Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. Proverbs 16:3
A GOD THING….
Buck, Diane & Kerry left San Angelo Friday, July 27, to drive to Dallas for what Kerry says was one of the most blessed weekends he ever spent in his 59 years. As we drove, we talked about all that we hoped the days ahead would bring. The weekend was all about our dream…a crusade in Caracas, Venezuela in January of 2008. We were to meet with Jacobo from Venezuela, Gail Graves (former SBC church planter, now a Simple Church planter), Tom Robuck (partnership coordinator, Baptist General Convention of Texas or BGCT), and Drs. Tony and Felicity Dale (authors, physicians, and national leaders in the house church movement). God had brought these people together at this particular time to follow His will into a great adventure for Him.
As we drove, we talked about the hopes and fears. We discussed the need for professional American league baseball players from Venezuela to agree to share their faith during the crusade…they are key to drawing the 40,000 to 50,000 people we expect each evening. We need money, close to $300,000, to fund the various aspects of the crusade, including buying a sound system capable of handling a large stadium. We need offices both in Venezuela and in the U.S. to handle all the logistics of sending hundreds of North Americans to Venezuela. We need permission and funds to rent the baseball stadium there in Caracas, the largest venue available. We need to get the publicity rolling. We need to know what the BGCT will do and how they will help. The questions seem never-ending.
As we neared DFW Airport, we realized that we have several immediate problems. We know that Jacobo is due in from Atlanta at 5:55pm on Delta…but what gate? Will he know to look for us at the baggage claim exit? How can we contact him? Gail is coming in from Boise, Idaho…we do not know when or which airline. As we turned onto Hwy 114 and approached the toll plaza into the airport, Kerry’s cell phone rang. It was Gail! His flight out of Boise was delayed, and he was put on another flight going through Atlanta…and he found Jacobo on his flight! Their plane had just landed, he said, and they would be at Gate E-23. As we pulled into the arrival area, there was Gail and Jacobo. They had just walked out the doors only moments before. We all agreed…it was a “God thing.”
He answered their prayers, they trusted in him. 2 Chronicles 5:20
GIVING THE VISION BACK….
The five us sat in a circle and prayed, asking God to reaffirm the vision if it was from Him. There were still many unknowns and unanswered questions hindering our progress in the planning of the crusade. We still had no assurance in reserving the baseball stadium for the crusade. We still had no commitments from any professional baseball players to go and share their testimonies. We still had many logistical details to work out.
We were in our hotel room, having spent most of the evening talking about what we felt God wanted us to do and how we could make it happen. There we were…Jacobo, Diane, and Kerry sitting in the floor, and Gail and Buck sitting in the two chairs in our room…and we did the only thing we knew to do…we prayed. We realized that we alone could not make it happen…only God could. And we needed to be reassured by Him that we were indeed on the right track. We agreed as one to give the vision back to Him, laying it before Him and taking our hands off of it. We prayed for guidance and direction and for open doors and made ourselves available to His work, fresh and anew.
Wow! Don’t ever pray like that and not expect something to happen!!!
May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us – yes, establish the work of our hands. Psalm 90:17
AND THE ANSWER IS….
The morning came early. We all met together in the breakfast room about 8:30. After breakfast, the breakfast room became our conference room. We began to plan and strategize for the crusade and in preparation for the afternoon’s meetings. As Gail and Jacobo worked out plans for the ten-day Simple Church leadership training in September, Kerry felt an urgency to get in touch with Juan Rivera, outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels. Kerry had tried the night before to get into his office e-mail where he had phone numbers for both Juan Rivera and Carlos Subero, manager of a farm team for the Texas Rangers out of Bakersfield, California. He had not been able to connect, but on a hunch, he decided to try again. He was able to connect immediately! He got the phone numbers and called Juan. He told him who he was and that Carlos had given him his number. He told him that he wanted Juan to share his faith at the crusade in Caracas. The phone went dead. Perhaps he thought it was a prank call. Kerry’s heart sank, and as he told the group what happened, he could see the disappointment in their eyes. However, a few minutes later, Kerry’s phone rang. It was Juan! They spoke a few minutes, then he handed to phone to Jacobo to speak to Juan in Spanish. When they finished, Jacobo related that Juan had agreed to be at the crusade for 3 days! Wow! Thank you, Lord! Thank you, FCA! Thank you, Carlos Subero!
About 15 minutes later, Kerry’s phone rang again. It was Carlos! Kerry told him he had just spoken to Juan and what his response was. Carlos was ecstatic! He had contacted two other athletes, one a soccer player who is on one of the best teams in Venezuela, and they had both agreed to come. At this date, we believe that we have 4 professional athletes committed to share their testimonies at the crusade! Yes, it’s still a “God thing” and yes, He does answer prayer!
