Hope to Puerto Rico!

Last week was a wonderful week in Puerto Rico! On Thursday Friday and Saturday night, over 20,000 Christians opened up their homes to their friends, family and neighbors to watch the My Hope broadcast on national TV. The program addressed an issue that is often overlooked in the media, hope.

We hear so much on the news about wars, earthquakes, financial struggles, crime, corruption, betrayal, and plenty of other negative yet very real issues. However hope is rarely mentioned.

Through interviews with well known Puerto Ricans, music, and short messages from Billy Graham and Franklin Graham the My Hope TV broadcast explained that true hope is only found in a relationship with God through his son Jesus Christ. The programs clearly explained what it means to be a Christian.

“For all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God.” - Romans 3:23. We’re not perfect. We’ve committed sins against God, our friends, and family. Our sin separates us from God because he’s holy and perfect. We can’t be good enough to be with God in heaven.

That would be a hope-less piece of news, “but God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” - Romans 5:8. God saw our situation. He saw we could never be good enough. He decided to act. He sent his son Jesus to earth to pay the penalty for your sin, for my sin.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him will not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. All he asks is that we receive the free gift he’s giving us. He gives us salvation. He gives us everlasting life. We just have to admit that we’re sinners, that we’re in need of him, and be willing to turn from our sin and accept his free gift of eternal life. When we do, he gives our life purpose, direction, and above all, Hope. It’s a hope that doesn’t spoil or fade, because it’s not a hope in a career, a relationship or comfort here on earth. It’s a hope in something that God has already done for us. And what we do with it has eternal repercussions.

After hearing the clear explanation of what Christ did for us on the cross, Christians all across the country shared with their guests what God had done in their personal lives. They invited them to put their hope in Jesus Christ, and follow him with their lives.

We’re in the process of collecting all the reports of what God did in Puerto Rico. We look forward to celebrating with you how he brought new life, hope, and salvation to thousands on the island of enchantment. We love you and appreciate your friendship and prayers.

Praise the Lord for Dominican Republic

I was so thankful when Joe called and told me he had updated the blog and sent out an email update to everyone! I was already in DR, when I received that call from him. The week went fast but it was amazing. I am always shocked by how Jesus keeps his word. He took our prayers, interceded to the Father and Dominicans were saved. My favorite testimony from the week was from one of my drivers, who was also a pastor.

He received a phone call from a member of his church who said they didn't have power in their area. Gilberto, my driver, told this person to start praying and if they received power, wonderful, continue with the project. If they didn't receive power, he told them to apologize to the people who came, invite them back tomorrow to see the program and give their testimony. Gilberto called this person back after the broadcast and the memeber of his church told him they did not receive power. But the member of his church gave his apologies about not having power, invited them back the next night, and then gave his testimony. The member of his church had 17 people come to his home and 5 of them prayed to receive Jesus Christ as their Savior.

It is testimonies like this that remind me that I am so lucky to be able to work for the Lord.

In the past few weeks we have heard many similar stories, but also the staff in DR are reporting more than 6,000 Decisions for Christ. Gloria a Dios!(All glory to God)

Two weeks from today we will begin our own Broadcast in Puerto Rico.

Please pray for the pastors, matthews, and those who will hear the Gospel. Pray that the Holy Spirit will move in a mighty way throughout Puerto Rico.

Pray - My Hope Dominican Republic

Hey Everyone! I wanted to send out an urgent prayer request. As you know, Melissa and I have been working in Puerto Rico for the last year. We've been preparing a nation-wide TV broadcast that will share who Jesus Christ is, and what he's done for us on the cross. Across the country thousands of churches are participating. In each church, members are planning to invite their friends, family members, and neighbors into their homes to watch the broadcast. It's a way of sharing what this whole Christianity thing is all about. Our broadcast is right around the corner, April 22, 23, and 24. Please be praying for churches to continue to get trained to participate, and for the members to be praying for their friends. We're also finalizing the editing of the programs this weekend. Pray that God guides us as we edit.

However the more urgent prayer request is for our neighbor, the Dominican Republic. They also have been working for the last year, and their broadcast is already here! Tonight (Thursday the 18th), tomorrow, and Saturday at 8pm, they will have their program on national television. Over 40,000 homes will invite guests over to watch the broadcast. Pray that there will be no energy black-outs (power outages are common there). Pray that God speaks to the hearts of each person watching, and that they will see the amazing things that God has done for us through Jesus. Pray they will admit their sins, and accept God's free gift of salvation!

Thank you all for your prayers!

Much love to all of you,

Joe

Personal Air Show

As some of you know, Joe and I live every close to the airport, so close that we can see planes land and take off, and now with the super dooper awesome camera, we can even zoom in and read the names on the airforce planes. So on Saturday they had several really cool planes(I think all refueling/reloading and heading to Haiti).


