Great worship day yesterday. We have a missionary friend serving in SE africa. He and family over the course of the two weeks were exposed to H1N1. What ensued was a very scary time for he, wife and 4 kids. Out of 13 tested his 4 checked + for the virus. The host nation health department wanted to quarntine the kids in the local hospital. Not desirable! God in His own way got the Minister of Health to change the rule in order to allow minor children to be quarntined in their own home.

We have been talking regularly via SKYPE. Thought it would be "cool" to have him piped into the speaker system in the Sanctuary. Long story short after much nail biting our Missionary friend became the live application for Pastor's sermon. Pastor finished his sermon with ".....and we have one of our own who has experienced ....." "Missionary are you there?" Missionary answered clear as a bell and was able to share his experience live from his home in Africa. Wasn't a dry eye in the place! WOW! Great way to finish!!

Good news I don't need the vaccination for Japanese Encephalitis. That saves $$ and inconvenience.

Received word that friends working with Wycliffe in Tanzania have been exposed to H1N1. 4 members of the family are sick. They need our prayers. They are meeting with in country health officials today for evaluation/confirmation and possible course of treatment - tamiflu.

Shots

Successful visit with the travel nurse yesterday. I am pretty much set for the trip to Bangladesh. Just needed a tetanus booster and schedule the Japanese Encephalitis series - two or three shots in a series costing around $300.00. Here comes the first of expenses. I worry about that, but then criticize myself for doing so when I know that this to is under HIS purview and will be met in His time.

Mean while it was the morning in the courthouse examining title and the afternoon here at Postal Connections packing and shipping.

I've really been enjoying the Exiled Preacher's blog: http://exiledpreacher.blogspot.com/
Suggest you give it a read. Check out his recent posts for a short hx on John Calvin.

Oops! I arrived at the clinic where I had booked my travel consult appointment only to find our they had no record of such an appointment being made. So now my appointment is scheduled for July 21st. Guess I'll have to wait to get poked.

Tomorrow morning I have been given a great honor and delight. I've been asked to lead the commissioning prayer for a group of young people headed out for a week of work in a community in Indiana that was struck with damage due to inclement weather earlier this year. The kids raised their hands and committed to this challenge a while back without any knowledge as to where they would be going or what they would be doing. It was not until this past week that the "Where and What" were revealed. The unknown causes hesitation and, to some extent, fear. Yet we have a all knowing God who's direction to us is to"Go". Paul and Barnabas http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=acts%2013:2-3;&version=31; were commissioned and were directed in a variety of ways by the Holy Spirit to "GO". They did just that. I am sure they were blessed, but they were also challenged and in the face of challenge they maintained the Gospel. My prayer is that our team will go with the Gospel of Christ on their lips.

A Journey Begins

Ok, Prayer friendly followers I need you! Friday, February 20 through Sunday, March 8, 2010 I will be embarking on what for me may well be one of the most arduous challenges yet. I’ve been invited and have accepted the invitation of Dr. Doreen Mar to travel and work on her medical team to Bangladesh. The team may have new members, however, Dr Mar has been to Bangladesh multiple times, (6 teams in 7 years). Medical Missions as a facilitator to sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ and supporting the local church as our goal. Serving the cup of cold water while telling those we serve about our awesome Savior.

This will be my second trip with Dr. Mar. In 2005 I traveled to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where we worked with HIV patients. In Bangladesh we will be working with members of the Bawm tribe through invitation from the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Bangladesh. The clinics will take place in the Bandarban Hill Tracts.

My sending agency considers this trip “high risk” based on a variety of challenges not the least of which is political. I must confess to some anxiety at the prospect of this. It is one thing to acknowledge that our Father is in control mentally, but it is sometimes hard to live that fact. Yes I will accept your prayers on my behalf!!!

Today I start my prep for this challenge/opportunity with a travel consult for a check of my immunizations. In prep for the aborted trip to Myanmar trip two years ago I received numerous inoculations. I hope they are still valid. My hope for this blog is to chronicle the preparation, both spiritual and practical as God prepares me for this journey.

Travel with me on this journey.

Missions Ephasis

Tonite is the big meeting with the powers that be to discuss how much facility expansion we need to consider to meet the needs of our congregation. Meetings tend to be long w/o much seemingly accomplished, however, we've got a great crew of men and women and I think they have a sense of what is important. Going to be interesting to see the direction we go in.

To build or not to build?

Church Growth what a topic to stir the hearts of men, women and anybody else. Boils down to: Do we need more facility or do we have to many people sitting in pews! I lean towards the latter. Let's fund mission trips/work camps/worldview learning opportunities as opposed to larger halls. We would free up sitting spots if we had _ percent of our current pew sitters involved in out of the comfort zone travel. Let's spend on making it economically possible. If we are serving others in His name we would "grow"!

Saturday Morning

Listening to John Piper with a sermon on Athenacias, one of the Nicene fathers. Heavy stuff. Not one customer in the first 4 hrs this morning. Soooooo have take the time to talk to daughter Killer and harass her middle child. I will be looking for a "stuffed mouse" toy in order to continue the harassment of that Grand Daughter!

Tried to converse with my other daughter, however, I think five runchkins have got her well occupied this day. Either that or the "mad Scientist" party turned her into "a live under the bridge troll" and as a result her husband and kids are stuck with eating funny face pancakes.

Hope this posting finds you all well. Keep the faith! It is all we have of reality!

BD

Happy Day!

Great Day in the Morning. Listening to speakers, (MP-3), off of the
http://www.monergism.com/
This is a great site that has a lot of good material on it. Kris said she logged on to the blog, but couldn't post to it. Guess I'll have to explore how to do that. Keep em coming Kris. Thurs is Library day. Love ya all

Good friends

Just had a visit in the store from Dianna, wife of Kevin, who stopped by to say "Hi". She asked, as many do: "How is the store doing?" My response = Ugh!

Dianna's son Eddie is getting married in Aug. He and BTB were in yesterday to get some pre-wedding postcards printed up. The rest of Dianna and Kevin's family are doing well. Erin in GR, Peter at Calvin, the rest, aside from Eddie, are here at home.

Great afternoon yesterday. Spoke with Killer in Honolulu who said Q-kid has been accepted into the nursing program. Sent Q-kid an email of Congrats. One more nurse to take care of BD in his old age.