Ready to start?

Yes, tomorrow is the day! I took care of some last minute arrangements and re-arrangments today to make sure things are set for at least the first few days of the PrayerPaddle. We arrived in Bathurst on Sunday afternoon, after leaving Jackson, MS on Wednesday evening after work. There have been a couple more people express interest in volunteering (including one through The Bridge), though I haven't managed to talk with them yet.

I can't get into details at the moment about everything that's happened lately. But it's clear that God is up to something. Looking through my list of devotional topics to possibly share during the prayer meetings, I'm a little overwhelmed at all that's been going through my head. The two church services that we attended this last Sunday were great blessings and encouragements. I feel inadequate in so many ways, yet hoping that somehow God will still do something through my weak and trembling efforts. Whatever I do, I want to do it passionately for the Lord. The biggest challenge at this point is the thought of being separated from my family for so much of the summer.

As we transition into the actual start of the PrayerPaddle, I hope to be able to post blog updates at least every couple days or so. In any case, please pray daily for the communities that I will be going through.

A Little Cooler At Least

We made it about halfway through Virginia before stopping to camp last night. Some very nerve-wracking driving through Knoxville due to multiple mistakes on my part. There was a good bit of rain from northeast Alabama through Tennessee. Thankfully the rain stopped before we did. Unfortunately our oldest son threw up around 2:00 in the morning without us realizing that he'd been feeling bad. So we slept in a bit more. Just about to leave the campground now. Hoping to make it to Massachusetts. Also a nice surprise that I finally got a volunteer interested in the PrayerPaddle from The Bridge.

Out of Mississippi

The last month has been busy and eventful. Only two days ago, I received official notice of receiving university tenure and promotion and my VHF radio operator's permit. After a full day of work yesterday, we managed to leave the house and drive a couple hundred miles before stopping in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It's impossible to imagine that less than a week from now I'll be on the water in New Brunswick! I will be attempting to switch into much more frequent blog updates now, hopefully daily. Continue to pray for a smooth start to the PrayerPaddle next week.

A Day to Pray

Today was (is) the "National Day of Prayer" here in the States. Amidst questions about the "political incorrectness" of Christian prayer, increasing inconsistencies regarding religious free speech rights, and the precipitous decline of biblical morality, there was much to pray about. It seems there is a growing awareness among believers that we need to put prayer back into our secularized lives. As a former student pilot, I was surprised to hear on the radio today about a ministry called PrayerFlight that prays for communities while flying over them. Of course, one day a year to pray for your country is no more a complete answer than doing a PrayerPaddle event or PrayerFlight or whatever. But it can be a catalyst to jumpstart people to push forward in the spiritual battle that we all should be engaged in daily.

While it can be argued that the need for (and lack of) prayer in Canada is even more grave than in the United States, there are a couple points of historical perspective that come to mind amidst the gloom and doom that the enemy tries to discourage us with these days. One is the gross immorality and worldliness that the Roman Catholic church succumbed to during much of the Middle Ages. And yet significant reform did eventually come. Another example would be the rampant immorality and religious persecution that dominated England prior to the Puritan and Wesleyan movements. Yes, things may be bad right now, but this is no time for giving up.

When I hear people say that evangelism tools of the past are no longer effective, or that the Church simply can't compete in post-modern society, I wonder if we sometimes take out of context Jesus' statements that "the fields are white for the harvest" and "the harvest is plentiful". Was He speaking to that particular time and place, or to the entire "church age"? Maybe we are not finding a plentiful and ready harvest because we have neglected to pray for the harvest. The Jewish people had gone through hundreds of years of cultural decline and discouragement before the time was right for God to establish His church. We must be diligent to break up the ground, sow the seed broadly, wait patiently, and water carefully if we expect to reap the harvest that should come from the fruit of our generation.

Finalizing Key Partnerships

Although there are still a lot of details to be ironed out in terms of shore support, church partners, etc., I think this is a good time to give a glimpse of how things are shaping up. Hopefully nothing here will be too presumptuous at this point. It looks like almost all sections are at least minimally covered, though there's definitely plenty of room for more people/ministries to come on board.

Victory Lighthouse (Dalhousie, NB): Dalhousie area
Assemblee Evangelique Baptiste Nepisiquit (Bathurst, NB): western Bay of Chaleurs
Kevin Vance family (Florence, MS): Acadian Peninsula to Cape Tormentine
Association Atlantique d'Eglises Baptistes Francophones: Francophone areas of New Brunswick
Lloyd Augustine (Burnt Church, NB): Micmac bands/reserves
Sovereign Community Church (Miramichi, NB): Miramichi area
Victory Baptist Church (Rexton, NB): Richibucto River area
Dieppe Community Church (Dieppe, NB): Shediac area
Maritime House of Prayer (Moncton, NB): Port Elgin area
Old Fort Baptist Church (Summerville, SC): probable for Pictou to Antigonish area
Margaree Valley Church (Margaree Forks, NS): Cape Breton Island

There are several others, of course, who have expressed interest or offered some level of support. But these are the key ones that I feel comfortable listing publicly at this stage. Financial support for my personal expenses has been contributed by the Canadian National Baptist Convention, the Mississippi Baptist Convention, my church (Daniel Memorial Baptist), and individuals.

I would definitely like to see some more people coming in from outside the Maritimes, as well as getting a wider variety of the local churches excited about the PrayerPaddle. Pretty soon, announcements to the broader public will begin.

Summertime?

Well the snow and ice are gone in the Maritimes now. With some temperatures in the mid-60s, the difference between New Brunswick and Mississippi is only about 10 degrees right now. On the other hand, it's still getting down to around freezing at night up north. I'm busy working on finalizing equipment, route planning, and contacts. Still needing more volunteers. Ask the Lord of the harvest for laborers! I have made some good contacts recently that I'm trying to follow up on. I need to find time to paddle too, of course.

This week is final exams at the university. Next weekend we'll be heading to Texas to spend a few days with my family. (And then come back for a dentist appointment.)

Starting today, another version of the PrayerPaddle blog will now appear in the "Biblical Recorder" of North Carolina Baptists: http://www.biblicalrecorder.org. A feature article in the Canadian "Baptist Horizon" newsletter has been prepared for the May/June issue.

He's Alive!

But how many of the "once a year Christians" actually believe that Jesus died for their sins, rose on the third day, and passionately desires for them to know the fullness of His forgiveness, of His power, of His love, and His holiness? Not to mention all those who have given up all pretense of Christian faith. Easter confirms the effectiveness of Jesus' sacrifice for our forgiveness. It demonstrates His power over death and life. It reminds us of His love, that He stepped back out of eternity to establish the Church. It reminds us that we serve a God who is totally unlike any of the other "wannabe" gods.

Jesus did not just leave His followers here on earth to finish writing His memoirs. He was getting ready to send them out to "storm the gates of Hell", to advance the spiritual battle into every nook and corner of the inhabited world. Because He lives, we can do a whole lot more than just "face tomorrow"!