Be Bold!

Looking back on the past 3 weeks I am so grateful that God gave me such an amazing opportunity to share His love. Although I learned many lessons, one of the most important is to always be ready to clearly explain the gospel. Two verses have been on my mind.

2 Timothy 4:2

"Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching."

1 Peter 3:15 "But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect."

God has really been showing me that I need to be ready to share the gospel no matter the time, day, or place. These past 3 weeks I talked with some Christians who were unable to clearly give biblical reasons for who Jesus is, why they are Christians, or could not explain the gospel. This really made me think because not too long ago I was in their position. As children of God we are called to boldly proclaim the name of Jesus and what He has done for us. I pray that as days come and go I will not miss any opportunities that God gives me to share His word; I also pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ that they too will be open to what God wants for them and who He want them to talk with.

~Kristen~

Sacrifice

Over the course of this trip I was continuously struck by the sacrifices made by the pilgrims, founding fathers, those that fought during the Civil War, as well as the brothers and sisters we met during the trip. It was clear that everything nobel, heroic and Christian was enacted by sacrifice. In the Bible the word used for Christian love is agapeo, which translated literally means sacrificial love. In fact the whole of the Christian faith is based on the sacrifice of Christ. Sacrifice is the ultimate expression of love as Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." This is the antithesis of today's cultural mantra of entertainment, amusement, comfort, and self. If we are to operate in the eternal economy of God we must embrace sacrifice as the language of true love. In the face of so great a cloud of witnesses I was always confronted by the question, "Are you willing to sacrifice?" My flesh cringes at the question, but it stokes the flame of my Spirit. What better way to live a life than to spend it in the glorious character of God! Beloved, we have one life to live, may it be bright and eternal. I ask you the same question, "Are you willing to sacrifice?"

Shaun

Fire and Earthquakes

What words can I use to describe the past three weeks? Incredible? Convicting? Stirring? Empowering? I think all of these would be excellent adjectives to use. God did some amazing things and brought much glory to His name. Our last few days touring Philidelphia and Washington D.C. with Dr. Millard were also very educational, as she told us that many of the things we as Americans treasure can be traced back to Christian roots. However, I think the thing that God most impressed on my heart during this trip is that we can trust Him. He is God and He is Sovereign. He knows what He is doing, and He has all the answers to any of our questions.
A passage that comes to mind is 1 Kings 19:11-12 which says "Then He said, 'Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord.' And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind, an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire, a still small voice."
During the last three weeks, our team experienced many instances of wind, earthquake, and fire, but it was in the moments of what seemed to be silence that the Lord spoke to me. I was really encouraged during my devotional times, and it was through these times I believe God was teaching me to listen for His voice. As we were talking to people, I didn't always have the answers, but I know God does. I believe one of the reasons He even brought me on the trip was to teach me to search for truth in Him. My prayer for you is that you will also know that you can trust God and that it is in Him we find our peace. Sometimes it feels that we are in the midst of a fire or an earthquake, but please do not lose hope! His voice will follow, but we must be listening.
-Jessica

Resilient Stagnance: the lack of footing to a Godly strategy

On the last couple days of the trip we were asked what God had shown us on the trip (what was the grand overarching theme), and as I look back at the Incredible dynamically diverse people and themes I think of one word, Strategy! America is called the melting pot and this is true by both ethnicity and religion. People believe a little bit of every system. They have been taken captive by a strategy that works. Dissillusioned by the world they search for something and Satan is there for them. They think we are arrogant because what they have found has the appearence of a solid way to enlightenment without God. We must then ask the dirty question what if they're right and were wrong? If we are wrong: we pay for our sins in another life, we pay in a temporary hell, we go extinct and cease to exist. What we need to understand is that if we're wrong we eventually reach enlightenment, but if they're wrong they burn in hell forever. We have a serious problem. People are dying and we aren't making ANY great strides to see them saved by the blood of the lamb (that is Jesus). The enemy has a strategy: He's deceiving the youngest generations, the west, and the church with a lie. So what is our strategy do we take back the culture or do we take back the authority? the answer is that we take back both! a good strategy for the church is quite simple that is get people saved. Get people in conversation, if you are to afraid then get them in church, if you are too afraid of that get tracts in peoples hands. but whatever you do, just do something! Pray and ask GOD to give you an idea of how you would be useful in His strategy and then go out and do it.

Quebec, Portugal, Boston, Plymouth, New Mexico.

