clowning around:)......
The girls and I.....
Taylor and Kiley.....
Jay pretty in Pink;).....
Donna face painting...
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Sunday picnic
Here are some pictures of the outreach picnic we had:
clowning around:)......
The girls and I.....
Taylor and Kiley.....
Jay pretty in Pink;).....
clowning around:)......
The girls and I.....Taylor and Kiley.....
Jay pretty in Pink;).....
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Polish Christian Rap
To end the week of GROM (evangelism training) in Olsztyn they brought Kola in to share the TRUTH through his awesome talent of rap. Below is a clip of Kola preforming in old town. He was able to stand on stage and promo for his concert later that night.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Comments from Volunteer Team, June 2009
This is a report from the CBCJ volunteer team that served with us in Poland, June 2009 by Jimmy D. Brown for the Poland Team.
Twelve of us joined the Lord in His work in Northeast Poland on this mission project. We flew from Memphis to Amsterdam, The Netherlands and then from there to Warsaw, Poland where we were received by missionaries Sean Stevenson and Bryan Intemann. We were transported by vans to “cabins in the woods”, which would be our base camp, about two and half hours away.
During the next seven days we were blessed to participate in a variety of activities including: prayer walking, service projects (picking up trash in a village, building and erecting a permanent road sign, building park benches), in-house evangelism, “American day” after school events (crafts, games, etc.), distributing several thousand leaflets (Gospel tracts, invitations to the church startup, block party invitations, testimonies, notices for free Bibles, etc.), block party, evangelistic dramas, on-the-street witnessing, video production, and more.
It was amazing to see how God used each member of our team to serve Him and the people of Northeast Poland in interesting and unique ways ranging from playing with the children to cheerleading to haircuts to directing skits to hugging to teaching to witnessing. Everyone on our team was able to serve whether they were the youngest (8 year old Jacob) or the oldest (no names and ages!).
One of the things that meant a lot to us was the distribution of our personal testimonies. We told His story by sharing our story in printed handouts! Each of us provided our testimony and a picture prior to the trip. The locals translated them into the Polish language and printed them on half sheets of paper. We were able to hand out 100 each during the week to those we made personal contact with.
God’s presence and activity was noted throughout the entire trip ranging from His clear sovereignty over the weather (whenever it was time for us to do something outdoors the rain “mysteriously” cleared up on queue!) to His moving on the hearts of lost people (we had over 50 people show up at the “Baptist” block party … this was a huge “God-thing”!) to the fruit being harvested even as I type this report. We’ve already had several emails from the missionaries telling of people responding to the materials we distributed. Today I received an email from one of them stating that a lady requested a Bible and has asked them to teach it to her as a Bible study as well! Praise the Lord!
While we didn’t see any conversions on this trip, we know they are forthcoming. We planted new seeds, watered existing seeds and are waiting for God to “give the increase” in His perfect time.
I think everyone left wishing the trip didn’t have to end, longing for a return visit and praying that the desire to share Jesus with the lost would continue to be strong in each of us as we interact with our friends, family, neighbors, co-workers and strangers here in Jonesboro. We are on mission here too!
One other thing worth mentioning is the unity we all experienced during this trip. Not only was there an obvious connection we had with each other, but there was an immediate bond with the missionaries in Northeast Poland (The Stevensons, the Intemanns, the Smiths, Naomi, Bailey, Juanita) as well as the nationals we worked with (Marcin, Artur, Daniel). It was genuine koinonia … fellowship, a sharing in common of Christ.
It was an amazing trip that left an impression on everyone involved: the CBC team, the on-site missionary team, the nationals and the unsaved. To God be the glory, great things He hath done!
Twelve of us joined the Lord in His work in Northeast Poland on this mission project. We flew from Memphis to Amsterdam, The Netherlands and then from there to Warsaw, Poland where we were received by missionaries Sean Stevenson and Bryan Intemann. We were transported by vans to “cabins in the woods”, which would be our base camp, about two and half hours away.
