The "Thread Goes On!"

In our ministry we have been learning a lot about the "thread of relationships" and how God will keep bringing us to people with whom we are to be in relationship with to accomplish His purposes. We were able to spend a terrific evening with our friends from For Today last night in Buffalo, MN. They are still on tour and are in MN right now. It was SO good to see them. We shared such an awesome thing in Oaxaca with them that we will always remember. Well I was thinking how we were even able to come to that moment last night. And I was thinking how it goes again back to when Kris Hanson and I were working together at a group home company together and we got to chat a lot about vision for ministry. He had gotten to know Neil T. in Morris when attending school there and we were able to meet Neil because of the support we wanted to give to Kris. Well, through the years we became more involved with Neil and his ministry called Outfitters. Two years ago we felt the call to take our boys on a Mission Trip to see how other kids are living and see how God works in other countries. We found out about Casa Hogar through the relationship (thread) that Neil has with a man named Bernie Wing at Grace Life Church in Marshall, MN. (He is connected to the True Bridge churches where Neil is also connected). Bernie's church supports Casa. So we were able to visit this awesome place with our family, which was a life changing experience in itself! Well, while there we met Sarah Olla who was there as a missionary from Wisconsin working with the youth in the church connected to the orphanage. We were able to correspond and find out this awesome heart and vision they have for reaching lost kids. Well, as you know that led to us wanting to support this outreach they just held in October where For Today was a part. And through all that we come around and get to spend an evening again last night with these awesome guys and even connect with a neighbor who we have been estranged from for some various reasons. It was a huge "God Night!" Kids were saved, Kids were released from issues and prayed for. Please keep praying for these awesome young guys who are spreading God's passion all over this country.

Oaxaca 2008

This is the first entry in our Worldwide Hope Ministries blog. Worldwide Hope is a ministry set up as part of Outfitters for Adventure in Morris, MN which is being overseen by myself, Rick, my wife Deb, Michelle and Adam Hanson who were part of our church in Cokato, and Neil and Ruth Thielke of Morris. Our goal is to assist in meeting the needs of people with disabilities, the disadvantaged and the disconnected around the world as we are able. We have a fund set aside to facilitate meeting needs in these areas as they are presented to us, but are actively seeking people to partner with us as we seek to be part of the heart of God in coming alongside the most vulnerable and Spiritually hungry people in the world.

This year it was Rick and Tyler's privilege to be part of an awesome adventure to Oaxaca for just a few days to visit a friend and her husband that we met last time we were in Mexico and be part of their incredible outreach to the unreached youth of that area. I must warn you that the things I will be posting here about that trip are "on the front lines of ministry" and may not be what you are used to seeing being used for reaching people for Christ, but I assure you that the heart and soul of everyone used by God in the days I was there was genuinely focused on the eternal need of every kid in Oaxaca. In fact, what I saw in ministry and Spiritual warfare was beyond what I have ever seen. We saw God working mightily in some very incredible ways. We want to thank you all do much for your prayers, thoughts and support as we undertook this awesome journey into the world. I will be posting pictures and videos very soon. But wanted to get this blog up and going to really let you know how much we appreciate all your support. God is doing great things around the world and I can't wait to tell you more!