Orphanage Ministry and our Last Day of Ministry in TJ

Today we spent most of our time at an orphanage. So far this summer all the teams that the had hoped would visit, cancelled due to fears over the swine flu or over fears associated with the drug war going on here in Mexico. Consequently, these kids and the staff were thrilled to see us. The kids ran to greet us at the soccer field and proceeded to beat us 3 to 2 in a lively soccer game. They were engrossed by our puppet show, dramas, and memorized the verse we taught them in record time. The facility was immaculate. It is part of a ministry started by a church in Michigan. The staff and missionaries working with them are great people.

I have uploaded more photos on Flickr, so go there to see more.

Highlights of the trip so far include...

A team that gets along 100% and that has 100% enthusiasm and participation.

• The missionary kids, some of whom are on their first missionary trip.


• The courage a boldness of our team members.


• People responding to the ministry, coming up for prayer, hungry to hear the word of God.


• My own kids doing a great job! (Alicia and Levi both preached last night, at different churches). Heidi also amazed me with her story telling and VBS organization skills!


• Working with missionaries who are a joy to be around and who are doing great work.


• Seeing kids have their worldview and their lives deeply impacted.

Everyone is healthy...we have felt safe the entire time. So far this trip has been seemless. Thanks everyone for your prayers.

Today one of our missionaries left to go back to the states, along with their kids, the Hall girls left, and two others. So we lost 10 of our 45 members. There is a sense of the trip winding down, but tonight will be an important night of ministry. Jackie is preaching, Chris Hilderbrand is sharing his testimony, we will be doing worship, drama and much more at the church that meets in a nightclub in Ensenada.

Tomorrow we go to Rosarito for a day of relaxation. In the evening the Utah group heads across the border to go home. The rest of us go to the airport in San Diego on Saturday.

Update on Day Five

Thanks for your prayers. Today is the first and possibly the last day that I get to an internet cafe. The ministry here is going well and has already included a one day VBS, multiple church services, door to door evangelism and a lot more. Our training in Tijuana went really well and now we are in Ensenada staying in a very modest motel and are hard at work. This team of kids from all around the world is outstanding. We have team members from France, Thailand, Singapore, El Salvador, Brazil, Mexico and of course, the U.S. Our team has grown to include 44 people. The days are busy but this team has a 100% positive attitude and God is blessing that. Today we ministered to over 100 indigenous Mexican people who are among the poorest in this nation. We had a very fruitful time. Everything seems really safe here...Nothing like you would think from our media. The streets are full, there are tourists filling the shops and life seems to be the same as usual here in Mexico. I do not have internet access or phone access so my updates will be minimal. We are having a great time!!

Our 1st day was good - lots of travel, introductions, worship, prayer, a chinese buffet, power outage, car trouble, & all quiet at 11 p.m. Training day today.

Baja "Go" Team 2009 -

Tomorrow morning Heidi, Alicia, Levi & I are going to SeaTac and will be flying to San Diego where 34 of us will converge for a ten day mission trip concluding on August 1st.

This team is comprised of a large group from Living Faith Foursquare (Kent, WA), a large group from Ogden Utah, and a significant number of Foursquare Missionary kids from around the world. There may also be a few other youth from other churches/places.

After meeting at the San Diego airport, we will cross the border destined for one the Foursquare Bible Colleges located in Tijuana (Calvario). Here we will do three days of intensive training as we get to know each other, our gifts, the mission and as we prepare for a week of intense cross-cultural ministry.

The bulk of our work will take place around Ensenada - a new area for us. In Ensenada we will be serving the local Foursquare Churches (Iglesia Quadrangular) under the direction of missionaries Bill and Ginger Hobin, and Joanne and Bobby Bainbridge. I am hoping to see Mike and Geri Carey, whom I have worked with in Tijuana since 1988.

How to pray for us:

1. Safety: From accidents, freedom from sickness and protection.
2. Fruitfulness: We want to be a blessing and have a positive impact. We need God's help in order to have a lasting influence.
3. Unity: Coming from different churches and with many of us having never met before, we are asking for a supernatural love and unity.

Thanks for your prayer support! Alicia is going away to Ignite in the Fall, so this may be our last mission trip together.

If I have internet access I will be posting updates here on my blog and on my twitter account.

The Baptism of Jesus

Why was Jesus baptized?
Is it really important for a Christian to be baptized?
What difference does baptism make to a believer today?
Discover the answer to these questions and more during this sermon, based on Matthew 3:1-17.

The PowerPoint is HERE.
Audio is HERE.
Study guide is available at http://www.eastsidechurch.org/.

Eastside Presents: Some Fatherly Advice

I'm anxious to see the full version, but this is still really good.

Jesus of Nazareth Study Guide

What was Jesus like? As a child my image of Jesus was determined by a flannel graph and Sunday school books – a cartoonish cut out image of a Jesus who was slender and stoic with long hair and wearing a robe. He never smiled. He was emotionless and one dimensional.

The Bible describes Jesus as being radically different then the flannel or cartoon Jesus. How do you describe Jesus?
This is the subject of our conversations during our weekends as we continue in our series on “Jesus of Nazareth”. During these weeks we discover a colorful and passionate Jesus who possessed a charisma, love and a boldness that shook the world of his day.

It will be my privilege to teach this weekend from Matthew 3 on “The Baptism” of Jesus.

We’re told that when Jesus approached John the Baptist to be baptized, John tried to deter him, saying “I need to baptized by you, and do you come to me?”

God sometimes asks us to do things that we feel incapable of doing. He calls us to encourage when we need encouragement. He calls us to bless when we need blessing. He calls us to love when we need love. He calls us to give when we feel empty. When we minister out of our brokenness, our emptiness and our own inadequacy, we are blessing Jesus – Scripture says as much as we’ve done it for the least of these, we’ve done it for Him. My prayer for you today is that you would be free to give and at the same time you would receive what you need from the Lord!

A Linda Wilson Tribute

Linda was my mother-in-law and she passed away this past December 15th. She was a pastor, missionary and a great lady. Her memorial service is this Saturday at Eastside Foursquare Church at 11:00 a.m.

Tribute to Pastor Jack Hayford