Hope you’re doing well. This update is coming from sizzling South Jersey. It’s been really hot, and we are missing the low humidity and cool breezes that are so common in Indonesia during July. We have been traveling around sharing with friends and supporters about what God is doing among Balinese Hindus. And even though we are here in America, there are still lots of awesome things continuing to unfold on the island of Bali! We have 5 teammates and 12 national partners working hard to see the gospel reach all the remote and rural villages of Bali. Please don’t skip over the requests for prayer at the end of this email… that’s where you and I can really have an impact, and be a part of the ministry in Bali, even from over here on the other side of the world. Let’s be diligent prayer warriors.

PSP is starting on July 30th. You might be wondering what PSP is, and no, it’s not a hand-held video game system. We’ve been talking for a while about the leadership training program that we wanted to start in the Balinese language. This is theological training for people with little education that emphasizes Christlike character in leaders. The program will utilize Balinese mentors that will personally work with participants so that character is transformed as knowledge of God’s word increases. Our office will house the participants as they spend two nights/three days per month learning and growing. We see this as a very important part of our long-term strategy of developing spiritually mature church leaders. We are expecting 15-20 participants!

Jaiden and the Road: we have thoroughly enjoyed our time so far visiting with family and friends. Jaiden has enjoyed making new friends in a lot of new places, but she has also sometimes struggled with saying goodbye. It seems like as we leave each place she sheds a few quiet tears in the back of the car. It hurts my heart to see her hurting. She has talked several times about wanting to go back to Bali and/or our ‘place’ in North Carolina. Please be praying for her to continue to adjust to life on the road and understand that the friendships she is starting now can continue long-term. We only have about three weeks left until she starts school, and we can settle back into somewhat of a routine in NC.

Thanks for praying for us on our travels. It has been a joy to see so many friends, eat way too much good food, drive on straight uncrowded roads, etc, but I’m not going to lie… it has still been hard for us to feel like we ‘fit in’ here in America, and we go through times of really missing life in Indonesia. So we appreciate you remembering our continued adjustment.

Don’t forget to keep up with us on the blog at www.threeglobetrotters.blogspot.com and also you can see our travel schedule by clicking here.

Thanks for being with us in this ministry to the Balinese,

Jon, Kristi, Jaiden, and kenan

Prayer Points:
1. Komang came to faith just over a week ago!! Through hearing stories about Jesus and the witness of one of our national partners, she decided to follow Jesus. For those of you at Grace in Stilwell: this was the lady that I talked about who cried when she heard the Word in her own language and was affected greatly by the stories of Jesus.
2. There are P3 (discipleship) groups that are multiplying to the villages! One group started in the capital city, and several of the participants have started other groups in the villages, reproducing what they are learning. Please pray for continued persistence and multiplication within these P3 groups, especially in the least-reached villages.
3. PSP is starting July 30th. Pray for participants, lecturers, mentors, and support staff. We want this first group to be a success and something that will be a good starting point for training house church leaders in the least-reached villages.
4. Pak Nyoman & Ibu Made – pray for them and their children as they continue following Jesus. They have family members and neighbors that have been showing interest, so pray for a group of believers to take root there in west Bali.
5. Pak Lipo: came to faith shortly after we left Bali. Pray for him to continue in discipleship. There are others in his area that are interested in the gospel and are hearing stories of Jesus. Pray for a group to form there in that village in east Bali.

Dear parents, you only get one chance at rearing your children right, and when you look back on those child rearing years, I think you would agree with me, that those years with the children at home pass by quickly. I do not regret for a minute that when my kids were young, even though I am a busy pastor, I spent every available minute I could with them.  I would get on the floor and wrestle with them, play games with them, pull them in their wagon, help them on their bikes and attend every school play and ball game that I possibly could.

I’m glad that every summer we would take a family vacation together–nothing expensive, but just time together, enjoying the beauty of God’s creation.  There are precious memories of my children when they were small, that will be dear to my heart forever.

I believe and have often preached, that one of the most important things you can do for your children is to give them your time and to enjoy being with them.  Kids aren’t dumb–they sense when you feel like they’re a bother. They also sense when you genuinely like them and enjoy their company.  You communicate your attitude toward them, in part, by little gestures:  a warm smile, eye contact, a gentle nudge or hug, a shared laugh.

Just putting down what you’re doing for a minute and giving them your undivided attention says, “You are important to me and I love you, and want to hear what you have to say.”  Even though what they want at the moment may not be an important issue, if you express a welcome response, it can open the way for communicating at other times on more important things, such as spiritual values and character issues.