Charles A. Chavez >Wednesday night- nobody seems to be around Plymouth MA, The team really wanted to talk to people though. After some but not nearly enough for a whole day Pastor Shaun decides The Boston Commons is our best option. On Thursday the team travelled to Boston, after arriving Teams of two went into the park to speak with people. Me and Amber were an evangelism team for the day we talked to some some people. We were asked questions we had no idea how to explain the answer. after some baffling conversation we prayed and worshipped. Me and Amber were both shaken but we pressed on, as we walked I wanted to go in one direction, but then Amber moved in a specific direction so I followed. We came up a hill full of people all by themselves our first option was probably asleep so rather than risk waking up random guy, we decided to move on to the next/ closest option. Our result was what we at first called green guy. Green guy gladly accepted our invitation to talk. We began an interesting conversation but as time went on his argument was strange. I would like to believe: he wanted a God but when his friend died at age 15 he couldn't find God, but God's been trying for him ever since. He wants to be with his friend when he dies but he doesn't know how to get there.He should have been in portugal but He instead decided going to boston by himself was a good idea I think God thought so too. we had a long conversation with him. I will continue to pray for him but only God knows the way into his heart so please pray for green guy from Quebec who we providentially met.

The Boston Meditate

Boston is definitely an interesting city with very interesting people. As partners in the park, Jake and I received a couple of rejections before speaking to a young local man, who had very interesting views. As well as, a couple who live in New York, although one was originally from Scotland. Which is pretty cool, if you ask me as well. They were very interesting as well. One was raised Catholic and the other is atheist. Please keep them in your prayers, as well as guy number one.

Trip number two was the more interesting, i guess you would say, out of the two trips. We talked to an amazing lady who had very interesting views. Basically, she was a Born Again Christian. She went to Christian college and everything! She moved to California for the ministry, but fell away from the faith because of her sexuality. She was at the point where she just wasn't sure about God, or the existence of God. So I gave her my number so we could stay in contact. Please pray that God works in her heart and waters whatever seeds are planted.

We also talked to this one guy. He was very interesting as well.

So this is the basic story. Jake and I were walking by this guy in meditation position. We didn't want to disturb him, so we were just gonna keep walking, but he looked over at us and smiled as we walked by. So, Jake, taking it as an invitation, waved and said "Hey!" The man looked at us and said, very mystically, "Hello, what is your journey in life?" Jake responded, "Well we're Non-Denominational Christians, our goal is to live for God." "That's very interesting,"replied the man. "Would you sit down with me and perhaps discuss this topic with me, I'm very open." So Jake said, "Sure. What do you believe?" "You know, I'd like to keep my spirit to myself, so buzz off." So, with raised eyebrows, we walked away and immediately started praying for him. We need to pray for this man, as well as others that are just as lost.

-Kimmie

Boston and Ireland

Yesterday, we went to the Boston Common, a park in Boston. It was lovely, but not as beautiful as Central Park. However, I do love Boston more than NYC! It is less stressful. Anyways, Danny and I were paired together. We got rejected by five or six people, which was really disappointing, but then we approached a couple of guys who were in their early twenties. We told them that we are going all across the east coast asking Americans what they believe. Then we asked them if they wanted to go through the card game with us. They both responded with a smile and a nod. Then one asked in a thick Irish accent, "is it okay that we aren't Americans?" Danny and I immediately replied that of course it's okay!

We went through the game with them and had a really great conversation about what they believe. When they finished the cards, we asked them if they would like to see the cards we chose. They both seemed eager to hear our opinion. We shared the gospel with them, and in the end they accepted both prayer cards. One of them asked for contact information and what church we go to!

I didn't expect to have such an amazing conversation because we were in Boston, Massachusetts, one of the most liberal cities in America. I'm glad that I was wrong! We were rejected so many times because God wanted us to talk with Adam and Matthew. It was a divine appointment, and I'm grateful for it.

-Arinea Esperanza Salas

Theological Miller

Leo the Miller isn't your ordinary Miller. Sure he runs a grist mill where he grinds corn using the power of the river. Yes he wears the clothes of a common 17th century miller and he talks with a definite New England accent. But this miller also understands his history and his Bible. Leo brings history to life recounting not only the facts but the heart of the pilgrim's story. He knows that everything the pilgrims did with regards to their form of government, economy, and vision for a new civilization was based on their faith in the God of the Bible. They saw their circumstance, no matter how difficult, as a matter of the providential hand of God in their lives. Because of this they never quit. They buried the dead, honored their promises, and continued on for they understood what they believed and because of that conviction we are a free nation with a democratic government honoring the right to private property and practicing free trade. Funny that this isn't the history taught to our children. Everyone should go to Plymouth and learn a thing or two from the miller. They also serve a mean ice-cream and Italian ice!

