Bill Pagel and Family Blog - Follow God...Reach Your World!

HAITI RELIEF: VIDEO

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Haiti Relief Response by AIM

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Today and tomorrow, our team is flying to Santo Domingo, D.R., and traveling up past our base in San Juan, close to the Haiti border. This reconnaissance team will begin taking food, water, and medicine in to the clinics and relief stations with whom we're partnering. Our overall efforts will be directed by a group of Haitian pastors whom we trust with our safety and spiritual covering.

We have been working around the clock to mobilize these teams. While on the ground, they will also be preparing for a second wave of teams who will travel to Haiti to interceed and distribute food and medicine. Our third wave of help in Haiti will begin in June as we partner with churches and send down bigger teams for relief work and begin in more long term rebuilding efforts.

If God is calling you to go, please check back soon. In the mean time, if you would like to help, you can donate to the Haiti Relief fund. The situation in Haiti is dire. We covet your prayers.

Day two in New Orleans

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Hey all,

just had a great day of service in New Orleans...check out the video!

In New Orleans!

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Hello all!

I am currently in New Orleans where I am leading a team of 71 Christians from a school in California. This is a great bunch of believers with HUGE hearts for the Lord...

Check out what we are doing this week at:

http://neworleans.myadventures.org

I am also copying our latest video so you can see just what we are up to!

Drime Ministry in Atlanta, GA

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Bill and Chris Pagel escorted a group of AIM junior and senior high school students to Atlanta to perform DRIME at Woodruff Park.

These young people did an amazing job!

What is the Be Conference?

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Testimony of a Be Conference

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

From the Field...

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Spring is here and summer is fast approaching! With teams already in the field, we have seen God move in so many ways: from a crippled man receiving healing on the streets of Gainesville, Georgia to sharing the love of Jesus with the orphans in Mexico!

We can't wait for more this summer LORD! Praise Jesus!

Here are a couple stories:

From the Field:

In a small village outside of El Estor, we ran into a 11 year old boy named Benjamin while setting up the clinic in a local church. While playing with the kids outside, he caught our eye. He was standing behind the rest of the kids, sweat beads on his upper lip and breathing heavy. I placed my hand on his back. It was wet; he felt feverish and was coughing, struggling to breathe. I asked if he was having a hard time breathing. He then told me at night he hardly sleeps; it keeps him up. We walked him over to the nurse and translator. It ends up that he has asthma. We taught him how to use an inhaler and prayed for healing. The entire time he smiled. -Connie Rock, Guatemala, 2/11/09

God has been working in ways that could never have been predicted this summer at AIM's New Orleans mission. Judging by what I've seen in my experiences at the VBS sites, I would venture to say that the Lord is working his miracles and his great revival in the youth of New Orleans. It is liberating, awesome, and a privilege to witness. -Jillian Andre, New Orleans, 8/8/08

THE EDGE!

Thu, 9 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Introducing The Edge Short-Term Missions

For nearly 20 years, we at Adventures in Missions (AIM) have considered it our calling to bring the mission field to the church's doorstep.

During this time, we've learned that when a group of young people step out of their comfort zones and embrace what God is doing around the world, they do not return the same.

Often, they even bring a little bit of the mission field back with them.

While AIM has been doing short-term missions for many years now, we believe that "The Edge" does a better job of communicating our purpose and vision for why we do what we do.

The Edge is not a new program, but rather a new direction and description of something we've been doing for a long time.

View The Edge Online Catalog

The Edge means different things to different people:

For some, it means going to the edge of yourself and realizing that you have what it takes to be a person of godly character.
For others, it means leaving the comfort of your own culture and coming to the edge of where two worlds meet.
For all, The Edge is a place of decision. Standing over a huge cliff, you don't come back the same. You can either retreat or take the plunge into the unknown.

As we introduce your group to situations that will give them opportunities to allow God to work in and through them, our desire is that an Edge trip will be a place for each person to experience dramatic life change. Read more about The Edge...

Inquire Now About The Edge Short-Term Mission Trips

Upcoming Mission Trips:

Hurricane Ike Relief Teams - Get a group together to help clean up Galveston, TX and bring hope to those who have lost everything to the recent hurricane.

College-Break Trips - Take your college group to the inner city, across the border to Mexico, or overseas to Africa to discover Christ in unlikely places.

Summer Trips for Youth and Teens - See a list of next year's mission trips for your youth group and teenagers.

Featured Program:
The Journey - "Experience the Journey of Abiding in Christ"

The Journey is eight straight months of living as a "family" in Matamoros, Mexico, seeking God in not only the simplest of ways but also in the "loudest" possible ways. Read more...

Adventures in Missions
800-881-2461
www.adventures.org

International Missions Training Center

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

International Missions Training Center

God continues to show us that we should invest in a training center. He is calling us to equip a generation and send them out into the world as disciplemakers. We need to expand our space in order to meet our growing year-round training needs.

We currently use a large outdoor tent for meeting space as well as an indoor/outdoor kitchen. With your help, we can add new space that will serve as a meeting/dining hall and a kitchen.

Our Gainesville Training Center is becoming a launch pad preparing missionaries to minister around the world. We prepare them for the trials they will face in other cultures. The training center is an environment where biblical truth and life are breathed into them. It is going through our training camps that we see hundreds of people leave behind their baggage and discover their identity in Christ.

Here is what recent training camp participants are saying:

I am in awe of God after our week at training camp. I saw Him move in the hearts of people to break down strongholds. He tore down our ideas of the safe and familiar in order to bring us to the point of complete dependence on Him. I saw teammates share things with our community that they have never shared or dealt with before and are now walking in the freedom of Christ. -Sharon

"It's been a great but difficult week. We're taking in a lot and letting go of just as much. Lots of tears, confessions and huge moments of realization and life change. People are being broken and molded."-Ryan

"God broke me. It was the most horrifying, yet amazing, thing I have ever experienced. He knew that if I did not allow healing for the pain in my heart now, I would be of no use to him out in the world. I would always have this part of me I could not turn over to him, and he wants all of me..." -Lindsey

There are three main components to the training center project: the indoor public meeting spaces, the kitchen facilities, and the outdoor spaces.

We need to be able to prepare food and serve the larger numbers of participants, so we are planning for a kitchen that is located adjacent to seating spaces. We plan to connect the indoor and outdoor spaces with hardscape paths, decking, and stairs to promote better traffic flow and reduce wear and tear on the facility.

STEWARDSHIP:In good stewardship, our plan is renovate our old wing and finish part of the upstairs of the new building. We will reconfigure the "old" office space to be a large, open meeting area with adjacent support rooms for break-out sessions and small group meetings.

A covered concrete patio will serve as an entry way and be connected by a path to the patio that is at the back of the building. Additional paths will connect the bunkhouses with the training center and outdoor meeting areas.

To learn more about how you can help: http://www.adventures.org/trainingcenter/

Don't Forget Hurricane Ike!

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

http://hurricaneike.myadventures.org/

We just got this report fromAthol Barnes, anAIMstaff member who was investigating the damage caused by Hurricane Ike in Galveston, Texas:

The damage is very similar to Katrina and the New Orleans Gulf coast area. We went through houses and neighborhoods today that had 4 to 5 feet of water in them. There will be hundreds, if not thousands, of homes that need gutting, something our teams do really well.

