The Eurasia Experience: How did it go in Monroeville?

 
First of all 11 people felt called to missions and over 125 committed to prayer for Eurasia!!! If all you're into is the numbers, then read no further. While some people say God isn't concerned with numbers, I beg to differ, He put a whole book in the Bible about them, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, NUMBERS! You can thank my Central Bible College education for that joke. But most of all He's concerned with individuals, you, me, and the little Russian boy, and Asian girl, and Middle Eastern couple, and your neighbor.

 Where is Monroeville?  It's in Pennsylvania right outside of Pittsburgh. Do you know that there are really people who exist that talk JUST LIKE ROCKY?! Forrealtho, the pastors took us to a Primanti Bros. restaurant downtown and I'm pretty sure Rocky's little brother waited on us. When the pastor tried to get his burger without their signature slaw topping, (the fries are also INSIDE your sandwich BTW) Rocky Jr. said, "Um, there's a McDonalds right down the road!" I was scared to order.

  Pittsburgh was really cool though except for that cult they have there with all the yellow and black and terrible towels. I'm going to guess they didn't allow a showing of "Concussion" in this city.

  Oh, this post was to be about the Eurasia Experience? My bad.  It went great. Each church is different, each pastor is different. What stuck out to me here?  The heart of the pastors and how it shines thru in the culture of the church. First of all, these pastors have been on staff at this church for almost 2 decades, longevity and faithfulness are obviously part of their character. However, they don't SEEM like they've been there 2 decades. Their heart for their congregation, their community, and the ends of the earth is vibrant and fresh. They are still having visions and dreaming dreams. Refreshing. They worked tirelessly, had us into their home for dinner, and poured into us as a team. Hospitable. Pastoral. They invited the local area churches and community and they CAME.  We needed an interpreter for the Spanish church they invited and a section roped off for the deaf community they minister to, these are good problems to have. They are inclusive. Entire families volunteered together. There was no shortage of senior saints or young people volunteering either. So I guess what stuck out was outstanding, godly, faithful, and servant leaders. Here's a few pics from our time with Monroeville:


  Exceedingly thankful for experiences like this one. Thanks for having us!

                    

 

 

 

The Eurasia Experience: How did it go in DC?

Well first of all, I had no idea we were in the DC metro area. Country mouse realization:  Evidently big cities have these things called suburbs and Chapel Springs Church in Bristow, VA is in a suburb of our nation's capitol.

There are tons of cool things about this church not the least of these is their fabulous mission's department. They brought the Eurasia Experience in as a portion of their mission's convention, unfortunately I didn't get to see all of it,  but it was IMPRESSIVE. They do missions BIG and they do it RIGHT!  This link MISSIONS will take you to this portion of their website, they believe everyone is a missionary and I agree, I agree, I agree.

Here's another fabulous thing about their church. THIS GUY!
 As we were setting up, this guy walks in with the other volunteers and says, "What's the jail for?"  I have no idea who he is, so I respond, "It's for YOU, we lock up the bad people." (Actually, it's an actual size representation of where a Christian pastor was held in the Middle East along with 9 other men for sharing the gospel.)  Later I see him, setting up the Russian souvenir booth and ask him how he got out of jail. He said, "They said if I helped I could get out." Later I see this picture on my co-worker's site with the caption of, "Pastor Scott helping to set up for Saturday."  Oops! Turns out "this guy"  is actually the senior pastor of the multi-campus over a thousand member church, that supports over 200 missionaries and provides multiple service opportunities in their community and the US and abroad all year long. So he's kind of a big deal, but you never would have known it by the way he came in and served on a Thursday morning. In my defense, if he'd at least said, "I'm the pastor," I probably wouldn't have told him he was going to jail.

Only set back at this place was that a lot of government officials attend here and signed up to help with the Experience. Government employees are not the problem, but when the government goes into lock down and said volunteers get stuck in DC and can't volunteer any longer, well, you really CAN blame the government.

Here's what their fabulous mission's pastor had to say about our time in the burbs:

Hello Team,

Thank you for all of your effort to make the Eurasia Experience and our opening weekend so special!  We had 28 people indicate they feel a call to missions!  There were so many stories of people coming out of the experience with a fresh perspective on missions and it is because of you and your efforts.  I can’t thank you enough for giving of your time and talents.  You truly made an eternal investment in the lives of others.  Nearly 700 people went through the experience!  Thanks again.  It was a pleasure working with you.