Many, many other things were accomplished including searching through Google to find a phone number for Bill Cashion and talking with him about working with the ballplayers during the crusade. We adjourned for lunch, basking in the victories God had given. (And we got to have lunch with one of our grandsons who lives in Lewisville…icing on the cake!)
At 2:00 Tom & Libby Robuck arrived at our breakfast room conference room. They are a warm and very caring couple who have passion for missions. Tom had just gotten back that morning from a mission trip to Brazil. As we talked, he let us understand that the BGCT leadership had decided to make the Caracas crusade a “project” as opposed to a part of the partnership between Texas Baptists and Venezuela set to begin in 2008. This would allow more immediate freedom to fund and form teams for the crusade. They have even already begun to publicize the crusade in a couple of events and have received quite a bit of interest! Wow! What an answer to prayer! The details began to fall into place. Our thoughts and hearts began to meld together. Tom and Jacobo make a great team. Tom speaks Spanish quite well, and the plans began to roll. Another answer to prayer!
At 4:00 Drs. Tony & Felicity Dale showed up, along with some of our friends from San Angelo, Sherryl & De McCleery, who are involved with a house church here and plan to be a part of our Caracas team. The Dales are well known across the nation in the area of simple churches. They have written books for the House2House group and have had one of their books translated into Spanish by Rick Warren’s group to use as follow-up material. What an honor it was to meet them. There was an instant affinity with them and our group. They will be going to Venezuela in September (as will the McCleerys) to help Gail train the simple church leaders! Praise God! They will be with us in Caracas for the crusade! Praise God! They will give Gail time at their national convention to present our dream for Caracas! Praise God!
Often during our meetings we stopped to pray and offer praise to God. It was hard to go to sleep that evening. Wow! God had given so many answers, so many open doors, so many assurances. All we needed to do was step back, walk by faith, and let Him work.
Sunday morning we took Jacobo to the airport early for his day of travel back home to Caracas. (As it turned out, it became two days of travel because of bad weather in Miami.) We were able to send back with him a notebook computer and video projector to be used in the office and in trainings there in Caracas…another answer to prayer! Buck, Gail, Kerry & Diane drove to Frisco to attend Stonebriar Community Church where Chuck Swindoll pastors…and where our kids Rich & Christi attend church. Chuck was away, but we did get to spend time with two of our other grandchildren! After lunch, we took Gail to the airport for his flight back to Boise, then we, along with Buck, began our trip back to San Angelo. It was a journey punctuated with praise, plans, and Dairy Queens! We probably got great gas mileage on our way home because we were floating…it had been such an awesome weekend.
It is our prayer that we not get to where we are asking for God to bless what we are doing but to find out where he is working and join him in it. We believe God is working in South America, and we believe He has placed in our hearts a passion for the people of Venezuela. And we will do whatever we feel led by Him to do in order to share the Gospel with them.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Praying for the City
While we were in Caracas for our planning trip, our group really wanted to have a time of prayer for the city. Of all the large cities in South America, Caracas has the smallest percentage of Christians among their population. While discussing what we could do with our free afternoon on Friday, someone suggested riding the cable cars up to the top of the mountain to look out over Caracas. We decided this would be a great opportunity to look out over this huge city of 6 million and pray for its people. So the seven of us...Kerry & Diane, Buck, Gail, Jacobo, Ladimiro, and Bill...rode up to the top of the mountain. We weren't very high before we began to see the city spawling below us in every direction. We saw the stadium where we hope to hold the evangelistic crusade in January. We saw hundreds of highrises which housed the people of Caracas. We saw the different areas of the city where pastors and leaders will be trained for the crusade. We saw the houses built up on the side of the mountain, in every little crevice and valley. The higher we went, the more we saw. But this is the rainy season in Venezuela, and there were dark clouds threatening around us. Sure enough, just before we got to the top, we were enveloped in a cloud. Stepping out of the cable car, the air was cold and misty...you could barely see twenty yards down the path, much less the city down below. As we walked along the path on the top of the mountain, surrounded by a cloud, we knew we were also surrounded by God, and He was encouraging us to do as we had intended...to stand and pray for the city of Caracas. He just wanted us to see it, not through our physical eyes, but through our spiritual eyes...through His eyes. Even if we could have seen, we would only been able to see buildings. Through our spiritual eyes, we began to see what God saw...each and every individual thirsting to know of His love. That is how we prayed...that God would begin now to prepare each and every heart in the city of Caracas...some would be led to be a part of the leadership team...others would be led to attend the crusade, perhaps hearing about Christ for the first time...still others would be led to bring a friend, a family member, a neighbor. We prayed that all would know of the grace and mercy and salvation known only through Jesus Christ. Then we sang a couple of praise songs, standing in a circle, under a flagless flagpole, in the midst of a cloud on top of a mountain. We sang in English, then with the help of our translator, we sang in Spanish. Our hearts are still burdened for the people of Caracas, but we continue to pray for each and every man, woman, boy and girl. We pray by faith, and not by sight.
