Visiting Waukesha

I actually didn't get any pictures while I recently went to visit our NTBI Waukesha Campus. I went over to visit the student body, collect data on past NTBI Alumni Graduates, and have strategic meetings related to my Alumni ministry. It was a very profitable visit. I stopped at the train station on my way back and walked across the street to the Sears Tower.

Union Station is right downtown Chicago. Pretty cool. Got to walk outside during my layover. The train was definitely the way to go (it's a 5 1/2 hour trip from Jackson to Waukesha).

Dropping Shannah off at work. Earlier this semester she worked as a food-server. It was too much strain for her knee though, as she's still recovering from a knee injury this past Spring. Would you please pray for Shannah's knee to heal.

Oh, and a PRAISE! God provided her a job in town as a lifeguard at the local YMCA!

Let's Go on a Date

A little while back I got to take my best friend on a date.

Suprised her with the dress. She knew we were going out, but I had her come dressed in sweats...she found me in a suit....I sent her up to her room...

...where Susan and Rachel, two of her friends, were waiting for her with a couple others. They did her hair, her nails, she picked out a nice pair of heels, and after a while...

...we were off!

We went to Bella Note'...a nice Italian Restaurant downtown. They had live jazz! Ya know, it is a blessing already that God has given me a wonderful ministry here at NTBI for the time being. Having Shannah here is a HUGE bonus (that we get to be in the same place as God is growing our relationship). And she is really enjoying her Bible classes!

After we came back...everybody told me what a fortunate guy I was! I agree! We had a great time out on the town. Course, it doesn't take much for Shannah and I to have a great time. We get along pretty good (I'm the normal one...haha - j/k).

Goofin' around with Rae Rae and Susan after we got back.

I don't know what to say about this. We were just....SO happy.

September 2008 Newsletter

To read Page 1: click on the page and it will enlarge.

To read Page 2: click on the page and it will enlarge.

Life and Ministry at NTBI Jackson

Let me take you for a little tour of my apartment here at NTBI...

I have my own private staircase that leads up to my apartment (it is connected to the 2nd floor: men's dorm & married student apartments)

There's my front door. I have a kitchen with running water, gas stove, refrigerator (the works!). I know, I'm spoiled.

Here's a view from my front door: Kitchen, living room, 2 bedrooms and a bathroom. I've got the whole place to myself! I know, I'm spoiled. But I've got lots of room to have groups of students over and even a spare bed for guests to stay.


Here's the middle bedroom...my bedroom is in the back.

I know this picture is faded out, but I want you to take note...this is during student orientation. This is an auditorium full of students who are investing two years of their lives into studying God's word. All those raised hands are students who are planning to go on into full-time cross-cultural ministry. Praise God...there is such a need for laborers to take the message of the Bible to unreached people groups! Please continue to pray that God would raise up more young people like this who will give their lives to labor for the sake of the gospel (Luke 10:2).

This is me hard at work (haha...well, Scott asked if I would help hold down his notes as we took them to his Romans class). That's the deep blue sea to the left of my "surfboard." Here I'm surfing off the coast of Africa.

Okay, for real...I do have an office.

Doing what? - I am helping to develop a ministry to support NTBI Alumni Graduates who desire to get further missionary training. My ministry will be to help them get there (in the past, many have gotten side-tracked or discouraged along the way). This new ministry as NTBI Alumni Coordinator could help to increase missionary candidates in NTM by as much as 20%.

Finally In Michigan!!

Stopped by the Waukesha campus for New Tribes Bible Institute on my way through Wisconsin.

Finally, I arrived at the campus in Jackson, Michigan where I will be coordinating my new ministry! Thank you so much to all of you who have prayed for me along the way.

The car ran fine all the way through 9 states!! (Total Distance = 2,127 miles)

Did a little shopping to set up my appartment (t.p., soap, etc.).

Stay tuned for pics of my apartment and office...

Trip to Michigan (New Tribes Bible Institute)

So here's some highlights from the past two weeks and my trip out here to Michigan.

Leaving my home church, Ustick Baptist, in Boise, Idaho.

I used every square inch of my trunk space.

Packed it all in pretty good.

