish His objectives, to do His work.

Pray for us:
1) Pray for unity within each team: the Peruvian team as they come together, and the American team as we meet and then our combined team during the time in Peru
2) Pray for those who will offer support through prayer and financial offerings
3) Pray for our fundraising efforts through various restaurants
4) Pray for safety in travel
5) Pray for strength to overcome the inevitable obstacles Satan will throw up, some are already becoming apparent, and we are excited to see how the Lord will clear them out of the way.