Taking off!

We all made it together to the airport and are taking off in about 30 minutes! We'll post again once we arrive in Pretoria. Thank you for your prayers!

Also, here's a picture from the other night of our complex and high-tech packing techniques to make sure our luggage doesn't go over 50 pounds:

Getting ready!

Hi church family! We're so grateful you're joining in on this journey with us as our sixth team heads to Pretoria, South Africa this Thursday evening (Sept. 29) We'll be updating this blog with information and photos each day of our trip so we can share with you all that God allows us to be part of while in Pretoria serving with Hope Baptist Church. Our team has our final preparation meeting tonight before we meet at the airport on Thursday! 

Our preparation meetings over the last couple months have been a little bit of an adventure as our entire team has yet to all be in the same physical place at one time. We're so excited that in addition to our team of five from FSBCS, two others will be joining us — Fred MacDonald is the Director of Missions at the Pecos Valley Baptist Association in Artesia, NM, and Ken Engledow is the Senior Pastor at Hillcrest Baptist Church in Carlsbad, NM. It's been a pleasure getting to know these men during our meetings, and we're looking forward to meeting them in person!

Here's a photo of our computer screen during one of our recent meetings - you can see we have four different locations represented at the top of the screen.

I think we're all experiencing a combination of excitement and a little nervousness as we each prepare to teach main sessions and/or workshops during the Hope Baptist Church leadership conference that we're assisting with this coming Monday and Tuesday.  We'll also be helping with another eyeglass distribution (as teams have done in the past) on Wednesday and Thursday. 

We need and appreciate your prayers. Pray that our nerves about teaching will be settled and that we will trust the Holy Spirit to speak through us and use our teaching for God's glory and for the good of those who hear it. Pray that we'll be a great encouragement to Pastor Julius and Cintia and to the HBC body of believers. Pray that God's name would be lifted high and that many people would come to be in relationship with Him. 

As we've said many times in our preparation meetings, God doesn't need us to accomplish anything in Pretoria. But He allows us the privilege of being a small part of what He's already doing. We're grateful and excited.

Stay tuned!

Team #6 Prepares to Leave for South Africa!

Our next mission team from First Southern Scottsdale is preparing to leave for Pretoria, South Africa on September 29th.



Check back to this blog from now through the duration of the trip as they return on October 9th. Your prayers and support are greatly needed and appreciated for this team!

With God, ALL Things Are Possible!

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

With God.

With God.

All. Things. Are. Possible.  

What an astounding claim by Jesus Himself.  We know that we can travel halfway around the world, join with fellow saints in a well organized outreach, tell others about Jesus Christ and, yet, none of this will result in the salvation of souls for His kingdom. It is impossible for man to be saved by human effort alone. Impossible.  But...with God.....all things are possible, including the most glorious miracle of them all....the salvation of our souls!

How we celebrate the miraculous work of God this past week. How we praise Him for His mercy, kindness, compassion and indescribable love poured out on us and through us to others.   How we are humbled by the God of this great universe allowing us to come alongside Him in His profound work here in Sunnyside. How we praise Him for the communion and encouragement of the saints!

We will not know, this side of heaven, the magnitude of riches gained for His glory and His kingdom through this past week or in the coming months and years as Hope Baptist Church soldiers on in this theater of war against the kingdom of darkness.   But we do know that, through one of the great mysteries of our God, it is your prayers which have borne much spiritual fruit in this effort. God does not need us to work, yet He calls us to partner with Him. You who have so faithfully prayed are no less a part of this team than those of us who had the distinct joy of serving in Sunnyside.   From all of us, a hearty and humble thank you.