Monday, July 9, 2007
Simple Church Vision Trip
Message written 7/7/07: Greetings all from Boise, Idaho USA. Thank you so much for praying with me on the Venezuela adventure. The reception to simple church core values continued through the entire trip. As the adventure continued to Porte Ayacucho (over 100k pop, gate way to the Amazon rain forests, roads end just south of here and it is foot and river for hundreds of miles inhabited by the tribes of the Amazon, some of them yet unnamed) we met with Christian leaders. Every one with whom we met embraced simple church values. There were two large group meetings of about 100 and 60 respectively. These are people who relate to the tribes of the Amazon. Many have come out of the forrest. Virtually all have family ties to tribes in the jungle. It is obvious how difficult it is to fit western traditional church into the jungle. When simple church vision was presented it was like they were waiting for someone to tell them that little churches are real churches and near to the heart of God. They have asked for some one to return and teach more fully. The meeting with the Bible Institute of Porte Ayacucho faculty was overwhelming and they want to set up further instruction. Upon returning to Caracas we met with a group of respected evangelical leaders of the city. Thomas Moreno the DAWN coordinator for South America joined us. Again the reception to simple church core values was received as a revelation from God. These are people of tremendous influence in evangelical circles. We met late at night with the Sr. pastor of the largest church in Venezuela. We would call it a mega church. He is president of the Evangelical Alliance of Venezuela. He has more respect from evangelical Christians in Venz than any other. The meeting was terrific. He and I sat and talked for 45 minutes. His English is better than mine. They have a strong cell group ministry. He is very interested in learning more about encouraging cell groups to become free churches and what that will mean to Caracas. We will set up phone conference meetings with experienced and capable HC advocates in the USA to help him grasp the vision more fully. Thanks again for your prayer and please continue to pray for the precious people of Venezuela. Your brother, gail.
Message written July 1, 2007 FYI: Greeting all from Caracas. As most of you know Venezuelan evangelicals have asked simple church advocates in North America to help start 1000 house churches as follow up for a stadium crusade next January. I am in Caracas sharing simple church core values accompanied by a small team now. The response is overwhelmingly positive. Virtually all the pastors and leaders attending the addresses over 160 total have caught the vision for simple church life. The Spirit descended on each meeting. There was a Holy hush on each address as simple church life was revealed. My hope was to help traditional church leaders tolerate simple church and some of them encourage it. The reception seems unanimous with strong enthusiasm for those attending. They are asking for intense training to understand in the fullest way possible. The rector of the Baptist seminary in Caracas wants to schedule some extensive time with himself and his faculty for training. We are working on this for September. This is way beyond my expectations. This is something only God could do. We met with the second pastor of the largest pentecostal church in Venezuela today with a very encouraging reception. We will meet with the Sr pastor on Wed. We meet with an influential non-denominational pastor later today who has indicated strong interest. Their involvement is a significant factor. We will travel to the Amazon river some 500 miles south of Caracas tomorrow to share simple church life with leaders in and near Porte Ayacucho. This city is a major gateway to the rain forests of Venezuela. Thanks for your contribution of prayer and please continue to pray. Your humbled brother, gail.
Message written July 1, 2007 FYI: Greeting all from Caracas. As most of you know Venezuelan evangelicals have asked simple church advocates in North America to help start 1000 house churches as follow up for a stadium crusade next January. I am in Caracas sharing simple church core values accompanied by a small team now. The response is overwhelmingly positive. Virtually all the pastors and leaders attending the addresses over 160 total have caught the vision for simple church life. The Spirit descended on each meeting. There was a Holy hush on each address as simple church life was revealed. My hope was to help traditional church leaders tolerate simple church and some of them encourage it. The reception seems unanimous with strong enthusiasm for those attending. They are asking for intense training to understand in the fullest way possible. The rector of the Baptist seminary in Caracas wants to schedule some extensive time with himself and his faculty for training. We are working on this for September. This is way beyond my expectations. This is something only God could do. We met with the second pastor of the largest pentecostal church in Venezuela today with a very encouraging reception. We will meet with the Sr pastor on Wed. We meet with an influential non-denominational pastor later today who has indicated strong interest. Their involvement is a significant factor. We will travel to the Amazon river some 500 miles south of Caracas tomorrow to share simple church life with leaders in and near Porte Ayacucho. This city is a major gateway to the rain forests of Venezuela. Thanks for your contribution of prayer and please continue to pray. Your humbled brother, gail.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Prayer List
Praying for the Crusade for Family Values in Caracas, Jan 27-Feb 1, 2008
1) New Testaments - printing and shipping of 50,000 New Testaments
2) Baseball Players - Venezuelan baseball players who play in the U.S. major leagues and who are Christians...to share their testimonies at the crusade each night
3) Office - in Caracas to deal with all the details and logistics of bringing close to 1000 volunteers in from the U.S. to help with this effort and in San Angelo to deal with the details of those 1000
4) Equipment - a laptop and video projector to be used in preparation of this effort
5) Location - permission to use the stadium for this event...or another place which will accommodate the anticipated crowds
6) Political climate - continue to pray for the political climate in Venezuela and for Hugo Chavez
7) Funds - pray that people will give generously to fund this effort...approximate cost: $500,000 U.S.