The area of damage is very widespread; the storm was 600 miles across. Many of the areas between Houston and the Louisiana line are economically depressed and the people might have insurance, but the insurance covers only current cash value (this was the case with a family we visited today in Galveston).

The pictures could have been taken anywhere in the Holly grove area of New Orleans, but they were in Galveston. Bolivar, an area outside Houston was almost completely destroyed. And it was a very poor area.

The immediate need is for volunteers, yesterday. We are proposing to have volunteers come to Houston and stay with our partner church. We will have a volunteer coordinator in place to facilitate the work crews and make sure their food and lodging are taken care of. We will charge them $30 per day that will include, a place to sleep, three meals, a coordinator, nonspecialized tools (they might want to bring chain saws etc).

Lodging might be varied including trailers, dorm style in a hall, or large tents. However, cots will be provided.

The volunteers will do:

Gutting and demolition
Food distribution and ministering to those affected by the storm
General contractors
Yard clean up
Roofers
Prayer walking and evangelism

We who follow Jesus need to find more ways to give and bring hope. Here is an obvious way.

Will you help?

Call 800-881-2461 (ext. 212) orsend us an emailfor more info.

http://hurricaneike.myadventures.org/

Gainesville Georgia Mission Trip

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Blessings!

Chris and I just finished leading a short term mission project in Gainesville, Georgia! This is AIM's first Short Term project in Gainesville and it was exciting to see God move in such a powerful way! We were blessed to have a mature group of young Christians and leaders! God Bless each and every one of them!

Here are their own words about this past week:

Malachi 3:7 "Return to Me, and I will return to you," 8

7/23/2008 By: Lauren Hebda, "Return to ME, and I will Return to you,"

Brighton Nazarene Church- Brighton, Michigan

Before experiencing this trip I felt like I was drifting from God. I was brought up in the church and accepted Christ as a young girl. From that point on I struggle but i continued to rededicate my life to Him. Lately I have felt that I just cant go back to Christ that i have strayed so far that He just wouldnt want me back. Eventually I didnt want to put dmy energy back into it. I gave up on myself and God. This trip has completely changed my perspective! Ive been inspired by so many other testimonies and heard what they have gone through. I praise and thank God that in every single one of those circumstances God welcomed them with open arms! It gives me hope and strength to go running back to my Father! I know now that He will return to me when I return to Him!I am amazed at the work that God is doing in me and all of my friends here!

Blessed 7

7/23/2008 By: Jake Andrews, Small group Leader

Brighton Naz Church- Brighton, Michigan

We have had a truely blessed week and a half here at the Gainesville, Georgia location. The staff that was put together was truely amazing. I'm gunna keep it short and sweet and just say that I came to help younger Christians grow in their faith, and I ended up growing myself in the faith. I just wanted to say THANKS to AIM; for helping our youth at the church to grow stronger. Thanks again and GOD BLESS.

Not what I was expecting 6

7/23/2008 By: Jordyn Coy, youth

Brighton Nazarene Church- Howell, Michigan

I was so excited to come on this mission trip and just couldn't contain myself weeks before. I was so excited to be an instrument of God and have Him work through me. The first night though I started to have some problems with my asthma and it began to get worse as the days went on. I spent the second and third night of the trip in the hospital and was so incredibly bummed that I was missing all the activities with my team. However, the second night, I came across an opportunity that only God could have provided. I was waiting in my bed in the emergency room and I had to get an EKG done on my heart. The lady walked in and immediately I felt God's presence in the room. She asked me what I was doing all the way down in Georgia and I told her about AIM and our mission. She was so excited and told me how proud she was that we, as youth, are working for the Lord. I'm normally not a person to ask someone to pray with me but I really felt as though God was telling me to pray with her and for her family, so I did. She was so receptive and began to tear up and I could tell that God did something in her that night. I was just so happy that I could be a part of it. Also, spending so much time in the hospital allowed me to build a really good relationship with my leader and she has helped me so much and offered me so much support. I can really see God's presence in her and can't thank God enough for putting her in my life on this mission trip. So although it wasn't exactly how I expected this mission trip to go, God found a way for me to minister even when I was sick and I feel that he put me in the hospital for a reason. Our God is an awesome God.

I've Heard His Voice 5

7/23/2008 By: Rebecca Webber

Brighton Nazarene Church- Brighton, Michigan

Wow! This trip has made such a difference in me. I did not expect this. I've been unsure about where I am in my walk with the Lord since I was baptized in April. I've felt a little lost, and being here is tying it all together! Even after the first day I felt different. At an event, I felt the Holy Spirit move and nudge me toward singing on stage in front of the community. I never would have done that at home! And it just keeps getting better. We had a time of prayer with our Bibles and He spoke to me through His word. I was compelled to pray for a man over a phone call. I finally realized that my testimony is not a series of mistakes, but the path that I was taking back home to the Lord. Praise God for this opportunity, and God bless AIM!

Tylers story? 4

7/23/2008 By: Tyler Michael Simon, Tylers story?

Brighton Naz- Brighton, MI

My name is Tyler Simon and this trip has changed my life in many ways. In one big way I have strugled with drug and drinking abuse for quite some time now and this trip has really brought it to my attention that I don't need it in my life. We have been street evangelizing and I truly think its my calling. I am in love with it. I love going up to people and just starting talking about there life and my testomony and how God has changed me. This week has helped me so much. Praise God!!!

WOW! What a Day! 3

7/23/2008 By: Chris Pagel, AIM Staff

7/21/2008 By: Chris Pagel, Staff

Everyone is eating ice cream after a long day of ministry in the 100 degree temps. The day started out with the group breaking up into teams of three, four and five. They then sat and called men and women who are at the end of their time and are now in hospice. Tears filled the building as stories were shared, hearts were broken and prayers were held. After the calls, the groups learned how to tell their testimonies. We had an awesome speaker. Following the speaker we were off to VBS which we did not have a huge crowd for so we just kept pushing forward and found a parking lot where there were children and many others who we blessed with food. They also blessed us with their stories and testimonies. The participants of this trip say that God is changing them in ways they cannot completely explain. Everyone is having a blast and excited to see where God leads us next!

Church Street Manor 2

7/23/2008 By: Lisa Pelcher, Chaparone

Brighton Nazarene Church- Brighton, Michigan

Today I spent time with Rebecca and Austin, helping three elderly women by washing their windows. We had an opportunity to get to know Miss Alice, Miss Bessie, and Miss Cecile. Not only were they incredible women, but the two students I was with absolutely amazed me, after throwing a few hints of what to say with Miss Alice both Rebecca and Austin took over and needed no more hints with anyone else. It was fantastic to see God work through the two of them, and to see the smiles on their faces when all three women allowed us to pray with them. This is a day I will never forget.

Praise God 1

7/23/2008 By: Tim Wessel, Pastor

Brighton Nazarene Church- Brighton, Michigan

Wow is all I can say. God has been faithfull to all of the prayers we have lifted up for this trip. We have the most amazing group of students here and God is doing an amazing work in each of them. We have laughed together, cried together, prayed together, shared together, ate together, worshipped played together and together we have served our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We have seen God's hand move on our group all week through the ministries we have served. We have done Hospice work, prayer walks, door to door evangelism, hung out with the homeless under an overpass and prayed with them, worked at an elderly care facility, worked a downtwown street evangelism program and there is more to come. Tonight we are doing sports evangelism and tomorrow we are feeding the homeless in a shelter and asking the Lord what other ministries we should serve in.