For the Mission,

Pastor Doug Dreesen

Thanks for having us Chapel Springs!

    The EE Team

The Eurasia Experience: How did it go at Trinity Bible College?

There's a gem hidden in Ellendale, North Dakota. One third of it's population of 1,300 folks is made up of Trinity Bible College students and faculty. A combination of stately old buildings and brand new facilities, it's a beautiful and welcoming campus.  I guess buildings of brick and mortar can't really be welcoming in and of themselves, so it must've been something else that brought all the fuzzy feelings.  As a graduate of one of our Assemblies of God colleges and having been on many of our campuses, I had preconceived notions of what this place might be like or at least what North Dakota would be like with a yearly average temperature of 42 degrees and 41 inches of snow, let's just say my preconceived notions all the way around were that it would not be a WARM place, but it so IS! I think I'd move there if I were taller than their annual average snowfall.

What made it so great? Well, first of all they have this really awesome program called Pack Your Bags, so if you're a student called to missions, this is the program to check out.  Right off the bat I noticed that the students loved their school and the faculty loved their students.  I'm pretty sure they all loved me too, which makes them all great judges of character. Just like any Bridal  Bible college, there was a lot of LOVE in the air!  Love was evident, a love for worship, a love for physical fitness, for missions, for personal growth, for encouraging one another, for doing things with excellence, for education, and outreach and of course meal times! Their cafeteria has REAL homemade food, my only complaint is that they are a Pepsi campus, YUCK! 

Their football team helped us unload at 7am after their morning work out. They invited their community to our event. Nearly 100% of their students and faculty were involved in or attended the Eurasia Experience even though it fell the week of their mid-terms and the week before their Spring Break (which many were preparing to use this as a week of service and ministry all over the world!) Even after the event when they needed to pack and study several dozen people stayed and helped us tear down, load up, and clean up until the trailer doors were shut! (Right now TBC holds the record time for packing up coming in just under 2 hours!)

I believe the numbers for the event were 11 felt called to Eurasia, another 12-15 felt called to missions in general, and over 100 people committed to pray and financially support the ongoing efforts around the world, but it's definitely not about the numbers.  Trinity Bible College is a place where education, the Holy Spirit, frisbee tournaments, the love and call of God, and football collide, creating a Big Bang that will effect the course and eternity of nations.  It attracts and produces world changers and I'm excited to get to be a small part of their institution  family.  

Thanks for having us TBC,

The Eurasia Experience Team 

The Eurasia Experience: How did it go in Houston?

Our very first event as a new team would be at the tail end of summer 2015 in Houston, TX at Templo Aposento Alto for the Texas Louisiana Hispanic District of the Assemblies of God.

Those of you who are avid members of the Mary Beth fan club know I was called to missions in Latin America in Quito, Ecuador and then did my first longer term assignment with Castillo del Rey in El Salvador, porque los ninos necesitan conocer Jesus! So, I love me some hispanics, I even have several brown friends, but unfortunately my Thai language skills have intermixed with my Spanish language skills making even my English hard to understand and the rest of my team speaks easy languages like arabic or hindi so hurdle #2 (#1 is we're a brand new team!) is a bit of language and cultural barrier, but we were ready, we had bilingual monologists and ate a lot of the local cuisine that week to better connect with our new friends and because it was dang good! 

So we have translators and pupusas and horchata AND we have a.... wait for it... hurricane. We'll call that hurdle #3-#10 because the flooding caused major highways to close and several attendees from near and far to be unable to come, including some cast members, but both the conference and the event moved  floated forward. 

I'll quit being silly and get to the good stuff. At the end of the event we ask those in attendance what God is speaking to their hearts, what is He telling them their part is in reaching those yet to hear, is it to pray, to give, to go, all three?  Several people stood saying God was moving upon their hearts to GO, I watched as they began to stand, just a handful, like popcorn they popped up in the far corners of the room and one or two in the middle of the crowd. Each one of them was standing alone. Peer pressure is powerful, but evidently not so much in the "I'm going to pack my bags and move to India, because my friends are!" kind of way. 

Where they were sitting is significant, not because the Holy Spirit is stronger on the east side of the room or anything weird like that but because of something else.  The room was dark, the spotlights had been on the speakers, no one could really see who else was standing, plus friends and family typically get separated as they enter into this part of the experience because in most of our countries men and women would not sit together in religious gatherings and we want our attendees to experience this part of Eurasian cultures. 