8) Translators - pray that God will provide the 200+ translators from Venezuela needed for this event as well as the fund to pay them for their services.
9) Dr. Richard Jackson - pray that God will protect and guide Dr. Jackson, evangelist for the crusade, in these weeks and months leading up to this evangelistic effort.
10) Other details - there are many other details and contacts involved...pray that God will direct the planning team as well as those He has in mind to be a part of this event.
11) Volunteers - pray that God will begin now to impress upon the hearts of those He will direct to be a part of this crusade effort, that He will protect them and their families and make it possible for them to join Him in bringing the people of Caracas to know Him as their Lord and Savior.
1) New Testaments - printing and shipping of 50,000 New Testaments
2) Baseball Players - Venezuelan baseball players who play in the U.S. major leagues and who are Christians...to share their testimonies at the crusade each night
3) Office - in Caracas to deal with all the details and logistics of bringing close to 1000 volunteers in from the U.S. to help with this effort and in San Angelo to deal with the details of those 1000
4) Equipment - a laptop and video projector to be used in preparation of this effort
5) Location - permission to use the stadium for this event...or another place which will accommodate the anticipated crowds
6) Political climate - continue to pray for the political climate in Venezuela and for Hugo Chavez
7) Funds - pray that people will give generously to fund this effort...approximate cost: $500,000 U.S.
8) Translators - pray that God will provide the 200+ translators from Venezuela needed for this event as well as the fund to pay them for their services.
9) Dr. Richard Jackson - pray that God will protect and guide Dr. Jackson, evangelist for the crusade, in these weeks and months leading up to this evangelistic effort.
10) Other details - there are many other details and contacts involved...pray that God will direct the planning team as well as those He has in mind to be a part of this event.
11) Volunteers - pray that God will begin now to impress upon the hearts of those He will direct to be a part of this crusade effort, that He will protect them and their families and make it possible for them to join Him in bringing the people of Caracas to know Him as their Lord and Savior.
Planning Trip to Caracas ~ June 28-July 1, 2007
What a fast four days! Almost from the time we got settled into our hotel on Thursday until we left for the airport on Sunday morning, we were in planning mode. From our 'scheduled' meetings to our meetings at mealtimes to spontaneous planning while driving from one place to another, God was with us as we tried to determine how best to do this thing we are calling La Cruzada para Valores Familiares.
We were met at the airport by Buck Smith and Gail Graves who had flown in the night before. We got settled in to our room, then left for a late lunch at Leonel & Melissa's house...Melissa is Buck's daughter. (We finally got to meet Buck's famous grandchildren!) This turned out to be our first meeting. They gave tremendous imput and shared their thoughts on our endeavor, offering to help in many ways. From there we went back to the hotel where Jacobo and Ladimiro were waiting for us...the first of our 'scheduled' meetings. Bill Rowland, IMB missionary near Caracas, joined us and spent the weekend with us, planning and translating. We discussed many aspects of the crusade itself; then Jacobo briefed us on the meetings which would take place over the next two days. We followed that with a huge dinner while watching the US soccer team get slaughtered by the Argentinians in the America Cup. All the while, the planning never stopped...
Friday morning we traveled to the Iglesia Bautista Emmanuel and met with a group of pastors and church leaders. Kerry shared the vision God had given him concerning the crusade and encouraged them to be a part of what God is doing in Caracas and throughout South America. Gail shared the concept of the House Church or Simple Church with the group and told testimony after testimony of how people had come to know Christ as Lord through these small groups.
There were training sessions in five areas of Caracas on Saturday, and we met with two of the groups, again sharing the visions God had put before us. The response was positive on every front.
Friday afternoon, our little group of seven rode the cable car up to the top of the mountain to pray for the city of Caracas. (See "Praying for the City" post.) The planning never stopped. We had coffee and hot chocolate at a little place on the top of the mountain, and Jacobo was making notes on a napkin as we continued to discuss details and logistics. That evening, Jacobo's wife, Sarah, and daughter, Rose, and grandson, Santiago, joined us for a light dinner at a place familiar to us all.....Wendy's! It started pouring down rain while we were there, so we were stranded there for a while...no problem....more time to plan.