I am so impressed with our students and the hearts they have. I also very proud of them as I have heard so many of the leaders in Aim and others down here say how wonderful they are.

Gotta Go,
Praise God

SPOTLIGHT ON A NEW LOCATION - NEWARK, NJ

Thu, 8 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Newark was founded in 1666 by Connecticut Puritans led by Robert Treat from the New Haven Colony. They bought the property from the Hackensack Indians by exchanging gunpowder, 100 bars of lead, 20 axes, 20 coats, guns, pistols, swords, kettles, blankets, knives, beer, and 10 pairs of breeches. The colonists sought to establish strict church rules, and settlers decided that a community reflecting that task should be named "New Ark."

Newark has always been a city of immigrants, and today it is multi-cultural: 52% Black, 30% Hispanic, and 14% White. It is located approximately five miles west of Manhattan and two miles north of Staten Island, NY. Newark Bay's proximity to the Atlantic Ocean contributes to its status as the major container shipping port for New York Harbor.

Across several administrations, city leaders accepted 100% federal funding for housing projects. Eventually, Newark had a higher percentage of its residents in public housing than any other American city. Certain pockets of the city developed as domains of poverty and social isolation. Of Newark's 273,546 inhabitants, 28.4% live below the poverty line.

Newark has been rated one of the most dangerous cities in America, but it is a place that Jesus would visit to impart His limitless grace, mercy, and love. AIM partners with World Impact to do children's ministry in the projects and parks, and at the base. Teams also serve at soup kitchens and share Christ at a New York City rescue mission.

World Impact's original Bible club ministry in 1976 has expanded to include Newark Christian School, a summer day camp/learning center, and home church plants. AIM teams come alongside to help.

EXCITING INTERN LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY!

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Community Life:training & apprenticeship for Christ-followers

One year of growth, community, and ministry.

We're excited to introduce a new opportunity that many of you will love. We're taking our best coaches and disciplers and matching them up for a year with our most passionate young people (up to age 31). At Adventures In Missions (AIM), we love the next generation. We want to see people launched into a whole new way of doing life. In a culture that esteems independence, we want to restore the value of interdependence that was so prevalent in the Early Church. By living in authentic community, disciples of Jesus learn how to be "salt" and "light" in a way that transforms the world around them. It's a year of training and apprenticeship in community.

Community Life is a place where you can continue to grow in your identity and role in the kingdom of God. The people of AIM will pour into you during this year in a number of ways. Our leaders will train you and hang out with you. We'll help you sharpen your life focus and call to ministry and even help you develop your skill sets. We provide housing in Gainesville, GA, where a select group of 30 young people will live together in several houses in a neighborhood with easy access to the surrounding community. There are five major aspects involved in Community Life:

Mentoring: As part of creating a personal development plan, you will be paired up with a leader at AIM that will regularly meet one-on-one with you and provide coaching, encouragement, and discipleship. Seth Barnes and Scott Borg will guide a team of top leaders as we return to discipleship as Jesus practiced it. This includes intensive teaching to help you understand your past, who you are in Christ, and how to move forward in the plan God has for your life and ministry. You will work on your own, in small group settings, and with some of the most experienced and inspirational mentors AIM has to offer.

Skill development: You will expand your life skills. Many of you will have an internship in the office in an area such as recruiting, marketing, creative writing/editing, media, missions mobilization, web design, or program development. Your internship will be tailored to develop your passion. It's an opportunity to develop valuable work skills through hands-on training.

Ministry: In order to stay connected with ministry, we've partnered with a local outreach to the 60,000 marginalized Hispanics in and around Gainesville. It is important to us that you continue to be exposed to the poor and have the opportunity to engage in hands-on ministry. We'll also partner with a camping and sports ministry.

Travel: To continue engaging in different cultures and learning about God's heart for the nations, we'll provide you with opportunities for travel to put into practice what you have learned. In addition there may be a summer opportunity to lead various discipleship programs for high school and college students around the world. You will be able to call others to a life of sacrifice and to fulfilling the Great Commission. In the future, we'll plant new leadership training bases in places like Spain and Africa with our colleagues Andrew Shearman and Gary Black and partner with them in developing those training centers.

Sample apprenticeships: Recruiting Team, Marketing Team, Multimedia ministry, discipleship ministry coordination, short-term mission project coordination, and many others. You will have the opportunity to use your gifts in mobilizing people for God's kingdom.

For more information: click here

To apply, click hereto fill out a Quick App.

If you are an AIM alumni, please call 1-800-881-2461 ext. 270 or email SerenaLivingston@adventures.org

To the Nightmare and Back again...

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Hello Friends, Family, Brothers and Sisters in Jesus!

Well, the summer season is behind us and Chris has returned from over three weeks in Nicaragua following the Lord's leading. Chris and I thought we would have some down time to reset after a long summer but...not to be!

We received word that we needed to move from our place in Marietta, Georgia because of an ordinance change in the county where we resided. We needed to make the move soon so we dug in and found a house to rent in Gainesville (about 3 miles from work and 1.5 hours from the city). We are once more back in the country side although we didn't realize the extent of the compassion the Lord has given to us for urban areas...we now find ourselves missing the city and longing for the work the Lord has us doing there.

After the move was finished, Dar and Bill left for Harlan, Kentucky. AIM has it's Appalachia base in Harlan and a group from Wisconsin was coming down for a week long mission project. While I was in Harlan, not only did we participate in the mission project, but I conducted Mission leader training for three individuals from around the country who will soon be leading mission trips for AIM. It was a great week and I learned much about poverty in our own country. Please pray for those in the Appalachias that have need for their need truly is great.

Dar and I returned from Kentucky the last part of October. A couple days after our return, the whole family was packed up and heading to Central Wisconsin. In Wisconsin we visited family as well as churches and individuals that have been partnering with our ministry, although I am the first to admit that we did not get to see everyone that we wished to see (but hope to the next trip up!)

In addition to visiting, Chris and I participated in the Nightmare ministry at Believer's Church in Marshfield Wisconsin. If you are not familiar with the Nightmare, it is hard to describe in a nutshell but here is my attempt anyway: The Nightmre ministry is held on the weekends each year in the month of October. It is a Hollywood quality, walk through, in your face production that highlights the top killers of teens in this country today including Suicide, gang violence, alcohol abuse and drug abuse. Individuals are shown the destructive behaviors and the eternal consequences of a lifestyle in sin. At the end of the Nightmare, participants are also shown the eternal sacrifice made by Christ and the gift God extends to all of us.

It is a powerful ministry that saw over 10,000 persons come through this year with over 600 life dedications to Jesus Christ - AWESOME!

Chris and I also spent two days in Chicago as Chris did "Setup" for the 2008 Missions season in that city. She met with various church and ministry partners to ensure that our missionaries would have housing next year and to identify various ministry outreach and community needs.

Well, we are back now in Gainesville. Bill is working on drafting updates to the Mission Leaders manual for 2008 as well as church missions training material development. Chris is continuing with her Setup responsibilities in various locations and homeschooling the kids as well. We hope to have a few weeks at home before the LORD sends us somewhere else...