During the next seven days we were blessed to participate in a variety of activities including: prayer walking, service projects (picking up trash in a village, building and erecting a permanent road sign, building park benches), in-house evangelism, “American day” after school events (crafts, games, etc.), distributing several thousand leaflets (Gospel tracts, invitations to the church startup, block party invitations, testimonies, notices for free Bibles, etc.), block party, evangelistic dramas, on-the-street witnessing, video production, and more.
It was amazing to see how God used each member of our team to serve Him and the people of Northeast Poland in interesting and unique ways ranging from playing with the children to cheerleading to haircuts to directing skits to hugging to teaching to witnessing. Everyone on our team was able to serve whether they were the youngest (8 year old Jacob) or the oldest (no names and ages!).
One of the things that meant a lot to us was the distribution of our personal testimonies. We told His story by sharing our story in printed handouts! Each of us provided our testimony and a picture prior to the trip. The locals translated them into the Polish language and printed them on half sheets of paper. We were able to hand out 100 each during the week to those we made personal contact with.
God’s presence and activity was noted throughout the entire trip ranging from His clear sovereignty over the weather (whenever it was time for us to do something outdoors the rain “mysteriously” cleared up on queue!) to His moving on the hearts of lost people (we had over 50 people show up at the “Baptist” block party … this was a huge “God-thing”!) to the fruit being harvested even as I type this report. We’ve already had several emails from the missionaries telling of people responding to the materials we distributed. Today I received an email from one of them stating that a lady requested a Bible and has asked them to teach it to her as a Bible study as well! Praise the Lord!
While we didn’t see any conversions on this trip, we know they are forthcoming. We planted new seeds, watered existing seeds and are waiting for God to “give the increase” in His perfect time.
I think everyone left wishing the trip didn’t have to end, longing for a return visit and praying that the desire to share Jesus with the lost would continue to be strong in each of us as we interact with our friends, family, neighbors, co-workers and strangers here in Jonesboro. We are on mission here too!
One other thing worth mentioning is the unity we all experienced during this trip. Not only was there an obvious connection we had with each other, but there was an immediate bond with the missionaries in Northeast Poland (The Stevensons, the Intemanns, the Smiths, Naomi, Bailey, Juanita) as well as the nationals we worked with (Marcin, Artur, Daniel). It was genuine koinonia … fellowship, a sharing in common of Christ.
It was an amazing trip that left an impression on everyone involved: the CBC team, the on-site missionary team, the nationals and the unsaved. To God be the glory, great things He hath done!
Monday, August 03, 2009
Generations of Silence
I missed the bus by two minutes. Not shocking considering it happens every time I come out of the hair salon. And it's one of those bus stops that takes forever for the next bus to come. But today was different. Not so different in the fact that my hair was now nothing like it was when I went in, or so different that Taylor had found a stone wall to climb and slide on, but different in the fact that I sat down next to a little white haired old lady.
Looking at her from the corner of my eye I noticed that she could barely sit upright on her own, and observing her cane, clothing, and face I had the unfortunate thought that she probably won't live much longer. And then I thought "I should give her a tract." I thought to myself "She may be dead soon, she could be in hell in days writhing in pain, how will she hear the Gospel by then?" I also thought on a sigh, "If I don't give her a tract I will be upset for the rest of the night, she will plague me."
So, I gave her a tract. A Billy Graham tract. I said it was about God, that I was American, and I spoke little Polish. She opened the tract, never acknowledged me talking to her, and started to read. Part of me panicked and hoped the bus would come quickly. But then I told myself to stay calm, and if she speaks, do my best to answer. She never spoke. She just continued to read. My bus came. I got up, turned to her smiled and said goodbye and she nodded her head and smiled back.
That's it.
But is it? We could ponder, was that truly effective? Will it bear fruit? Was that really the best way? I don't know the answers, but what I do know is this-Christ was glorified today on that bench, I presented the Gospel to a dying woman the best I possibly could, and in that one moment of hope that she may come to know Jesus through it all, made not only moving over 4,000 miles worth it, but missing the bus too.
Looking at her from the corner of my eye I noticed that she could barely sit upright on her own, and observing her cane, clothing, and face I had the unfortunate thought that she probably won't live much longer. And then I thought "I should give her a tract." I thought to myself "She may be dead soon, she could be in hell in days writhing in pain, how will she hear the Gospel by then?" I also thought on a sigh, "If I don't give her a tract I will be upset for the rest of the night, she will plague me."
