Going-- first step of obedience

On my recently completed short-term missions trip to Rwanda and Burundi in central eastern Africa, I was struck by the amazing amount of time allotted in the two weeks to travel.  There were close to 40 hours of travel each way between air travel and layovers in Amsterdam, Entrebbe, and JFK in New York.

on the road again

While we were in the beautifully green and mountainous Rwanda and Burundi,  our five-member PFC team along with Pastors Bernarde and John, from Rwanda, spent hours trekking up and down winding roads to prison sites in a simple SUV.

We were not able to enter the Democratic Republic of the Congo despite having completed visas from the Congo Embassy in Rwanda.  The Congo border officials refused to recognize the visas and would not allow us to enter the country. 

After three hours of prayerful and tiring waiting in between phone calls and conversations, we returned to Rwanda.  We were not able to visit one prison and complete one conference in the Congo.  It simply was not going to happen.

We conducted one conference in Rwanda and visited seven prisons between Rwanda and Burundi.  The purposes of the conference is to train and to encourage those already serving and others wanting to be involved.  Another prominent ministry in these countries is the Good News Jail and Prison Ministry which hosted the Rwanda conference with 28 participants.  We use core materials from the PFC University classes.  I taught on working with jail and prison staff.

As we traveled and I was feeling drained, I quoted Matthew 28:19-20 and John 15:16.

Rwanda countryside from the van

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”  Matthew 28:19-20

There are three active participle activities in going, baptizing, and teaching, all supporting the main verb "make disciples."  

"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you."  John 15:16

So, going, all the travel, sitting, watching, repositioning, and listening is the first step of obedience to "make disciples in Rwanda and Burundi. I remember repeatedly embracing the trip and thanking God for everything around me.  What an incredibly beautiful two countries.

Genocide Museum

Genocide Museum

On our first day in Kigali, Rwanda on Monday, November 9, our PFC team visited the national genocide museum. My tour was conducted with Pastor Bernarde and Pastor John, both who lost direct family members.

During our eight full days of direct ministry, we visited seven prisons and conducted one conference in Rwanda and Burundi.  The actual travel time is about 40 hours each way, including layovers in the airports.

I will write about the awesome time I shared with Rachel Jacobs in Burundi and how we connected perfectly.  She is doing great!

I will write more about Bernarde and John in future days.

The genocide began in April of 1994 and continued through 1999. A great many of the inmates we preached to across Rwanda and Burundi were imprisoned for their roles.

Between 800,000 and one million were slaughtered--many from within families. The disaster left two million orphans. Uncounted babies and small children were killed or left permanently and severely wounded. It was all during a season of widespread turmoil across Africa.

I didn't cry while I was walking through. I was too profoundly impacted.  I was taught we learn from history. We learn from history only if we want to.  I was asking many questions.

The adversary's evil takes full advantage of every opportunity  "to steal, kill, and destroy," John 10:10a.

The watching world stood by and remained inactive despite repeated pleas for help from the United Nations.

Finally -- Some News! (another guest post by the wife)

For those of you who've been keeping track, you realize that Mark has been gone eleven days, and that means he'll be home tomorrow night. Were you worried that you may have missed several posts about his exploits? Would you like to get ALL the details?

Yep, I thought you would. Me too. I got a partial text message that I *think* was from him, on Sunday night. Here, apart from the mushy salutation, is what it said:

"Better since Friday. Didn't"

Do not adjust your monitor; that's all the message contained. Sorry. This was followed by a telephone call from the same number, but the connection wasn't quite connected so I couldn't hear any voice.

So, I've been living on assumptions (and prayer) this week. When Mark called me from Amsterdam, he said he'd felt poorly on the flight from Seattle. I can only guess that he kept on feeling poorly until Friday.

But wait! Now there's more!

Rachel, the missionary Special Education teacher in Burundi, contacted me on Facebook today. Her message is proof that Mark actually did land in Africa. (I was picturing him in the plane, circling, circling, for ten days.) Here's what her first line said:

"Thanks for sending your husband. He was an awesome encouragement!"


