If God would grant us the vision....

"If God would grant us the vision, the word sacrifice would disappear from our lips and thoughts; we would hate the things that seem now so dear to us; our lives would suddenly be too short, we would despise time-robbing distractions and charge the enemy with all our energies in the name of Christ." 

We just finished reading the old book “Through Gates of Splendor” by Elizabeth Elliot.  It is primarily composed from the diaries of the 5 men slain by the Auca Indians in Ecuador in January of 1956….much better than the movie, by the way.  

It was kind of eerie reading the men’s thoughts as they made their secret plans to engage the Auca’s of Ecuador and hearing the first hand accounts of the events that led up to their martyrdom.  The words from Nate Saint on page 176 especially struck me and I wanted to share them here, as a challenge to us all to consider those who are still unreached and unenaged. 

On Sunday afternoon, December 18, Nate Saint sat at his typewriter to tell the world why they were going—just in case. In speaking these words he spoke for all:  

As we weigh the future and seek the will of God, does it seem right that we should hazard our lives for just a few savages?  As we ask ourselves this question, we realize that it is not the call of the needy thousands, rather it is the simple intimation of the prophetic Word that there shall be some from every tribe in His presence in the last day and in our hearts we feel that it is pleasing to Him that we should interest ourselves in making an opening into the Auca prison for Christ.  

As we have a high old time this Christmas, may we who know Christ hear the cry of the damned as they hurtle headlong into the Christ-less night without ever a chance.  May we be moved with compassion as our Lord was.  May we shed tears of repentance for these we have failed to bring out of darkness.  Beyond the smiling scenes of Bethlehem may we see the crushing agony of Golgotha.  May God give us a new vision of His will concerning the lost and our responsibility.

Would that we could comprehend the lot of these stone-age people who live in mortal fear of ambush on the jungle trail…those to whom the bark of a gun means sudden, mysterious death…those who think all men in all the world are killers like themselves.  If God would grant us the vision, the word sacrifice would disappear from our lips and thoughts; we would hate the things that seem now so dear to us; our lives would suddenly be too short, we would despise time-robbing distractions and charge the enemy with all our energies in the name of Christ.  May God help us to judge ourselves by the eternities that separate the Aucas from a comprehension of Christmas and Him, who, though He was rich, yet for our sakes became poor so that we might, through His poverty, be made rich. 

Lord, God, speak to my own heart and give me to know Thy Holy will and the joy of walking in it.  Amen.

Update on July Trip

Dear Friends of Mission Surge:

I wanted to follow up last week's newsletter with a quick update if I could.  I mentioned last week an unexpected trip that I need to take in July.  I will be making a dashing trip to the Dominican Republic to meet with our point-man there and discuss the future of our partnership.  This is a critical meeting and will dictate much of our future work there.  I ask you to pray for us both as we seek God’s direction as to the next step.  During this trip, there is also a great opportunity.

I will be preaching in a missions conference in Santo Domingo where 400-500 Haitian pastors will be gathered.  It is my hope that God would raise up a couple from among the Haitians to go to Martinique in order to engage the 3400+ Haitians in that country who have no church, no pastor, and no missionary.  According to the International Mission Board, “The Haitian of Martinique have a population of 3,500. They are part of the Afro-Caribbean, Francophone people cluster. The global population of this people group is 11,248,200. Their primary language is Haitian. The primary religion of theHaitian is Roman Catholicism, the world's largest Christian branch. Their GSEC status is 1, which means this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.”

I plan to go to Martinique on the way to the Dominican in order to see the situation there and verify the reports from the IMB and Joshua project.  I am praying that God would connect me with someone there that can help us get our feet on the ground.  Pray that God would connect us in Martinique with who we need to be connected with.  Pray that God would call out and raise up a Haitian couple to go to Martinique and begin a church planting effort among the Haitians there.  Pray that God’s will would be done.  

Finally, I mentioned last week that there are many expenses that are involved in this conference and trip.  I have had some ask for specific numbers, so I wanted to share with you the budget.   

• Transportation for the Haitian pastors:  $1050.00   

Pastors and some wives will be transported into Santo Domingo from all over the island for this Saturday conference.  These men have to work hard in order to keep a roof over their heads and a little food on the table.  It is literally day to day for them.  There is no way they could travel from Santiago, Monte Cristi, Puerta Plata etc. to the capital where the conference will be held.  This is an opportunity for them to be challenged and encouraged as they serve the Lord.  It is also an opportunity for them to hear the call of the Haitians in Martinique!  

• Lunch for the Haitian pastors while at the conference:  $1450.00

The conference will last all day Saturday so lunch will need to be provided for those in attendance.  We are estimating as many as 500 in attendance so lunch has been provided at a very reasonable rate of less than $3 per person!  

• Travel and Lodging expenses:  $1800-2000

Getting from Mississippi to Martinique has proven challenging.  I will have to purchase a round trip ticket to Santo Domingo.  Exit the airport, return the next day with a round trip ticket from Santo Domingo to Forte de Franc Martinique.  I have searched high and low, called Delta, American Airlines, and our Travel Agent and there seems to be no good way to get there from here.  Total cost of tickets will be between $1300 and $1500.  Lodging will be approximately $500.  

The total budget for this trip to explore Martinique, meet with Wilfrido about the future of our work there, and help with the Haitian conference in Santo Domingo will be $4300-$4500.  If God would utilize these efforts to engage and reach the 3400+ Haitians of Martinique, it will all be worth it.  

In closing:  This past Sunday at Providence we studied Acts 15.  We read in Acts 15:3, “So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers.”  What is it that brings us great joy?  For the early church it was news of the Gentiles (the heathen) coming to faith in Christ!  It would be my joy to see souls saved and churches planted in Martinique.  And it would be an even greater joy if we all could say, at the end of the day, that we were privileged to have a part in it!  You can have a part!  Would you commit to pray…to give…and maybe even, in the future to go? 

If God would move you to give to this effort, please feel free to send your check made out to Mission Surge with the code 0001 in the memo line.  You can mail it to 

Mission Surge

1126 Tanyard Road

Crystal Springs, MS 39059

Or you can contribute through paypal by going here:  

http://www.missionsurge.com/new-page/

Thank you so much for your prayers, your financial support, and your words of encouragement.  May God continue to bless and prosper our efforts to carry His gospel from here to the ends of the earth!

In Christ,

Kevin