These first two photos are of Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey's. I am a girl and thought it was so cool. They look like a plane but take off like a helicopter.

These last three photos are of a C-5. Largest plane the air force has. This one is the "Memphis"(As the tail reads). Again super cool, on the ground this thing looks like a beached whale on the runway, but it was super quite, surprisingly quiet taking off. Just compare the sheer size of this plane to the poor airtran flight next to it. There was also a school of 6 or 8 smaller cargo planes but much less exciting after seeing these others.

Lauren and Sarah

While we were home, Joe and I had the amazing privilege to have two of my favorite people take pictures of us. They are amazing photographers! If you are looking for a photographer I recommend them, just email for their info! P.S. It was FREEZING that day!

Where do I begin

I can't believe that we are already in the middle of January 2010. Where did 2009 go? I also need to apologize and ask for forgiveness for being MIA for the past 2 months, we have no good excuses so I won't give you any bad ones either. God has done some amazing things in 2009, I am always shocked and awed by him. A year ago we were celebrating the more than 500,000 decisions for Jesus made by Brazilians through the My Hope project. In the past year we have moved to a new country, I began working with the project, and we have faced new battles and challenges with the project. Also in the past year, I think we have visited ALL of our family spanning from NC, Chicago, San Antonio, Louisiana, and California(now it is your turn to come to us), and we attended and participated as both my sister and Joe's sister were married. As my mind thinks through all the wonderful events of this past year, my mind stops at a tragedy that has struck at the beginning of this new decade. I know you all have heard about maybe even gave money or resources to help those devastated by the earthquake in Haiti. The My Hope staff began its work in Haiti several months ago meeting with leaders, denominations, different christian organizations. They began praying and probing for God's direction, if God had ripened Haiti for My Hope. As the earthquake hit on Tuesday many of us searched for itineraries to figure out if any of our staff were in the country, by God's grace they were not, but little communication has been possible. I want to challenge all of you to pray mightily for Haiti in these coming weeks, pray that as new infrastructures are set up, that as people are searching for answers and reasons, that they will only find Jesus at the end of their searching. Pray for a mighty revival! Pray for our fellow Christians and leaders in Haiti. Pray for the future of My Hope in Haiti.
Thank you so much for your faithfulness, with out your prayers and words of encouragement, we would not be able to do this.
For more information on what BGEA is doing go to: http://www.billygraham.org/News_Article.asp?ArticleID=766

Thinking through disaster

As many of you heard through national news that 2 weeks ago. Below is an article I wrote for BGEA. But wanted to share the same thoughts and photos with you all.
Please keep Puerto Rico in your prayers as we head towards our training phase of the project!

“When the explosion happened Robby and I were shocked out of bed, I thought an airplane had crashed into the house!”

Juliann Smith is not alone in her experience. Last Friday night a large explosion caused 21 fuel tanks from Gulf Oil to catch fire in San Juan, Puerto Rico. They continued burning for two days affecting the 2.5 million people who live in the San Juan metro area.

Smith says that her son was an eyewitness. “Nathan, who was outside, saw the blast and the mushroom cloud that began to form. (He) ran home, yelling that the world is ending!”

"I was in bed and all of a sudden heard this really horrible sound,” said Teo Freytes, who filed an internet Report for CNN. “So I ran upstairs and thought the whole town had blown up!"

All over the city residents felt the power of the explosion, which the Puerto Rico seismic network says was the equivalent of a 2.8 magnitude earthquake. The gas explosion was the first major disaster in more than ten years. As the shock and devastation set in for the small Caribbean island many began to wonder what happened and why.

“An incident of such magnitude can shake the stability and security of this fragile world we live in. It demonstrates that we cannot put our hope and security in material things,” said David Casillas. “Because it was an event that could not be foreseen or predicted like a hurricane, the fire could not be planned or prepared for.”

Casillas is a San Juan Pastor and the national coordinator of the My Hope Project by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. My Hope is a project, which trains and prepares Christians with the tools needed to share the gospel with friends, family, and neighbors who are not believers, using specially produced television programs.

Casillas says it’s a way to share everlasting hope with those who need it most. “There is no doubt that the My Hope Project has come at a time like this to bring hope, peace, and the good news of a better tomorrow through salvation in Jesus Christ.”

After the explosion, the importance of sharing Christ with others hit very close to home for many in Puerto Rico like Juliann Smith. Though it wasn’t the end of the world, the bible teaches that Jesus will return. Christians in Puerto Rico say that through projects like My Hope, they are seeing new ways that they can share Christ’s love with others before the real end comes.