Saturday evening, after a full day of meeting with churches (and a quick trip to a "Commercial Center"...their word for a mall...for some pizza in the food court) it began to rain again, so we quickly ran next door to a small sandwich shop. You guessed it...eating and planning...and watching Venezuela win their game against Colombia in the America Cup...oh, what a celebration in that city that night!
We left very early Sunday morning to return home...full of new ideas, tasks to be done, and additions to our prayer list. (See 'Prayer List' post) Buck, Kerry and Gail will return at the end of September to meet with the other groups in their training sessions. Gail will take a team to train the church members in organizing Simple Church groups.
Yes, it was a fast four days...so much was done...so much remains to be done. We are excited as the Lord continues to lead us on this journey, allowing us to be a part of His work in Venezuela.
We were met at the airport by Buck Smith and Gail Graves who had flown in the night before. We got settled in to our room, then left for a late lunch at Leonel & Melissa's house...Melissa is Buck's daughter. (We finally got to meet Buck's famous grandchildren!) This turned out to be our first meeting. They gave tremendous imput and shared their thoughts on our endeavor, offering to help in many ways. From there we went back to the hotel where Jacobo and Ladimiro were waiting for us...the first of our 'scheduled' meetings. Bill Rowland, IMB missionary near Caracas, joined us and spent the weekend with us, planning and translating. We discussed many aspects of the crusade itself; then Jacobo briefed us on the meetings which would take place over the next two days. We followed that with a huge dinner while watching the US soccer team get slaughtered by the Argentinians in the America Cup. All the while, the planning never stopped...
Friday morning we traveled to the Iglesia Bautista Emmanuel and met with a group of pastors and church leaders. Kerry shared the vision God had given him concerning the crusade and encouraged them to be a part of what God is doing in Caracas and throughout South America. Gail shared the concept of the House Church or Simple Church with the group and told testimony after testimony of how people had come to know Christ as Lord through these small groups.
There were training sessions in five areas of Caracas on Saturday, and we met with two of the groups, again sharing the visions God had put before us. The response was positive on every front.
Friday afternoon, our little group of seven rode the cable car up to the top of the mountain to pray for the city of Caracas. (See "Praying for the City" post.) The planning never stopped. We had coffee and hot chocolate at a little place on the top of the mountain, and Jacobo was making notes on a napkin as we continued to discuss details and logistics. That evening, Jacobo's wife, Sarah, and daughter, Rose, and grandson, Santiago, joined us for a light dinner at a place familiar to us all.....Wendy's! It started pouring down rain while we were there, so we were stranded there for a while...no problem....more time to plan.
Saturday evening, after a full day of meeting with churches (and a quick trip to a "Commercial Center"...their word for a mall...for some pizza in the food court) it began to rain again, so we quickly ran next door to a small sandwich shop. You guessed it...eating and planning...and watching Venezuela win their game against Colombia in the America Cup...oh, what a celebration in that city that night!
We left very early Sunday morning to return home...full of new ideas, tasks to be done, and additions to our prayer list. (See 'Prayer List' post) Buck, Kerry and Gail will return at the end of September to meet with the other groups in their training sessions. Gail will take a team to train the church members in organizing Simple Church groups.
Yes, it was a fast four days...so much was done...so much remains to be done. We are excited as the Lord continues to lead us on this journey, allowing us to be a part of His work in Venezuela.
An Impossible Dream
Our goals for the Crusade for Family Values in Caracas in 2008
1) filling a baseball stadium which seats 25,000 for 4 nights,
2) seeing 30,000 professions of faith during those 4 nights,
3) distributing 50,000 Spanish New Testaments,
4) starting 9 new standard churches, 500 cell type churches, and 1000 house churches,
5) strengthening existing churches in Caracas,
6) having Christian baseball players give their testimonies in the evening services,
7) sponsoring baseball clinics for the children during the day,
8) allowing the Holy Spirit to work through us to bring not only Caracas but all of Venezuela to a saving knowledge of Jesus,
9) pleasing God!
Some answers to prayer which we have already seen include
1) the donation of the 50,000 Spanish New Testaments,
2) a connection with the D.A.W.N. (Disciple a Whole Nation) organization in helping start house churches,
3) a connection with the FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) to help line up baseball players and organize baseball clinics,
4) The BGCT (Baptist General Convention of Texas) will recommend a three to five year partnership with the Venezuelan Baptist Convention...a group of BGCT representatives are in Venezuela this week (June 16-23) to meet with churches and pastors across the country,
5) orientation and training of pastors has been set up for June 30, September 29, and November 24...Buck, Kerry & Diane, and Gail will travel to Caracas to meet with these groups June 28-30.
