So many who commit to participating in a mission trip send out letters in advance for financial support tied to asking for prayer support. I can't emphasize the power of prayer -- knowing without question that the roads we travel in Colombia have been paved by prayer cover from so many loved ones ... prayers for safety, strength, courage, comfort and yielding to the Spirit in all circumstances. We exist to serve Him and to bring Him glory, knowing there will be struggles. I can't find any stories in the Bible of disciples not entering major hurdles whiel doing the Lord's work.
Below is a snapshot of our Cali schedule, notes about each day and scripture tied to each day during the week in Colombia. Much of the country has the entire Easter week off as a national holiday, so it will be a great opportunity for us to find men at home (who are usually absent and working) and to challenge these men to be the spiritual leaders in their household that God calls us all to be.
Saturday, April 16: Thirty-five of us will fly into Cali, from all parts of the States (18 from Texas, 8 from South Carolina, 7 from New Jersey and 1 each from California and Delaware). I will be joined from Dallas by a pastor from Garland and a handful of staff from E3 Partners (where its headquarters are located) as we trek to Miami, then into Cali -- also on Central time -- by 7 PM (at least that's the American Airlines expectation). Passing through immigration in Cali is always an adventure, until the military and airport officers understand our purpose ... then God always seems to open their eyes and big smiles come across their faces. I'll be reunited in Cali with Andres, who was on my team in Cali in 2010 and will be my roommate. Andres was born and raised in Cali and came last year with his wife, Claudia, and newborn daughter. It was their first mission trip with E3 (their parents in Cali were eager babysitters each day) but things started with a bump ... a hold-up in Miami due to a passport issue with their child. They didn't arrive until late Sunday, so taking travel for granted is never wise. I'll miss seeing Claudia, so Andres has much catching up to do. My roommate in Colombia my past two trips, Matt (creator of this blog), moved his annual Colombian trip this year to the fall ... Matt's compassion, and humor, will be missed on so many levels. The same man I prayed with every morning before we left the hotel room and would close the night in darkness in the hotel room with an incredible prayer (sorry for those few nights I fell asleep while he was praising our creator) ... really did sneak a cocaine leaf into my Bible last spring (someone pointed out the tree when he was working in one of the communities). I love working in the mission field with Matt, but no question we have fun at every corner.
Saturday Prayer: Matthew 11: 25-30.
Sunday, April 17: "Team Cali" is divided into 8 groups (4-5 Americans per group) which will each head out in the morning in vans to 8 different churches in Cali. My team will be Bill, Gordon and Henry. Bill is incredible; met him in Cali last spring when he was on my team. He's been to Colombia with E3 many, many times and I was blessed to be the team leader, which allowed him to finally 'work' in the shadows. Naturally, I was always looking over my shoulder at every turn looking for Bill's approval and wondering, "Am I crazy?" One of Bill's dear friends, Keith, was signed up to join us and recruited a childhood friend, Henry. Tragically, Keith was diagnosed with brain cancer several weeks ago, still wanted to push through therapy and treatments and attend, but is unable to make the trip (doctors are encouraged at his recovery from surgery, but his prayer team is massive). One of Keith's dear friends, Gordon, decided during a hospital visit to step in for Keith. We'll worship in a church in the morning and traditionally meet the pastor and his family for lunch. Each team will return to that general area in Cali to plant a new church (Monday and Tuesday) and then another (Wednesday and Thursday). By 'planting' we are going door-to-door to build local support of a new church; usually starting with a couple dozen core members who support us and then leaving two days later with 30-50-70 new families of that church who have started a relationship with Jesus and now need a home to foster their spiritual development. In the evening on Sunday, we will meet with all the translators who will assist each of our 8 teams, as well as the pastors from each of the 16 churches our 8 teams will work with throughout the week. Two of our team's 4 translators are Adrian and Samuel. During an E3 trip several years ago, Bill knocked on Adrian's family's door and changed his family's life as only Christ can do, and now Adrian is serving alongside Bill. Samuel was my translator last year. I encourage you to click through this blog from our 2010 trip to read about Samuel (story titled 'Leave Nothing'). I can't imagine how long the hug will be seeing Samuel on Sunday Night (or Bill, Andres or Adrian for that matter.) Samuel and his wife, Nancy (picture posted to this blog is with Samuel and Nancy in Cali last April), are expecting their first child next month. Thanks to some gracious, dear friends, I have a 50-pound suitcase bound for Cali that will stay with Samuel after I return and is filled with tons of clothes and diapers and marked "Samuel David."