Okay, then! I'll see if I can snag some other info from Rachel, and will write another post if there's time before I go to the airport tomorrow. If you've read this far, you would perhaps be willing to join me in prayer for the team and their health on the homeward flights. It's no fun at all to fly when you aren't feeling well, and they've got a lot of flying to do.

NEWS FLASH!!! More info from Rachel:

"He was better by the time he got to me. They didn't go into Congo. The border patrol wouldn't let them in or something like that. I met them at the Buja prison and then had dinner that evening with them at the hotel. The next day I went to a church they were preaching at that was 5 blocks from my house :)
That's about all I know. Oh I gave them some peanutbutter cookies one of the missionaries here made me. They seemed to like them :)"

Well, there you have it. Mark may be a journalist, but when you want the full scoop, ask a girl. We've got the information and we're happy to share it!

Thanks, Rachel!!!

Guest Post #1 From the Wife

Before Mark left the country, he gave me the passwords to his Blogger account. Mua-ha-ha-ha! Stay tuned for some remarkable photos and stories of Mark's early years...

But in the mean time, here's all I know about his travels thus far. He called from Amsterdam at 11 p.m. Monday night (our time.) The team had made it, all together, that far. The first ten-hour flight went okay and they were preparing for the next leg of the journey.

There you go -- that's all the news I've got.

But, in case you've got a hankering for more details, I snagged a photo of the airplane to share with you. Ready? This was taken during their flight from Seattle to Amsterdam. In case you can't quite make him out, that's Mark sitting in an aisle seat somewhere near the middle of the plane. He's listening to music.

 

Easy... or hard to get saved--grace!

by John MacArthur

I know this shocks some people, because we hear all the time that getting saved is easy. “Just sign this little card!” “Just raise your hand!” “Just walk down that aisle while the choir sings one more stanza!” “Just recite this prayer!” “Just ask Jesus into your heart.” 

It all sounds simple. The only problem is that none of those actions has anything to do with real salvation and getting through the narrow gate. That sort of invitationalism implies that Jesus is some poor pitiful Savior, waiting for us to make the first move to allow Him His way. 

It implies that salvation hinges on a human decision, as if the power that saves us were the power of human “free will.”

 [MacArthur provides a few paragraphs explaining how this sort of invitational phenomenon started with Finney in the late nineteenth century, was carried on by Moody and soon became part of standard Christianity. He shows how it is, at its heart, anti-Calvinist. He then continues…]

According to Jesus, it’s very, very difficult to get saved. At the end of Matthew 7:14, He said of the narrow gate, “There are few who find it.” I don’t believe anyone ever slipped and fell into the kingdom of God. That’s cheap grace, easy-believism, Christianity Lite, a shallow, emotional revivalist approach: “I believe in Jesus!” “Fine, you’re part of the family, come on in!” No. The few who find the narrow gate have to search hard for it, then come through it alone. It’s hard to find a church or preacher—or a Christian—who can direct you to it. 

The kingdom is for those who agonize to enter it, whose hearts are shattered over their sinfulness, who mourn in meekness, who hunger and thirst and long for God to change their lives. It’s hard because you’ve got all hell against you. 

One of Satan’s pervasive lies in the world today is that it’s easy to become a Christian. It’s not easy at all. It’s a very narrow gate that you must find and go through alone, anguished over your sinfulness and longing for forgiveness.

Somebody might say this sounds like the religion of human achievement. 

Not so. When you come to brokenness, the recognition that you, of yourself, cannot make it through the narrow gate, then Christ pours into you grace upon grace to strengthen you for that entrance. In your brokenness, His power becomes your resource. Our part is to admit our sin and inability and plead for mercy and power from on high.

A full packet of prayer requests

I am reminding myself heart prayer needs in the coming days as we serve in Rwanda, the DR of Congo, and Burundi. Again, our trip is from November 8-20.  Our team meets Sunday evening for weigh-in of bags and prayer and dinner with our spouses in Woodinville.  We leave about noon from Sea-Tac on Monday.

Rachel Jacobs

As I am getting ready, do I have everything?  

What am I missing?

What will it be really like? 

What will we really do?

Am I anticipating the Lord so that I will be awed and amazed at what He does around us?  

Will the Lord Himself change our itinerary for His awesome glory?   