Additional prayer requests include
1) acquiring a sea container big enough to ship the 50,000 New Testaments and a truck to haul them to port,
2) getting the contract to use the 25,000 seat stadium,
3) lining up six to ten professional baseball players who will share their testimony on TV and at the stadium each night,
4) raising funds for the crusade, estimated at $500,000,
5) asking God to speak to President Hugo Chavez and to his spiritual needs,
6) asking God for volunteers who are willing to go and do house to house witnessing during the weeks of January 20 - February 3, 2008.
1) filling a baseball stadium which seats 25,000 for 4 nights,
2) seeing 30,000 professions of faith during those 4 nights,
3) distributing 50,000 Spanish New Testaments,
4) starting 9 new standard churches, 500 cell type churches, and 1000 house churches,
5) strengthening existing churches in Caracas,
6) having Christian baseball players give their testimonies in the evening services,
7) sponsoring baseball clinics for the children during the day,
8) allowing the Holy Spirit to work through us to bring not only Caracas but all of Venezuela to a saving knowledge of Jesus,
9) pleasing God!
Some answers to prayer which we have already seen include
1) the donation of the 50,000 Spanish New Testaments,
2) a connection with the D.A.W.N. (Disciple a Whole Nation) organization in helping start house churches,
3) a connection with the FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) to help line up baseball players and organize baseball clinics,
4) The BGCT (Baptist General Convention of Texas) will recommend a three to five year partnership with the Venezuelan Baptist Convention...a group of BGCT representatives are in Venezuela this week (June 16-23) to meet with churches and pastors across the country,
5) orientation and training of pastors has been set up for June 30, September 29, and November 24...Buck, Kerry & Diane, and Gail will travel to Caracas to meet with these groups June 28-30.
Additional prayer requests include
1) acquiring a sea container big enough to ship the 50,000 New Testaments and a truck to haul them to port,
2) getting the contract to use the 25,000 seat stadium,
3) lining up six to ten professional baseball players who will share their testimony on TV and at the stadium each night,
4) raising funds for the crusade, estimated at $500,000,
5) asking God to speak to President Hugo Chavez and to his spiritual needs,
6) asking God for volunteers who are willing to go and do house to house witnessing during the weeks of January 20 - February 3, 2008.
A Report on the Crusade in Puerta Ayacucho ~ April 9-16, 2006
The following is a report I wrote on our return last year following our city-wide crusade in Puerto Ayacucho. On our layover in Caracas following the crusade week, we had dinner with Jacobo and Sarah Garcia. Jacobo is head of the Evangelism division of the Venezuela Baptist Convention. He asked us at that time if we would consider doing the same type of crusade in the capital city of Caracas in 2008...hence the birth of another dream...the dream of 'La Cruzada para Valores Familiares' (The Crusade for Family Values) to be held January 31-February 3, 2008
Thirteen of us arrived in Puerto Ayacucho on the 7th of April, ready to begin the experience of a lifetime. God’s power was demonstrated through each and every one who went…some preached, some sang, some translated, all shared their faith and saw people come to receive Christ in their hearts. The first part of the week our team divided into five teams to work with the five local churches. Revival services were held at night and visitation during the day. By Wednesday night close to 200 new believers were brought into the Kingdom.
On Wednesday, two more arrived to add to the team…Dr. Richard Jackson and his friend, Mickey Eddins. On Thursday, Larry Shotwell left to return home to San Angelo.
Larry Shotwell led a seminar on the basics of Sunday School on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings at the Bible Institute there in Puerto Ayacucho. He had about 70 church leaders attend his classes. Many of the churches have Sunday School for children, but only a few have Bible study classes for adults.
Larry Rice, a retired music missionary to Venezuela who now resides in South Carolina, taught classes in Baptist Doctrine. He had about 25-30 in his classes which also met in the Bible Institute.
Kerry and I were assigned to the Puinave church which actually serves not only the Puinave tribe, but three or four other tribes as well. Kerry preached, Esperanza (a friend of my mom’s from Odessa) translated, and I sang. I even sang in Spanish! There were at least 200 there every night…one night there were more people outside than inside! The little church building will hold about 200 packed in, one side is crude benches and the other side is set up with plastic patio-style chairs. We saw many come to know Christ…one lady for whom they had been praying for three years! Her sons were already believers and leaders in the church. What rejoicing there was that night! Two different pastors came and wanted to align their churches with the Baptist association there in Puerto Ayacucho…one from the Jecuana tribe and the other from a Puinave group across the river in Colombia! This little church is very mission-minded and has 22 missionaries who go deep in the jungle on both sides of the river to the villages to spread the gospel. Tribal leaders who become believers then come back to the city to be discipled and taught how to share Christ with the rest of their village.