So, I gave her a tract. A Billy Graham tract. I said it was about God, that I was American, and I spoke little Polish. She opened the tract, never acknowledged me talking to her, and started to read. Part of me panicked and hoped the bus would come quickly. But then I told myself to stay calm, and if she speaks, do my best to answer. She never spoke. She just continued to read. My bus came. I got up, turned to her smiled and said goodbye and she nodded her head and smiled back.
That's it.
But is it? We could ponder, was that truly effective? Will it bear fruit? Was that really the best way? I don't know the answers, but what I do know is this-Christ was glorified today on that bench, I presented the Gospel to a dying woman the best I possibly could, and in that one moment of hope that she may come to know Jesus through it all, made not only moving over 4,000 miles worth it, but missing the bus too.
Boldly Proclaim
I had this sitting in my inbox, and for some reason put off reading it. Today I woke up thinking about GROM. GROM is an evangelistic meeting for the National Believers here in NEP. I was thinking about how I can be more bold in sharing the Gospel, and the age old fears of doubt and incapabilities crept up on me. Then I read this, I just wanted to share it because it was a great encouragement.
Speak What He Teaches
"Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say" (Exodus 4:12).
Many a true servant of the LORD is slow of speech, and when called upon to plead for his LORD, he is in great confusion lest he should spoil a good cause by his bad advocacy. In such a case it is well to remember that the LORD made the tongue which is so slow, and we must take care that we do not blame our maker. It may be that a slow tongue is not so great an evil as a fast one, and fewness of words may be more of a blessing than floods of verbiage. It is also quite certain that real saving power does not lie in human rhetoric, with its tropes, and pretty phrases, and grand displays. Lack of fluency is not so great a lack as it looks.
If God be with our mouth, and with our mind, we shall have something better than the sounding brass of eloquence or the tinkling cymbal of persuasion. God's teaching is wisdom; His presence is power. Pharaoh had more reason to be afraid of stammering Moses than of the most fluent talker in Egypt; for what he said had power in it; he spoke plagues and deaths. If the LORD be with us in our natural weakness we shall be girt with supernatural power. Therefore, let us speak for Jesus boldly, as we ought to speak.
~Spurgeon
Speak What He Teaches
"Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say" (Exodus 4:12).
Many a true servant of the LORD is slow of speech, and when called upon to plead for his LORD, he is in great confusion lest he should spoil a good cause by his bad advocacy. In such a case it is well to remember that the LORD made the tongue which is so slow, and we must take care that we do not blame our maker. It may be that a slow tongue is not so great an evil as a fast one, and fewness of words may be more of a blessing than floods of verbiage. It is also quite certain that real saving power does not lie in human rhetoric, with its tropes, and pretty phrases, and grand displays. Lack of fluency is not so great a lack as it looks.
If God be with our mouth, and with our mind, we shall have something better than the sounding brass of eloquence or the tinkling cymbal of persuasion. God's teaching is wisdom; His presence is power. Pharaoh had more reason to be afraid of stammering Moses than of the most fluent talker in Egypt; for what he said had power in it; he spoke plagues and deaths. If the LORD be with us in our natural weakness we shall be girt with supernatural power. Therefore, let us speak for Jesus boldly, as we ought to speak.
~Spurgeon
Friday, July 31, 2009
Where are the Stevensons today?
Well... this isn't from today but we thought we'd share a few pictures with you. We were in DC last week, this week we are in Atlanta visiting Lydia's brother and sister-in-law and thier kids!
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Story time...
Thought I would share a great story with everyone:
Mark 7:31-37 (New American Standard Bible)
31Again He went out from the region of Tyre, and came through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, within the region of Decapolis.
32They brought to Him one who was deaf and spoke with difficulty, and they implored Him to lay His hand on him.
33Jesus took him aside from the crowd, by himself, and put His fingers into his ears, and after spitting, He touched his tongue with the saliva;
34and looking up to heaven with a deep sigh, He said to him, "Ephphatha!" that is, "Be opened!"
