Stranded in California...

I have had some interesting experiences in air travel over the last couple of months. After losing my bags twice in a row on flights to Europe, I now find myself stranded in Van Nuys, California due to weather related flight cancellations in and out of Dallas. While looking for flight and air traffic information at the airport, I came across a neat website: www.flightaware.com. I have used a lot of different sites over the years to obtain updated flight information, especially www.flightview.com (which not only shows the estimated departure/arrival/gate information of individual flights, but actually allows you to track the flight "live" on a map with information that shows doppler weather radar, altitude, speed, etc.), but this new site adds the capability to see actual air traffic flow in and out of a specific airport. It generates "real-time" images like the one below. Somehow, seeing those thunderstorms and various flights trying to pick their way around them helps me feel better about being stranded...


I came out Sunday night in order to take a modular class toward my M.Div at the King's Seminary, founded by Dr. Jack Hayford. I was scheduled to fly back this morning but have to spend another night away from Teresa and the kids... :(

On a more positive note, the class, An Advanced Seminar in Pastoral Leadership, was fantastic. Held over three days, with lectures starting every morning at 8:30am and continuing until 6:00 pm daily, it was taught by three great teachers, each of whom is a seasoned pastor.

Monday featured Jim Garlow, Senior Pastor of Skyline Wesleyan Church and known for The Garlow Perspective. Skyline first became famous under the leadership of well-known author, John Maxwell, of Injoy Ministries. Tuesday's lecturer was Bishop Kenneth Ullmer of Faith Central Church. Yesterday, Doug Richardson of Long Beach Christian Fellowship wrapped things up. Each one made a distinctive contribution to my life. What a privilege to learn from others...!

More Croatia Photos and Videos

Since we had a little technical problem in service trying to play the short video clips from Croatia, I've posted them both below, along with a few others, including a short glimpse of the Sunday morning worship service and some folk singers I encountered at Diocletan's palace.

Here is a photo or two of their church. The videos are farther down in this post. Just click on the "Play" button that looks like a triangle in the center of the video box to watch them.

Parisian Pastors

My train ride back down to London was uneventful, but I hit the city right at rush hour. Crossing town on the "tube" (as London's subway is commonly called), train, and taxi with my luggage was no fun, but the leg by taxi yielded beautiful glimpses of this storied place, such as this glimpse of Buckingham Palace, home of the Queen. I noticed there wasn't any royal flag flying when I zipped by so that meant she was not at home. I noticed on the news that she was going to the Kentucky Derby and then on to Washington, D.C. to meet President Bush, so maybe she had already left. As beautiful a city as my beloved Paris is, I must confess that London has a charm all her own.



Half way across London I realized that I had made a very stupid mistake and assumed that I was flying out of the same airport I had arrived in (Gatwick). Thankfully, I took out my ticket and was able to change train lines midstream and make my way to Heathrow instead for I was booked on the last flight out to Paris that night...!


The flight was delayed a long time and we didn't arrive until nearly midnight, but my very dear friend, Pastor Samuel Rodrigues of the Eglise Protestante Evangélique de Montrueil was there to meet me. Along with his wife, Héléne, they lead a thriving congregation just a few hundred yards from the city limits of Paris. Pastor Samuel hosts a monthly pastor's meeting where I spoke to some sixty church leaders from across the city.

Jeff Serio, of European Initiative, joined me for this time at my invitation and was a tremendous blessing. Together with his wife, Barb, and their four fine children, they are soon moving to Berlin, Germany. At Hillcrest Church, we believe in this family and are honored to be able to partner with them financially. I encourage you to take a moment to check out their site and to click on the video posted below so you can learn more about their heart and vision for Europe

Mattersey Hall

I hopped the train in London yesterday and rode up north to Retford, near Nottingham. It was amazing to be riding along at high speed and uploading these photos I took with my cell phone with the English countryside whizzing by...! The yellow plant in full bloom out in the fields, by the way, is rapeseed, used in making oils of various types.