The crusade started Thursday night. It was so exciting to see our vision being fulfilled. The Holy Spirit was definitely in our midst. There were about 5000-6000 in attendance every night. Each night there were about 30-35 buses which went out to the villages to bring in people. Ten additional buses were added the last night of the crusade. It was exciting to see the buses pull up to the gates of the Concha Acustica, bringing hundreds of villagers to the crusade. Many people traveled hours by road and by river to come.
Dr. Jackson preached simple, to-the-point, evangelistic sermons. The gentleman translating for him, Ladimiro Urdaneta, is head of the Linguistics Department at the university in Caracas. The two men worked wonderfully together in their preaching. Hundreds came to the front each night…many of them making professions of faith, some rededications, some just wanting a Bible. Almost 1000 were registered as having prayed to receive Christ. We know there were hundreds more that did not get registered because there was a shortage of counselors. We just pray that whoever brought them to the crusade follows through with them and/or they begin attending one of the churches so the church can follow through. We know that some came forward only to receive a Bible, but at least God´s Word is going out. It is our prayer that there be at least one person saved for every New Testament that was given out.
In addition to being able to share the Good News to 5000-6000 every night at the crusade, thousands more were hearing it on the radio! A radio announcer drove 7 hours to come and broadcast for 3 hours every night of the crusade! A wonderful Christian man, the announcer interviewed people before and after in addition to broadcasting the service.
Thousands of New Testaments were given out throughout the city and surrounding villages and deep into the jungles. There were five teams of local people who were working in the jungle during the week while we were working in the city. They shared the Gospel with almost 700 people, distributed almost 500 New Testaments and 400 tracts, had 134 professions of faith and 69 rededications.
Almost 200 believers from all over Venezuela came to Puerto Ayacucho to help the churches in their revivals and with the crusade. Some led music in the churches, some worked with the children, and almost all helped in the daily visitation and witnessing.
God answered all our prayers, and then some! The radio broadcast was a complete surprise to us…but not to God! The team stayed healthy…no one got sick or hurt, travel was uneventful (aside from the usual Venezuelan delays), new friends were made, a unified effort was accomplished. The weather was not a problem…the first night of the crusade (in an outdoor setting), storm clouds gathered, but parted around us in that part of the city. The second day, it rained in the early afternoon, but cleared by evening. The third day was overcast but no rain. The last night, it rained heavily just before the crusade began (causing a late start) and then lessened to a light sprinkle, but the people still came. We had as many, maybe more, as on the other nights! Friday night all the power went out during the middle of the service (right after I sang!)…the entire area was out, the people remained calm, the worship leader led the group in songs while we prayed and waited for a generator to be hooked up…God answered our prayers and the power came back on before they could get the generator out! It was so exciting to see God working in so many ways…so often we pray, only halfway expecting an answer, and then are surprised when He answers! It was different this time…we prayed, expecting God to do as He promised…use us to share His word with His people in the Venezuelan Amazon. And He did! Hallelujah!
There are still prayers to be prayed…some of the most important work of the crusade is yet to be done…the follow-up and discipleship. Pray for the local pastors and churches to draw in all of those who made professions of faith and show them how to grow in their new life in Christ. Also, many New Testaments will be finding their way into hands of unbelievers both in the city and deep in the jungle. It is our prayer that at least one person will come to know Christ for every New Testament that has been given out. The Bibles are marked with scriptures leading the way to salvation. Dr. Jackson designed and marked them as if he (or anyone else) were sitting down with the person, leading them through the scriptures, leading them to know Christ.
Our 10 days in Venezuela were definitely a time to be remembered…one of those rare times when you find out what God is doing and jump on board. He blessed each one of us by allowing us to be a part of His work. And we thank all of you for your prayers and concern. You may not have made the trip with us, but we could not have done it without you, our family and friends, supporting us.
We love you….and it’s great to be back home!
Kerry & Diane
Thirteen of us arrived in Puerto Ayacucho on the 7th of April, ready to begin the experience of a lifetime. God’s power was demonstrated through each and every one who went…some preached, some sang, some translated, all shared their faith and saw people come to receive Christ in their hearts. The first part of the week our team divided into five teams to work with the five local churches. Revival services were held at night and visitation during the day. By Wednesday night close to 200 new believers were brought into the Kingdom.
On Wednesday, two more arrived to add to the team…Dr. Richard Jackson and his friend, Mickey Eddins. On Thursday, Larry Shotwell left to return home to San Angelo.
Larry Shotwell led a seminar on the basics of Sunday School on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings at the Bible Institute there in Puerto Ayacucho. He had about 70 church leaders attend his classes. Many of the churches have Sunday School for children, but only a few have Bible study classes for adults.
Larry Rice, a retired music missionary to Venezuela who now resides in South Carolina, taught classes in Baptist Doctrine. He had about 25-30 in his classes which also met in the Bible Institute.