We'll see!

Blessings!

Costa Rica: A Land Divided

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

COSTA RICA Project: June / July 2007

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

This trip was a blessing as well as an incredible mission opportunity. We were blessed with leaders with such servant hearts. Bill and Chris did so much behind the scenes work. I appreciate their hard work. You could just see their loving heart and sensitivity to the needs of the host Pastor family as well as the team. I felt blessed by the team unity and how everyone worked together. It was incredible to come and work alongside a church in another culture, experience their worship, ministry, their needs and their hearts for God and for the community.

- Amber Mitchell

This trip was an amazing blessing to me! Our whole team was very unified and some of us came not part of a group. We all worked well together and it was awesome how Chris and Bill gave us all the levels of AIM's vision for the trip. Felt needs, Relationship Building, Prayer, Worship and listening and hearing God. I look forward to another "Adventure" for Jesus. I will miss our leaders Chris and Bill and all those who I served with and ministered to.

- Melissa Honour

Playing soccer with the local youth was one of the first opportunities we had to connect with people in Santa Cruz. I thought it was a fantastic idea. VBS was extremely successful in terms of drawing the locals to the church to provide opportunities to impact both the children and their parents with words of life, hope, truth, love and vision for how much more is really available to them in the "here and now" as well as eternity. I'm thankful to God for the raising up ministries like AIM to provide people like me with a glimpse of what missions are all about. I'm thankful for a clear vision of what God may have prepared for me in the future.

- Justin Bellars

This trip was excellent! Bill and Chris were very flexible with their schedule and accomodated our needs very well. The trip details were well organized and their were no signs of stress or discord that detracted from the reason we were all on the trip. We all had an amazing time and we had lots of great storiesabout our trip to share with others. We had great opportunities to demonstrate who Christ is to others, share our faith with others (including ourselves) and to help the church with its vision to reach the people of Santa Cruz. It was such a great pleasure to be able to felloowship and worship with others. It has been the best experience of my life. The Vacation Bible School was well attended and you could see the excitement growing everyday on the childrens faces. I had never prayed for people as they received Christinto their hearts before and it was truly amazing to experience that. I could feel the spirit move every time we were praying with someone and for each other. The chemestry of the group was totally amazing. It was a blessing to see how each one of us brought different gifts and how we were all able to find our place and fill the needs of the group. God used us to show His glory and He also showed us that He is in Santa Cruz and is working to reach the people here. I could see the appreciation in the eyes of the childrenfor the attention; I could feel the love for Jesus when we talked to people at their houses. It was a blessing to be here, to meet who we met and share what we shared.

- Kimberly Whitted

Bless the Lord for assembling this team and for our gracious leaders... Good energy made challenges bearable. Feels like much of a difference was made and a movement has been started.

- MaDiana Diaz

It is my sincere hope that I have been as much of an impact on the people of Santa Cruz and La Iglesic Metodista as they have been on me. I believe that I have grown closer to God in every moment of my time on this mission trip. From the first night we had a worship service and the Lord led me to lead in the singing, something I had never done before, I knew that this would be an awesome experience. Witnessing the church service, it was a gift to return to the basics of praising God. When pastor Victor laid his hands on me and prayed for me, I could feel the Holy Spirit working through him. Interacting with the people of Santa Cruz has been a life changing experience for me. Being able to play a game of soccer, share meals, and just talk with people brought joy to my heart. Providing a VBS for the local children was an exilarating adventure. I thank God for the opportunity to utilize the abilities that He provided me to minister to the youth of this community. I truly believe that it is through the children that this church and community can flourish in the love and word of God. My experiences on this trip have been some of the most meaningful and fruitful blessings of my walk with Christ. Due in large part to the wonderful members of this mission team. I can't imagine being surrounded by a more loving and supportive group of christians than the life-long friends I have had the pleasure to meet and be disciples with throughout this mission trip.

Dios le bendiga
- Michael Hundley

An Atlanta Mission Project - A Participant's Thoughts

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The following was contributed by a young man who was in Atlanta this past June to do outreach as a participant on a mission project led by Chris and I.

This trip has changed my life more than anything I have ever experienced. Before I came here, I DID NOT want kids at all, but that is a major change that has happened throughout this week and God is the one that made it all possible. The vacation bible school was amazing, I have to say. It was a lot of fun getting to hang out and getting to play games with the kids. It let me get to know them and learn to care more about them each day. The walks in the park and getting to talk to the people there were very inspirational, just being able to see what God had done in their lives and to hear them speak from their hearts about their beliefs and even getting to lead some of them to Jesus. As well, we got to hear some of their stories. The people that work at Blood and Fire (Sylvester, Pete, Freddie, AIM - Bill & Chris P.) are amazing and incredible people and there really isn't many of them out there right now. It's just a really great feeling to be able to see the love and the holiness. Going to Safe House and serving the homeless was a great experience, you get to make a lot of new friends as well as the people who work there and the people who worship God. The sports ministries were very fun getting to play with the kids on all the playgrounds. Seeing the kids on the swings and slides were great. I guess mostly this week has really opened my eyes to God and it's an incredible feeling. I'm not walking away from this empty handed. It's impossible to come here and see and experience the love of God in this place and the love that these people (Blood n' Fire and Adventures in Missions) have for everyone and to just be able to leave here without gaining anything. The greatest part of this trip was to be able to be around these people of God, and even if you aren't sure if you have your faith or not you leave here with it. I have to say I recommend that if you get a chance to come you don't pass this life changing experience up. If you truly want to have a God experience and experience his love, this is defiantly the place to come.

-Blake Contreras

PICS from June 2007 Atlanta Project

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Phil! Phil is not his real name of course. Often homeless people choose a different name. Phil is in recovery. He had a heart attack. Homeless but not alone. Phil is with friends who are like family.

Brian Haitz as he leads worship for the homeless in Atlanta at SafeHouse. SafeHouse provides physical and spiritual food to those who call the streets their home. Brian has a gift and a passion to lead worship. We were blessed to have him on our team.

Down Town Freddy Brown is what Freddy likes to be known as. Freddy is going home to his family after being homeless and separated. Freddy has been a big part of our ministry. He enjoys protecting us. We love you Freddy!

Eddie! Eddie is quiet but really sweet. He likes to approach people slowly. We enjoy engaging Eddie in conversations.

Pete and Jackie glow when they see us come in the door. Who says you can't live on love?? They are homeless and all they have are each other.

Bob Howard has over 20 years of street outreach experience working with gangs and prostitutes on the Atlanta streets. Bob has poured his time into our ministry and shares our goal of reaching out to those on the streets. Bob is truly a man of God.

Debbie struggles with demons while homeless. Debbie describes voices and weights of depression. She has one child in the health care facility and a brother who brings her food occasionally. Please keep Debbie in your prayers as she fights this spiritual battle in the name of Jesus Christ.

Scott has done it!! After drug addictions, homelessness and desperation, Scott gave his life to the Lord. He is rehabilitated, has an apartment and is working in construction. We enjoyed worshipping with and visiting with Scott at the homeless shelter. Now we catch him at work!

What will the Summer of 2007 Look Like?