I just happened to come at a time when the weather hear in Britain has been absolutely gorgeous - no fog, rain, or cold, just lots of warmth, blue skies, and sunshine. That has made the views all the more beautiful as I have travelled by both train and automobile.

After my arrival in Retford last night, Paul Alexander, the principal of Mattersey Hall, and his wife, Carol, took me out for a typically British dinner of meat pie with sticky toffee pudding and custard in the shadow of Lincoln Cathedral. (My camera stopped working, but I managed to find their picture and one of the cathedral on the internet.) Paul will be preaching for us at Hillcrest Church while they are in the States this coming October.

I lodged at a small inn near the school named The White Swan; had a typically English breakfast this morning that included fried eggs, fried ham, and baked beans; and then headed over to the school. Even though this is my third day in the U.K., I still find myself walking around to the right side of the car when I am a passenger! I have driven in Britain in the past and did not find it to be too great a challenge, but it always takes me a few days to develop new reflexes, especially when crossing the street as a pedestrian.

The worship in the student chapel was a real treat. I am not enough of a musician to analyze the differences between worship music in the U.K. and that in America, but even my untrained ear detects a distinct difference. It seems the melodic lines here are richer, somehow more varied and complex, with a certain lilt to them. Most importantly, the worship was obviously straight from the hearts. Pastor John Andrews from Rotherham New Life Christian Centre in a neighborhing city and his staff gave a stirring update on what God was doing through the ministries of their church and launched an appeal for students to work with them during the summer and next fall as they plant two more daughter churches.

Mattersey Hall is a wonderful institution that offers fully accredited undergraduate and graduate degrees in various ministry and theological concentrations including a full Ph.d in connection with the Univesity of Wales. Their student body comes from around the U.K. and serveral other countries. They also have a great distance learning program. Their campus is spread across some fourteen acres and headquarted in an 18th century mansion. My camera stopped working so I could not take a photo and have been unable to find one on the web, but trust me, their facilities are beautiful!

After speaking to the students in one session then to the faculty and administration in another, it was back on the train to scoot down to London to catch a late evening flight over to Paris.

Elam Ministries - London

Sam and Linaria Yeghnezar from Elam Ministries surprised me by meeting me at Gatwick airport last night when I arrived in London from Split! This meant we were able to spend the evening together before my scheduled visit to their base outside London today. A special treat was meeting Sam's 96 year old father, in whose house a sovereign outpouring of the Holy Spirit in 1955 sparked off a major expansion of evangelical Christianity in Iran.

It has been great to get good news about the work of the Lord in Iran. God is moving in a very great way there. It was a joy to be able to share some thoughts on leadership with the Christian workers they are training and learn more about their extensive and manifold forms of outreach to the Persian people.

Walking around their property, we came across a meadow full of bluebells. I did not expect to find that taste of Texas so far from Britain.

We also came upon a 75 year old rhododendron...! I am the farthest thing from a horticulturist - not even an avid gardener, but that impressed even me.

One of their current construction projects is a prayer garden where their staff and people passionate about Iran could come and intercede for that country. It would be great if a team from Hillcrest could come and help with this!

More Croatia Photos

Here is the home of the Evangelical Good News Church in Split. It sits in the center of the city, very near to the old town.

In Roman times, Christians were martyred in this amphitheatre.

Greetings from Daniel and Eva Mrsec in Split, Croatia

I arrived here last night in the city of Split, Croatia on the Dalmatian coast of the former Yugoslavia. I have been very warmly welcomed by our friends, Daniel and Eva Mrsec.


Night was already falling when I arrived, but when I tumbled into bed some time after midnight, I could tell by the twinkling lights outside my window that the view this morning would be beautiful. As you can tell, I was not disappointed...! The only difference between this snapshot and reality is that the sky is perfectly blue, the sun is shining brightly, and the sea is beautiful. The lens on my cell phone's camera just doesn't do this view justice.


