What a month we’ve lived both in Household Neal and Team Forest Park Church! 

109 people left the USA, traveling to Ecuador, South America and 98% of them were from FPC so it left quite the gap in our Elizabeth City.  Scott and I are SO THANKFUL for those of our FPC family who jumped in here at home to make Sunday happen and our ministries continue.  It was also quite the sacrifice for our Camryn, too, as ALL of her family left the country, without HER.  Our kids have to be rising 9^th graders to go with us to Ecuador so she still has one more year, bless her!

This was our 10^th anniversary in taking teams to Ecuador for Global Outreach and it was our largest team, to date!  Pastor Mendoza has challenged us to have 200 with us next Summer so we will see :o) but trusting 2012 to be exactly what God would have it be with whoever needs to be with us.  It was really difficult to leave Ecuador this year.  I think it was due to the fact that we accomplished so much while we were there in all of our Outreach Areas: Construction, Medical, School Assembly and our One Night Street Crusade was the largest we’ve had.  It just felt like that we weren't finished!  We are planning to go into an area next Summer where missionaries have not traveled so I am SUPER excited about a crusade in those streets!

We carry Ecuador in our hearts throughout the year and I love seeing how it impacts new missionaries when they arrive back home.  They begin to see their world with new, fresh eyes and, I dare say, a little more with the compassion of Christ.  It reminds me of this, one of my all-time favorite scriptures: 

Matthew 9:35-38 (Then Jesus made a circuit of all the towns and villages.  He taught in their meeting places, reported kingdom news, and healed their diseased bodies, healed their bruised and hurt lives.  When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke.  So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd.  "What a huge harvest!"  He said to his disciples.  "How few workers!  On your knees and pray for harvest hands!") The Message

Ecuador 2011 Recap VIDEO!

My prayer for my family, my friends and my church is that our hearts would all break when we look at the towns and villages, both here at home and when we travel the world, at their need for a Shepherd and commit to be those harvest hands!

Until next time,

Lana

Commit – Ecuador 2011 - It calls my name!

Commit is defined as “to pledge oneself to a position on an issue.”  This is the word that keeps coming to me today as we prepare to journey with Forest Park Church on our Summer Outreach Trip to Guayaquil, Ecuador.  Our Leadership Team leaves tomorrow from RDU and we have (3) more Teams departing both Friday and Saturday.  We have people traveling from NC, Texas, California and Alabama, all “pledging to a position on an issue.”

What is the issue that we’ve all pledged to?  It is to make the name of Jesus famous all over the world.  Jesus doesn’t call us to make people followers of a person, a church – even our church, a denomination or religious practice.  He calls us to make DISCIPLES of Him!  This is exactly what Jesus spoke to those who were following His teachings in Matthew 28:19 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…”  From this verse we see that He also says go into the places that are different from your own hometown – the nations.  Scott said in Sunday in his message, “God is not white…sorry to disappoint if you though He was!”  God has called us to make disciples of ALL PEOPLE regardless of nationality!

For 10 years, Scott and I have publically broadcasted at FPC that we should “pledge a position on the issue” of Global Outreach!  Over the last 10 years we’ve taken hundreds of people on this journey of a lifetime and this Summer is no different.  I’m honored to be apart of the 108 who will be traveling with us to make the name of Jesus FAMOUS in Guayaquil, Ecuador!

Please pray for safety, courage and the ability to recognize every ministry opportunity that comes our way.

Until next time,

Lana