35And his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was removed, and he began speaking plainly.
36And He gave them orders not to tell anyone; but the more He ordered them, the more widely they continued to proclaim it.
37They were utterly astonished, saying, "He has done all things well; He makes even the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."
Please pray that God would open the hearts of the people of Poland.
Mark 7:31-37 (New American Standard Bible)
31Again He went out from the region of Tyre, and came through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, within the region of Decapolis.
32They brought to Him one who was deaf and spoke with difficulty, and they implored Him to lay His hand on him.
33Jesus took him aside from the crowd, by himself, and put His fingers into his ears, and after spitting, He touched his tongue with the saliva;
34and looking up to heaven with a deep sigh, He said to him, "Ephphatha!" that is, "Be opened!"
35And his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was removed, and he began speaking plainly.
36And He gave them orders not to tell anyone; but the more He ordered them, the more widely they continued to proclaim it.
37They were utterly astonished, saying, "He has done all things well; He makes even the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."
Please pray that God would open the hearts of the people of Poland.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Missing Our Fearless Leader!
And claiming no hit backs, retaliations, or other vengeful reactions :)
Friday, July 10, 2009
A sight most don't see
I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea." Revelations 1:9-11
* outside of the cave where Paul wrote revelations
While in Greece I had the chance to visit the spot where John wrote the book of Revelations.
It was a neat experience getting to see the place where John would have walked. However, at the same time it was disheartening to hear others around me tell their children and friends the account of Paul as just another story or even fairytale. Praise God for giving us the Bible and the ONLY source of truth! *artwork at the top of the door before you enter the cave
I was not allowed to take pictures inside the cave where Paul was sentenced and the spot where Revelations was wr
itten but I was able to get picture of outside the cave and around the island.
itten but I was able to get picture of outside the cave and around the island. *view of Patmos island
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
The Pendulum
We look back over the last 6 months and there just may not be enough words to describe all that we went through. How we were challenged, changed, encouraged, and blessed! I keep saying this week that I know my tolerance level has increased. From the immense amount of stress of having our team car stolen and burned, to Jay being in an ER in Greece, to facing language challenges that take you from highs to lows. From feeling totally normal in my new country, to feeling totally foreign at times. From thinking I have things figured out, to realizing I know nothing. From thinking there just may be some consistency, to realizing it's all about to change again! So goes the pendulum of life on the field. I wonder if the full swing will ease a bit, and maybe we'll just slowly rock and sway.
With all this grinding of our lives, I know the Lord is refining us. I also know that through it all there are treasures that Poland has taught me. I have learned to enjoy each new day and the beauty that it brings. Whether it's Cherry blossoms, or lilacs, or new flowers in bloom. Whether it's snow falling, or old men meticulously digging their gardens, or young men walking with friends licking ice cream cones. There is a simplicity here, that has been lost or that I never experienced in the States. Time is taken to sit outside and have tea, relationships are deep and non superficial. That the hearts of man can communicate to each other, although the language is not understood, is evidence of how powerful love is. I know that through it all, if I were not here I would miss it terribly. So whether the pendulum swings and my emotions go for another ride, or it keeps time setting the pace of our lives, I praise God for the trials, the laughter, the fears, hopes, joys, and tears because I see Him through it all. And to know Him more, to share Him more, and to honor Him more, is all the more reason to endure the swing of the pendulum.
DS
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
I Triple Dog Dare You!!
We just returned from our Annual General Meeting. This is an important time of refreshing for us. We are able to learn, rest, heal, recharge, fellowship, and worship... all in English. That last phrase is something you don't realize the importance of until it's gone. While there, I was reminded of something. JD Greear, the speaker for our worship times together, took us to John 6 one morning. In verses 5 & 6 there is a test. His question was, what is the test?
In answering, JD said that God puts His people in certain times at certain places to show that He is the only God, the only Savior. The test? To trust that Jesus is that very person when faced with an impossibility. This brings up a second question... How do you pass the test?
He said, take a dare on God.