Hillcrest Church has partnered with Daniel and Eva from the time they founded the Evangelical Goods News Church in 1992. Your Faith Promise Missions offerings help us invest in high quality, fruit bearing ministries like theirs. This morning, as we sipped wonderful espresso coffee in a typically noisy cafe down by the city's harbor on the Adriatic coastline, I recorded a short greeting from them for all their friends at Hillcrest Church. To watch it, click on the image below.



Following our coffee, we went out for a delicious lunch by a marina, along with Vieko, Daniel's brother, who works with their youth ministry. The friendly waiter took this photo. The seafood here is excellent, including the squid...!

The old city of Split is quite beautiful. First inhabited approximately seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus, it contains many picturesque streets and allies such as this one.

Below is a very small opening that was created to allow access through the wall during times of uncertainty when the city's main gate would be closed. This opening was called, The Camel's Gate. No animal or goods were allowed through this opening to enter into the city, no matter how valuable they were. All of that would have to be left behind when fleeing into the city for safety and the only way a human could come through was to bow their head and get down on their hands and knees. Seeing it gives new meaning to the words of Jesus when He said that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

18 A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 19"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. 20You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'" 21"All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said. 22When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." 23When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. 24Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 26Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?" 27Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God." 28Peter said to him, "We have left all we had to follow you!" 29"I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life." (Luke 18:18-30 NIV)

The city of Split was the residence of the Roman emperor Diocletan, who was the last emperor to fiercely persecute the Christians. In Bible times, the city was known as Salona and the Apostle Paul refers to preaching the Gospel in the region of Illyricum in his Epistle to the Romans.

18I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done— 19by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. (Romans 15:18-19 NIV)

Traces of the Roman influence are clearly visible in the city's center where the old town is located. Note the columns below, which actually seem to my untrained eye to look more Greek than Roman (the city dates back to Greek times), given their entasis or bulge in the middle.

French archaeologists have also uncovered Roman mosaic flooring going back many years. The use of a cross in the design caught my eye and made me wonder if it dates after Constantine, given Diocletan's attitude toward Christians. One of the books I am reading on my trip, though, entitled, The Cross of Christ by John R.W. Stott mentioned the fact that the use of two intersecting lines in symbolism actually predates the Christianity. Ancient pagan use was apparently based on the idea of horizontal axis intersecting a vertical axis to represent a connection between the earthly and the heavenly or by extension, the material and the spiritual, the temporal and the eternal, etc. Reading that actually thrilled my soul as I thought of how God was already preparing human hearts to understand the meaning of the cross of Christ long before He was ever crucified. For Jesus really is the only possible intersection or integration point between the human and the divine...!

Below is a poster showing an artist's conception of how the city looked in Roman times.

Today, the city market bustles with activity within the shadow of the ancient walls. Fresh vegetables, fish, seafood, clothing, and about anything else anyone would need for daily life can be bought here at a much better price than in the shops in town.

Although I have had a lot of fun today, I really look forward to sharing God's Word with their congregation tomorrow. When you read this, please take a moment to pray for the Mrsecs and for all of our brothers and sisters here. Split is near to some of the spots in the Balkans that have known tremendous troubles in recent years, including Sarajevo, Mostar, and Srebrenice. The fighting came within twenty miles of the city. Thankfully, things are much, much better now. Pray for continued peace so that the good news about Jesus may spread here without hindrance.

19Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel... (Ephesians 6:19 NIV)
1Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. (2 Thessalonians 3:1 NIV)

Prague, Czech Republic

I arrived here in Prague, Czech Republic yesterday afternoon from Amsterdam to find my long time friend, Pastor Bohuslav Wojnar, waiting for me at the airport. He pastors the Křesťanské Centrum church in the town of Cesky Tesin, very near to the Polish and Slovakian borders. Cesky Tesin is the in the part of the country called Moravia. This is where the famous Moravian Brethren were from who sent out the very first missionaries in the modern era.

