How a Radio Can Open a Door for a Missionary

Lost children, hurricanes, earthquakes and tsunamis get a lot of attention, and there is a team of volunteers that band together to help rescue people in these calamities. These volunteers are great people and willing to help others but they could use some help themselves. I have an opportunity to rub shoulders with these people through volunteer work with the Civil Air Patrol as a chaplain and also as a HAM radio operator.

I was invited to become the chaplain in charge of the Civil Air Patrol in Puerto Rico recently and am following up on that open door to see what opportunities that position might give us in reaching our community for Christ. My main job would be to give devotionals to teenagers interested in flying, preparing for a future with the Air Force or engaging in SAR (Search and Rescue).

I also was able to pass an exam by the FCC to qualify for a General Class amateur radio licence. With my license, WP4NVR, I can participate in search and rescue, and emergency relief. I could also be seen as a person of value by the leaders of the community we are trying to reach.

Do we need to do these things to build a church here in Puerto Rico? No. We can keep visiting door to door, and we will continue to do that. But many people are not on the other side of those doors. They are off somewhere doing activities. If we could participate in those community activities we would meet people we would never have met during our regular visitation.

Will we do it? I am willing to walk through these doors. I do need the equipment though.

I hope to get a good portable radio like the Yaesu FT-857D Amateur Radio Transceiver so I can set up a portable radio station during emergency drills and get to know the men and women of the emergency response group in our area. The radio runs for around just under a  thousand, but with a good power supply, portable antenna system, etc., it will be more like $1,500.

There are many opportunities and ways to reach people. I would like to try this one. If you agree and could help us do it, please lend us a hand. We have the preparation and the will to do this. Please help us with the means to make it happen.

Helping a missionary help their children.

My daughters Sarah and Kristin are to begin their second year at Pensacola Christian College in a few weeks and, besides their tuition, they need some materials that are hard for us to supply.

Sarah is scheduled to take a photography course and is looking for a camera she can learn photography on and one that we can afford to give her. Some one recommended we should get the Nikon 3200 as a basic entry camera, but the price is close to $700.00, which may be a bargain, but beyond our means to provide. We have lots of experience getting by on a tight budget and could get a very cheap camera, but we do want to provide a good enough camera that will allow her to get a full value from her time in the class. Another model might do, but we don't know what it is and again, will have difficulty providing it.

Kristin is taking writing classes and has asked for us to get her "Microsoft Office 2010: Student Edition" for her classes. I have a copy, but will have to uninstall it on my computer so she can have my copy. I hope Microsoft can figure out I did this so she can use it without any trouble.

Our married daughter Rachel has 4 children now, but her husband Max is not working full time yet and their car broke down, needing major repair work. They would like to get a better used car, but hauling around a family of 6 requires a bigger car and a bigger expense.

Please pray for us. It is hard seeing that our kids need things that we are unable to provide. Our hearts go out to our children. If they are meant to struggle, we can accept that. But if you can help them by prayer, or by helping us provide the things they need, please do so. We would greatly appreciate it.

Hurricane Issac : We celebrate your passing

Issac is an example of the best kind of Hurricane: One that comes close enough to cancel school and work and fills the cisterns with water, but stays just that perfect distance away to where it doesn't cause any damage.

Yes, even though it didn't hit, it is disruptive. But it does give us a chance to catch up on other projects and do some long over due maintenance.

How could we be so lucky? Well, I don't think it's luck. I think someone prayed for us and the prayer was answered.

Thank you someone. Please keep praying for us.

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I sent out a printed prayer letter by US mail for my friends that like reading a "real" letter, rather than following our blog, and that is fine by us. BUT I did receive a suggestion and an actual phone call from one of our supporters with this suggestion:

"I love your blog, but I don't  remember to check it often. Would you please send me summary of your posts once a month or so in the form of an email newsletter? That way I will see it and not forget to read it."

Well, what a great idea! If you feel the same way then please subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here.You will start getting our updates as we put them out, about once a month.

Please share our news and prayer requests with others. We believe that your prayers, united with the prayers of others, make a difference in our life and work here on the mission field.