IT STARTED WITH A SIMPLE QUESTION

It started small... just like this 'airplane' this little boy is flying. It was a simple question, "Would you like to go with us to the Philippines?" Just over three years ago, I was at a Nelson Baptist Association Meeting that was discussing local ministry opportunities when Greg Cochran, then the pastor of Cedar Grove Baptist Church, asked me that simple question. I had never been asked anything like that before. I had never been out of our country before and standing there in Bardstown, Kentucky, I was being asked if I would like to go to the other side of the world. When I asked what we would be doing, Greg told me that we would be preaching the gospel and training pastors and other church leaders. Immediately I was excited about the possibility even though I had no idea what to expect. But not only was I excited about this opportunity, I also felt an immediate prompting from God to say yes.

I remember how tired I was the night we arrived at Davao City after flying over 20 hours. When I got to our room, I was grateful for the opportunity to email my wife, Rhonda, and let her know that we were safe and checked in, ready for a good night's rest before traveling to Mt. Carmel the next day not knowing what to expect...

One of the first nights in the camp in the middle of nowhere, I woke up with a powerful sense of "Why me? Why would God allow a guy like me to experience this?" I was totally overwhelmed that God had given me the opportunity to team up with Greg and his wife (Vicki) and their daughter (Hannah), Daniel Wilson, Matthew Spandler-Davison, Greg Crenshaw and Aaron Shipp on such a gospel adventure. The worship atmosphere during each service was so powerful, the people were so excited to be taught and I fell in love with these Filipino people.

But what if Greg had not asked me that question? Or what if I declined the offer? I would have missed out on a great spiritual lesson of obedience and ministry. Working together with our pastors in the Nelson Baptist Association has helped me grow and have an even stronger desire to grow more.

That was 2011 and now we are planning what will be my fourth trip to the Philippines to preach in some revivals and teach a pastors' conference with Matthew again. But this time, we are adding a medical team to work with local doctors to minister to the Cateel area that was hit so hard by the storms in the last 18 months. I am excited that I got to ask that question that Greg asked me in 2011 and I am so glad that Sue Fannin and Darlene Hanson said yes (and this will be their first mission trip of this magnitude as well). In addition to being reunited with Matthew on the Philippines team, we will also have Ron and Judy Votaw, medical missionaries) to join us. 

Will you pray for our team as we make the necessary preparations for this trip? And will you pray for Pastor Joe Fernandez and his wife, Juliet, who are our teammates from the Philippines? They have been so good to us. Please for their twins, Edmund and Edwin, who not only drive us from place to place but also interpret for us and provide music at various events as well.