This coming Saturday, a crew from Indianapolis is volunteering at Emerald Hills (Louisville, KY) to build a gazebo-like structure as a symbol of Brigada’s ongoing commitment for the development of prayer, mobilization, and partnership to reach unreached peoples. Over the last few years, a total of $14,900 has been gifted to Emerald Hills toward the training of cross-cultural workers to travel to unreached peoples. The total commitment behind the construction of these Project 29 Prayer Shelters is $24,000, meaning that we still have $9,100 to go. If you — or someone you know — might be willing to contribute (this week, or at any time in the future) toward the construction of this prayer shelter, small gift or large, just navigate to
then click “Donate” in the upper right and follow the instructions. By the way, you don’t need a PayPal account to give. If you reach a screen asking for your PayPal I.D., look on the left side of the screen, about halfway down, and find the prompt which says, “Continue without a PayPal Account.” Be sure to mark in the comment blank (or just send an email to DLucas@TeamExpansion.org identifying the purpose of the gift you just made).
If you’d rather send an old-fashioned check, just make it payable to Team Expansion and send it to:
Team Expansion (Brigada Prayer Shelter)
13711 Willow Reed Dr.,
Louisville, KY 40299
USA
(And by the way, Team Expansion is a 501(c)3 incorporation so for USA citizens, your checks made out to Team Expansion are tax-deductible.) We appreciate you!
Re: your observations about “being ‘called’ to missions”–I am a ‘retired’ missions pastor and former missionary. As well as I remember (I’m approaching 70 and have Alzheimers! ) it was at the age of 12 that I felt a strong call to full-time Christian service. Didn’t know yet that it was to missions, but that was cemented while in college. An interesting note–it took awhile to discover WHERE God wanted me. I really was not a very effective missionary. My real calling turned out to be promoting missions and missionaries at the church where I later became, officially, the missions pastor. My passion was keeping the congregation informed and involved with our missionaries and in ministering to the missionaries themselves. This was done through inserts, emails, letters, prayer opportunities, etc. I certainly feel, passionately, that God made me for this task.
Don Hart
My stake in the ground goes back to 1973, Hilltop Christian Service Camp. It was the end of a senior high week, last night, last call. I was amazed at the whole week—I saw 5 college guys who gave heart and soul to teach, preach, pray, love the heart of Jesus into us. I thought there was nothing better I could do with my life and that they had done for me. It wasn’t a voice inside of me but a reasonable thought (I think the Holy Spirit),”Then why don’t you go forward?” And I did. But had no clue to what purpose or type of ministry. Slowly, my passion for teens became teens and missions, which prepped me for my current task, directing a missions conference. I tried to pursue missions, but the door never opened anywhere, even though I had some connections. But I see God’s hand in where I am. I just try to what lies clearly at hand. Connecting people, resources to everyone I can see is looking for help in any way. But yeah, I would not be nearly as happy and fulfilled if I did not feel God had not led me here, and I will be here until He moves me to another point.
I have been “called” many times to many different ministries, but one of several that stands out as unique is my “call” to the development of Emmaus Road International. I was seeking the Lord for new direction in ministry. Three friends who were praying with me, sensed that I would still be involved in missions training, it would be our own ministry and it would encircle the globe. I January of 1983, I tried to “make it happen”. Nothing worked! February first I said, “Lord, if this is of You, without me giving another thought to it, You will have to reveal to me the THRUST of the ministry, the NAME for the ministry and the LOGO for the ministry! (Gideon has nothing on me!) On February 28, as I was reading Scripture before going to work, I read the Emmaus Road story in Luke 24. The Lord “neon-lighted” the six things that Jesus did on that road, and that I had been teaching that all good missionaries should do (the THRUST), the NAME, Emmaus Road International, of course, and the LOGO. I came from a brochure I had seen five years before! Read those six things at our website: http://www.eri.org. To God be all glory! Grreat things He is doing!
I was raised in a missions minded home (often hosting missionaries, parents on missions committee & helping fund missions, kids went on summer mission trips). But when I was a senior in high school I had a deep sense of the doability and joy of missions while reading Don Richardson’s Eternity in their Hearts. In college, after a summer missions trip to the Ukraine right after the fall of Communism, that calling was confirmed by reading Jonah and the encouragement of others. Currently, I serve among the least reached and least loved in Washtenaw County, Michigan. However, the most fun I ever had was while serving on a more intense basis with Praying through the Arabian Peninsula … Now seeing the fruit of all those prayers and more to come as we continue to pray. http://www.pray-ap.info .
We are Canadian missionaries in Thailand. We minister among the internationals who for a variety of reasons are located here. We also care for the poorest of the poor Thai people, including protecting and providing for abandoned and abused children at risk. There is absolutely no doubt in my heart or mind but that I was called to this, that I was born into the world and into God’s Kingdom for this purpose. That knowledge has gotten me through countless times of great sacrifice, difficulty and personal pain. There is perhaps nothing more important to know in the light of our staying faithful … and finishing our course.