Influence is imparted through time together, genuinely enjoying their company.  I see so many parents, even in Christian families, and especially dads, who destroy their relationships with their kids by being perpetually angry.  Their only communication toward them seems to be sarcastic remarks, name-calling, and put-downs.  I’ve seen people in public places talk to their children in ways that wouldn’t be appropriate for correcting your dog.  Then, when the kids rebel as teenagers, the parents shrug their shoulders and say weakly, “It’s just a normal phase they have to go through!”

The Bible commands us to put off such rotten speech, and instead use words that build up others.  It tells us to put off anger and to be kind and tender toward one another (Eph. 4:29, 31-32).  It specifically tells fathers not to provoke their children to anger, but rather to nurture them in the training and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:4).  In other words, we parents need to confront and deal with our own anger before God if we want to rear our children properly.  The only way to do that is to repent of our sin and believe that Jesus died for us and rose again for out justification, and after you are saved, continually submit all of your thoughts, words, and deeds to His lordship (Gal. 5:15-26).

Take some time today, this week, this month, to enjoy your kids while you can.  Yes, it’s important that we correct them in love when they are rebellious and misbehave, but it’s also important that we build strong relationships with them by spending time with them and by treating them with love, kindness and consideration.  They’re God’s special gifts, entrusted to your care for a few short years, may God enable you to raise them well.

Dear friends,

We have been here in Roatan since Friday. There have already been many wonderful and memorable experiences. We met on Friday night with 10 candidates for ordination in the Baptist churches here on the island. Many are young and just stepping out by faith to fill roles that may have been held by older men or missionaries in the past. We heard each one give testimony of their faith in Christ and their call to the ministry. Since all but two of them are Spanish speakers, Sam Montoya translated for all of the testimonies. It took us almost 4 hours to get through everything. Jet lag started to take its toll at the end, but it was such a blessing to hear how God had worked in each one of these men’s life.

Saturday was the big day for Dr. Glen Solomon, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Roatan City, and president of the Bay Island Baptist Association. We helped him celebrate fifty years in ministry in Roatan. He has pastored the First Baptist Church in Coxen Hole or Roatan City. He has helped start numerous churches here on the island. He has also served his country as a member of Congress, ambassador to Jamaica, governor of the island and a member of the city council. He is a very unique person and has been a faithful partner to Bible Basics in establishing our Radio Station HRGS which covers the Bay Islands of Honduras. Close to 300 people came out for the 4 hour celebration service on Saturday afternoon. There were around 200 people at the dinner that was held afterward. Dr. Priddy from BBI gave the message and Sam Montoya translated everything into Spanish.

We attended First Baptist Church of Roatan City on Sunday morning. Herman Meister, BBI Vice President gave the message. Following the service, the entire BBI staff went out for dinner. All 15 of us enjoyed spending some relaxed time together. Our Family Bible Conference began on Sunday night. All of the Bay Island churches were invited. We had close to 300 people in attendance. I gave a 3 part series on marriage that was very well received by those who intended. The highlight came on Tuesday night when at least 30 young people came forward to declare their commitment to remain pure until marriage. Another 40 couples declared their commitment to renew their Christ-like love one for another. Faithfulness in marriage is a big problem around here. We need to keep praying that these believers will follow through on their decisions.

Maybe, the biggest highlight of this trip took place on Tuesday afternoon. The local churches were called together for the ordination of the 10 men that we had begun interviewing on Friday night. We were asked to be part of the examining council along with some of the local pastors. We questioned the candidates on their doctrine and recommended that they be ordained. Each church stated their desire that we ordain each man to the gospel ministry. We charged them, laid hands on them, and prayed over them and their families. It was a beautiful service. We have a sense of expectation of what God can do through these families who have dedicated themselves to serve the Lord. None of them will be paid enough to live solely off of the ministry. They will sacrifice comfort and security in order to fulfill their ministry.

One of the newly ordained pastors invited us to eat at his home after the ordination and before the evening Bible Conference. His wife prepared a feast for us and in honor of her husband. The people have been so gracious to us. The week has flown by with all of the meetings and getting around the island. We are scheduled to go up island today and visit a few of the more remote churches.

We will leave Roatan tomorrow morning and get home at 11 pm via San Pedro Sula, Honduras and Miami. Pray for the families and the churches in Roatan. Pray for the changeover of leadership that is taking place in some of the churches. Pray as BBI prepares to set up a STAR team short-term ministry in Roatan for next summer. And, pray for our Radio HRGS staff that serves faithfully each day in spreading the truth of God’s word to thousands of people in the coastal areas of Honduras.

Evan Drake
Bible Basics International