Just a handful of days

Well, in five more days the project begins in its most tangible means. Essentially things were set in motion months ago when the leaders began to get details together and pray. For me, this mission began in late March when I got the word of acceptance and started raising support. Honestly, it is hard to believe that the most tangible, physical, spiritual work is about to begin. This Friday morning I will be taken to the airport by a parent, get on a flight for Santa Ana, CA at 6:15, stepping out in faith to see God work for His glory to bring peace, love, life, eternal life into lives in the Middle East. This is terribly exciting. Really, there is no worry, no anxiety, and no stress. Thankfully I am at a healthy place of trusting God to move how He pleases and being content with knowing I am serving His purpose. The rest of this post talks about some things you can be praying about for me and my team. In the next couple of days I will try to give you more detail as to what will be going on this trip, but do know that much of it is undisclosed to protect the team and the future of the mission. Also, I will not have my computer on the trip, and will have very little access to internet and phone usage, if any at all.

With that, the first thing you can pray for, and I ask you do, is for protection. There are security risks, plain and simple. Will there be persecution of some type? Well, if we are doing what the Bible says, then I surely hope so. Paul shows us in Romans 8:36 that "As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” David wrote in Psalm 42:22 the original reference: "Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." Does this literally refer to slaughtering? No. That surely has happened to apostles of the past, and is happening to disciples today in many countries across the globe, yet the larger picture is vulnerability. Devotion to God implies, naturally, a sense of vulnerability to forms of persecution, whether that be physical, emotional, verbal, etc. So, please pray for protection as I feel it is God's will to continue this mission in the future. It is so exciting this opportunity to be a part of the firstfruits, those setting up the foundation for a mighty move of God. May He redeem lost ones to His Kingdom, giving life, love, peace, joy, and contentment to those who truly have none of these things.

“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. ¹⁹ The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. ²⁰ Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you. ²¹ They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the One who sent me. ²² They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin. ²³ Anyone who hates me also hates my Father. ²⁴ If I hadn’t done such miraculous signs among them that no one else could do, they would not be guilty. But as it is, they have seen everything I did, yet they still hate me and my Father. ²⁵ This fulfills what is written in their Scriptures^[a]: ‘They hated me without cause.’

²⁶ “But I will send you the Advocate^[b]—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me. ²⁷ And you must also testify about me because you have been with me from the beginning of my ministry.

John 15:18-26

The second, and last, thing I will ask you to pray about, as I hope for you to be able to absorb this and spend some time on these two topics, is strength and power. Psalm 28:7 gives us perspective on how we have strength by stating "The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him." So, we know strength both comes from God, and is found in Him. Nehemiah understood this, for, as it is written in chapter 8, "Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." Pray that the team does not forget this. Pray that the Word of God is alive and moving in us all the day long. Pray that we do not get distracted from the Word of God. Pray that we wait on the Lord so that we will renew our strength (Isaiah 40:31).

This society is one which does not respect weakness, nor sympathizes with the weak. Strength is seen as credibility. May we be strong, forceful in presenting the Gospel, and fervent with love.

Next time I ask that you pray for the Holy Spirit to work in and through us. I will hold off until tomorrow or Tuesday so that this can be taken in, but know that the Holy Spirit is the one who works in us power.

Thank you all for your support. Thank you for prayers, words of encouragement, your finance, and your partnership. You who pray and connect with me are as much a part of this as I am, seriously, so do not take that lightly. Know I certainly do not. So greatly I appreciate all of you and know that you are being used in ways you may not understand. God bless you. Spread the word of this mission. And, spread His Word; His lifegiving message of hope and love.

~Alex