from July 3, 2011 prayer update

Kathy and I greatly enjoyed watching a 7 part DVD series on the adult life of John Adams this week. Adams wore many hats over the course of his life. He was a defense attorney in Boston, a key player in the first Continental Congress, the first ambassador to Great Britain, the first vice president, the second president of the U.S., and raised a son who became the sixth president. It was a great way to prepare ourselves for celebrating Independence Day tomorrow. It will be the 235th anniversary of the U.S. declaring its independence from the tyranny of British governmental control and it’s strongly opposed “taxation without representation”.

A guest speaker in my home church today spoke about another independence day, the spiritual freedom that every believer in Jesus Christ now has, acquired through the costly death and the resurrection of Jesus. Sadly most of the world is still under the control of an evil tyrant and spiritual bondage is a daily reality. Pioneers exists to provide access to spiritual freedom to those living within a people group without access to the liberating message of the gospel.

Two weeks ago Pioneers held a pre-field connection event at our U.S. mobilization base in Orlando. 29 missionary units (families, couples, or individuals) met there for five days of final training before they leave for the field. Six of these were from the Red River region which I serve. One from Rogers, Arkansas serving an UPG (unreached people group) in Mexico, one from West Monroe, Louisiana serving an UPG in Thailand, one from Austin, Texas serving an UPG in France, one from Houston, Texas serving an UPG in Mongolia, and two from Lubbock, Texas serving an UPG in Oman. They will be joining 2450 Pioneers workers already on the field worldwide. These workers serve on 229 teams among 146 UPGs in 95 countries.

I am asking God for two things as I begin this new role with Pioneers’ Church Partnership Team. One, to use me to help keep a steady flow of new workers from Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas entering into church planting work among the UPGs of the world. And two, to use me to help cultivate healthy, growing partnerships between the sending and supporting churches these workers come out of and what is happening on the field. I would welcome your prayers toward those ends.