St. Vincent Trip Update: July 12, 2008

July 12, 2008

Wow, it has been a wild ride so far! We have had our share of difficulties and trials, but God has been so good. For starters, we BARELY made it to our flight in San Juan by boarding the airplane 5 minutes before it took off! Once we arrived safely in St. Vincent, we soon realized that only 14 bags showed up out of 51. Thankfully, we all had our carry-on luggage with us, but all of our food, supplies, and clothes for the week were still in San Juan. It was very evident to all of us that God was stripping away any places of trust that we had in any other thing but Him alone. Our phrase, “Semper Gumby” (Always Flexible) was no longer a punch line, but was now something we had to live out! Once we left the airport, I could tell that the teens were beginning to get downhearted, so we went to KFC with Pastor Jackson! That was a great move and it allowed us to relax a little bit from a hard day of traveling. So, our first night was spent sleeping on the floor or hard pews (no air mattresses) and with no food. However, God was still good and we were able to get everything that we needed today at the local grocery store. By 10pm, we actually had all of our luggage and air mattresses! You will be pleased to know that even in the midst of everything, the team had a great attitude and was willing to set aside their “rights” and wishes and place their full trust in God to rule over these circumstances.

In regards to ministry, Pastor Jackson took the whole team canvassing over several miles of the island this afternoon to get the word out for our Vacation Bible School next week. I was so proud of our team as they willingly walked up to complete strangers and freely talked with them. Some of them even went as far as to share the gospel with others! God has done an awesome work in our team’s hearts and has given them great boldness.

We also had a great time together as a team tonight, just sharing what God has already done in our hearts to make us more like Him. It was so refreshing to hear each teen pour their heart out and encourage us with their testimonies. We ended our team time with singing a few songs together and praying in groups. God is really unifying this team in a special way, and using trials and difficult circumstances to accomplish this!

Thank you for your prayers for us and for your continued prayers as we minister tomorrow in the church through Sunday schools for all ages, children’s church, special music, and the preaching of the Word in the morning and evening services. I will post some pictures tomorrow!


For His Name,

Pastor Stephen