Orgs doing it right

I praise God for ICDI and charity:water who partner together to bring fresh, clean water to many villages in the Central African Republic. Check out the link to view a report of what is happening and to watch a live drill video footage. For every well drilled many Central Africans will take a giant step forward in raising their livelihood and improving their health. May the Lord help ICDI empower and educate the villages to keep the water clean for generations to come so that grandchildren will only have the memory of clean water. Visit their facebook pages (ICDI & Charity:water) and "like" them.

The Journey Has Begun [Guest Post by Tim Harley]

Our journey has begun! We left Cleveland in route for Washington D.C. We have a lay over here with our next flight leaving Tuesday at 12pm for Ethiopia and then Bangui. We will arrive at our final destination, Bangui, Central African Republic, on Wednesday afternoon at 2:30pm. We will be six hours ahead of Ohio time. Tonight we had some time to share dinner together.
We have been joined by our ICDI team leader, John Hocking. We spent time sharing and getting to know each other. We each shared about God's faithfulness in allowing us to be a part of this team. We look forward to watching God work on behalf of our team to use us to impact those in the CAR.
My next communication will hopefully occur Wednesday night which will be the next time I will have access to the internet.

Thanks for all of your prayers!!

Tim Harley

Rick Ratzel

IN HIS OWN WORDS:
Please hear how one of our people is developing into a fully devoted follower of Christ by sacrificing work and vacation time to serve the Lord in Central Africa again. Rick is returning to Central African Republic. Please pray for Rick to make new connections and to reinforce on-going connections so that God is glorified towards lasting relationships.

Dale Imhoff

IN HIS OWN WORDS:
Dale Imhoff is going to the Central African Republic for the first time. God provided for his trip in a miraculous way. One of his contacts outside our church is helping to get him to Africa. My how great is the Lord. Please pray for Dale to stay healthy, have Holy Spirit empowered energy, and God-centered stamina on this mission trip from April 4-16.

Team leader, Tim Harley

IN HIS OWN WORDS:
Tim Harley is passionate about being on-mission. His present focus is helping serve the people of the Central African Republic with small teams in partnership with ICDI. This trip will include follow up visits and updates of various projects Wooster Grace has assisted with in the past. Wooster Grace partners with ICDI to positively impact the development of programs where Africans get equipped to teach their own people to move beyond existing to grow towards living. Please pray for Tim as he leads this team asking God the Holy Spirit to give him wisdom, discernment, and guidance throughout the trip.

Three men leave their families & pastor is excited

In their own words:

Copy and print for prayer

A three-man team leaves for Central African Republic to serve from April 4-16. Each shares what they hope God will do on this trip. We praise the Lord for men who want to impact the world for Christ. We are developing fully-devoted followers for Christ to impact the world!

I am so excited to pray for them and to praise God for their upcoming adventures. Hear what they have to say about the trip. Rich Ratzel, Dale Imhoff, and Tim Harley (team leader) also need our prayers. Copy and print their picture above and affix it to your refrigerator or tape it to your mirror so you can pray for them.

You can watch their responses in the next few days on this blog.  So, copy and print prayer card and join the prayer team.

Team going to Central Africa

Tim Harley, Dale Imhoff, & Rick Ratzel

After church I got to pray with and to encourage a three-man team leaving for Central Africa to assist with ICDI in various ministry projects from April 4-16.  This team fulfills our highest value--to develop all people into fully devoted followers of Christ.

Each departs for Africa to build relationships and to reconnect on-going relationships for the ministry initiatives that God has catalyzed over our recent trips.  The team has watched God work to provide for their prayer needs, their support needs, and spiritual and health needs. God is awesome!

Tim Harley will lead this team. Rick Ratzel returns to Africa. And Dale Imhoff embarks on his first trip to the Dark Continent.

Each covets your prayers. May the Lord use their willingness to go make disciples by ministering to the whole human with ICDI--Gospel presentations (faith-based: to show Jesus Christ's love), agricultural seed bank preparations , follow-up on wood workshop center (release from poverty in holistic ways), and development on programs to help improve the health of Central Africans through spirulina ponds so that many Africans can access protein for greater and healthier lives in the future for their families, communities, and possibly their country and continent as they get empowered to continue the work themselves.  


So stop and pray for Tim, Rick, & Dale. They depart April 4. Ask God for safety, healthy and energetic ministry, ability to make new relational contacts and to reconnect with existing connections, and stamina for travel and ministry in the country of Central African Republic.

Praying for God the Holy Spirit to use them

Top Ten Images from Global Outreach 2010

As I pause to reflect on all that God has done through Wooster Grace, I praise God for His work in peoples' lives.  So here are my top ten images of what Wooster Grace did with the generous and faithful giving in 2010.

