Not only have exciting things happened this month with the Operation Joshua outreach... but also young hearts have come to know the Lord out at HM's campsite property. This week, the 10-day long TEEN sports camp came to an end.
Be encouraged by this powerful story...
During the worship time on the second to last night of camp, a dual "call" forward was given. The speaker asked for those who wanted to commit their lives to Christ for the first time to stand up and come forward and for those who already knew Christ as their Savior but wanted to take the step of completely surrendering and dedicating their whole lives to Christ to come forward also. The response was immediate and comprehensive as within seconds nearly the entire camp of 60+ young Greeks stood to walk to the front! Δόξα στο Θεό!!
Thank you for praying for the Greek young people! The Lord is definitely answering prayer. Please continue to pray for those starting a new relationship with the Lord and for the others who are seeking to grow closer to their Savior. Pray for them to have the eyes and ears to sense the Lord's call on their lives, and the strength and courage to obey Him. Finally, please don't forget to pray for the hearts of the three or more teens who didn't stand up and commit themselves to one side or the other that night. Pray that the Lord will continue to pursue them and draw them closer to Himself, using the experience they have had at camp as a memorable landmark on their journey to come to know their loving Savior.
1 Cor 3:16 Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Operation Joshua 2 Completed!
This summer's OJ2 outreach is over. We passed out 44,000+ New Testaments in the Messinia area of the Peloponnese, Greece over a period of 6 days. We had about 120 volunteers from 11 countries represented. God's Word makes quite a stir as reported on the front page of the local newspaper, "Proselytism in Plastic Bags." Not everyone was thrilled to receive the gift we gave out but we are encouraged since we know that God's Word does not return void. Is 55:11.
To read more click www.operationjoshua.net
Here's some more stats:
1 front page newspaper story attack
1 arrest for interrogation purposes
2 TV reports against us
3 priests in an Orthodox church in Kalamata blessed us for the great work we were doing
4-5 condemning radio announcements related to our OJ2 efforts by the Orthodox State Church
6 day outreach campaign
7-10 hours/day on road delivering Bibles
14 teams
17 countries represented on OJ team
19.5 tons of Bibles
36 vehicles
45 priests contacted by mail and sent leather bound Bibles
58 tents at camp
108 villages visited in one day (record)
153 total participants
375 villages covered (door-to-door)
1,650 eggs served to team
6-7,000 villages yet to be reached with Bibles in mainland Greece (Islands completed)
15,081 New Testaments delivered door-to-door in one day in the city of Kalamata
19,000 kms traveled
40,000 Euros paid (1st installment) on 114,147 Euro bill for Bibles
44,091 Greek hardbound New Testaments distributed in 5 1/2 days!
74,147 Euros still to pay for Bibles in 2 installments - end of Oct & end of Nov
(Please don't forget us!).
Thank you for being a part of this incredible outreach - through association, prayer, Adopting-a-Greek Village, volunteering or supporting us either in spirit and/or financially!
To read more click www.operationjoshua.net
Here's some more stats:
1 front page newspaper story attack
1 arrest for interrogation purposes
2 TV reports against us
3 priests in an Orthodox church in Kalamata blessed us for the great work we were doing
4-5 condemning radio announcements related to our OJ2 efforts by the Orthodox State Church
6 day outreach campaign
7-10 hours/day on road delivering Bibles
14 teams
17 countries represented on OJ team
19.5 tons of Bibles
36 vehicles
45 priests contacted by mail and sent leather bound Bibles
58 tents at camp
108 villages visited in one day (record)
153 total participants
375 villages covered (door-to-door)
1,650 eggs served to team
6-7,000 villages yet to be reached with Bibles in mainland Greece (Islands completed)
15,081 New Testaments delivered door-to-door in one day in the city of Kalamata
19,000 kms traveled
40,000 Euros paid (1st installment) on 114,147 Euro bill for Bibles
44,091 Greek hardbound New Testaments distributed in 5 1/2 days!
74,147 Euros still to pay for Bibles in 2 installments - end of Oct & end of Nov
(Please don't forget us!).
Thank you for being a part of this incredible outreach - through association, prayer, Adopting-a-Greek Village, volunteering or supporting us either in spirit and/or financially!
Family Refugee Camp
10 Afghan families, including men, women, 25 kids and 15 teens, comprised our family refugee camp this year. What a pleasure to watch their delight as they were given time to enjoy rest and refreshment and the beauty of God's creation at Porto Astro.
We all had an incredible time. Each day's program was designed to share the love of Christ in various practical and tangible ways such as discussion groups, crafts, story telling, The Jesus Film DVD, a Christian illusionist etc. The response of these Muslim people was encouraging. They were enthusiastic listeners and participants in our discussions. Additionally, we shared Christian fellowship with our guests through swimming, canoeing, soccer games and other leisure activities.
These families captured our hearts as we lived among them and learned their stories. Lives of hardships that most of us have never known. Yet they were open to the love of Jesus that we extended to them. In fact, they were overwhelmed and commented on the difference they noticed in us.
One Christian pastor that helped us with Farsi translation said that he had gained more in the five days spent at camp with the people than he had in the two years that he had spent trying to reach these people for Jesus. Glory to God!
Please continue to pray for the hearts and souls of these families.
1 Tim 2:5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
We all had an incredible time. Each day's program was designed to share the love of Christ in various practical and tangible ways such as discussion groups, crafts, story telling, The Jesus Film DVD, a Christian illusionist etc. The response of these Muslim people was encouraging. They were enthusiastic listeners and participants in our discussions. Additionally, we shared Christian fellowship with our guests through swimming, canoeing, soccer games and other leisure activities.
