Safe Travel: Most of the team will be traveling from the East Coast US to Samao (5 hours flight time SW of Hawaii). While in Samoa, we travel by small plane, ferry, bus, van & truck.

Team Health: There are many challenges to the health of the team. The team faces extended travel, long days in the clinic, new & unique foods, varied sleeping arrangemnets, harsh environmental conditions & spiritual resistance.

Spirtual Focus & Stamina: Most of all, pray that we will be one body in Christ and that the Samoan people will know we are in Christ by our love for one another.

The KEY to success is to Walk in Christ: I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (Joh 15:5)

There is one body, and one Spirit…one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in us all. (Eph 4:4-6)

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (Joh 13:35)

Let us not be weary in doing good, for we will reap in due season, if we don’t give up. (Gal 6:9)

But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation… We are therefore ambassadors on behalf of Christ… we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2Co 5:18-20)

Now thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and reveals through us the sweet aroma of his knowledge in every place. (2Co 2:14)

Planning for a clinic...

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The next medical mission is July 17 – August 1, 2009.

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in him whom they have not heard? How will they hear without a preacher? And how will they preach unless they are sent? (Rom 10:14-15a)

God gives us insight into the missionary process through the preceding verses.  A mission involves three groups of people, the unsaved, the senders and the goers.  For many years we were in the sender group and we continue to support other missionaries in their labor in the Lord.  Over the past few years, God has also called us to serve Him in the “goer” group… to be His witnesses in our home town and in the remote parts of the earth.

God has reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation.  We are Christ’s ambassadors to the islands and the world.  See (2 Co 5:18-20).

PS -  The legacy of God’s Good News will remain through the lives of those who have accepted Christ and through their witness.  It will be a great opportunity to give a few of our shirts as gifts to the translators and other helpers to support their witness for the Lord!

The Vine and the branches...

Our lives are fruitful only to the extent that we abide in Jesus.  Religious rules did not bring us new life and they will not produce abundant fruit in our lives today.  The Law does not produce righteousness it is a tutor to bring us to Christ.

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. (Joh 15:4-5) (MKJV)

The same grace that saved us will also transform us.  We do not purge the old baggage from our lives by force of will or by external pressure from religious rules.  We are transformed by the Spirit of God as we abide in His Son.

Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? …Such were some of you, but you were washed. But you were sanctified. But you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in the Spirit of our God. (1Co 6:9-11) (WEB)

We do not gain more of God’s grace by self effort.  We are transformed into the image of Christ as we abide in Him… as we drink from His well of righteousness.

Whenever one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit. (2Co 3:16-18) (WEB)

For we were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love toward mankind appeared, not by works of righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly, through Jesus Christ our Savior. (Tit 3:3-6) (WEB)

The event featured music from several local talented bands and was highlighted by a speech from guest speaker Clementine Igilibambe, a survivor of the Rwanda genocide in 1994.  Her passion to assist all unrepresented people and refugees was inspiring and it was truly an honor to meet and speak with her.  The Central Piedmont Chapter of STAND presents an opportunity to support one of the largest student led anti-genocide coalitions in the nation.

Clementine’s story in her own words:

You can visit Clementine’s website at: http://homepages.udayton.edu/~igilibcm/index_files/Page350.htm

 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?“  (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)  The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.  Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”  “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water?  Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?”  Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”    John 4:7-14

Join us… and drink!  We will post updates as regularly as we are able, and would be pleased to hear from you…  If you know Him “the gift of God” then tell us how Jesus has affected your own life.  If you don’t know Him but would like to, we’d be pleased to help with the introduction – if you are feeling ”thirsty” and perhaps “tired” then stop “trying”, stop “spinning your wheels”, He is waiting – right now! in this very moment! call out to Him from your heart of hearts, and He will answer you!