Tom

Jeremiah 1:7-10

...You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I cammand you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you declares the Lord.

The the Lord reached out His hand and touched my mouth and said to me, now, I have put my words in your mouth, see today I appoint you over all nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destry and overthrow, to build and plant.

I have heard of Tom's Littles passing and my prayers go out to his family and the families of the other members of his team.

Gods Glory has been revealed by Tom's life and work.

More Pictures

This is the second addition of the first Cross photo that I posted. I still like this one very much and notice that the lighting is very different.

These got out of sequence. It was to be a before and after but now it is an after and before picture. Above is the new desk that I had built so I can read and write and also store a lot of my close. It is the newest craze around here, unfinished plywood. Below is the cases of water that I had as shelves. I also had a matching desk which is not in this picture.

This is my friend Adu. He has been coming to our prayer and also to Sunday service. He is the Administrator for the Bus section. His nick name is Disco because he dresses realy well and looks like he is ready to go dancing. He is also a very nice man. the one day we had prayer and a prayer walk he said to me that we did a lot of good things for God today.

Of course another picture of me, taken by me. I sitting at one of the workstations in the office. We have to share space so only the Special Few have their own desks. I would have been one of those but the man I replaced has been promoted and is returning to this Camp. He will want his space back.

Just a random photo looking out of one of the bunkers at my tent. They call these Alaska Tents and they are very stable and comfortable. There is an inner and outer layer on them which helps insulate them. In extreme heat they would place shade covers over them which reduces the heat up to 15 degrees.

The other night we took somke pictures in the tent. the guys that you see with me are all from Napal. It is pretty unique as they can look very Asian or very Indian. These guys play cards every night on the bed we are sitting on. The game is called 28 and I don't understand it at all so all I do is watch. For anyone who has every tried to learn a new card game try doing it with a language barrier also.

This will give you an idea of the tent set up. The door is straight ahead and the tube down the center is the HVAC line. Bunk beds line each side of the tent and are about 20 inches apart down the center. The spacing on each side is a little less. The beds are not the most stable so when your bunk mate moves you move. there is also the wind to contend with which continually blows the side of the tents in and out. You also have to deal with the door opening and closing all night long and people talking at verious hours.


May all of Gods Blessing for you be revealed to you today.

Foolishness.

Finally got one to upload. ThisCross was taken inside one of the bunkers here at Shindand.

Foolishness! Some see the things of heaven as foolishness. They do not understand it. They can't comprehend our faith. They can't comprehend our moving to obediance. They can't understand our testimony to the saving Grace of God through Jesus Christ. The Bible, Gods Word, tells us that this will happen and that the world will be against us.

I have struggled with the last few posts thinking that some may see them as too over the top. That there are those that read them that cringe at the things I write as they disagree or that they may be uncomfortable with the message. It is difficult to know this and then try to write freely. Somewhere in my mind a filter is set so that I don't push anybody away.

As you may see, I am past that at this point. I am a Christian man and have faith in Jesus Christ and that He is the Way the Truth and the Light. That He died on the cross for my sins, past, present and future. That no work that I can do will pay for the gift of grace that God has given me through this Faith. It is not by works but by Faith and I walk by this faith.

I also believe that Faith in Jesus Christ is our only path to Salvation. That the Bible is the inarrent Word of God and that it was divinely given to man and is to be trusted and followed by me. That Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross, buried and rose again and sits on the right hand of the Father in Heaven. I believe that the Holy Spirit was then given to the Faithful to guide us and continually point us back to Christ so that we may become like Him in mind body and soul and be a Light in this Dark World. I also believe that anyone who does not believe in Jesus Christ, Good or Bad, will spend eternity outside the presence of God in hell.

This Spirit has work to do within me as I am in this world. This world is broken by the original sin of Adam and therefore we are all broken by the original sin. We will never move fully through this brokeness until the day we are recieved in heaven. We will be imperfect in one manner or another during our days but because of the Holy Spirit within me and the Salvation that Jesus has paid for me, I can move past that, that my sins are forgiven.

Some who read this see this as foolishness. How can you be broken and have so much. Why can you not be happy in what you have. Happy for the things that you have earned. Happy with the good times. Some see it as foolishness that God would not accept everyone, that He would distinguish between obediant and disobediance. Some think that it is foolishness that God would set a standard for us, that he would determine the way we should follow Him. Some see it as foolishness that I gave up a good carreer, that I came here and that I desire to be available for Him to work through me.

It is foolishness that God has stipulated His expectations to us. That His Word has become flesh so that we may believe in Him. That He expects us to have Faith in Him. That it is not punishment in this world but freedom from this world that He offers. It is foolishness that I have found the greatest pleasures of my life in being obediant to Him and His word.

