All Greece Staff Retreat

We traveled north to the foot of Mount Olympus for a staff retreat with our Greek, Cypriot, and Maltese staff. We talked about how God moves mightily in individual lives and in countries to lead people to Himself. Such good perspective as we begin our time on campus! I enjoyed the staff. I enjoyed the mountains. I enjoyed the sea.

They're Here!

Our stinters arrived Wednesday. Four recent graduates have joined our team for the next school year. Andrew has returned for a second year. Ashley, Brittanie, and Joel are new to our team—and two of them (Brittanie and Joel) came sight unseen! As we drove into our neighborhood, Brittany exclaimed, “We’re not in Baltimore anymore!”

Yesterday morning we shared things we’re learning from the Lord over breakfast. The team’s answers encouraged me. Brittany talked about how God was leading her to find rest in Him in the middle of her first experience outside of the United States. Andrew talked about God’s abundant provision of his support. Jeremy shared the story of walking out of the office to look for housing for the girls, praying for God to lead them to an apartment, and hearing the voice of the girls’ new landlord 30 seconds later, asking if they needed an apartment. Everyone told of God’s goodness toward us as we’ve followed Him to Greece.

Please pray…
-that we’d all rely on the Lord as we begin this school year.
-that He would develop good relationships between us that reflect His love.
-that God would prepare us in every way for the beginning of the school year in a couple of weeks.
-that God would connect all of us to our previous Greek friends and to the contacts that our summer teams left for us.
-that the Lord would draw us and Greek students close to Himself through our study of the book of John this school year.

Apartment Pictures

The godly people in the land are my true heroes!

During the summer I read the phrase above from Psalm 16 in the One Year Bible. It expresses clearly my delight in those the Lord has graciously placed around me. People everywhere I went this summer encouraged and strengthened me by their steps of faith in response to the Lord’s goodness. I wish you could all meet one another to share your stories! In lieu of a big reunion with people you don’t know yet, I thought I’d share some faith stories. . .

Chad, Kelly, Emily (8), and Connor (4) left a stable, comfortable life and their dream home in a small Kansas town where they lived across the street from grandparents when God called them to join staff two years ago(and Chad and Kelly are in their 30’s!). They packed up their family and drove across the country to join us in San Diego for our summer project. With hardly any campus experience under their belts, they helped lead our project in growing closer to the Lord, sharing our faith, and building groups of growing faith. They learned things one day and passed them on the next day!

Ben heard that we often cannot send year-long mission teams because we lack men to fill them. Instead of listing a preferred location when he filled out his application, he asked our evaluators to place him on a team that needed men in order to be sent. Not only that, he challenged a friend to go with him. Both of these guys will be sent in January to Australia.

Ashley chose to invest her summer in our summer project in San Diego. Not only that, she was one of 20 who forfeited a full-time paying job to apply to work full-time in ministry on campus this summer. The Lord bore fruit through her courageous faith. He used her to lead a San Diego student to walk with God and He deepened her relationship with Him to the extent that she’s willing to take a leadership role on her campus in South Dakota to reach athletes with Jesus’ love.

Danny graduated in May and is planning to go on the World Race (a year-long mission trip to 11 locations around the world) in January. Instead of just taking time off between school and the mission trip, Danny served on our staff in San Diego this summer and is investing, without being paid, in ministering to men in his fraternity this fall. He has a group of six men he will meet with weekly to help them grow closer to the Lord. He’s trusting God to give them opportunities to talk with all of the men in the fraternity about Himself this fall.

Becca (a friend from my years at UNC) and her husband Paul used their vacation time and their talents to join a two-week mission project in South Africa. I loved seeing Becca’s pictures of South Africans and was so strengthened by her passion to see people all over the world experience the love of Jesus.

Jason, Nick, Peggy, Clayton, Kinsey, and Alexis packed up and moved to New Mexico in response to the reality that there’s not Campus Crusade ministry at the University of New Mexico, a campus of 26,000 students (not counting the other 18,000 students nearby). They’re meeting freshmen, sharing their faith, hosting fun events, and starting Bible studies as I type.

Brittanie found out about ministry in Greece through the Campus Crusade website. Sight unseen, she applied to take a year out from school to help us give students the opportunity know God personally here. Halfway through the summer her grandfather died, she realized that leaving her long-term boyfriend would be more challenging than she originally thought, and only a third of her support was raised. When God prompted her to make a concerted effort to seek support in faith that He wanted her to come, He raised 35% of her support in one week! He finished her support just two weeks after that.

