Home Sweet Home

Good afternoon! I've been home since last saturday, October 22. The team I was traveling with arrived in Chicago at O'Hare Airport about 5:15 pm. It took about 45 minutes to an hour to gather our luggage and meet the party who would give us a ride back to Fairfield Iowa about 5 hours southwest of Chicago. Altogether including the drive home it was about 22 1/2 hours. To be honest by the time I got home to Des Moines I felt like my eyes looked and felt like two burnt out holes in a blanket. I was pretty miserable but so glad to be home and back in America. I really didn't think that I would miss home as much as I did but life often has a way of surprising us. I think I was alright for the majority of the trip but the last 2 or 3 days my heart began to ache for my wife and daughters and grandchildren. My youngest granddaughter turned one while I was in Manila and my family waited until the following sunday to celebrate her birthday. What a great celebration it was! Friends of my daughter that I hadn't seen in sometime were there with their children and famiies. As I looked over the group of people there I felt so blest to be part of such a loving group of people. Enough of that. As I was contemplating the last few days about the purpose of my trip to the Philippines I was asking God how on earth will I be able to put all these wonderful experiences into perspective for the people in my church. As I was praying it seemed like He was saying to me, relax and just tell them about the great need in this country. Tell them about how hard working they are and tell them about their love for Me and My Kingdom. He also said be sure and tell them about how they are making inroads into the hearts and lives of people who are being restored daily into a right relationship with Him. So there you go, the purpose for which God sent me there. My heart is full to overflowing with all the wonderful blessing that the pastors and pastora's were to me and to their people. I was reminded of the scripture passage where Jesus commanded the disciples to go and make disciples in all nations and places. Of course that is a Hopperism, but I believe that it is implied by what the Lord had to say to us and His disciples. That is exactly what is happening right now in the Philippine Islands through the Free Methodist Church and perhaps many others as well. I know that the Christian and Missionary Alliance denomination is also doing such work. In fact they have committed to plant 500 new churches by the year 2025. Now that is quite a goal to achieve. But it isn't really about how many churches that any given group can plant, but rather about how many new souls are won to the Kingdom of God. They along with their brothers and sisters in the Free Methodist Church recognize that Satan is alive and well on planet earth and is working so very hard to take as many with him to their eternal damnation. Strong words I know but it is truth and as it is said, "The Truth Hurts"! And we here in the US need to get with it. Unfortunately it appears that in the massive growth of some churches it seems to be that many are more focused on something other than bringing souls to a place of accepting the salvation of their Savior, Jesus Christ. That is our primary goal as followers of Christ, to win others not to a church or to denomination, but to Jesus Christ. And it all starts with asking for forgiveness of sins and entering into a relationship that can last a lifetime should we so choose, and hopefully we will choose life with Christ. Don't misunderstand me, I do think that there are many churches in America are doing an outstanding job, both large and small, at reaching those who need Christ as a personal Savior. But we all need to get on board to see that all hear the message of forgiveness and salvation. Finally I want to say thank you to all who helped make my trip to the Philippines possible financially and for all your prayers lifted up for me and the team I ministered with. God certainly honored those prayers and I am a better person a better pastor and a better Christian because of them.