The handful of individuals made their way out of the crowd into an annex to talk with some of our team about their interests. A middle aged man, a single guy in his twenties, an older woman, middle aged woman, a young boy, a teenage boy, and a mother all walked alone from their seats to respond to God's call.  I can't imagine what was going thru their minds. How on earth will this ever happen?How will I tell my family that I feel God is calling me or us to go and minister in Eurasia?  With hearts pounding both with excitement and fear of how those they love would react to what God was asking of them, they weaved thru the dark crowd into the light. This is the cool part or rather the God part of the story. Fear and uncertainty subsided and was replaced with astonishment as the middle aged man saw his wife enter the room, followed shortly after by their teenager, and then their youngest child. In the dark, in the chaos, in a crowded room, thru language barriers and a hurricane God had spoken to 4 individual hearts, one family, the same message,  His call to the nations. No hurdles are too big for God, not hurricanes, not finances, not speaking to the hearts of your whole family. When God calls us to crazy stuff like moving to Eurasia, He knows if we're single, or if we have kids, or health or financial hurdles, He also knows exactly how He's going to get us over the hurdles and into the adventure of His will. 

I'll spare you photos of our sopping wet team heading to dinner after the trailer was loaded back up, mostly because I look significantly drier than my male team members, not at all sure how that happened!

I Knew Being Single was Going to be the Death of Me: "Sacurity!!!"

I figured it would be from falling off two chairs stacked on top of one another while trying to change out the battery in my smoke detector, or from my unsupervised use of a drill, or maybe even from celibacy, but one afternoon taught me a whole new way being single is going to kill me. Due to my frequent travel abroad, it was requested of me to go thru a bit of a security training boot camp to better prepare me for what to do in the event that I'm taken captive while overseas. It's supposed to be empowering and while I highly recommend that anyone who travels abroad much go thru the training, I have to admit I had a bit of an adverse reaction to it all.

  You see it's taught by former FBI personnel,  and while the guy sounded just like Magnum PI; he unfortunately looked nothing like him. They kept referring to the speakers as special agent, so throughout the training I kept having to suppress laughter because I kept hearing, "Hi! I'm Very Special Agent Tony Dinozzo!"  There are several different aspects to the training, including some simulations for what they call "stress inoculation."

  I'll give you some of the training for free Donation to MB's Mission's Account:    If traveling, upon arrival ask for your hotel room to be switched preferably to the 3,4, or 5th floor.  This foils any preplanned robbery, keeps you high enough off the ground to keep someone from climbing into your window, but is still accessible to most fire ladders even in developing nations. Don't publicize your destination on social media and turn off location services for photos, etc. And last, but not least cooperate with and build rapport with your captors if you find yourself in a hostage situation. This is why in movies people at gun point always say stuff like, "I have a family!" Which I'm glad I now know because I always thought that was dumb, "Um, he wants to kill you, I'm pretty sure he doesn't want to see a family photo!" Turns out family photos can be life saving IF you have a family. Oh and don't lie, try to always tell the truth to your captors.

  So, they train you and then they stress you out. Lucky for me I was taken captive with other people because while there are supposed only be two responses to stress, fight or flight, I, of course,  am unique and fit into a third category, FREEZE. It's just a simulation, I know this. I'm still in the same building I've been in the last 3 days, even with the black sack over my head I can still make out Magnum PI's voice as my captor. Yet, I still begin to have shortness of breath and find myself in need of my inhaler under this black sack, but I don't say anything, I just can't. Luckily when taken to our destination one of my fellow captives begins to build rapport and test the boundaries and ask if we can take the sacks off our faces. Captor says yes, due to my ragged breathing, someone else asked that I be given a bottle water, and I was given some water. The captors begin to talk to one another and my co-captives begin to do just as we've learned, they begin to build rapport. The man beside me begins to engage in conversation about his two kids and pregnant wife at home while the other couple literally pulls out pictures of their grandkids! I'm still frozen, but I don't have a husband or kids, and I'm not supposed to lie, so what would I say, "My mama would really miss me?!" I'm pretty sure if they have to kill one hostage to make a point it's going to be me! I'm panicky, mute with fear, and I don't have a family, this is when I realized being single was going to be the death of me. I've built ZERO rapport, so much for that expensive masters degree in counseling, I've even served on crisis management teams, turns out all that training is worthless on me. FROZEN.

