I believe that God is going to greatly use Jim Roberts and family. I only wish I were young again and had the ability to go to all these places and work that are in so much need of the gospel!

I do not have much time but would like to give you a quick update about our trip. I do not know where to start except by saying you must make it a priority in your life to “come and see” this incredible country.

My words will do very little in helping you understand how unique, bizarre, horrific, wonderful, and amazing what we have seen and experienced. One man said in trying to explain what he was seeing in India as if he was a deaf man watching someone very caught up in playing the piano. You would know it made sense to them but would be very confusing to you.

There are so many things happening every moment of the day (even now as I am watching 2 men in rickshaws are arguing outside the window) that I do not have a clue about. Even more so as we see the endless amount of time being spent in adoration of false gods.

Our team is coming down to the lobby in a few minutes and we are headed to do some field study of an area in the south west part of the city so I offer you these scattered thoughts.

1. Learning the language (Hindustan – Hindi). Yes, many in the middle class speak English. Many people are here from south India and speak more English. In a few cases English is their heart language but very often it is just not functional.

2. Hindusim is very hard to understand. It never tried to be a united religion. Millions of people across the country worshiped gods of their village and got categorized as Hindus. To know what a person believes you must ask them and listen. No book can tell you about a particular person.

3. There is incredible diversity in living conditions. A slum area can be right beside a fairly nice middle class home. The diversity is without exception. It is always in eye sight. You can hardly get to a place of means where you do not see poverty right in front of you. You are not often around poverty where you cannot see some signs of better conditions in the distance.

4. There are very, very few Kingdom workers here for the population. We have heard of about 100 but are certain there are many, many, more. From the 100 we have heard about only about 10% are working directly with the people of New Delhi. Others serve in logistical roles of supportive ministries for the greater north India area. This has reconfirmed are commitment to urban, church planting.

5. This is by far the most “spiritual” place I have ever been. Religion molds every facet of their lives and effects their economy greatly. The Gospel would not only have radical effects on the individual but on the entire country. Many of the things that hold back this nation from developing and moving forward is their captivity to tradition.

Well, I have to run. The team and bus are ready to go. Thank you all for holding the ropes. In the land filled of idols the Gospel seems sweeter. God is unchanged even when He is not worshiped. God is doing wonderful things in this country. Please, pray for our brothers and sisters here. Please, pray about being one of the 8 families we are asking God to provide for the launch team. We will give more information about this later but we need people in linguistics, Muslim evangelism, writing, media, and all must be in love with Jesus and committed to teaching God Word!

Love you all.

Go here and play games on line that will help you learn about the locations of different countries. Play with your children and friends. It will be fun! Click here to play!

Check out bcwe.org

I suggest you print out the questions. Put them in a notebook that you can take with you. Then carry the notebook on your survey trip and write down the answers you get from everyone you can ask.

Never ask just one person. Get as many opinions as possible from as many different people as possible. Try to get a consensus of opinions.

Print out these questions and save them!

Check out bcwe.org

Check out bcwe.org

In 1915, twenty-eight men were alone, trapped in the ice-covered waters of Antarctica’s treacherous seas. “Frozen,” as one man put it, “like an almond in the middle of a chocolate bar.” These were the men of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition in the coldest climate on earth. They suffered frostbite, gangrene, hysteria, starvation, all for the glory of being the first ones to cross the Antarctic continent from sea to sea, the greatest polar journey ever attempted to date. The leader of the expedition, Sir Ernest Shackleton, had put an ad in the newspaper that read:

“Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages. Bitter cold. Long months of complete darkness. Constant danger. Safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in case of success. Ernest Shackleton.”

And 5000 people applied.

Why?

They wanted some great purpose and passion in their lives. Samuel Zwemer, missionary to the Muslims said that “so many young people’s minds and hearts are occupied by weak things, by inconsequential things. Their eyes have never been illumined by a great vision, their mind has never been gripped by unselfish thoughts, their hearts have never been thrilled with the passion for the lost, their hands have never grown weary and strong in the lifting of a great burden.”

If you want to be gripped by a cause greater than yourself…I present you with the cause of the Christless millions and the call to leave houses and lands and family and friends…and find some pocket of people who haven’t heard the Gospel, like gypsie nomads, urban businessmen, or isolated mountaineers.

Would you give up your life? Would you go?

This week three of our men went where few men are willing to go and did what nearly no man is willing to do. They were giving out Bibles in a Muslim country where it was against the law. They go blindly into towns looking for people who have asked for a Bible over the Internet. They always know that they might encounter danger. Someone, a spy, the police, could be watching and arrest them.

Just this week three men were in a remote village in Northern Africa. They were meeting a man that had asked for a copy of the Bible. Two of the men were Americans, one was a northern African believer. The man came to the bus station. He met the North African believer and preacher at the bus. Turns out that he was a policeman.

His son had requested a Bible. One of the Americans and the North African were arrested. The American was held for about 10 hours. We were praying all over the world concerned about what was going to happen. After 10 hours our American friend was freed.