Tomorrow morning, I'll be interviewed along with Lowell and Ann Zeigle.  Lowell and Ann will be joining Jerry and Carol Kind in Northern Africa and Spain.  Keep praying for the faithful team there and that Jerry and Carol will get back there very soon.

One particular blessing will be connecting directly with Rachel Jacobs from our home church, Faith Baptist in Kent, who is teaching in Burundi. I am hopeful I'll have a great chance to meet with her in a significant way.  She may just bless me all over the place.

Would you pray Rachel and I can make a solid connection in Burundi and that I might encourage her? I'll be carrying a family package to deliver.  Please also pray for the team that is already in India with PFC.

To Jesus Christ who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Revelation 1:5-6

How can you pray for me? 

1. I'll "die to self" when I feel tired and disrupted.  Galatians 2:20, 6:14

2. I'll be a genuine encouragement to my team members.

3. I'll gang tackle love on our hosts who are excited about us coming.

4. I'll preach and teach God's glorious word with His anointing.

5. I'll pray on faithfully throughout every aspect of our trip.

6. I'll keep my things in safe order and support our team.

7. I'll pray for Katharine, Andy, Peter, and Jon.

 This is what we have been preparing since August to do:

Our CRB team

TRAIN saints currently doing prison ministry.
INTRODUCE the PFC umbrella and raise up missionary partners.
BLESS saints with resources and prisons with humanitarian aid.
EVANGELIZE inside the national prisons and everywhere.
TEACH churches to recruit volunteers and to multiply in other churches.

Very God of very God for Muslims

During the last three days at the Regional Justice Center, I've been following up with Sam, a 20 year-old inmate with an Islamic family background.  Another chaplain and two really faithful inmates, one a converted Muslim, recently worked through the gospel with him.

Sam said he believes Jesus is his Savior through whom he received the forgiveness of sin. 

Can Jesus be Savior and forgiver of sin and not be God? 

Is Allah of the Quran the same as the Father and the Tri-une God of the Bible?

I am not to persuade nor convince him, the work of the Holy Spirit. The next time we meet will now be after I return from Africa on November 20.

He hasn't read the Quran extensively but has a pretty solid understanding of Allah. He discovered a chain of statements in the book of Sura from the Quran asserting Muslims are to read and trust in the writings of Moses, David, the prophets, and the gospels.

I am using, "The gospel for Muslims--an encouragement to share Christ with confidence," by Thabiti Anyabwile as a tremendously clear resource as I pray and read through issues in sharing with Sam.

Our meetings are very peaceful and full of respect.  He wants to share Jesus with his family but struggles with what the Bible says about God as  Tri-une and if Jesus was a man or is God.  I asked him to read John 1:1-18 before we met today.

Is the Trinity a man-made doctrine that intentionally perverts the truth by "you guys?"  He repeatedly asserts the Bible has been perverted around the doctrine of the Trinity, a man-made doctrine.

I am committed consistently to not speaking a negative word about Islam nor the Quran.  Today, he peppered me with questions about who the Bible says Jesus is.  He believes Jesus is a man. We worked through Hebrews 1:5-13: David, Psalms 2:7, 104:4, 45:6-7, 102:25-27, 110:1; Moses, Deuteronomy 32:43; Isaiah in 61:1 and 3;  Isaiah 7:14 and 9:6-7

"Don't say say it is contradictory because what we think it says," I repeated.  "Would you read the Biblical passages and look honestly at what the Scriptures the Quran's Sura repeatedly state are trustworthy about Jesus?"

John 1:1-4 was hard for him.  I repeated it for him slowly several times as it is a section I have memorized.  He doesn't allow me to thoroughly answer his questions as he moves on to a set of more questions.

We read through the role of the Holy Spirit in the Virgin Birth of Jesus from Matthew 1:18-25.  We have the Father speaking through Isaiah, the Holy Spirit bringing about the birth, and the birth of Jesus, as the Son of God, a stunning Tri-une God passage.

We also read through Christ's response to a rich young man in Mark 10:17-22 where Jesus raises up the definition of a good teacher to the striking attribute of God's goodness.  Jesus holds Himself up as the One God who is truly good. Mark reported Jesus loved this young man.  My heart is to love Sam.

