"The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him,And delivers them." Psalm 34:7
That texts is always refreshed in my mind when I go on a camping adventure. When I lay under the stars looking up at the wonderful twinkling host, I think my smallness and God's huge love! On this past weekend (May 23-25), I was able to go camping with the Durham Trailblazers club. We had a wonderful time out at Presqu'ile Park. I had the privilege of hiding out at manhunt, and teaching the Trees honour. I enjoyed getting back into the pathfinder swing of things, and having a blessed time with the kids and staff. It was scary to see a few of them that reminding me of myself only a few years ago and how much has changed too, pr hasn't! I know that experience will add to the knowledge for pathfinders in Benin. The club has also been willing to help me with what I may need.
In His grip,
Eric
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Check it out!
These are the web pages of the missionaries I will be joining in Benin:
www.afmonline.org/missionaries/missionary.php?id=9
www.afmonline.org/missionaries/sm.php?id=10
As well check out all the afmonline.org website, you can even donate to my funds, any other missionary, or the student missionary fund, by going to this link:
www.afmonline.org/give/index.php
God bless until next time,
In His grip,
Eric
Monday, May 12, 2008
Article- Wall Decision
Here's an article I wrote for a friend of mine about when and why I made my decision to go to Benin:
The people milled past me, talking excitedly, the end had come and everyone was beginning to say goodbye to friends new old. Groups of those assembling to go home began to collect, truly the end had come. I sat on the floor my back against the wall, a piece of paper in my hand. My mind was in earnest prayer, oh what should I do? The burden weighed heavy upon me. I had gotten through preliminaries, the ducks were all in a row, it seemed so much like God had made a way thus far, but was this really exactly where God wanted me? There are so many other options for missions, other places that call with the same earnest plea, “We need you.” I had this one simple thought: I could sit for days and look at all the other wonderful ministries, decide where God might want me best, but in the end, I may never find the perfect match. I asked God was this the place, the place the paper in my hand talked about? I heard yes. It was not a booming yes, or someone random coming to me and saying they’d been praying for me and I should go there, yet I felt assured somehow. I signed the paper and found the Adventist Frontier Mission representative as he left and handed him the paper; he hugged me joyously. He told me to just send the forty dollars confirmation and it’d be great. Forty? It was fifty dollars I thought. He told me he’d give me ten dollars: my first donation!
Thus here I am waiting in breathless anticipation, preparing to go to Benin, West Africa to be teen and child ministry director for a church there with Adventist Frontier Missions. I do not question God’s call in the matter. I made the final decision against that wall the last day of Generation of Youth for Christ 2007: a conference that messed up my thinking for the better! It made me see the big picture, the missions picture. Not that I did not already know that people need to hear Jesus out there in world, but GYC was full of people who knew this, that’s exciting. They not only knew it, they lived it. I have come to realize that life is so precious and short, that lived without Christ it is useless. Even now God is preparing my heart for Africa, and the Devil is discouraging my spirit, making me think I am not worth that which God has already prepared for. Now I must trust God- that’s perhaps the biggest challenge!
The people milled past me, talking excitedly, the end had come and everyone was beginning to say goodbye to friends new old. Groups of those assembling to go home began to collect, truly the end had come. I sat on the floor my back against the wall, a piece of paper in my hand. My mind was in earnest prayer, oh what should I do? The burden weighed heavy upon me. I had gotten through preliminaries, the ducks were all in a row, it seemed so much like God had made a way thus far, but was this really exactly where God wanted me? There are so many other options for missions, other places that call with the same earnest plea, “We need you.” I had this one simple thought: I could sit for days and look at all the other wonderful ministries, decide where God might want me best, but in the end, I may never find the perfect match. I asked God was this the place, the place the paper in my hand talked about? I heard yes. It was not a booming yes, or someone random coming to me and saying they’d been praying for me and I should go there, yet I felt assured somehow. I signed the paper and found the Adventist Frontier Mission representative as he left and handed him the paper; he hugged me joyously. He told me to just send the forty dollars confirmation and it’d be great. Forty? It was fifty dollars I thought. He told me he’d give me ten dollars: my first donation!
Thus here I am waiting in breathless anticipation, preparing to go to Benin, West Africa to be teen and child ministry director for a church there with Adventist Frontier Missions. I do not question God’s call in the matter. I made the final decision against that wall the last day of Generation of Youth for Christ 2007: a conference that messed up my thinking for the better! It made me see the big picture, the missions picture. Not that I did not already know that people need to hear Jesus out there in world, but GYC was full of people who knew this, that’s exciting. They not only knew it, they lived it. I have come to realize that life is so precious and short, that lived without Christ it is useless. Even now God is preparing my heart for Africa, and the Devil is discouraging my spirit, making me think I am not worth that which God has already prepared for. Now I must trust God- that’s perhaps the biggest challenge!
Sore arms and beginnings
Hi,
This is my first post, and I am delighted about it! It has taken over a year to get to this point, that is to say I am a missionary. It's funny because really we are all always missionaries, or like Errol Lawrence says, "If you're not a missionary you are a mercenary." But now I have the official title, and in a few months I will officially fulfill that title. So far I have just begun fundraising and thanks to wonderful folks at the Pioneer Apartments, I am on my way to getting all the funds needed. I did get my vaccines last week. It was an interesting experience, to know that by taking some vaccines I could get brain damage (extremely low chance), but that if I did not get the vaccine I could not enter Benin, so that made up my mind! I got three all in one sitting, so two in the left arm and one in the right. At first it was the right arm that was sore, but that quickly changed to the left am, especially after a day at the greenhouse, lifting bags of soil, hanging baskets, and such. That's the beginning of the beginning, and I know there is so much more excitement, adventure, and blessing ahead! God bless.
In His grip,
E
This is my first post, and I am delighted about it! It has taken over a year to get to this point, that is to say I am a missionary. It's funny because really we are all always missionaries, or like Errol Lawrence says, "If you're not a missionary you are a mercenary." But now I have the official title, and in a few months I will officially fulfill that title. So far I have just begun fundraising and thanks to wonderful folks at the Pioneer Apartments, I am on my way to getting all the funds needed. I did get my vaccines last week. It was an interesting experience, to know that by taking some vaccines I could get brain damage (extremely low chance), but that if I did not get the vaccine I could not enter Benin, so that made up my mind! I got three all in one sitting, so two in the left arm and one in the right. At first it was the right arm that was sore, but that quickly changed to the left am, especially after a day at the greenhouse, lifting bags of soil, hanging baskets, and such. That's the beginning of the beginning, and I know there is so much more excitement, adventure, and blessing ahead! God bless.
In His grip,
E
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