These families captured our hearts as we lived among them and learned their stories. Lives of hardships that most of us have never known. Yet they were open to the love of Jesus that we extended to them. In fact, they were overwhelmed and commented on the difference they noticed in us.
One Christian pastor that helped us with Farsi translation said that he had gained more in the five days spent at camp with the people than he had in the two years that he had spent trying to reach these people for Jesus. Glory to God!
Please continue to pray for the hearts and souls of these families.
1 Tim 2:5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
Mens' Refugee Camp
The first camp of the season was a men’s refugee camp in which we were able to offer an escape from the chaos of everyday life in Athens to 14 young Muslim men. Most of these men sleep in abandoned buildings with no electricity or water. They daily live in fear of the police, either from the law or brutality. When I asked one of the guys how he slept after the first night at camp, he answered that it was the best sleep he had had in the three months that he has been in Greece. Many of the men said that Porto Astro was the most beautiful place they had ever seen.
We enjoyed times of swimming, soccer, archery, canoeing, rock climbing, singing and dining together. Additionally we spent several hours each day teaching and discussing Jesus and Christianity with them. Most of the guys are very religious, even observing five times of prayer each day.
One of the goals of our staff was to finish the week feeling confident that we had clearly presented the gospel. And by the end of the camp, we all agreed that we had shared and communicated the gospel in various ways, several times.
May the Word of God challenge their minds and cut to their hearts!
Jn 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of hte One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Matt Gulley
We enjoyed times of swimming, soccer, archery, canoeing, rock climbing, singing and dining together. Additionally we spent several hours each day teaching and discussing Jesus and Christianity with them. Most of the guys are very religious, even observing five times of prayer each day.
One of the goals of our staff was to finish the week feeling confident that we had clearly presented the gospel. And by the end of the camp, we all agreed that we had shared and communicated the gospel in various ways, several times.
May the Word of God challenge their minds and cut to their hearts!
Jn 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of hte One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Matt Gulley
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Retreat for Muslim men this week, June 9-11
The temperature has risen here and so has the pace of ministry.
Ready or not, the summer camps begin this week!
Please pray for us...
This week we host 20 refugee men for a three day retreat at the property.
They are all Muslims.
Please pray that God will be working in their hearts to draw them to Himself.
Pray that the love of Christ will shine through our lives to them.
For understanding of the gospel of John as it is shared this week with the men.
That Jesus will make Himself know as God.
For safety, logistics, etc.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Ready or not, the summer camps begin this week!
Please pray for us...
This week we host 20 refugee men for a three day retreat at the property.
They are all Muslims.
Please pray that God will be working in their hearts to draw them to Himself.
Pray that the love of Christ will shine through our lives to them.
For understanding of the gospel of John as it is shared this week with the men.
That Jesus will make Himself know as God.
For safety, logistics, etc.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Summer is Here!
The HM staff met last weekend out at Porto Astro to dedicate the summer to the Lord’s work at the property and in Greece. We were encouraged to live a life pleasing to God and to meditate on what that might look like for each of us. We shared worship and communion together and spent time praying for all the “things” on the summer calendar including Operation Joshua and the summer sports camps.
We were challenged to make the most of the opportunities that God gives each one of us this summer to impact all those we encounter with the love of Jesus. Show time is here and we want to represent Him well!
Please join in praying with us … that God will reach many this summer and draw them into deeper relationship with Him…that many will hear His voice and step out in obedience to whatever God might ask them to do…that the HM staff will so live Christ in front of all we meet that they will be inspired to live a life wholeheartedly devoted to Him. We are not a camp ministry but a discipleship ministry!
2 Corinthians 5:9 So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.
John 15: 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
We were challenged to make the most of the opportunities that God gives each one of us this summer to impact all those we encounter with the love of Jesus. Show time is here and we want to represent Him well!
Please join in praying with us … that God will reach many this summer and draw them into deeper relationship with Him…that many will hear His voice and step out in obedience to whatever God might ask them to do…that the HM staff will so live Christ in front of all we meet that they will be inspired to live a life wholeheartedly devoted to Him. We are not a camp ministry but a discipleship ministry!
2 Corinthians 5:9 So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.
John 15: 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
Friday, May 8, 2009
House of Worship, 3 May 2009
This past Sunday was such a blessing! There were around 80 people present Sunday evening at Evripidou. We looked at Psalm 23 together and talked about our fears. We were greatly encouraged as we listened to what God tells us about fear. Especially in verse 4:
‘Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.’
We prayed for each other in our small groups, and then we spent some time in worship! We prayed again in our large group for Yannis who has suffered with terrible head pain for the past 4 years. He will be going into hospital for an operation on Monday 11th May. It was great to have Joe join our worship band for this week, and he sang a solo for us. We also enjoyed having Colin & Geraldine with us from South Africa, their testimony was a great encouragement to us all.
We are looking forward with expectancy for our next event on the 17th May!
‘Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.’
We prayed for each other in our small groups, and then we spent some time in worship! We prayed again in our large group for Yannis who has suffered with terrible head pain for the past 4 years. He will be going into hospital for an operation on Monday 11th May. It was great to have Joe join our worship band for this week, and he sang a solo for us. We also enjoyed having Colin & Geraldine with us from South Africa, their testimony was a great encouragement to us all.
We are looking forward with expectancy for our next event on the 17th May!
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