This is what I was reminded of. Perhaps it sounds a bit irreligious, but God always covers His bets. When faced with an impossibility, put His name on the line; bet everything you have on Him. How many times have we read Moses plead before God, that, for the sake of His own name, to rescue His people? As JD pointed out, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did this very thing, and they bet big! It was in front of every who's who in Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom, in the face of death. All in, they put everything on God.
What I was convicted about was not the betting imagery I just used :-), nor that we are to recklessly abandon to God--of this I was reminded. I was convicted by how I have shifted the reason that God answers such daring and audacity away from Him over to my own worthiness. I caught myself thinking that I can ask for such things because I am a worthy and dedicated servant. How ridiculous! As it always has been, it is because of His mercy (to which He is faithful) that He does such things. His desire to move the mountain (Matt 17.12) is because He wants to. There is no power in asking from my worthiness, but only from His own faithfulness and mercy with an expectation that He will move it--even if my faith is no bigger than a mustard seed.
So, yesterday evening I took a dare.
We were talking with our neighbors and she shared with us that she is facing an impossible situation. I saw the opportunity and took it. I boasted that our God honors the truth and told her we would be asking Him to do just that. She is indeed faced with a serious problem with powerful people, but He has mercy and is far bigger than them. We also told her that though she has NO idea what to do we will ask God to make it clear what to do. We are asking that this answer will point only to His personal intervention. She needs to know Him. This is one of those impossible opportunities.
Join with us in this prayer. Then when He answers this dare, we can boast in Him again and hopefully a new child of God will boast as well...
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Enjoy!
These are some pictures from today in Olsztynek and Jemiolowo
The volunteer team did a great job, Enjoy!
The volunteer team did a great job, Enjoy!
Saturday, June 06, 2009
God's Love...
This was e-mailed to me to encourage me and I thought I would share it. Enjoy!
GOD LOVES YOU UNCONDITIONALLY
A well known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?" Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this."
He proceeded to crumple the dollar bill up. He then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air.
"Well," he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. "Now who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air.
"My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.
Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless.
GOD LOVES YOU UNCONDITIONALLY
A well known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?" Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this."
He proceeded to crumple the dollar bill up. He then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air.
"Well," he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. "Now who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air.
"My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.
Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless.
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
The reason....
While looking through my pictures and video I came across the video of a polish baptism I had the honor of attending a couple months back. Every time I watch this it reminds me of why I am here. To see people come and grow in the Lord. We serve an awesome God! A God that transcends language barriers and cultural differences. A God that meets us where we are.
Party Animals!
Friday all the children/pre-teens on our team come over for a massive slumber party. A chance to hang out with the children and also so the parents could enjoy come R&R time. We had a blast! We custom made pizzas, decorated cookies, played the Wii, and enjoyed popcorn and a movie. The next morning we started things
off right with a pancake and bacon breakfast followed by a photo scavenger hunt and picnic lunch. It was an awesome time with lasting memories!
off right with a pancake and bacon breakfast followed by a photo scavenger hunt and picnic lunch. It was an awesome time with lasting memories! Do you have a dog?...
Every Thursday some of the team has the privilege to teach English in a town not far from Olsztyn (Jonkowo). On average we have anywhere from 8-10 students that come to our after school English lesson which last about 45min. to an hour long. We play games with them and other activities, using basic level English skills to help them learn and practice their English. All this is in hope
s to build a relationship with the students and teachers which will hopefully lead to them hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Please pray along with us that every English lesson and conversation will be used to further the TRUTH.
s to build a relationship with the students and teachers which will hopefully lead to them hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Please pray along with us that every English lesson and conversation will be used to further the TRUTH. * Here we are playing a game with the students. A ball with questions written on it (Ex. Do you have a dog?) is thrown back and forth between people. The person who has the ball must read and then answer the question in English.
Monday, June 01, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
I Love Jesus...
We have been teaching English in Olsztynek and the children have learned some colors, parts of the body and simple phrases like "my name is....", however they have not interacted with us in English conversations. Much to my surprise this week, one girl - just out of the blue - said; "you know, I love Jesus."
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Hello...