Is he being dishonest or manipulative?  I don't read it that way.  He is clearly seeing the Quran and the Bible do not agree on the very heart nature of God.  I ask him to identify the differences as he becomes aware.

We are committed to continue meeting together. Today, it was very, very clear this is outright spiritual warfare over this man's soul and the souls of his family. My place is to ask him questions and answer his questions by turning to Bible passages. 

Go and bear sustaining fruit

Yesterday, I was asked how I could go all the way around the world to Africa on a short-term missions trip to prisons and communities around the prisons when there are people that need to be reached right here in Kent and King County. Giving to a PFC short-term missions trip to Africa didn't seem like the best use of finances.

"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another." John 15:16-17 ESV

My giving support target of $3,950 was reached and exceeded,  as of Tuesday.  We'll be leaving Monday, November 8 and returning November 20 for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi.  While there, we are scheduled to do evangelistic services prisons, training conferences in churches, and preach in churches.  

The greatest long-term sustained fruit on this trip to Africa is in the conferences where we train, equip, and encourage the saints in that place to go into the prisons and reach the involved families and communities.

So, then, why should I go to Africa when people need to be reached here?  I am going: 

• primarily as a chaplain at the Regional Justice Center in Kent
• with Jim Dixon to Forks and the Olympic Corrections Centers several times a year
• team leader to prisons in eastern WA and northeastern OR 2 or 3 times yearly 
• visit an inmate at Twin Rivers in Monroe once or twice a month 
• write several letters regularly to inmates

• serve as an instructor twice a year at the PFC-University in Bothell
• this missions trip to Africa...and other trips, in time

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”  Matthew 28:19-20 ESV


But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
Acts 1:8 ESV 

That is just the start of the Biblical mandate to go. God's heart from Genesis 12:1-3 through Psalm 67...and on throughout to Revelation 5:9-10 and to the end... bleeds missionary red.  The harder question is how can you and I stay.  Yes, be going across the street, into your neighborhood, and community. Go, go, go!  Do a Bible word study on "nations."  It's amazing!

 This is the richest ministry experience of my entire life since I started in 2002 and more full-time in 2006 with Prisoners for Christ Outreach Ministries.  The reality is I am seeking to raise more support for my various PFC ministries in Kent, King County, Washington, and Oregon.

powerful prayer focus to send us out

African service

Dear Board, staff, prayer team, mission partners, friends of the ministry and supporters,

Just wanted to let everyone know that PFC has two teams going out to the field almost simultaneously. Myself and five others will be heading to India from 11/4-11/19. 

The other team of five will be going to Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi from 11/8-11/20.

Please pray for the following:

1.       That God would be gloriefied

2.       That many souls would get saved in our prison crusades

3.       That we would have great meetings with government officials

4.       That we would be a source of encouragement to our national brothers on the ground

5.       That our conferences would go well

6.       Safety in the air

7.       Safety on the ground

8.       Safety from bandits

9.       Safety from accidents

10.   Safety from food illnesses

11.   For our teams to be unified

12.   For our team members by name that they would have a divine appt. India Team- Jeff McVey, Bob Jordan, Alex Ananenko, Jamie Neault, Nate Bean, Greg Von Tobel.

Greg Von Tobel  and Bob Jordan

Rwandan Team- Don Szolomayer, David Jordan, Mark Young, Mark Richardson, Ron Trask.

AGAIN pray that each team member have a God moment or multiple God moments!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Blessings to all.

Greg Von Tobel

Prisoners for Christ Outreach Ministries

Standing Stones Ministry

Countdown to departure

Congo, Rwanda, Burundi

Our PFC short-term missions team of five leaves for Africa now in one week. The trip is scheduled for November 8-20 and the days are counting down.  We will be in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, and Rwanda. 

I feel the urgency and excitement.  Our team has been meeting five times since August and we have our weigh-in, prayer, and dinner with our wives Sunday evening.  I'll have an interview with Pastor John in church on Sunday, November 7. Everything seems to be moving at "Star Trek warp speed," now. 

Rachel Jacobs serves in Burundi.  So I am praying about being able to connect with her.  I don't know the itinerary details about being in Burundi, yet.

It would be awesome if we could talk together and pray when our team is there.