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   ...and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
   
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  Let's Fish - July 23, 2008
I Wish I Could Do That!
You Can!
Somewhere around August 15,  Andreas, a 17 year old student from Denmark, will move into our home for a year.  He will call Lanette and me mom and dad and participate fully in the activities of our family.
 
We have a passion for international students.  Kids from Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, Columbia, Mexico, Germany, Ghana, and Switzerland have stayed in our home.  We continue to have very close contact with three of these students and stay in touch with others through Facebook. It is a privilege to be asked by an international student my advice on a particular college or information to complete a school report on American history.  Two students on the other side of the world "check in" nearly daily on IM, sometimes simply to say "good night" before they go to bed.
 
What I hear most from people is, "I wish I could do that!"
 
The answer is YOU CAN!  Get involved!  Here are some suggestions to get you going:
- Investigate the possibility of hosting an international.  AFS <http://www.afs.org/>  in my opinion is the best option.
- Sponsor a child in need.  Lanette and I use World Vision <http://www.worldvision.org/> .
- Invite international students from your local college home for a holiday.
- Learn to teach ESL and get involved in a church sponsored outreach to internationals.
- Be the first on your block to welcome the international family that has moved into your neighborhood.
- Stop and talk to the internationals that work at your local gas station, Fast Food Store, or restaurant.
- Befriend an international student at your school or college.  Invite them to participate in your social activities.  Introduce them to your circle of friends.
 
Your experiences will be rewarding but more importantly, these endeavors will provide a platform to fulfill your responsibility to Jesus' mandate to share the Gospel with all the world.

Chico Schlonecker - Push the Rock
BOM LogoChico Schlonecker was on two recent short term missions trips with Push the Rock.  He is his recap:

Costa Rica (see pictures)
- Shared the Gospel through soccer with 2,000 kids and young adults in public and private schools, detention centers and prisons
- Worked closely with Centro de Ensenanza y Discipulado, the local church in San Jose
- Shared the Gospel through matches against club and university teams
- It rained (very hard) every day, but we were only rained out of one activityBOM Logo
 
It was amazing to me the team unity that existed among the 24 members of the team. The Lord really brought us together quickly and allowed us to form some strong life-long bonds. There are a number of members of the team who are considering full-time sports ministry, which was encouraging and exciting to hear. Our prayer is that they end up exactly where the Lord wants them, whether it be in sports ministry or otherwise.
 
Italy
- Shared the Gospel through basketball with 38 kids the first week and 70 the second week
- Worked closely with Il Faro, the local church in Mestre (Venice region)
- Shared the Gospel through evening games against club teams
- During the second week we were with the 70 kids from 8:45 am until 7 pm, playing basketball with them and loving on them with Christ's love in any and every way possible
- It was so hot our second week that they broke all kinds of heat records ... Tuesday night it was 97 degrees at 8:30 pm!

Tanzania Project
The first of the team is now on site! 
Here is Jason's report:
Greetings family and friends!  I have been here in Tanzania for about a week and thought it might be good to give you all an update on what is happening.  I had a meeting yesterday to map out what the next couple months will look like for me here at TIMO headquarters.  For the next 2 weeks I will be reviewing and planning out the TIMO curriculum that I will be leading the team through.  After that I have a 3 week Swahili course that I will take from a local language school.

This is a new development that was strongly suggested by AIM leadership as I will need some language upfront as the leader of the team. This is not the language of the Ndengereko but the national language (I will learn Kindengereko once I get into the area as planned.).  After that we will be on the road to do more surveying in the Rufigi River area for the placement of our first team.
 
As I thought about heading down into a region steeped in Islam, it once again brought me to my knees.  And once again, during that time of prayer, God reminded me that this is His gig and He wasn't concerned at all.  He continued to speak to me through a devotional of Hannah Smith's.  As she reflected on the sin of the Israelites not going into the promise land, she said something to the effect of, "It was not because of giants or walls that the Israelites could not conquer the land but only because of their lack of faith. It is all the same to God if He uses one or a thousand to do His will. If we look like grasshoppers compare to our enemies, imagine what they look like compared to God?!"  Let's remember that God goes before us to conquer and that all who follow and believe are more then conquerors with Him (Rom.8:37). 
 
In the dust of the Rabbi,
Jason

Final Thought I

I read this passage the other day:

Amos 8:  11 "The days are coming," declares the Sovereign Lord, "when I will send a famine through the land-- not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. 12 Men will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it. 13 "In that day "the lovely young women and strong young men will faint because of thirst.

One denomination is reporting a 60% dropout rate by kids who were raised in the church and now are in college.  In my opinion this is happening because they go to college ill prepared to take on the intellectual battle they will face.  They are indeed the lovely young women and strong men fainting because of thirst.  A thirst and hunger brought on because of a famine of the hearing of God's Word!  

This is a simple fact - IF you are not grounded in God's Word, you are destined to be "sifted as wheat" (Jesus' words).  A famine of hearing God's Word is self induced!  God's Word IS available to you.  God's Spirit is available to instruct you. Don't walk away!  Hunger and thirst for the things of God. Hide them deep in your heart!

Don't become a statistic, become a living vital part of the Body of Christ!

Send me your thoughts weller@bfcbom.org