Dear All,
Friday's Bottom Line:
Scott has left somewhere in Nepal and is on his way to somewhere in India, and I was SO encouraged to hear that his back is somewhat better. Praise God for answering our prayers! Scott has three scheduled ministry events during his next few days, and he is eager to get home. = )
Friday's Prayer Requests:
1. God to speak clearly through Scott to those who will be at the DM seminar, the coaches mentoring session, and/or the church service this weekend; Scott to give his very best in each setting no matter what, and finish well.
2. God to be merciful to Scott and continue healing and restoring his lower back - during and in spite of the many hours of travel ahead of him.
3. The Holy Spirit to help the many, many people in several nations our team has ministered to during this trip to A) remember what they have seen and heard in various seminars, summits, and services, B) apply it faithfully and consistently in their own lives, and C) keep "paying it forward" to others they have relationship with.
Friday's Details:
When I asked Scott how his back was doing, he replied, "The back is still hurting some, but is much better than yesterday. The brace helps." I am so glad he was willing to take that brace with him. At home he only wears it when playing tennis, and although he knew he wouldn't be doing that during a mission trip, he did take it. He also has some medicine that is helping. Mostly, I think the improvement is a result of our partners praying for him. Thank you.
I also asked about his meeting with Pastor Gil's friend, Pastor V. Scott said, "The meeting went well for a blind date with the pastor of a big church and leader of a mostly online seminary. We talked a lot about how the DM process is different from Bible School, so there is a natural rub to it. The main thing is, he has the book and said he would get back with me once he has read it. He even talked about me sharing about disciple-making in one of his online classes." It sounds like it was a positive interaction; God knows what, if anything, will develop from it, but Scott did his part by meeting with Pastor V, and we did our part by praying.
In India, Scott will be meeting up with our good friend, E. He is not a pastor but is, as he says, "just a normal person." E is a husband, father, church member, and IT guy. In fact, you might remember seeing a map in a blog post several weeks ago that showed many places in the Philippines where coaches are already leading DM groups, as well as the areas the PDMM is working to expand into. E is the one who created that graphic and numerous other ones for us. Years ago he heard Scott teach about raising disciple-makers, determined to become a DM himself, began leading a group, and is now a Disciple-Maker Indeed several times over!
E has invited a number of people - pastors? church leaders? "normal folks?" - to an all-day vision-casting (DM seminar) on Saturday. Saturday evening, Scott will spend time mentoring the DM coaches E has raised up. This is one of Scott's favorite ministry opportunities. He loves speaking to people who are actively doing something to raise disciple-makers and who understand firsthand the joys and challenges involved. He is energized by encouraging DM coaches and sharing helpful do's and don'ts with those who are working in the trenches and have the same heart.
Then on Sunday morning Scott will speak at a church in the area. He may be able to rest some Sunday afternoon and evening before his 2:30 AM Monday (3:00 PM Sunday MO time) flight departs India to start his roughly 28-hour trip home. I'm very much looking forward to seeing him at the airport Monday evening!
More news as I get it, and thank you for praying!
Blessings,
Patty