  In all honesty, I went home after the whole ordeal and had a serious talk with the Lord. They told us all throughout the training that neither the Assemblies of God nor the United States negotiates with terrorists and that any proposed ransom would not be paid. I've NEVER been afraid to travel, but this "empowering" security training had done me in! All the sudden I didn't want to go ANYWHERE. As the Lord and I are chatting, I said, "well did you know they're not going to pay my ransom?" And He quickly reminded me that my ransom has already been paid, that He's ensured my freedom on calvary many moons ago,  that the real captives are the ones who haven't had the opportunity to hear about Him, the ones He was sending me to. It was tough to argue after that, but I still gave it a pretty good shot, but still found myself on 17 hour flight to Southern Asia just 2 short weeks later, but that's a whole other story.  I have to get off here and work on my e-harmony profile as it seems my life might depend on it!

In honor of this great "Sacurity," please watch the following video, you're welcome.

I know!

I know! I know! Pick me!

I used to teach Jr/Sr. High Bible classes, we had a system.  If the principal came by and we were discussing something totally NOT Bible related and I called on you for an answer, the answer was to be always, "Jesus." They used this to their benefit on tests, if they didn't know answer, they'd write, "Jesus." If they weren't paying attention when I called on them and had no idea what I'd even asked, they just replied, "Jesus." And it was always the right answer, well it got them grace and mercy anyway. Funny how that worked out, "Jesus," bringing about grace and mercy. This may be the most valuable lesson I ever taught them and I didn't even realize it! When we're trying to cover our shortcomings, or don't know the answer, or are preoccupied; for Jesus to be our go-to answer, well, I may have been a much better Bible teacher than I thought!

As I grow older, I realize Jesus isn't only a good answer, He's the right answer, the ONLY answer for everyone, for everything, for every nation and tribe.  I am so grateful for the life He's given me. Having grown up in church, I've needed the world view He's afforded me. I needed more than my Sunday school lessons to KNOW that He's THE answer.

I needed my agnostic / atheist Orthodox Christian European foreign exchange student.
I needed that trip to India 12 years ago.
I needed to spend Easter weekend in a Catholic nation.
I needed to live among the Buddhists.
I need to walk into that mosque.

I'll explain why I needed these things later, but I am so grateful for being able to see His creation, His people and their need for a Savior, Healer, Provider, up close and personal. I'm even more grateful to have the good answer, the right answer, the ONLY answer.  I know!

Jesus.

13-3-1948

13-3-1948 is the date at the top of the letter I found at my grandparent's house over Christmas. History, mine and a little bit of our nation's, a letter my papa wrote to his parents while a soldier in Germany. Framed and hanging on my wall now it makes me smile to have such a sweet piece of him from so many years ago. He would have been 19 years old as he penned this and already have been in the service for several years. He had only some primary school education as he worked in the fields, but he was one of the smartest men I've ever met.  Some of it was hard to make out, but I love having these pages in his hand writing misspellings and all!  It reads as follows:

Dear Mother & Dad,

   Well another Saturday afternoon got you here again and I am still in Germany. I guess I will have lots more to spend over here before I get home. I hope they are as purtty (pretty) as it is outside now.  The sun is shining brighter if it stays like this I will be able to go swim in a few days. Well mother, how is everybody come along back home these days?  Find (fine) I hope. I bit (bet) dad wish he could get a start a big crop this year. But he knows he cannot for he is not able. And I don't see of him from anymore. I thing (think) he should take easy as he could. Well this week I guess we will sure have to stay own the ball for General Clay and General Bruns will be here for three days next week and lots more officers. But I am not afraid of officers and more (anymore)  for they are good friend of my. But I don't thank (think) I will like General "Bear" when he come back over here. For I think his name is sound bad. HaHa. I had the best room of the week the colonel said. For the first time in three month. I thank (think) when their are 2000 men in the squad I one soldier has the best room is dam good. But I will never do that good again as long as I am in the combat squad. But I like to be a solider when I am on duty and off duty as will (well) For I thank (think) I am doing might well as a soldier. And I hope I a soldier for a long time as all so when I get in civilian life to. But their are not many soldier who care for the army. it is the best place for a man who use to run around all time in civilian. Well I better change the subject for I could talk about the army all day if I had time. HaHa. As Robert King use to say Radio is William. But I have got a different sand (sound) I high tone. HaHa. Well I guess I better sasy Good by as I have got drive some (?) this afternoon for the old man. 


   ByBy, William King