Hello out there, I thought I would take a minute to introduce myself to you. I am the teacher for Team Northeast Poland. Currently I teach three wonderful girls who are about to finish the second and third grades. We actually finish on Friday (Yeah!) and we have had a wonderful semester. I have been on the field for about 4.5 months and love every moment of life in Poland. It is a wonderful learning and growing experience living overseas. I had been on a few mission trips before moving here, and they were nothing like this experience. On those occasions, I had to rely on God for help and guidance, but here it is requires even more faith and reliance. I love to watch the little things that cause smiles (like 100’s on spelling tests…YEAH!). They may be the small things that most would take for granted but these small things always seem to lift my spirits and remind me there is Someone bigger and better than me out there. I love the feeling of knowing I don’t always have to be in charge of what is going on around me. Life in Poland is very different at times and then at times not so different from living in the States. There are days I feel as though I am living on another planet then others when there are seven children in our apartment having a wonderful sleepover party. This past Friday, my roommate and I had all seven American children at out apartment for a sleepover (some said we were crazy, but we thought it was fun), we had a blast. We were able to play and just be Aunts for a night. We stayed up until around midnight and then got up early and had some more fun. Friday night/Saturday morning I felt like I was back in the states, because things like that were common there. One of the funniest moments was watching the three year old press her face up to the window to see the pigeons nesting on our balcony. She just wanted to get as close as possible and she did. Besides all that fun, life here is pretty routine, school, language, coffee shop, and ESL in the villages. Over the summer I hope to get out and meet more people and have some more fun, but for now I have a blast in the classroom and the times I am with the team and the children.
Naomi
Naomi
101 New Missionaries Appointed in Denver
101 new missionaries appointed in Denver
5/22/2009
By Emilee Brandon
(Go to the bold type below to read about Chuck and Vikki Franks, new Team NEP members joining us in October!)
DENVER (BP--During a trip to Peru, Tony Llorens looked into the eyes of the people and knew without a doubt this was where he needed to be. But his preparation for missionary service at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary brought hardship to his family.
“Because of the limited job opportunities in New Orleans due to Hurricane Katrina, my wife and children had to remain in Florida while I earned money for lodging by cleaning toilets in the campus dorm where I stayed,” Tony recalled.
With his master’s degree requirement completed, he returned to his family in Milton, Fla., in 2008. He and his wife then began the application process for appointment as Southern Baptist missionaries.
Tony and Tammy Llorens were among 101 missionaries appointed by the International Mission Board May 20 at Riverside Baptist Church, Denver. This service was the fourth largest appointment in the organization’s history. The appointees will serve throughout the 11 IMB regions, joining more than 5,600 others already on the field.
“It is our intention, with the help of the Lord, to serve Him by taking the Gospel to those who have never heard,” Tammy said.
Chuck and Vikki Franks, of Jonesboro, Ark., have the same purpose. They knew the Lord was calling them to the mission field; however, both were content to wait until retirement. The Lord had other plans.
While serving together in Poland on a short-term mission trip in 2008, God used a father and child praying before an icon to show Vikki that the world could not wait. So well before retirement, the Franks are packing up their things and “joyfully, obediently going to Eastern Europe,” Chuck said.
Yong and Lois Wang, another couple headed to the mission field, moved from Korea to the United States in 1998 so Yong could prepare to serve overseas in a university setting. In 2006, he earned a doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin.
Eleven years after their journey began, the Wangs are finally on their way.
“I … want to live by obeying the Great Commission … wherever I go,” Lois said. “I learned that mission is not a special thing but a natural life at the place that God calls.”
And that place is Central America, where Yong will teach at a university.
JONAH AND THE WHALE
The story of Jonah and the whale is at times overshadowed by its uniqueness, IMB President Jerry Rankin told the new appointees. The story’s message is not about the whale swallowing Jonah, but rather of a “rejected call, a second chance and God’s compassion being revealed.”
The message of this Old Testament story is still relevant today, he urged. And it is a challenge to those who go in obedience to God’s call. His urgent concern for Nineveh is the same He has for the cities of the world today.
Rankin said some people who sense God’s call to overseas missions try to bargain with God, saying they’ll serve Him in America by being faithful church members and witnesses.
“The only problem is, God was calling you to Nineveh,” Rankin said. “Meanwhile multitudes of unreached people groups perished without anyone to tell them of the hope they would find in Jesus Christ.”