Sunday Prayer: Ephesians 4: 1-6
Monday, April 18: One of the gifted missionaries from E3 is Vicki, who leads a time of prayer for Team Cali every morning at 6 AM. Her husband, Sam, who has worked in Colombia and with E3 for more than 15 years, is managing our trip campaign alongside another E3er, Margo, who was born in Cali but also lives in the Dallas area. We'll eat breakfast at 7 AM as Sam lays the groundwork for our week and the day ahead. Our translators will arrive at the hotel by 8:30 AM and we'll depart around 8:45 AM into 8 different vans headed to different areas in Cali. We'll serve that church in the morning and afternoon, with the church hosting us for lunch, which is always phenomenal. We'll invite members of the community we meet to come to the church for a late afternoon meeting (where we will form small study groups), then return to the hotel before 6 PM. Our team and translators take taxis out to dinner and share stories well into the night. Most taxis are powered by natural gas in Colombia ... sweet!
Monday Prayer: Colossians 4: 2-6
Tuesday, April 19: Repeat of Monday, but our afternoon will close our time in that community. We will be reunited with that pastor and his church leaders and members at the victory service on Friday night, but goodbyes and leaving the community are always difficult. The community I was in last year on Monday and Tuesday ... great friends on Facebook to this day with the pastor (Ciro), his wife (Pilar) their daughter (Adrianne) as well as several key leaders and members of that church. Lisa keeps wondering when I'm going to pack things up and move to their area in Cali. A very, very special family of Christians.
Tuesday Prayer: Ephesians 6: 19-20
Wednesday, April 20: Like Monday, each of our 8 teams will head out to a new community to plant 8 new churches. We met these church staffs on Sunday Night, so they have been anticipating our arrivals. Fresh attitude a must!
Wednesday Prayer: Ephesians 1: 17-20
Thursday, April 21: Repeat of Tuesday, with the afternoon our final scheduled time in the mission field in Cali.
Thursday Prayer: Habakkuk 1: 5.
Friday, April 22: Following a morning time of prayer with Vicki (I can only imagine the power with it being Good Friday), then with Sam at breakfast, we will have the rest of the morning and early afternoon to ourselves. My first mission trip was spent hanging out in the community I was in on Monday and Tuesday, and last spring in Cali, I was in the home of one of Pastor Ciro's church members pleading with her husband of 35 years to get involved in the church (alongside his wife) and to start a relationship with Christ. Clemente had a hardened heart. I've never been so passionate about anything in 40-plus years, which went against any other conversation where I focused on offering a free gift and a free choice in choosing Jesus. I wouldn't be surprised to be back in Clemente's home to check on him ... his wife is also a Facebook friend and I still pray for their marriage and Clemente's heart to soften. I returned to the hotel that Friday with my translator last spring, grabbed a slice of pizza, and then headed out and presented the Gospel to nearly 60 members of the Colombian National Police, then prayed with them, before heading to the victory service. Off day? Not so much. We close Friday Night back to the hotel saying our good-byes to our translators. No dry eyes left in the hotel.
Friday Prayer: Psalms 95: 1-7
Saturday: April 23: Early-morning departure from Cali, through Miami, has us back in Dallas by 4 PM. During my first mission trip to Colombia back in 2008, we stayed the night in Miami due to a flight delay getting out of Colombia. Miami will mark the first time my Blackberry has seen power since I left Miami last Saturday ... peace and joy!
Saturday Prayer: Romans 12: 1-2
Sunday, April 24: Happy Easter/He Is Risen. The greatest day of the year and the greatest story ever told. He did what He said He would do: suffered, died, was buried and rose from the dead. He commanded us (Book of Matthew at the top of this Blog) to share His love and His story, before He ascended to heaven. That's why I'm called to serve in Cali, and to follow Him the rest of my life.
Sunday Prayer: 1 Thessalonians 6:16.
Monday, April 25: We'll return to our 'normal' lives back in the States, but the prayers must continue. Every home we visited in Cali where a husband or wife, son or daughter, grandfather or grandmother, chose to accept Christ, we stress that they are now in a new relationship with their creator. -- born again according to scripture. We challenge them to study the Bible (God's word), share His love with others (just as we are doing), pray to their loving Father who created him or her and has been waiting for him or her to surrender ... and to get involved with a local church to grow in each of those areas. It's the same task that every pastor around the world will have in getting the hundreds of new faces that flood into their church on Easter Sunday to return again.
Monday Prayer: Ephesians 4: 11-16
Tuesday Prayer: Ephesians 4: 17-32
Wednesday Prayer: Ephesians 5: 8-10
Thank You for your prayers and encouragement! While sharing stories back at the hotel with Andres every night, I'll strive to update this blog and to share stories and pictures of what God can do when we commit to being His hands and His feet. Please pray for my wife, Lisa, who will have a much quieter home back in Texas and will be taking the week to grow closer to God while readying for her own mission trip to Belize, in June.
Blessings,
Dave
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