Kerry and I were assigned to the Puinave church which actually serves not only the Puinave tribe, but three or four other tribes as well. Kerry preached, Esperanza (a friend of my mom’s from Odessa) translated, and I sang. I even sang in Spanish! There were at least 200 there every night…one night there were more people outside than inside! The little church building will hold about 200 packed in, one side is crude benches and the other side is set up with plastic patio-style chairs. We saw many come to know Christ…one lady for whom they had been praying for three years! Her sons were already believers and leaders in the church. What rejoicing there was that night! Two different pastors came and wanted to align their churches with the Baptist association there in Puerto Ayacucho…one from the Jecuana tribe and the other from a Puinave group across the river in Colombia! This little church is very mission-minded and has 22 missionaries who go deep in the jungle on both sides of the river to the villages to spread the gospel. Tribal leaders who become believers then come back to the city to be discipled and taught how to share Christ with the rest of their village.
The crusade started Thursday night. It was so exciting to see our vision being fulfilled. The Holy Spirit was definitely in our midst. There were about 5000-6000 in attendance every night. Each night there were about 30-35 buses which went out to the villages to bring in people. Ten additional buses were added the last night of the crusade. It was exciting to see the buses pull up to the gates of the Concha Acustica, bringing hundreds of villagers to the crusade. Many people traveled hours by road and by river to come.
Dr. Jackson preached simple, to-the-point, evangelistic sermons. The gentleman translating for him, Ladimiro Urdaneta, is head of the Linguistics Department at the university in Caracas. The two men worked wonderfully together in their preaching. Hundreds came to the front each night…many of them making professions of faith, some rededications, some just wanting a Bible. Almost 1000 were registered as having prayed to receive Christ. We know there were hundreds more that did not get registered because there was a shortage of counselors. We just pray that whoever brought them to the crusade follows through with them and/or they begin attending one of the churches so the church can follow through. We know that some came forward only to receive a Bible, but at least God´s Word is going out. It is our prayer that there be at least one person saved for every New Testament that was given out.
In addition to being able to share the Good News to 5000-6000 every night at the crusade, thousands more were hearing it on the radio! A radio announcer drove 7 hours to come and broadcast for 3 hours every night of the crusade! A wonderful Christian man, the announcer interviewed people before and after in addition to broadcasting the service.
Thousands of New Testaments were given out throughout the city and surrounding villages and deep into the jungles. There were five teams of local people who were working in the jungle during the week while we were working in the city. They shared the Gospel with almost 700 people, distributed almost 500 New Testaments and 400 tracts, had 134 professions of faith and 69 rededications.
Almost 200 believers from all over Venezuela came to Puerto Ayacucho to help the churches in their revivals and with the crusade. Some led music in the churches, some worked with the children, and almost all helped in the daily visitation and witnessing.
God answered all our prayers, and then some! The radio broadcast was a complete surprise to us…but not to God! The team stayed healthy…no one got sick or hurt, travel was uneventful (aside from the usual Venezuelan delays), new friends were made, a unified effort was accomplished. The weather was not a problem…the first night of the crusade (in an outdoor setting), storm clouds gathered, but parted around us in that part of the city. The second day, it rained in the early afternoon, but cleared by evening. The third day was overcast but no rain. The last night, it rained heavily just before the crusade began (causing a late start) and then lessened to a light sprinkle, but the people still came. We had as many, maybe more, as on the other nights! Friday night all the power went out during the middle of the service (right after I sang!)…the entire area was out, the people remained calm, the worship leader led the group in songs while we prayed and waited for a generator to be hooked up…God answered our prayers and the power came back on before they could get the generator out! It was so exciting to see God working in so many ways…so often we pray, only halfway expecting an answer, and then are surprised when He answers! It was different this time…we prayed, expecting God to do as He promised…use us to share His word with His people in the Venezuelan Amazon. And He did! Hallelujah!
There are still prayers to be prayed…some of the most important work of the crusade is yet to be done…the follow-up and discipleship. Pray for the local pastors and churches to draw in all of those who made professions of faith and show them how to grow in their new life in Christ. Also, many New Testaments will be finding their way into hands of unbelievers both in the city and deep in the jungle. It is our prayer that at least one person will come to know Christ for every New Testament that has been given out. The Bibles are marked with scriptures leading the way to salvation. Dr. Jackson designed and marked them as if he (or anyone else) were sitting down with the person, leading them through the scriptures, leading them to know Christ.
Our 10 days in Venezuela were definitely a time to be remembered…one of those rare times when you find out what God is doing and jump on board. He blessed each one of us by allowing us to be a part of His work. And we thank all of you for your prayers and concern. You may not have made the trip with us, but we could not have done it without you, our family and friends, supporting us.
We love you….and it’s great to be back home!
Kerry & Diane
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