Isaiah6n8 Ministries History

In 1998 a missionary (Dub Lewis) was preaching at our church, Metro Church of Garland, and was talking about how he would go “alone” to these remote places to share the gospel.  It was lonely because he could not find anyone to go with him.  I felt the Lord telling me to go with him and be his Barnabas.  I was given the scripture verse Isaiah 6-8.  Looked it up and said “no way”.  I was given a second scripture verse (Acts 1-8) “oh boy”.

In August 1998 I made my first 3-week trip to bring the “good news” of Jesus Christ to the Maasai people of Tanzania, East Africa.  For the first two and one half years I fulfilled that desire.  Dub always asked me if I wanted to share but I told him I felt I was to be a Barbanas and did not hear God’s calling to share His Word. 

I retired in 1999 from my full-time job and began making several trips each year returning to Tanzania as well as other countries in Africa, and in Asia, to share God’s Word.  In the fall of 1999 Dub was planning a trip to India for January 2000.  I told him I was not going to go “because of the demonic nature of that country and I did not feel strong enough to handle that.”  One Sunday the pastor was preaching on obedience.  Needless to say the Holy Spirit convicted me to go on this trip.  On arriving in the first village there was a crowd of several hundred people gathered in the marketplace.  Dub looked at our other traveling companion, Lonnie, as asked whose turn it was to share.  I handed my camera to Lonnie and said; “It is my turn”, and I shared the Gospel openly for the first time.  God has since used me to plant the seed of His truth in the lives of these often overlooked/unreached people in the remotest parts of these countries.  I have seen men, women, and children set free by the grace of God when they heard the truth of Jesus Christ for the first time in their lives.   I have seen God work miracles of healing and deliverance in the bodies of those who were in bondage to disease and other infirmities inflicted by the enemy. 

It has been a blessing of God to be a part of fulfilling His Great Commission these past 11 years, where I have been now on over 30 missions trips to places like Burma, Vietnam, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe and in 2005 I joined a friend of mine to a trip to China.  Since then I have felt the Lord wants me to continue this work in China.  I would like to make one more trip to Africa (really have a heart for it), but don’t know when that will be.

I know that God’s work is not done.  There are so many who still have not even heard the name of Jesus Christ, and it becomes more urgent each day as we draw nearer to His return.  Thru His grace and mercy I plan to continue going and spreading the “good news” of Jesus Christ. 

Matthew 9:37-38  - Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.  Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”

Quoting from Chuck Colson’s book “Loving God”; ‘Nowhere in the Bible is the world exhorted to “come to church”.  But the church’s mandate is clear; she must go to the world…the work of the ministry belongs to the one in the pew.” 

Equipping the saints---who of course means all believers—is the central thrust of any calling. 

Nowhere in the Bible is the world exhorted to “come to church”; but the church’s mandate is clear – she must go to the world.

Many of us are asked “What is your ministry?”  We respond “computer program, business man, etc” Our ministry is being Christ’s person right where we are every moment of every day.”  This is the very nature of loving God.

Jesus didn’t set up an office in the temple and wait for people to come to Him for counseling.  Instead, He went to them.

Our presence in a place of need is more powerful than a thousand sermons.  Being there is our greatest witness.