Henry's Lake (Eastern Idaho)
Guess which one is mine...probably not your first guess (look closely).

My parents and I got to spend my last week out West at an Awana Camp with some teens in Montana! Dad was the main speaker & I did the music. Also got to challenge the students to be world christians and to get involved in missions work around the world. I got to go with them into Bozeman for a children's outreach. Played my guitar as we led the kids in some fun songs.

They shared the gospel message with these kids using the wordless bracelet.


Here was one of the highlights. We took a group of brave campers into the woods and had a "discipleship session"....we tested their ability to dodge paintballs and taught them humility. Haha, well sort of.....I actually got taken out in the first round by two of the Jr. High boys.

After camp, I spent a couple days in the mountains fishing with my dad and cousin.


Notice I said fishing and not catching. They weren't biting at this lake...but the view was great!

I'm going to miss the West (sniff, sniff).

On my way through Wyoming...


I camped out the first night near Mt. Rushmore...all by myself.

This is my first cross-country trip by myself. 34 hours of driving through 9 states in all. It was nice to stretch my legs once in a while.

Drove through that mountain.

On my way through Minnesota (lots of farms)...beautiful country.

August 2008 Update

Click on the letter (above) and it will get bigger.

Here's my updated prayer card.

Mexico Ministry

These past two weeks, we've been able to go into Juarez with the outreach teams from International Family Missions (IFM). Here we're visting a men's rehab center...these men are recovering from alcohol and drug addictions and many of them come to faith in Christ during this time. This man also came to visit and brought his guitar. These men love to sing! We are singing a favorite song (in Spanish of course).

When men come into the rehab center, they go three days "cold turkey" right off the bat. This is Ra'el (Ry-el). He is in his first day at the center and is trembling from withdrawls from an intense alcohol addiction. We are smiling, because as we sat with Rael, prayed for him and comforted Him, we knew there is great hope for his recovery. Please pray for Rael. He is in the midst of this battle to be free from alcohol.

Here we're walking through a colonia inviting families to come to the church just down the street. We shared a meal with them, had fun activities for the kids, visited with them and helped them connect with the pastor who is there to serve them.

It was special for Shannah and I to be able to share some praise songs with the group in Spanish. How beautiful it was to see these families from Colorado (parents and young children) living out the gospel by ministering to the poor, the widows, and the orphans in this city that so desperately needs Jesus. The same can be said about many of our cities.

Are we sharing His love with those around us at home?

Kendra, Shannah, & Kayla Pryor (sisters) are helping these older folks find a pair of glasses that might help them to see better. The team brought the glasses down with them.

Kayla is holding a Bible up for this lady to read as they test out a pair of glasses.

Yeah, they found a pair that worked! They were so greatful! Who'd of thought we'd be able to help share the gift of sight with these people.

This man's name is Arelio. God used him to challenge & impact some of the team members in a powerful way! He is a dear, sweet brother in Christ who has been through more trials than most of us will ever face. He's lost everything, but He has Christ and His joy is contagious! He has bad athsma and couldn't come into the service, so we were able to go to him and sing for him (we sung, "This is the Air I Breath").

A couple of the ladies went and picked up a prescription for him from 2 months ago! They brought him inhalors and antibiotics. Imagine not being able to breath, because you can't get to the pharmacy! Wow.

If you'd like to know how you can take your family on a missions trip (kids and all), check out IFM's website: http://www.ifmus.org/

How we live...

Just got the fence up for the dogs. They call this the "Straw-bale house," because the outside walls were built with straw-bales...no kidding! Pretty cool.

See, there's a hole in the wall in the kitchen, so you can look in and say, "No way! It really is straw-bales!"

Here's probably the biggest house in Fabens, TX. It's for sale and even has some grass.

And then here's the average place in Juarez, Mexico (just a few miles away).

This is a colonia that we visited a couple days ago. Typical...houses start out made from wooden pallets or whatever's available. Cinderblock houses are a bit nicer, because they keep out the dust a little better. When was the last time you complained about the house you live in? Puts things in perspective. Especially when you meet some of these people and they're much happier/content than people in the USA. I suppose happiness isn't found in stuff.