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So there I was an eager and naive college student in my second year at Oral Roberts University. I saw a sign advertising a week long, short term missions trip to Mexico. Having never been on missions before, I knew it was time to take my first trip. So I went, and that week changed my life. God told me when I was twelve years old that I was going to be a missionary. Sitting in church one night, I heard, very clearly, God call me to full time missions. So there I was eight years later about to take my first ever missions trip. The weeks before the trip our team spent several Saturdays learning our evangelism dramas. We were doing "Toymaker" by Impact Productions . My character was the soldier. So in my backpack, along with my toilet paper, pepto tablets, flashlight and Bible, I packed some camo paint, a set of BDUs (battle dress uniforms) and a toy machine gun. Our ministry was the "street gang" method of street evangelism, made popular by Teen Mania Ministries...

From Wired.com : 1968: The crew of Apollo 8 delivers a live, televised Christmas Eve broadcast after becoming the first humans to orbit another space body. Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and William Anders made their now-celebrated broadcast after entering lunar orbit on Christmas Eve, which might help explain the heavy religious content of the message. After announcing the arrival of lunar sunrise, each astronaut read from the Book of Genesis. How this went down at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in the Soviet Union is unknown, but it stands in stark contrast to the alleged message sent back to Earth several years earlier by cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space. “I don’t see any God up here,” Gagarin reportedly said from his vantage point aboard Vostok I, although the accuracy of that statement has been challenged over the years. The crew of Apollo 8 didn’t claim to see God, either, but they were clearly impressed by His handiwork.

Wise men still seek Him, Daniel contemplates our Nativity set. More pictures from Y.A.F.C (yet another Filipino Christmas):

Pictures from the Sonshine Learning Center (preschool) Christmas Party, the Mom's and Dad's Bible Study party, and the big Saturday Kids Club Christmas bash with Jolibee. WE HAD OVER 300 KIDS!!!

This was put together by Eric and Faith, enjoy. In those days, the Emperor made a decree that a census of the whole Empire should be taken. So Joseph went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. The city was so full of people there was no room for them in the inn. So they had to spend the night in a stable. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today ...

Today was spent getting things ready for Christmas celebrations at the Sonshine Center. The kids helped Chris and the rest of the Sonshine Learning Center staff get ready for a Christmas party, decorating, preparing gifts, etc. We then spent the evening going around Iloilo passing out meals to the poor on the street. Danny and Chris at work Eric and Danny filling bags of gifts One of the most amazing things about missionary life is watching my children do ministry. We always say they are not "future" missionaries, they are missionaries now. Faithy helping to bless a street family with a simple meal. I miss watching my children play in organized sports. Eric was able to play t-ball and flag football in our life before missions. I really miss that. However, while scoring touchdowns or hitting home runs might one day get their picture in the day's newspaper, what they are doing here in Iloilo--spreading God's love, advancing His kindgom on this earth--has a more eternal ...

Lately I have been trolling around other Christian blogs, and I am noticing a trend, the "edgy" or "hip" Christian bloggers are getting a large portion of the Internet, Christian blogging traffic. Cutting edge topics and arresting titles are the rule of the day. And this can be seen as a corresponding trend mimicking how the church is evolving, moving from the traditional to the more "today" or "hip." Instead of services, we have "gatherings." Instead of calling yourself a born-again Christian, you are a "Christ-follower." Who doesn't want to be cool? Who doesn't want to be considered very "now?" I find myself a little envious of the cool kid Christians, with the high traffic blogs, who are considered "real" because they have controversial blog posts and are unafraid to use profanity. But rather than confirm to this, so I too can be considered cool, I feel a check in my spirit (I know that's an ...

This is a repost of an amazing story from a few years ago: What is poverty? The gentleman in the picture (wearing the blue tank top) lives in Calajunan, the city trash dump area. In the picture behind him you can see the mountains of trash. He works in the trash collecting things like pieces of metal and plastics in order to sell to recyclers. He lives in one of the most awful places I have ever been. Even though I have been to Calajunan many times, I always nearly toss my cookies whenever I go. On the surface he would be considered among the very poor--that he is living in extreme poverty. Actually he is a very good father with a blessed family. Through his work at the trash dump he has been able to send his kids to college. His oldest son graduates this year while another son is just starting. He walks to work, it probably takes him about five minutes. He probably thinks that anyone who commutes ninety minutes to work each way is living in poverty. Through the satisfaction he has ...