I post these images in no particular order:

• Our missionary partners from Wooster Grace--Hoberts, Triplehorns, & Kane's;
• My visit to Grace Place Battambang; 
• Ministry with GoTeam to serve with Kane's & Good's and CMPs; 
• Swain visit and help with VBS; 
• Ngoumape visit for construction of James Gribbell Ministry Training Center in Bangui CAR; 
• Nanga from ICDI visit to move forward in holistic community development; 
• GROW gets a truck for Faa to transport kids more safely; 
• Short-term Adult trip to New Mexico by ABF (Significant Times); 
• Student Ministries short-term missions trip to San Francisco, CA; and 
• Team Hope Cleveland 2010 (txs Jeff for photo);

Please comment and share what you think I missed or send me a photo of what could or should have been included. I do miss things. Can't wait to hear from you.

Today is Orphan Care Sunday!

I echo what Dr. Russell Moore (@drmoore) already tweeted, "Pray for the Fatherless!" Today is orphan care sunday. I am so grateful that many people are partnering together to reach out and make a difference.

I have been watching how this ministry has grown in our church. In the last two years, God prompted His people at Wooster Grace to launch two orphan rescue homes in partnership with Asia's Hope--one in Cambodia, Grace Place Battambang and one in Thailand, Grace Place Thailand (Wiang Pa Pao). We have also initiated outreach to at-risk children in Chiang Mai, Thailand through Grace Refuge Outreach Worldwide (GROW). 

Orphan Care also takes place in Central Africa. In partnership with ICDI, Vision Trust International, and Project Hope & Charite people in our church sponsor children in the Central African Republic. Moreover, in our community we pray for and seek to encourage the Wayne County Children's Services.  We know that they labor extended hours and work non-stop to be the best advocates for children who need foster care or adoption.  We thank them for their hard work.

Many national organizations are also doing a great job. Thanks to Kelly Rosati for tweeting Focus on the Family's mash-up of orphan care organizations. A few that I would like to promote are:

• Cry of the Orphan
• Wait No More
• Asia's Hope
• Wayne County Children's Services
• ICDI
• Project Hope & Charite

Praying for Africa has changed

Pray for ICDI: The ICDI Drill Teammates have arrived safely in Bangui and are recuperating after their ordeal with the rebels in the NE of CAR. They send their greetings and appreciation for everyone's prayers. (L to R: Wilfried Ouilibona, Alexis Wadembala, Kevin Moko, Bruno Robembe, Nicolas Kenam, Jean Didier Dobe, Alain Yongote (sq...uatting). Negotiations continue for the vehicles and property that were seized by the rebels (from FB post Fri April 9)~
In my short time on earth, I realize a few things have changed.  One as it relates to prayer is how prayer requests have changed.

When the work started in Central Africa with James Gribble it was for Central Africans to come to Christ through others coming to Central Africa.  As things progressed, prayer was requested for Central Africans to grow in Christ, and develop more leaders for more churches.  Now, we are praying for Central Africans who are doing the work of ministry for their own people.  Amazing!

Though the road to serving others is hard and even dangerous, I praise the Lord for the content of my prayers.  I am alive when the vision of James Gribble has gone farther than his expectations. In the book, Stranger Than Fiction,

"In 1915, in Chicago there had been hanging on the wall of the Gribbles' room a map of Africa.  Ofttimes Mr. Gribble would stand in front of it and pint with his pencil to one place--Bozoum! 'This will be our one objective in Africa...the region which we are called to evangelize. It is to this point we, when we are permitted to do so, that we will make our way...to establish our first station (133)." 

James Gribble wanted to establish the first church in Oubangui-Chari at Bozoum. "'We will yet be permitted,' he would often say to his wife, 'to preach the Gospel at Bozoum. The Lord will work the miracle (133).'"

God truly has worked a miracle!  Today there are 2,400 Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches. Four Bible Institutes in Bata, Bossangoa, Batangafo, and Mbaiki.  A School of Theology offers more training and is now in Bangui.

In Chad, there are four more Bible Institutes and 260 FGBC churches. In the Cameroon, there are 49 FGBC churches.

As I ask for prayer for Central Africans ministering to their own people with ICDI or studying as a seminary student, I praise God that I am alive today to witness to the glory of God! May God truly be glorified for building His Church as He said He would (Matthew 16:18).

Keep praying for God to work in His world to establish His Church.  I wonder what has struck you as you travel on this Global Prayer Walk.  Comment here or on the FB event.  Be a fan of a great man: James Gribble.

Keep praying for Central Africa

I received this from Jim Hocking, ICDI executive director as an email. Please pray for the Central African teams as they seek to minister to their people and other people groups in dangerous areas of their country. Rebels have taken two trucks but the men are unharmed.  Read more from Jim's email post:

ICDI Vehicles Taken

On Friday, rebel soldiers took two of our trucks that were working in the northern part of the Central African Republic (near Darfur, Sudan). The drill rig, water and foam truck and all the workers are fine, but our supply truck and personnel carrier (pictured below) were seized by the rebels. We have had good contact with our drill team, who are safe and sound. Government officials and Triangle, our partner in northern CAR, are working with us to find solutions. The northern part of the country has SERIOUS needs but also some significant risks that must be managed. Thank you for your prayers.