Why doe sthis subject, this belief effect so many in such ways. Why does only the subject of faith cause so much struggle and strife in this world. Why does the Bible cause people to panic and think such negativity. Why do people believe that if they know and follow Gods Word that their lives will be worse off. Because Satan rules this world! He wants the world to believe that Gods Word is foolishness.

This world will offer you many things that bring you pleasure and satisfaction, God has designed us to seek this satisfaction. The problem is that most of us fall short of seeking the one true thing that will bring us this, God the Father. We settle for less and explain it away as ok. We think that where we are is exactly where we should be. We believe that we are who we are and there is nothing we can do to change that. We act on the outside that everything is ok but on the inside there is pride, or lust, or envy or hatred. We all suffer from this, even I, but how many work to move past it. How many see it for what it is. Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and all other things will be given to you.

The Bible even tells us that we may be persecuted and abandonded by those who are close to us. That we may suffer from our Faith. This is easy suffering considering what others have gone through but none the less suffering. To think that some see what you do as foolishness is suffering, especially when they are the ones you love so much.

I am a Christian. I believe in the saving Grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ. I seek His will in my life and look to Glorify Him in all that I do.

If you have gotten to this point and have the feeling that I was speaking to you I ask you to take a challenge. Study the Bible for yourself, read it and ponder it. See if what you believe of it holds true and that at the end of a honest look and and honest open mind you still feel that this is foolishness then so be it. But I say, if you do not, or have not done this, then who may be the fool? Who may be missing the true meaning of this life.

Turning Point

The feeling is back! The one in my stomach that makes me uncofortable and makes it hard to stay focussed. My mind continues to turn from here to home and form the lord to the world. It is most like hunger pains that won't go away.

This place I have come to know, is the place where I experience most growth and my turning to Him brings me the most Joy. Frank says often that it is best to be in a continual state of brokeness so that Lord can work in us more freely. I believe that where we really need to be is just at the point where we turn back to Him. At the point where I still have this pit in my stiomach and where I can feel the Joy that the Lord brings in my heart. At that point we have the starkest contrast of the world and of Heavenly things.

It is not a normal thought. We don't want to be in discomfort. We don't want to feel like our lives are in that flux. It is probably follishness to some who read now, but to me it is not. It is where I can face the Lord in Humility and He can show me His path, His light because I have the darkness around me.

Some of what I have been feeling is Pride in the work that I see being done here. I tend to get on a high about it and then it becomes about me. I feel like I am suceeding and that I am doing good things. That is not the case. My pride should be an indicator to me that I am in the wrong place for the Lord. This is His work, I am but a tool for Him.

I also have been longing to see my children. To hold them and to watch them play. To sit and hear all about the day they had with friends. This is something that I did not paticularly do all the time. Agian with my schedule and my things going on, it became about me. At home I spent time discipling others, my work for the Lord. Not that this is bad but again my pride was apperent now that I look back I see my pride and I realized that in some instances it became about me and what I did.

I am also begining to think Iam missing out on a part of my life. The part that I just can't see enough or touch enough. I feel as if people will move past me and I will be behind a little when I return. That I will not catch up. This is strange and I haven't given this to Him and it nags at me.

The temporal part of this is that I know in my heart that I must not quit. That I must continue on and endure where I am at. My faith continues to direct me that He knows what He is doing, that He will see me through. My faith is that I can be used by Him for His glory and to be His light. We need to make choices in this life and the way I see it there are only two. To walk in faith or to walk in pride. Either I do it for myself or I do it for Him. It doesn't say that the pain will go away it only says where the pain will be applied to, me or my Lord and Savior. My faith turns me back to Him.

As much as I don't like being in this state it facilitates the turning point, the point of my descisions where I can experience Him most fully.

Getting ready to take over my position.

Again, pictures are not uploading again. My appologies.

The man I am replacing will be leaving camp as soon as he can get a flight out. I have been just shadowing him around and learning as much as I can. I have also been watching the people and learning the who's who's and the what what's . Slowly I have been gaining my knowledge of tthings and look forward to having full control over my area.

We have several meetings each week as everyone needs to know what is going on. We operate under a big contract and everything, I mean everything is stipulated in the contract. Each aspect is turned on by the Military and then we get responsibility for it. They like to call it "Lanes". For instance my "Lane" is Transportation of materials and people, cargo for the most part. Therefore I don't get involved in the storage and distribution to end user of the Materials, that is outside my Lane. We also have three meetings internally each week where we let each other know what is happening in our sections.

I have a lot of interaction with the Military, still don't know the ranks but I just call everyone Sir and Madam. I get a little intimidated sometimes but then figure that they are just like me, men doing jobs so it helps me get through some of this. I have had to curb a little of my jokingness as I don't know that they would appreciate it so much. Probably good for me to do.

