Running the race

I've signed up for my first official 5K run since I was raising support 5 years ago. My roommates Sara and I picked up our numbers and shirts for the Liberty 5K on Wednesday morning. We haven't been training, so hopefully this race will be a starting time that we can beat when we run a 5K with all our roommates in September/October.

We ran the route today to get familiar with it. 43 minutes! That's two minutes faster than last Thursday...

Snapshot from ICCM

A moment from the recent International Conference on Computing and Missions. This unscheduled time of prayer happened just after a conversation on helpdesk software and the need for more computer staff. Mixing computers and missions and prayer... integrating all of life. (and yes, I'm the person in the prayer circle with my hands in front of my face)

Quotes, prayers, and plans

It's been a slow, but busy week at home and at the ministry. I'm continuing to train new staff at the helpdesk at the ministry -- growing experience for me and them. I'm no longer just responsible for myself, but also responsible in some ways for the work of others.

Prayer request for the field: One of our missionaries was burned when some spilled kerosene ignited. He's in the hospital with burns on over 40% of his body -- read his story here.

Prayer request for my house: All three of my intern girls will be spending time with their families over the next few days. Pray that the time would be a blessing and an encouragement to them and their families.

Plans for this weekend: Represent GFA at Celebrate Freedom -- the largest free outdoor Christian concert in America. It should be fun! Pray that there isn't rain and for lots of missionaries to be sponsored!

Good quote: It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad. -C. S. Lewis

Back from Kansas

Thanks for praying for our trip to Kansas! I think a good time was had by all -- definitely a few memory making moments. They would have been "YouTube moments" had the camera been working at the right time. Memories from me:

• Swinging from the rope swing at the tree house
• Cherry limeades at Irwin-Potter's
• Driving the combine and taking the girls for rides
• Taking the wheat truck to the elevator
• Walking and talking with my sister S.
• Playing tetherball with my sister L.
• Walking with my mother "in the cool of the morn"
• High centering my car trying to cross the gullied road past Grandmother's
• Being reminded of God's faithfulness, even when the wheat crop is poor

to sleep and Kansas

I'm so excited about getting to go see my family and hang out with my interns this weekend! Pray that we'll just have good hangout time and enjoy each other's company. And pray that Sara's allergies don't act up!

Thanks!

It's a good song in my head

More than all I want

More than all I need

You are more than enough for me

More than all I know

More than all I can see

You are more than enough

(c)2002 Chris Tomlin, Louie Giglio

Praises and KS

Thank you so much for praying for my last prayer requests! Here's a few corresponding praises:

• I've gotten my ICCM report written and am getting additional pieces written up that we may work on implementing!
• Praise God for the increased focus He's given me at the office and the help he's given me to get tasks caught up. i.e. We have new staff arriving tomorrow and I'm all ready for them!
• Praise God for His joy yesterday and today -- it's been a blessing to be able to respond with people with His love instead of my own grouchiness. :)

And... if you're in my Anthony world -- I'll be in town this weekend with all three of my interns. I have tenative plans to swing by Irwin-Potter's and The Perfect Touch late Saturday morning and we'll be at church Sunday morning. Maybe I'll see you.

Running as a team

This evening, one of my interns banged on my door and said, "We're going running, wanna come?" Soon we were all in running shoes, heading down the sidewalk -- 4'10" Dee running beside 5'8" Steph with 5'4" Sara and 5' 10" me following close behind. The laughter and stories and fellowship reminded me of my days with the SC cross country team. Okay -- so the pace today was a little slower, but the teamwork and encouragement and mutual challenge was there! And the killer sprint at the end was still there too!

Since I started my interest in running as part of a cross country team, I've never been a good solo runner. There's the occasional run by myself, but it's not a usual thing. I miss the companionship of a team.

Kind of like our spiritual lives, I guess. God created us to live in community -- to run together. While some people like to live their lives solo, I need to run as a team or I get too self-focused, too discouraged.

I've been blessed with a wonderful family-family and a wonderful GFA family to run alongside me! And then there's you -- thanks for being part of my team!