And this is just the beginning… Jess went to the Middle East this summer and wants to return to give people who’ve never heard the opportunity to know Christ. Kristen endures a difficult life in one of those countries to connect with people who are hostile toward Christians. Maria, who’s of Chinese descent, is leading a team to take the good news to Japanese students—a radical move of love for those cultures. Kristine has left a secure teaching future to reach international students with Christ’s love in Houston. Alexis and Kim, after leading a Japanese exchange student to Christ in San Diego, are planning to go to Japan next summer on a mission project.

I’m overwhelmed at the honor of knowing so many people of such faith! I’m honored to know you and to live a life of faith next to you, too.

^“As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.” Psalm 16:3

Joys and Challenges in Returning to Athens

I’ve had a good first week back in Athens. I’ve gotten good time with my team. It’s not too hot. People are on vacation so things aren’t so busy. I’ve shopped at the outdoor farmer’s market twice. I made it to the beach on Tuesday. My Greek friends and I are exchanging encouraging messages on Facebook and Skype. My living room has been painted and I’m unpacked. Pictures are about to be hung. I’m excited about getting settled.

A number of you have asked about the fires around Athens. We saw lots of smoke, but not flames. Some friends of mine who live north of town were awakened before six in the morning and told to pack up and get out of their house. Fortunately, their house wasn’t burned. We’re east of town and weren’t effected other than smelling smoke and cleaning up ash that settled on our furniture.

We know to expect challenges when moving back into a foreign country. Things cost hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars more than we think, appliances, phones, and internet don’t work the way we think they will, we can’t get cash fast enough to pay the bills that have accumulated, we’re awake until three in the morning with jet lag. The Lord has been gracious in all of these things in the last week and a half. He’s working them out and I’m grateful.

I’m praying that He continues to make our paths straight and to prepare us and Greek students to reveal Himself to us this school year.

Finishing Up and Heading Back

What a great summer!

It's been so good to get time with family and friends after being overseas. I've loved being in my home state, enjoying the mountains and people I love.

I so enjoyed our summer project in San Diego-- what an honor to see God move among people who are taking steps of great faith! I loved learning more about the Lord together. I loved talking with people about His love and abundant life in Him. I loved seeing Him change lives.

During our project, we got to talk with nearly 11,000 people about Christ and His forgiveness and great love for us. 82 of those people placed their faith in Him. We helped the San Diego campus team with ministry on four campuses and saw incredible results: we're connecting them with 1,500 of our friends, 300-400 of them who want to be part of a group on campus. 20-30 students said they'd like to help lead a group on their campus. A group of those students, along with a faculty member, met to begin their own group at Grossmont College before we left. It was amazing!

In July, my parents and I got to help train our stint (short-term, one-year mission) team leaders who are taking teams to share the good news about Jesus all over the world. I loved hearing their stories of trusting God for more than they can see in their lives, on their teams, and in these countries.

I just visited our briefing for all of our stint teams-- those who are going to the campuses of the world for a year. I met my team of one-year stinters that will be in Athens. I enjoyed them so much and am looking forward to our year together.

In the next couple of weeks I want to share stories of individual lives with you on this blog. I think they will encourage you as they've encouraged me.

I fly to Athens on Thursday. Would you pray with me...

• for good time with family and friends in these last few days here.
• for safe travel.
• for a guy to rent a room in my basement and for a good property manager for my house in Greeley.
• for the Lord to prepare our team for His work this fall. For Him to bear fruit in us and for Him to bear fruit through us to bring His life to students in Athens.

Thank you so much!

Returning to San Diego and a visit in Grand Junction

I'm writing from an airport, excited to touch down again in San Diego. I've heard stories of students growing in their faith. I've heard stories of others trusting Christ through their conversations about Him. I've heard stories of students in San Diego making plans to continue the work our students have begun-- reaching out to others year- round with His life-giving love. I can't wait to see them all in person!

Please pray...
-for our week as we close down the summer project. I'm praying that we'll walk closely to the Lord, enjoy one another, finish our work efficiently, and encourage those we leave in San Diego to continue His work there.

-that He'll prepare us as we return home for the same kind of rich life and ministry we've experienced on summer project.

Next weekend I'll get time with friends in Grand Junction. I'll share about our ministry on Sunday the 9th and will provide lunch for anyone who wants to hear more after the second service. If you're in town, I'd love for you to come!

I'm so grateful for you!