Wed, 23 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Hello! The past six weeks have come and gone as we make the final preparations for the summer season in short term missions. Most of the mission staff have been recruited and given their assignments, now its training time!

Several of us from AIM will be in New Orleans for the first week of June training approximately 50 summer staffers. These individuals will be servant leaders of short term projects in places such as New Orleans, Kentucky Appalachia, Mexico, Biloxi Mississippi, Washington D.C., Kansas City, and other locations. We are so excited to have the opportunity to minister to these servants of the LORD who in turn will go out and minister to hundreds of short term missionaries. They, in turn, will serve and share Jesus with thousands of others! GLORY BE TO GOD!

What a great start to the summer! Following our return from New Orleans, our family will be leading another short term mission project in Atlanta beginning June 16. We can't wait!

Upon completion of that project, Chris and I will be leaving to lead a short term project in Santa Cruz, Costa Rica beginning June 27. The LORD has placed Latin America on our hearts (Costa Rica in particular).

On July 28 the family will once again lead a short term project in downtown Atlanta.

The summer is flying by already!!

We will highlight these mission projects over the next two newsletters, so hold on tight!

At home, the kids are wrapping up their school year (can you hear the cheers?) and will be receiving certificates of completion from a local home schooling group this year.

The current quarter of Street Reach is almost complete (where did that go?) and so many young people have been impacted with the love of Christ. Praise God for StreetReach and all those serving!

God Bless Each of you!

The summer is flying by already!!

We will highlight these mission projects over the next two newsletters, so hold on tight!

At home, the kids are wrapping up their school year (can you hear the cheers?) and will be receiving certificates of completion from a local home schooling group this year.

The current quarter of Street Reach is almost complete (where did that go?) and so many young people have been impacted with the love of Christ. Praise God for StreetReach and all those serving!

God Bless Each of you!

Atlanta Mission Project April 2007

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Adventures in Missions is a church mobilizing, training, and discipleship ministry disquised as a short term missions agency. What does that mean?

ONE of the many things AIM attempts to accomplish in its short term missions program is to allow the opportunity for the LORD to use, stretch, and bring out of the comfort zone anyone participating on the project. Many of the participants will come with the intention to minister and meet needs (which they do) but many soon realize that the LORD is also doing a work inside them as well.

My family and I just came off of a project in Atlanta, Georgia and the following is the highlights and quotes from the participants themselves:

Trip Reflections and Quotes

4/15/2007 By: Varied

Crossroads Christian Youth Center- Big Rock, Illinois

This missions trip was an awesome experience for me. It stretched me in ways I didn't know I could be stretched. It put us right on the front line of spiritual warfare, and with God's help we pulled through and mad a huge impact.

- Oakley Hallstrom

Atlanta rocked, for sure. I had been praying God would open my heart and mind along with the beautiful people coming with and those already down there. Seeing what the kids live with and being with them each day was tiring but super impactful for both parties. Before I got there I didn't even want to leave - decisions at home are no fun - but God did some patchwork on my heart. I thought evangelizing wasn't my thing but it totally is. God's totally my thing! Forever, I'll be praising His name.

- Rachel Lettman

Isaiah 30:18 "Yet the Lord still waits for you to come to Him, so He can show you His love; He will conquer you to bless you just as He said. For the Lord is faithful to His promises, blessed are all those who wait for Him to help them." I came on this missions trip thinking that I would minister to other people (which I did) but more than anything - God ministered to me. He drew me so close to Him that I dropped all of my stress & worries on Him. But towards the end I felt like there was a wall up & I couldn't get past it and through to Him. I've never felt so hungry for Him in all my life. I just hope that as my walk with Him continues that the wall will break down and I'll get closer to Him. Mostly, at the end of the day I just want Him to be pleased with me.

- Jessica Erhart

All my life God has only challenged me to change things about myself to be ready to serve Him. But this was time for seeing if I had made those changes, to see if I would follow His will for me. This was my first missions trip. I will never forget the things God has revealed to me.

- Cassie Brue

I find myself now comparing me in this past's weeks experiences to Stretch Armstrong. The extremeties and torso (I believe) were extremely stretchable. During this trip I was challenged numerous times in sharing my faith in Christ. I learned that I had much more than I thought. I had to learn about my God, my world and myself. I would say, actually that I have been expanded rather than stretched, because there needs to be resistance for stretching to happen. The amazing thing was that I was excited to receive these challenges. If this makes sense, I enjoyed being removed from my comfort zone. So, I guess that is why I would say that I was expanded in my evangelism abilities rather than stretched. It was a sweet week with God, and I expect many, many more. Now, though I've been reminded that so many of God's children either do not have a relationship with His Son or they have no idea that they should even have one.

- Timmy Tokars

This missions trip truly challenged me. From day one I was forced to step out of my comfort zone and trust God and His will. Trusting God fully has always been a challenge. Along with that I learned not to rely on my own strength but the strength of God. Although doing so took persecution and heartbreak. Atlanta was an eye opening experience.

- Brittany Zabel

I have done ministry like this before at Bible College. But nothing this intense. God stretched me this week. I feel like I took another step forward in my faith. I have been thinking a lot about going into full time ministry. I felt the Lord calling me into youth/college ministry this week. All the kids on this trip have such a love for the Lord. It was awesome to see them grow in their faith this week. I am excited to see what the Lord has for my future in ministry.

- B.J. Marland

Challenging, stretching, eye-opening somehow these words still can't describe this trip completely. I definitely learned a lot about obedience on this trip and to do what God tells you or you're gonna regret it and have to live with it for the rest of your life. I had to do things on this trip I had never done before and it was scary sometimes, but I realized that if you want something awesome or out of the ordinary to happen, sometimes you have to take a step out in faith and God will pull through. I learned that you really have to give EVERYTHING to God and let Him dominate you. All the sharing of my faith with people this week has made me excited to get back home and talk to people and make sure I am doing God's will.

- Lily Hallstrom

Proverbs 3:5-6 talks about trusting the Lord with all your heart, not in yourself and if you do this He will direct your path. This verse has been something I've always struggled with. This trip had taught me what "with all your heart" truly means. I gave God full control which is hard for a control freak like me. I did things that would normally cause massive amounts of stress without giving them a second thought because I knew it was what God wanted. I also learned that the closer you are to Christ, the harder the devil tries to pull you away. I act off of gut feelings a lot and never felt such a spiritual battle being fought inside. I praise God because He showed me how to tell the difference and know what the right thing to do is.

- Joshua Boyd

This was my first mission trip and I didn't know what we would do but as the week went on I learned so much. God took me out of my shell and showed me to rely on Him more and I had a blast this week.

- Nate Ament

This missions trip was a life-changing experience. I really realized how much I take for granted I get upset sometimes if I don't get a shirt or shoes that I want. So after seeing so many people who don't even have houses it just really opened my eyes. It also showed me how the spirit works in you. I know I talked to a couple girls, and I didn't even think about what to say, it just flowed out. It was amazing.

- Cassie Kroner

I've been on a few missions trips before - but this one stretched me in ways I've never been stretched before. I learned to perservere through persecution that totally broke my heart. I didn't let the devil win that battle! The children of Atlanta touched my heart and made me realize how truly blessed I am. I will forever keep them in my prayers.