Back from ICCM

I'm back in Texas after a wonderful (and exhausting) four days at ICCM. It was a time of fun and excitement, of prayer and worship, of learning and sharing, of challenge and encouragement, of laughter and tears. It was a time to glorify God.

Today's free software link: http://www.opensong.org/ This is an amazing application that guitar enthusiasts might find helpful. Among other things, you can enter song lyrics and chords (no more messy notebook) and it will even transpose the chords for you if you need to play in a different key! Chords, songsheets, projection... it does it all!

Prayer requests:

• Pray for NM and his wife. After spending many years on the mission field in Africa, they are back in North America awaiting a kidney transplant for his wife. Pray for God to continue to provide for their needs and encourage them during this time.
• Pray for me to continue to track down and write down all the things I learned during ICCM.
• Pray for me to keep my attention focused back on my office and get caught up (and ahead) on projects and tasks.
• Pray for emotional stability and the Lord's joy for me!

Jesus, hope of the nations
Jesus, comfort for all who mourn
You are the source of heaven’s hope on earth...
(C)2002 Brian Doerksen

Quote for today

"God is looking for people through whom He can do the impossible. What a pity we plan only the things we can do by ourselves." - A.W. Tozer

Pray for Sara

Please pray for Sara, one of my interns. A close friend's dad passed away today. Sara and her friend had attempted to share the Gospel with them earlier this week, but the dad was incoherent and seemingly unable to understand.

Pray for peace for Sara and for the friend's family. Pray that God would be glorified through this.

UF, Ivanhoe's, and the mind of Christ

Today's highlights at ICCM:

• Worship and praise together in the morning
• Homemade chicken curry and ...some other yummy dish
• Conversations about faith and life and technology
• Entergetic game of Ultimate Frisbee
• Delicious Ivanhoe's ice cream
• And more worship

ICCM 2008

Vista. Virtualization. Video Conferencing. Hosting services. TiddlyWikis. SANS. I'm surrounded by tech talk and missionaries. ICCM at Taylor University in Indiana is a time of missionaries and missionary tech-support people come together to share computer ideas. But more than computer ideas, ICCM is about relationships -- encouraging each other in the work and in the Lord.

I'm off to a session on mission internships.

Snapshot from GFA Staff Retreat

A quick snapshot of me and three of my interns at our recent staff retreat. I've got a couple other photos I need to scan and post.

Playing volleyball in the pouring rain, braiding Ariel's hair, reading Deep Creek stories 'bout them old farmers Joel and Amos... the small delights that make a weekend memorable.

Death threats result in Gospel preached

One of our missionaries received death threats last week -- anti-Christian extremists threatened to kill him if he did not leave the area he was ministering in. An email went out to the GFA prayer team and people began to pray.

Monday, we received this update:

When word of the death threats spread throughout the village, the people became curious about Daya and the church he had started. That Sunday, nearly every person in the village attended the worship service at Daya's church. These people who heard the Gospel preached are now defending the missionary against the extremists. Daya is greatly encouraged by the turn of events and looks forward to seeing what God will do next...

Stop by and read the entire story at the website. Or sign up for the prayer team.

Fun and timing

I spent this evening biking around White Rock Lake in Dallas with Rach. We enjoyed the weather and the view and the exercise and had a lot fun. We ended our evening with a 9pm supper at Raisin' Cane's Chicken Fingers.

The Lord opened up an opportunity for me to simply hand a bottle of cold water and a tract to a young lady today. I met Nina as her car was parked underneath a shade tree near the office. She was without a place to live and going through some challenges in life. I couldn't do much more than give the cold water and a tract in His name. When I spoke to her later, she was almost in tears, thanking me for the tract.

"I've always thought of myself as a person with a good heart," she shared. "But this tract made it clear that that isn't enough. I can't get away from its message. I even looked up the verses it was talking about in the Bible I have. " She pointed to a small, green Gideon's New Testament in the seat beside her.

I was only at the office today because I didn't clean the 2nd South bathroom yesterday. And I was hoping to clean it this morning, not late this afternoon. But God's timing is perfect.