Teresa and I first met Bohuslav and his lovely wife, Felicie, back in the mid-eighties during one of our missions trips behind the Iron Curtain into Eastern Europe. They have been very dear friends ever since. One of the young men converted under Bohuslav's ministry and then discipled by him is Petr Ministr, the Director of the Teen Challenge ministry for the Czech Republic, first-rate ministry to drug addicts. (Seen below with his wife, Patricia.) They are a precious, precious couple, greatly used by the Lord to impact people in this country.



Bohuslav and I drove together out to Postovice where Teen Challenge is renovating a centuries old facility into a complete headquarters, both men's and women's treatment centers, and a discipleship training institute. Hillcrest Church has helped with this project.



They are now purchasing an adjoining piece of property to use in running some of the new businesses the young people work in during their rehab. (Photos below show the new wooden pallet factory they are running.)

They have just had a large gift of over USD$100,000 given to them, but they are still USD$10,000 short - which they need by next week...! When you read this, please take a moment to stop and pray for God to touch human hearts to give them what they lack.

YWAM Amsterdam

After a very brief hop across the English Channel, I arrived in in Amsterdam, Holland sans baggage for the second trip in a row...! Can you believe it? It's been several years since an airline lost my suitcase and now I take two trips within two weeks and my luggage gets lost twice in a row...! Smile!

After picking up yet another stranded traveller courtesy kit at the lost luggage counter, I exited through customs at the Schipol's mega-airport with its sprawling shopping center (I bought a car duty free there once when Teresa and I lived in Europe) and found Missionary Steve Ashworth's smiling face there to greet me. We then hopped the train to Amsterdam's Centraal Station, just a few blocks from the YWAM base.

When I saw what was hanging outside the door to their apartment, I knew I was in the Netherlands for sure. The first time I ever saw a pair of shoes like that was when I was seven or eight years old and my Mom and Dad brought some back to me as a souvenir when they stopped overnight in Holland on their way home from a trip to the Holy Land in the sixties.

We toured the YWAM Amsterdam building where Steve and Rhonda and their three beautiful children live. It's called De Poort, which is Dutch for ‘The Gateway’. The 150 year old building provides classrooms and housing for the different ministry schools, office space for their Support Ministries, and housing for staff. They run several schools out of this particular YWAM base, including the Discipleship Training School, Leadership Training School, Makind Disciple Makers, School of Evangelism and Pioneering, School of Intercessory Prayer, School of Urban Frontier Missions, and the Nations to Nations TakeOff Discipleship Evening School. Here is a photo of Steve inside a classroom set up for their School of Intercessory Prayer, which is going on at the moment.


We then headed out on bicycle to visit the mission's other facilities.


Amsterdam is such a beautiful city and exploring it by bicycle was a real treat after so many hours cooped up on an airplance. The weather here today was beautiful and the neighborhood they are in is laced with canals bordered by tiny streets, and historic architecture.



Our first stop was the new Tabernacle of the Nations prayer center, a house of 24/7 prayer and worship in the heart of Amsterdam’s Red Light District. In Your missions giving through Hillcrest Church is helping make this project possible...!
















Then, we went next door to The Cleft. It focuses on mercy ministry and sharing the gospel with tourists, homeless people, businessmen, prostitutes, drug addicts and lonely people.














We wound up at The Samaritan's Inn building where the Dwaze Zaken arts café is located. Although the identity of the café is Christian, there are no preachers or sermons. Rather, it provides a platform for many different art forms and hosts a number of different kinds of activities on an ongoing basis: concerts, workshops, exhibitions, (film) discussions and lectures. The initiative for this kind of café grew out of the belief that God is the ultimate Artist. The initiators of the café wish to demonstrate that the Christian lifestyle is contemporary, very active and provides sufficient basis for today’s problems and life’s challenges. Young people find at Dwaze Zaken a lively café where they can find friendship, a listening ear and a helping hand. Thanks to your generosity, I was able to treat the entire Ashworth family to a delicious dinner. We had great fellowship, and I am now about to tumble into bed exhausted, but very thankful that we are partnering with such quality people...!