Shaun

Gospel II

Here is the Gospel video from the What Do You Believe America Team II

Blown Away

We are still here everyone! The team is doing great. We had quite the time in Gettysburg working with the Wegas and the United States Christian Commission (USCC) and now working with the Martins in Plymouth. God has been pouring some great knowledge into us through these incredible people, and I am in awe of the things God is doing through people around our country. However, the more I talk to these people, the more I also feel that the American people are being blindfolded to our Christian heritage. For example, before this trip, I had no idea that the US Christian Commission even existed. Although I had never heard of them, they played a huge part in the Civil War. There were over 5,000 delagates (volunteers) who served during the Civil War. They were present on nearly every battlefield and in almost every hospital during that time period distributing blankets, Bibles, and bandages with the love of Jesus. They printed over 39 million tracks for the soldiers and 18 million Christian newspapers. The USCC also printed 1.46 million Gospels of John. In the donation aspect, they raised over 6 million dollars in goods and supplies which in today's economy would be around one billion dollars! Yet few people have heard of this group. Here in Plymouth, we took a tour of the Founding Father's Monument with Leo Martin. This is an amazing statue that was begun shortly after George Washington became president and wasn't finished until after the Civil War. This statue depicts Faith pointing her finger towards heaven. Her base are statues representing Law, Morality, Libertry, and Education-foundations apon which our country was built. This monument tells the entire reason America was founded, yet it too is little known. In fact, as Leo was telling us, many people often forget the purpose behind our country-everything the Pilgrims did here in Plymouth was based on their faith.
I am so grateful I have the chance to see history coming to life and to learn some of the stories behind the success of our nation. I am glad that I have been able to learn so much of the hidden side to our heritage, and hope that America will continuously be reminded through the tireless effort of the Wegas and the Martins that we were founded as Christian nation and that we will in turn teach future generations the stories of faith from America's cities.
-Jessica

Fireworks and Fireflies

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing. Psalm 100: 1-2

We have done so much stuff this week. We left New York and went to Gettysburg and now we are in Massachusetts. In Gettysburg we got to spend time helping the Wega family with the Christian Commission. The Wegas were awesome, they really were a great example of being servants of the Lord.

Every night (except Sunday), John and Susan have a church service in a camp that resembles one that would have been during the Civil war. We would help them by passing out tracts and giving out information about the USCC, all while in civil war costumes.
I think everyone one the team would agree that the most fun we had was when we all got to go to the dance on the field with the reenactors. We learned the dances they would have done during that time and got to dance together and meet new people. It was so fun to get dressed up and spend time dancing with each other, with the fireworks and fireflies in the background. Its kinda like having a little glimps of what heaven will be like, when we all get to sing and dance together in the glory of God.
-Amber

King of Righteousness and of Peace

King of Righteousness, King of Peace

When we were driving from New Jersey to New York I started reading the book of Hebrews. In chapter 7 it was talking about a king to whom Abraham paid a tenth of his spoils to after winning a battle. However, this was no ordinary king. His name was King Melchizedek over the city of Salem, and he was also a High Priest. This was unusual because the King and High Priest had to be separate people. Prior to chapter 7, the writer of Hebrews was talking of our need for a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. When I asked Pastor Shaun what this meant, he explained that the name Melchizedek means "King of Righteousness" and the city of Salem means "Peace." So, Melchizedek was the High Priest and King of Righteousness and of Peace. By dying on the cross, Jesus is our High Priest and King of Righteousness and of Peace.

-Kristen-

New York, New York!!!

New York was an amazing place to witness! We went to Central Park and it was nothing like I had thought it would be. It is really a beautiful park and we got to talk with some pretty amazing people. The first person I talked with was a young man who was raised Catholic but left the faith; the second person was raised Christian but decided she wanted to live her life the way she wanted; the third person was raised Christian and when she started seeing all the tragedy in our world, she no longer wanted to believe in a God the could allow so much suffering and destruction. It seems that just about every place we have gone there is someone that used to have faith in God, but for some reason or another they no longer trust in Him. It breaks my heart to see people that no longer have a relationship with our Creator. We serve such an amazing God that deserves our all. During the course of this trip I have realized how content I have become in my walk with God. It seems that some where along the race we are in I started to walk instead of run. As a team we are reading a book called "One Thing You Can't Do In Heaven" by Mark Cahill. This book is so amazing! The one thing that we can't do in Heaven is witness. Reading this book has made me just want to get out on the streets and witness because I don't want people to burn in Hell. I want to start running again instead of waking!

~Kristen~