Co-laborers

Today our church was pleased to host Rev. Dwayne Spearman. Dwayne once served on staff at FBC; in fact, he held the very job that I now hold. Last summer he moved his family to Lima, Peru, where he is now involved in Christian education. Please pray for Dwayne, his wife Jannett, and their 2 sons.
If you are interested in learning more about his ministry, visit www.dwaynespearman.org

Mixed Bag

Missions work isn't all peaches and cream, and sometimes you see things that are just heartbreaking. We try to help as much as we can, but some things just can't be fixed.
Let me mention a lady I met this week while working with the Christian school. We were conducting a VBS in a trailer park, and we met a lady I'll call "C". Her husband just left her with 6 kids. She is trying to work, and has plans to go to law school one day. I took her some Bibles and other materials last night. She was a nice lady, and it seems like she is trying to do the right thing. As you can imagine, things are a little rough for her right now, and I know she would appreciate your prayers.

Scouting Report

Somewhere along the way I realized that one of the benefits of mission work is that you get to meet lots of wonderful people. This week was a prime example, as we hosted a group of 11th graders from Pantego Christian Academy. They worked hard, and got a lot done. Their leader, Michael, was a pleasure to work with. If any Pantego parents happen to read this, please know that your students represented you well. Thanks guys!
I also met a couple of scouting teams this week; that is, team members who came to scout out the area in view of a future trip. One team was from Houston, the other from Corpus Christi, and both groups have been working with us for several years. Between the groups, they will build houses, hold VBS, conduct medical and dental clinics, give free hair cuts, and give away school supplies. And, the fun begins in just over 2 weeks!

Planning Ahead

Got a few vacation days left for this year? Why not use them to make an eternal difference? It's not too late to be a part of our summer missions work at First Baptist Brownsville. E-mail me and we can discuss your options.
Can't make it this summer? No matter.....we can host your team any time of the year!

Honest Abe

Today I spent the afternoon in Mexico with a new friend named Abraham. After lunch Abraham showed my pastor and me the work that he is involved in there. We saw about 6 churches that are in various stages of construction. It was quite impressive. The churches are not large...in fact, he told us that for some services at the church he is now working at, no one shows up but his family. But he continues to serve nonetheless.
You know, the older I get the more I admire people like Abraham. You can have the superstar pastors and the Christian celebrities; just give me folks like Abraham. No pizazz, no fanfare, just loving obedience and faithful service. May his tribe increase.

Haiti

On April 10th, 2010 I, along with 6 others, left for Haiti to do disaster relief work. I won't attempt a moment by moment account of what we did, but I will highlight a few things.

My impressions:
1. It's as bad as you think. The country was in bad shape before all of this happened, and the last thing they needed was a major earthquake. But of course, that's what they got, and many areas were simply devastated. Our team basically tore down, then built back, a church/school building. On the last day our team was split up, and I went to another site to do clean up. There were a few setbacks, and it was hot, hot, hot, but we were pleased with what we were able to accomplish. It helped that we had a good team, and everyone worked hard. It was a pleasure to spend time with these guys.
2. I really enjoyed the Haitian people. We spent most of our time around other believers, and it was a real pleasure to work along side of them. They reminded me of the South African believers I met in 1998....very warm, loving and hospitable, with an intense love for the Lord.
3. This tragedy may be the beginning of something great. Literally tens of thousands of people have professed faith in Jesus Christ since the earthquake, and several of the pastors we met hope this is the beginning of spiritual awakening in that country.
4. It is important that we continue to pray for the Haitian people. Now that most of the TV cameras are gone, and many secular relief agencies have left, the Haitian people need our help as much as ever. There are literally years worth of work to be done there. There is a long history of corruption and spiritual darkness (especially voodoo) in Haiti, so this is spiritual warfare at its most intense.

Welcome to Brownsville!

Welcome to my blog! I thought this would be a good idea, so that friends and family can stay up-to-date on what is going on with our family, especially with the mission work I am involved in.
Most of you who are reading this no doubt already know that in March I moved from South Carolina to Brownsville, Texas to begin a new minstry. I now serve as missions/education pastor at First Baptist Brownsville.
My intentions are to post a new blog whenever I have some "news" to share about our mission work. I hope it will be enjoyable and informative for all of you. God bless!