- Sarah Hammond

This trip to Atlanta was truly a blessing. It stretched me a lot in sharing my faith. I've felt God calling me to ministry ever since last years mission trip. I always felt urban ministry was what I should go into. I would love to work with youth. Yet this trip made me realize a bigger problem - false doctrine. I came to realize false teaching starts at the churches a majority of people attend down south. I am now praying and seeing if God would want me to be a pastor at a church down in Atlanta or somewhere else.

- Jonathon Boyd

I think everything went right just so I was able to go on this trip. I went to crossroads the week before the trip and people were saying I should go because Ryan decided not to go. Doug talked to me for about a half and hour about the trip and honestly I really didn't feel like going. But I called in the morning and was able to go. This week was one of the greatest things that ever happened to me. It was a life changing experience because it was my first mission trip, my first time sharing my faith and my first time leading someone to Christ. The highlight of my whole week was leading Alex Weaver to Christ on the last day. He didn't ever seem to comprehend what I was saying and didn't ever want to ask Christ into His heart. On the last day I pulled him aside by myself and just really tried to explain to him again about accepting Christ. He finally paid attention and understood what I was saying and accepted Christ. This trip was very stretching and just a good overall trip.

- Jess Magee

I went into the missions trip with a bad attitude, I really didn't want to do street evangelism. I'm not much for walking up to random people and asking them if they believe in Jesus. By the second day we went out I just thought I can do this, they are just people and if I feel stupid it is not like I'm ever going to see them again. So by the last day I went up to anyone and struck up a conversation. I talked to lots of different people and most of them were saved. But I walked out with an upbeat attitude and said that I would be able to talk to anyone.

- Jake Meziere

On this trip I have learned that one person can make a difference, not because of the power of that person but because of the power of Christ. I have spent so much time in prayer and gone through a lot of crap on this trip and I realized God has infinite strength and because I can get strength through the father so do I. I also realized that the business of life has nothing to do with focus. I can focus on God at school, work or home. Christ should be in everything I do. I need to spend as much time with the father as I can. He will help me overcome any problem and my sin. Christ is the undefeated champ. In Him we will always have the victory.

- Travis Hartman

Going on this trip I really did not know what to expect. I had been on a missions trip before, but it was more service based, rather than strictly evangelizing like this trip. At the beginning of the week I was kind of frustrated because the kids at VBS were crazy and I was not obedient to God. Day 2 was a night and day difference from Day 1. The kids listened at VBS and I was able to share my faith with a few people on the MARTA. Throughout the week, I really grew close to a couple of kids named Tony and Nadia. Being with these kids and seeing how interested they were in learning was really encouraging to me. All in all I am glad that I came on this trip because I was stretched big time in faith and I really grew spiritually.

- Ross Magee

What a week! Before the trip I really didn't want to go for 2 reasons. One was because my best friend backed out and decided not to go on the trip. The other on being that the trip would consume my entire break. Luckily we have an awesome God who helped me have an insane week full of things that stretched me spiritually and helped me get closer to Him. It was just crazy how quickly God changed my heart and gave me the best week of my life.

- Kyle Burks

This week was awesome. This week was really stretching and hard. I learned to rely on God's strength and not my own. The whole week I was praying and reading my Bible more that I have any other week. This week was amazing.

- Joel Carlson

This trip helped me with a lot of things. One of was that God showed me to go and tell about what Jesus did. It felt so good when Joel and I led two kids to Christ at Turner Field.

- Michael Schindlebeck

Project Reflection

4/8/2007 By: Cambria County Christian School

Cambria County Christian School

Adventures in Missions has given us many challenges over the week, and God has brought us through these challenges.

The best part of this experience was the bonding that occurred with the children from our Bible School. It's funny how we thought "we" came to minister, but in the end we were the ones who were ministered to. It's awesome to see the children react to the songs and the Bible lessons each day. The most touching moment is how many children have accepted Christ as their Saviour in the week that we have been there.

The challenges of being socially backward didn't seem like a problem we would be facing. We soon learned that talking to a stranger on the MARTA (public rail transportation), handing out free water on a hot afternoon, and talking to a stranger in the park were challenging and strengthening our faith.

Once we overcame these challenges and became obedient to GOD, the blessings were overwhelming.

What God is Doing through me

4/8/2007 By: Varied, Participants

Cambria County Christian SchoolPA

God is teaching me to step out of my comfort zone. I find that when I listen to his voice and step out, the reward is always great! Kara Gillin

Right now, God is teaching me to be grateful for everything I have, especially love. Working with the children, I see how they yearn for love. It's really awesome to teach them of God's love. -Jillian Raslevich

This week has challenged me in ways that I didn't even expect it to. I feel that I have learned so much more than I have offered, and I am eternally grateful. -Dora Richey

I feel that this trip has taken my breath away with the experiences that I have gone through and the lessons that I have been taught. -Ashley Kirkwood

God is working in my life right now in many ways. I'm learning to be grateful for the people in my life and for everything I have. God has also brought me out of my comfort zone this week more than any other time in my life. I really love all the ministry we've been doing this week. It has been a really awesome week for me. -Shauna Mosley

God is showing me that the little children love to learn about Jesus. I love seeing their face light up when they say their memory verse. -Briana Maykovich

God is really challenging me to be completely obedient to Him and surrender my own desires to do what He wants. Whether it's sharing my faith or simply holding a little child, God is showing me that my sole focus should be to share the love of Jesus. This week has taught me so much about ministry and being sensitive to God's leading.
-Stephanie Ciner

Video - Atlanta Mission April 2007

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Atlanta Mission Project

Wed, 28 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Chris, the children, and I will be participating in a 7 day mission project in Atlanta beginning April 1st.

Well, that date continues to draw nearer and we are busy preparing for that project! Dar and Donovan will be the official "chefs" (under Chris' supervision) for the week and are getting busy with menus and food ideas. There will be 37 participants on the project plus staff and shelter residents. The boys will definitely have a learning experience for the week!

Chris and I will spend the next month in preparation by getting to know the adult leaders from the groups coming on the project. We need to develop relationship and understanding with these individuals to determine what the LORD is speaking to them about in terms of ministry in Atlanta over their project.

Getting to know these groups prior to the project contributes to a smooth process. Chris and I will know what their expectations are prior to them arriving and they will know a little about who we are and what we can do to facilitate those expectations!

The first group participating on the mission project is from Johnstown, PA and is a Christian School. They will have 15 participants in their group and this will be their first trip with Adventures In Missions (AIM).

The second group is from Big Rock, IL and represent a Christian Youth Center. They will have 22 young people in their group. This will be their first AIM project as well!

We have contracted a worship leader for the week from Atlanta who will serve several functions on the project from (the obvious) worship leader to chaperone, to speaker. However the LORD needs him during the mission trip.

Please pray for all of us as this mission project draws near.

PSALM 27

Sat, 27 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Psalm 27

Of David.

    ¹ The LORD is my light and my salvation
       whom shall I fear?
       The LORD is the stronghold of my life
       of whom shall I be afraid?

    ² When evil men advance against me
       to devour my flesh, ^{[
a]}
       when my enemies and my foes attack me,
       they will stumble and fall.

    ³ Though an army besiege me,
       my heart will not fear;
       though war break out against me,
       even then will I be confident.

    ⁴ One thing I ask of the LORD,
       this is what I seek:
       that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
       all the days of my life,
       to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
       and to seek him in his temple.