According to Romans 10:14-15, “But how can they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe without hearing about Him? And how can they hear without a preacher? And how can they preach unless they are sent?”
“That is why we are appointing you and sending you out — to answer that call,” Rankin said. “Like Jonah, not to save the nations through your efforts, through anything that you can do or through your advice, but as Jonah, to proclaim the Word of the Lord.”
FUTURE APPOINTMENT SERVICES
Because of an anticipated shortfall in the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and a decrease in Cooperative Program giving during the current economic downturn, the IMB will limit the number of new missionaries appointed for the rest of the year after a July appointment service in Lebanon, Ohio. (See related story, “IMB suspends short-term assignments, reduces new appointments,” at imb.org.)
5/22/2009
By Emilee Brandon
(Go to the bold type below to read about Chuck and Vikki Franks, new Team NEP members joining us in October!)
DENVER (BP--During a trip to Peru, Tony Llorens looked into the eyes of the people and knew without a doubt this was where he needed to be. But his preparation for missionary service at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary brought hardship to his family.
“Because of the limited job opportunities in New Orleans due to Hurricane Katrina, my wife and children had to remain in Florida while I earned money for lodging by cleaning toilets in the campus dorm where I stayed,” Tony recalled.
With his master’s degree requirement completed, he returned to his family in Milton, Fla., in 2008. He and his wife then began the application process for appointment as Southern Baptist missionaries.
Tony and Tammy Llorens were among 101 missionaries appointed by the International Mission Board May 20 at Riverside Baptist Church, Denver. This service was the fourth largest appointment in the organization’s history. The appointees will serve throughout the 11 IMB regions, joining more than 5,600 others already on the field.
“It is our intention, with the help of the Lord, to serve Him by taking the Gospel to those who have never heard,” Tammy said.
Chuck and Vikki Franks, of Jonesboro, Ark., have the same purpose. They knew the Lord was calling them to the mission field; however, both were content to wait until retirement. The Lord had other plans.
While serving together in Poland on a short-term mission trip in 2008, God used a father and child praying before an icon to show Vikki that the world could not wait. So well before retirement, the Franks are packing up their things and “joyfully, obediently going to Eastern Europe,” Chuck said.
Yong and Lois Wang, another couple headed to the mission field, moved from Korea to the United States in 1998 so Yong could prepare to serve overseas in a university setting. In 2006, he earned a doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin.
Eleven years after their journey began, the Wangs are finally on their way.
“I … want to live by obeying the Great Commission … wherever I go,” Lois said. “I learned that mission is not a special thing but a natural life at the place that God calls.”
And that place is Central America, where Yong will teach at a university.
JONAH AND THE WHALE
The story of Jonah and the whale is at times overshadowed by its uniqueness, IMB President Jerry Rankin told the new appointees. The story’s message is not about the whale swallowing Jonah, but rather of a “rejected call, a second chance and God’s compassion being revealed.”
The message of this Old Testament story is still relevant today, he urged. And it is a challenge to those who go in obedience to God’s call. His urgent concern for Nineveh is the same He has for the cities of the world today.
Rankin said some people who sense God’s call to overseas missions try to bargain with God, saying they’ll serve Him in America by being faithful church members and witnesses.
“The only problem is, God was calling you to Nineveh,” Rankin said. “Meanwhile multitudes of unreached people groups perished without anyone to tell them of the hope they would find in Jesus Christ.”
According to Romans 10:14-15, “But how can they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe without hearing about Him? And how can they hear without a preacher? And how can they preach unless they are sent?”
“That is why we are appointing you and sending you out — to answer that call,” Rankin said. “Like Jonah, not to save the nations through your efforts, through anything that you can do or through your advice, but as Jonah, to proclaim the Word of the Lord.”
FUTURE APPOINTMENT SERVICES
Because of an anticipated shortfall in the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and a decrease in Cooperative Program giving during the current economic downturn, the IMB will limit the number of new missionaries appointed for the rest of the year after a July appointment service in Lebanon, Ohio. (See related story, “IMB suspends short-term assignments, reduces new appointments,” at imb.org.)
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