Not only was he freed but all the incriminating evidence was turned over to him. The police didn’t even look at it. They had many Bibles, a computer, a video camera with them. It would have been horrible if the police had looked but God closed their eyes.

Still for over another 12 hours the North African preacher was held in custody. He is an unbelievable man. He is one of my heroes. He didn’t not back down. He didn’t try to deny who he was or what he was doing.

He went through the plan of salvation at least two times starting with Adam. He told them why he loved Jesus.

I just want you to know that God is still at work. Great and wonderful God things are still happening everyday. God is being magnified. He is still protecting His people and answering prayer.

Some of my friends think that you will criticize this effort or maybe it will make you afraid to serve God. My answer to them and you is that you have yet to grasp the importance of what God is doing in the world. You have not yet realized the power of a life totally surrendered to God.

Maybe no one today will recognize what happened. Maybe no one will honor them but our God does.
I am just thankful that I know men of God like these today.

Check out bcwe.org

I am enjoying seeing what God is doing in the Snode’s lives. I believe that great things are just around the corner for their ministry here. Lord willing we will look at a different location for the church today. Their lease is up in July and they will need to move.

This family loves God. He is using them. I believe that things are about to break loose for them. I hope you will pray for them and all that God is doing here.

I will be preaching again tonight in the World Evangelism Conference. I am excited to see that our daughter churches have as much heart to get the gospel to the world as Vision does.

Thanks for all you do as a church that allows us to impact the world from home!

I will be going to Northern Ireland first.

Our missionaries there are Travis and Teri Snode. God is using them greatly. I will be preaching a World Evangelism Conference from Thursday through Sunday nights.

It snowed there yesterday morning about 6 inches during the morning service. So pray that we will be able to have the meeting.

On Monday morning at 4:30 AM I will leave for the airport in Belfast and fly to Malaga, Spain. Lord willing I will meet up with Tyler and Gretchen Masters who are also members of Vision. They serve God in North Africa.

We will spend some time with new believers in North Africa and two of our strategic partner missionaries, AB and CC. Please pray for us that God would work in the time we have there.

Lord willing, I will give you some update posts that will help you pray better for these great servants!

Check out bcwe.org

This will be a fun and blessed week because we get to be with our oldest son and his wife in this conference. Chris and Andria are back in the states and this will be a first for us as we get to be in this conference together. God has tremendously blessed us giving us faithful and obedient servants of God in our family.

Pastor Armstrong is a great man of God and a great friend to world evangelism. I am honored to be allowed to preach in this church and conference. I will be blessed to be with other good men of God and am looking forward to this conference.

I will miss being at Vision again so soon after having been in Peru. I want to ask you to pray for me that God would use me. Pray that their faith promise will increase. Pray that God will call out some new missionaries. Pray that He will encourage the church and their people.

I am excited for you tomorrow because Pastor Trent will be preaching. He will do a great job. He has already shared with me what he is preaching and I know you will be blessed.

I would like to ask you to be praying, also, for our son David, his wife, Katie and Chloe. They will be returning to the states at the end of the month. Katie is going to have to have surgery on her thyroid and they also need to raise additional support. Pray for them as they pack up and prepare to leave. This is a very difficult time for them as Katie has just finished language school, Chloe was just born, and their ministry there is really being blessed.

Thank you for being so kind to our family and to us. Both, Betty and I feel very blessed to be part of Vision and the ministry there. God bless all of you.

check out bcwe.org

Chris and Andria have 3 children, Jacob, Hannah, and Andrew! Another child will be born in December, Lord willing! His name will be Joshua Austin. I feel deeply honored that Chris and Andria would give him that name.

David and Katie have 1 daughter, Chloe, our newest grandchild.

Joy who just got married to Jimmy and her children, Benjamin and Lelia.

On Friday Joy and Jimmy got married. Since then Betty and I have been in charge of Benjamin and Lelia. They are wonderful children and we have really enjoyed being able to be with them.

Today I preached at the Omega Baptist Church at 7 am. Today is an election day so no public meetings can be held after 8 am. God blessed with about 76 in attendance.

I have been using a little free time to get ready for the Pastor’s School that starts on Tuesday.

I will preach tonight again and we will have Baby Dedication service.

I think most of you at Vision probably know this but Chris and Andria will be coming back to the states because their baby, Joshua will be born with a cleft lip and palate! He will need several surgeries. I hope you will pray for them and all the financial needs that are coming their way.

David and Katie are also returning later this year to raise additional support. They have lost some support and went to the field under supported. I hope you will pray for them that God will open doors for them to present their ministry and raise the needed support.

I thank all of you for all you do and the privilege I have of pastoring Vision.

It has been good to see Mariangela and David and Stephanie Velke. Please pray for them as well that God will continue to work in their lives so that they will be greatly used of God today and in the future.

Check out bcwe.org

Next week I will be preaching in the Pastor’s School. Currently if I understand correctly I will preach 6 times and teach 9 times in the 3 days of the Pastor’s School.

Pray for us. I will keep you updated here about what God is doing!