    ⁵ For in the day of trouble
       he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
       he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle
       and set me high upon a rock.

    ⁶ Then my head will be exalted
       above the enemies who surround me;
       at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy;
       I will sing and make music to the LORD.

⁷ Hear my voice when I call, O LORD;
be merciful to me and answer me.

⁸ My heart says of you, "Seek his ^{[
b]} face!"
Your face, LORD, I will seek.

    ⁹ Do not hide your face from me,
       do not turn your servant away in anger;
       you have been my helper.
       Do not reject me or forsake me,
       O God my Savior.

¹⁰ Though my father and mother forsake me,
the LORD will receive me.

    ¹¹ Teach me your way, O LORD;
       lead me in a straight path
       because of my oppressors.

    ¹² Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
       for false witnesses rise up against me,
       breathing out violence.

    ¹³ I am still confident of this:
       I will see the goodness of the LORD
       in the land of the living.

    ¹⁴ Wait for the LORD;
       be strong and take heart
       and wait for the LORD.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
The "NIV" and "New International Version" trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by International Bible Society. Use of either trademark requires the permission of International Bible Society.

You're a Missionary! To Georgia?

Fri, 26 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Well another month goes bye in a blink of an Eye! It has been a busy month in Leadership Development at AIM as we continue to recruit, train, and assign Project Leaders (these are the logistical short term mission team leaders who facilitate the individual mission projects). I have also been busy locating and assigning mission projects to various Worship Leaders for spring mission projects.

As I learn the day to day job responsibilities that surround staffing short term mission projects, I am gaining a new appreciation for the administration end of missions. AIM will have a couple hundred short term mission trips over the spring, summer, and fall. All these mission projects will each need a Project Leader, Worship Leader, and support staff.

Without these critical staff members, the mission projects do not get done and the Great Commission is left undone.

Tragically, that means thousands will not hear the name of their salvation, Jesus Christ, no relationships will be built, no felt needs met, and God's will left undone.

When the LORD called us into missions, we had a pretty cliche idea of what a missionary should look like (very reminiscent of colonial missions, in fact). When the LORD showed us that HE calls people from all walks to missions, it destroyed some of our preconceived notions of a missionary.

Then the LORD went further in HIS call on our lives and told us HE would use us as missionaries to the Domestic Church....and HE didn't stop there. The position would be administrative.

WOW. The LORD called us to be Domestic Administrative Missionaries. Was there such a thing? Not only did we learn there indeed was such a creature, but that they served a critical component in the missions chain. The LORD does indeed use many people, from many backgrounds, in many ways.

We praise the LORD that we can serve HIM and do this ministry.

Oh, and if you feel the LORD calling you to lead short term mission projects, great! Just give the admins in Leadership Development at AIM a call. A precious child in a Mexican colonia or a homeless couple on the streets of Detroit who have never heard the name of Jesus may just depend on us "office" missionaries recruiting you!

You may very well lead the team of field missionaries who shares the Gospel with them!

God Bless and Keep all of you!

December

Sat, 16 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Hello All,

The LORD continues to work in our lives and He keeps His promises to us! A lot has happened in the last five or six weeks! We moved into our new home in Roswell / Marietta, Georgia, have met wonderful new Christian friends and partners, found a church home (Thank you LORD!), went to New Orleans for training and missions, various outreach ministry involvement including SafeHouse and The Albert T. Mills center in Atlanta. In addition to all of this, I just went through two days of training at the AIM office in Gainesville with Vicki Babington (THANKS VICKI!) to assume some new responsibilities there!

Our van broke down and we had over $500 in repair bills but ALL GLORY TO GOD for He provided a great group of people that where obedient to His call and they paid the bill! Thank you to those caring brothers and sisters in Christ and Praises to the LORD!

The LORD led some kind individuals (WE KNOW NOT WHO YET) to provide my family with many wonderful gifts this month on our porch on December 06. My kids were blessed with many wonderful things and I can't say thank you enough to those who did it (who ever they are) and the LORD!

It really has been a month of blessings, faith, and obedience. The LORD shall be glorified in all He does and we can only pray to be humble in Him and to Glorify Him in our actions.

We as a family are truly humbled by the LORD's graciousness and love for us. We pray only to be used by the LORD as He sees fit and pray He keeps us sharp like tools in a tool shed, ready to use at any moment. USE US LORD - AMEN!!

Can you imagine serving anyone or anything but the LORD? We can't!

We will be returning to Wisconsin for the Holidays and are actually excited to see some snow, although we certainly appreciate the unusually warm weather in the Atlanta area at the moment!

Hope to keep you updated as we continue our walk and we give thanks for each and everyone of you.

God bless and take care.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Update From New Orleans

Sun, 19 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT

On Saturday, our group assisted local churches and ministries with the Convoy of Hope at the Winn-Dixie parking lot near the French Quarter in New Orleans. Over the course of the day, guests were able to receive a hot meal, door prizes, certificates for turkeys and other goods, groceries, music, health checks, prayer, and JESUS! Over 3500 persons came through the Convoy of Hope and over 100 individuals came to know the LORD! Give the LORD praise!!

What an awesome day. I spent it doing security at the main gate and had the opportunity to help welcome guests to the site...It was great!! The day was long but it was well worth every minute.

On Sunday, we attended services at a wonderful Spirit filled Baptist church in East New Orleans. This is a wonderful group of individuals who have HUGE hearts for the LORD. It was so encouraging seeing these Brothers and Sisters in Christ that have lost so much give praise and worship to the LORD in such a huge way. It was absolutely amazing. May God bless them and keep them always.

We prayer walked Holly Grove in the afternoon. What a time that was. Rian Bess and I had the opportunity to speak with (seperately) a beautiful woman of the LORD named Dolores. Dolores' home was damaged in the storm and her son and nephew were in the process of doing repairs. Dolores allowed us to pray for her and was very open with us. She is a STRONG grandmother who is currently in Grad school for a degree in criminal justice. Awesome! Dolores shared with Rian later that for a time in the mid 1990's she was restricted to a wheel chair. She said this was dark time of her life in which she spent her days smoking and drinking. One day Dolores prayed to God to deliver her from the cigarettes. That day, as she was using the restroom, she discovered she could not release her hands from the commode (Rian says she was vivid with her descriptions!) making it so she could not move. She knew it was God getting her attention and she spent the day that way. In the evening her hands went limp and released. PRAISE GOD for at that moment she stood and walked! She has been walking ever since! Dolores also quit smoking, drinking, and cussing from that day forward! AMEN!

Stories and testimonies such as this are all over in New Orleans as God opens His arms to his children in the city. There is SO much work here yet, both physically and spiritually. Pray for the Church as it continues to rise up meeting this challenge, expelling the enemy from his strongholds, and rebuilding lives and saving souls in the city of New Orleans.

God Bless

FAITH

Sat, 18 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Hello all,

As I write this, I sit at a PC terminal at Celebration Church in New Orleans. We are preparing to go out for the day and participate in a ministry called Carnival of Hope. The day will be filled with outreach to the local community that has suffered through so much since Katrina. Children will play and hear the Gospel, families will recieve a blessing of food, healthcare needs met, and haircuts provided. Most importantly, they will be prayed for. Music will play, kids will sing, families will come to know the LORD and GOD will be glorified!! AMEN!