Something cool that I get to do is set up my materials to go into Military convoys and onto Military aircraft. I can actually request movements through the Military. I think it is most boys dreams to be a soldier when they are little, this is a close as I will get , but I think it is close enough.

I look for ward to beintg in the drivers seat once the other man leaves. I look foward to making decisions and doing something productive. The people are good and know their jobs so support and oversight will be my main objective.

Sin and Sinners.

There is a conversation going on in this office this morning regarding how prostitution should be legal. That Drugs should be legal and uncontrolled gambling should be legal. The arguments are that if some woman wants to sell her body then that is her business and nobody should care. If somebody wants to do drugs they should be able to. Somebody also indicated that it would be ok if their daughter was a prostitute because it would be her body and her right.



Me being the "Preacher" (slowly becoming my nickname) was asked what I thought. Of course in these situations people don't tend to want to hear the answer. It usually takes a few minutes to get out a hole sentence but it comes. Love the sinner and hate the sin. Of course this is follishness and leads into a brick wall.



Somehow in one instance it is a persons right to do what they want to do and in another we can impose personal judgement when we draw a line as to the sin. The same man who states that it would be ok if his daughter was a prositute would throw his son out for being gay. If we say what sin is we are judgeing but if we think the sin is too much then it is our rights as an individual. My point through the entinre discussion was that we should accept the person and be a light to them of Jesus which in turn allows the Spirit to work on the sin, and the root of the sin.



Even as I try to recap this conversation and write the thoughts that I am having I am getting confused. Instead of giving truth and working on setting people free of their sin, there is this thought that we should allow the sin so that it becomes acceptable and I guess, not sin anymore. The same people that don't want judgement, judge in the drawing of the line in the sand.



Love the sinner and hate the sin. All people deserve our hand, our acceptance of them as Gods creations. We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and therefore are all in the same boat. There is therefore no man on earth that can appropriatly judge the sinner, but we have been part of sin.

A day of blessings.

Yesterday my day started out with my Bible reading in the morning. Some days I am able to do this and other days I have to wait for lunch as I am writing or speaking with Catherine on Skype. The last part of the scripture readings was John 6. I wrote yesterday from parts of that scripture, John 6:27-29.


There has been a man that is new here that has been joining Robert and I for prayer each evening, Adu. He works in the office with me and we are able to interact throughout the day. Yesterday I had mentioned to him that I was going to go to Church and that he could join me if he wanted. He was a little worried about taking time from what but I assured him that it was ok as long as he made up the time either at the end of the day or by not eating lunch.


So at 11:00 I asked Adu if he would like to come with me and he did, still nervous a little about taking the time but I assured him again it would be ok. This service was Protestant with praise and worship music and of course it has a Soldier spin to it but overall very similar to what I am used to. At the end of the service we had communion in which Adu participated in. I tried to explain to him prior the meaning of communion and he indicated that he understood what it was.

I prayed that the Spirit would work within Adu and he would understand more fully our Lord and Savior. He took a new bible when he left.


I then spoke with the Caplin about the prayer we were going to hold on Tuesday and Thursady with the kenyan men who can not make the Church services as they work late. He graciously offered to open the Church at 21:00 for us to use rather than being in the bunker. With this he also asked if he could join us not to lead but only to join in prayer and fellowship. This was a blessing in that we would not need to be in the bunker to have our prayer.


In the evening, when Adu, Robert and I met for prayer I decided to explain to Adu more fully the aspects of the Bread of Life, Manna, and Communion. As I did this a may raised up the curtain that surrounds Roberts area and acted as if he were interested in listening. We invited him to sit in which he did. As I explained the scriptures I used John 6 to help in the understanding of who Christ was and why the bread was important. Both Adu and the guest listened intently. As I finished and we were going to start prayer some noise startled the guest and he left. We all prayed.


I write this to illustrate how all things are connected. How the word of God can communicate to us His leading for us for the day. It can bring us the Word of God that we are to use in application for the day. It can equip us for our ministry and prepare us for our wittness.


I also write to illustrate the blessings that I see here in this place. That our simple fellowship serves as a light to others. That our fellowship in Word and Prayer everyday produces fruit for the Lord. Adu, has joined us and now seeks more fully the Word of God and the Love of the Lord. That our fellowship has now brought a new seeker to us that we may now wittness to. That our faithfulness to our Lord, has facilitated a time for us to pray in the House of the Lord.


We are called to be lights in darkness and pray for the Spirit to work through us. Be lights and let the Spirit work through us. Do not determine how or why, only allow it to happen and live with a day of blessings.