We are home but we have left a piece of our hearts with the servants of Hope Baptist Church and the people of South Africa.   If you have talked with any team member, I bet they are having a hard time putting to words all that we saw, felt, and experienced in SA. I know I am.  If we can leave you with one request, it is our fervent and heartfelt plea that you continue to pray for the Body of Christ at Hope Baptist and, indeed, throughout all of Pretoria. The harvest is ripe but the workers are few.   Ask God to multiply their number and grant them supernatural strength, insight, wisdom and encouragement as they persevere in this mission field where our Awesome Father has placed them.  Pastors Julius and Cintia are thankful for your continuing support.   Your prayers are never in vain and, in fact, matter more than ever as they follow up with each person (over 560!) who attended the glasses clinic last week.

We couldn't resist a few more photos to wrap things up so here's one of our John Herr, sporting the new cap he purchased for his granddaughter in the Jo'burg airport.....

And another of our faithful and gracious pastors at HBC, Julius and Cintia............

And finally, our very own Pastor Keith Matney, who valiantly conquered the gathering, training, leading, praying and driving (no small feat!) of our ragamuffin team to South Africa in 2015.
His godly leadership is beyond comparison.  Thanks, Pastor Keith.

Expand Your kingdom, Lord Jesus, to Your great glory and Your great fame.   

Amen and amen.

Coming Home!

There is one Body and one Spirit ~ just as you were called to one HOPE that belongs to your call ~ one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.    Eph. 4:4-6

God's word is true.  God's word is light. In Him darkness dare not dwell.  His kingdom advances and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.   How humbled we are to have come alongside these faithful members of the Body of Christ at Hope Baptist who are joining the Holy Spirit in His magnificent work in Sunnyside.  How thrilling to bear witness to God's truth transforming lives and ministering hope.   Our hearts are one in Christ and we are broken to leave. The servants of Jesus here certainly do have a "walk worthy of the calling to which they have been called with all humility" (Eph. 4:1).

All week long, we have been treated as highly honored guests and yesterday, the church put on a big braai (barbeque) for us.  It was a sweet time of fellowship and tears as we prepared to say goodbye to some of the kindest, warmest people on earth.   What a privilege to be here (have we said that before?).

Mel Anderson worked on the data entry and tells us over 500 people came to the clinic !  All praise to Jesus as each one heard the life changing truth of the gospel!

Your on going prayers for the people of this community are so important.  Thank you for your faithfulness.

Thanks Be to God!

After this I looked and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"  Revelation 7:9-10

We have been making a somewhat futile effort to keep track mentally of how many people have made declarations of faith in Jesus Christ but, frankly, it is quite beyond us.  The Lord is glorifying Himself daily by setting captives free from the kingdom of darkness and translating them into the kingdom of His glorious light.  Hallelujah!   All praise and honor to our Jesus Christ who, by His great mercy and grace, has worked through this sweet body of believers at HBC.  It is their vision to see this neighborhood and, indeed, all of Pretoria, tranformed to the glory of God.  We are only along for the ride but what a thrilling ride it has been!   Praises to Jesus for taking our tiny offering of willing hearts and allowing us to join Him in His great work here in Sunnyside.  What an indescribable privilege.  Humbling, to be sure.

If we have not said so before, thank you for sending each of us.  We know it has been a sacrifice of prayer and finances from all of you.   We cannot begin to describe what an honor it has been to represent FSBCS here in South Africa.  So, thank you.

And, it bears repeating, your prayers matter.  They have, through the mystery of God's hand, borne much eternal fruit already.  Please do not grow weary as we enter the home stretch.  There is much work to do here to overcome the darkness which strives to cover this land.   Let's commit to continue  to pray for the advancement of the Kingdom of Christ long after we have returned home.  The real work is done through prayer.  Commit today to regularly lift up this body at Hope Baptist as they follow Jesus and His leading.

It is our final morning of the glasses clinic.  Pray God brings whomever He desires to hear the word of life and that everyone who comes lost receives the free gift of salvation in Jesus Christ.  We seek His heart for these precious ones.

The Family of Our God!

To say it is family here would be an understatement.   The sweet smile of this baby is typical of the warm welcoming spirit of our brothers and sisters in Pretoria.   Praise Jesus that we are all family in Him. The world offers nothing in comparison.