As with past trips, the LORD works with me concerning basic truths and this trip is no better. He has already slammed me concerning FAITH and FEAR, reminding me that HE remains faithful no matter what things look like in the moment and that fear need not have a grip on me. I thank and Praise the LORD for His faithfulness and for HIS releasing of my fear!

I want to thank all of you for your obedience to the LORD and to those who have partnered with my family and I to share the Good News of Jesus. We need this partnership and relationship. We could not do this alone.

GOD has provided my family with many blessings (including a home - Glory to God!) and has remained faithful to His promises to us, even though what I THOUGHT things would like look like in reality look very different. But there again it is HIS plan vs. my plan and I should know better on that one! The LORD always has a different approach to things than my flesh would have me take. For me, the key is to keep my FAITH strong no matter how things look today, trust in the LORD, and continue to listen and be OBEDIENT to what He is doing. Just because things don't happen like we want them to does not in anyway mean He has left us....He cares for His children and simply has BETTER things for us than we could ever imagine for ourselves!

Well, I must go now. Praise the LORD for He is good. ALWAYS! I cannot imagine doing anything but serve HIM!

May the LORD keep you and your families.

First Month In Georgia

Fri, 6 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Hello everyone!

Believe it or not, my family and I have spent our first full month in Georgia! We stayed most of that time in a campground in Cleveland, Georgia but are now staying at the mission in Gainesville, GA as we continue to house hunt.

Not only are we house hunting, but we are seeking out the Lord's guidance as we begin to visit local churches. We have attended two so far, Free Chapel in Gainesville and The Rock of Cleveland in (you guessed it!) Cleveland, GA. Chris and I really like The Rock and the kids really enjoyed Free Chapel. We continue to be in prayer concerning this and ask that you do the same for us!

Cassie (my daughter-age 7) visited the Cabbage Patch Kids General Hospital in Cleveland and she had a blast. They do an excellent job with the young ladies. I'll try to post some pics on this later!

The kids all seem to be adjusting well and we are doing fine. I am slowly learning about AIM at the moment and have begun to take on some of the workload. I will be traveling to New Orleans for a short term mission in November and ask for your prayers concerning this as well.

Well, I have to get going but will try to post now on a more regular basis as I get this blogging thing figured out!

God Bless!

July 2006 Atlanta Update

Fri, 6 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Hello Brothers and Sisters,

In July, I had the opportunity to staff a mission trip to Atlanta, Georgia with Bill Britton of AIM where three wonderful Churches ( Trinity EPC, IN; Riverside, GA; Shady Grove, NC) served the Lord at a ministry called Blood n' Fire. The ministry works with homeless individuals by providing shelter, food, church, and other immediate needs as well as giving them the opportunity to get a "hand up" and back on their feet. The week consisted of Vacation Bible School at local complexes, street evangelism, and ministry back at Blood n' Fire.

Once again the Lord moved in amazing ways and I think the kids from the trip express it best:

So Far...

7/11/2006 By: Jessica Byerly, Participant

Shady Grove United Methodist Church- Winston-Salem, NC

I'm home at last! After a year of waiting, I finally got to come back to Blood-n-Fire in Atlanta, Georgia. We have met so many amazing new people and reacquainted ourselves with the familiar faces. We are here with two other youth groups, one from Indiana and one from Georgia. So far this week we have fixed breakfast and lunch two days and dinner one night. Sunday, we had an absolutely wonderful church service lead by Bill Britton, head of AIM. We took a prayer walk to the capitol and walked around downtown Atlanta. We also prayed over our VBS sites. We started Vacation Bible School at Albert T. Mills on Monday and that will continue through Thursday. All of the children at the camp are absolutely wonderful and have touched all of our lives in different ways. Yesterday (Monday), after VBS, we did our Urban Plunge which is riding the MARTA and creating friendships with various passengers. It's always challenging to ride the MARTA and expect to find people that you can chat with because some are on for one stop and then they are gone or some may be on for five. We went to Centennial Park today and created relationships with numerous people. We handed out water and talked to people that looked like they needed a friend or two. After we got home, we decided that we needed to go play a little basketball with the kids from Butler Park. Some of the girls got to cheer and dance with the girls at Butler Park. We plan on helping the head of Blood-n-Fire tomorrow, after VBS, clean and some will prepare brownies and cookies for the talent show that will take place here tomorrow night. On Thursday, after VBS of course, we will have a short prayer time and ask the Lord where we need to be for that afternoon. Sadly, we will leave on Friday morning and have to return to our other home but Blood-n-Fire will forever be in our hearts and prayers. All of us have had an amazing encounter with at least one person and are ecstatic to see what the rest of the week holds. Please keep us in your prayers and all of the people that live here as well

More and More Opportunities to be Jesus

7/11/2006 By: Candace Homer, Mark Lawson, and Brittni Gowan, Participants

Riverside Baptist Church- Colbert, GA

What a blast! This has been an unforgettable experience and I think all of us here have enjoyed. When we first got here we were excited but still had no clue what was in store for us. VBS has been a great joy to the whole team. The little kids can be hyper at times, but they are really learning a lot at least five of them have memorized the Bible verses without being told to. It just feels rewarding when you know you've got something through to them. The kids at VBS are breaking all of our hearts. More than one of us has left the Jonesboro South apartments in tears over the conditions the people live in there, and over how much the kids there want to be loved. Yesterday we divided into groups and went onto the Marta trains to start conversations with random people. It taught me and a lot of other members of the team that it's not that hard to start up conversations with people that we don't know. Today we went to the Centennial Olympic Park and we got to talk to different people and learn about them and where they were from---Georgia, Texas, and Pastor Lee bothered a guy from Ethiopia for about 30 minutes. Well we originally went to pass out water and talk to people but some of them just did not want to talk, so then we went and played in the fountain and talked to the little kids. Jonathan, Hannah, and Lee met a homeless lady who said SHE was Jesus---she was sweet, but really sad. We bought her an ice cream cone and prayed for her.
We've met homeless pastors, traveling salesmen, people who have lost their jobs and everything else. We met one guy on MARTA who had just been released after 20 years in prison, and was going home to Ohio to see his family for the first time in years, and another who was trying to find long-lost family in Atlanta. We've seen lots of children who need lots of help and love. The whole thing has been an eye-opening experience for us all. I don't think any of us will ever look at a homeless or poor person the same again. Keep praying that God will give us more and more opportunities to be Jesus to the people we encounter here in the ATL, and that we'll take what we've learned here home and apply it there, too.

God Moving

7/11/2006 By: Jessica Langohr, Participant

Trinity Evangelical Presbyterian Church- Columbia City, Indiana

A few lines cannot describe the impact that we are experiencing here in Atlanta, both with the Vacation Bible School kids and in our own lives. God is moving among our hearts and breaking them so that we can have an unconditional heart of compassion for every person that we meet. We have met many individuals who we were able to converse with and a few that we were able to say a prayer for. Everything is happening in God's time and we are truly learning that with every passing day.

I was so blessed to be a part of this trip and the opportunity to work with such wonderful young people with hearts for the Lord and His work. Praise God!

I hope to post photos from this trip and others soon, so check back!

God Bless,

Bill