Greetings from Thailand!

Dear Harvest,

I feel like I’ve seen the future. Let me explain.

The elders and I have been praying for the past year or so that the Lord would help us, as a church, to become more engaged in the gospel mission outside our building – both in our own community and around the world. I believe that the Lord is beginning to answer those prayers in wonderful ways.

On the local front, it was such a joy, on Easter Sunday morning, to see people streaming into the building whom I have never met before

• many of whom were there for the first time;
• most of whom were there because someone from Harvest invited them;
• some of whom are unconverted and got to hear the gospel!

Yes, it was crowded but wasn’t it wonderful?!

I’m so thankful to see how you took the invite cards and handed them out and invited your friends, family and neighbors.  I even heard stories of children happily participating. That’s just fantastic.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our children grew up thinking it was very normal and natural to invited lost people to church on a regular basis?

As I watched the people streaming in, I thought of Jesus’ words, “The fields are ripe for harvest.”  We have a whole community right around us who need to hear about Jesus! Please join the elders and me in prayer that the Lord would draw them to Himself as we lovingly invite them to “come and see” Jesus.

On the global front, it is very humbling and thrilling to be here at this conference. There are over 500 people here for this conference – all frontline missionaries or people who work with GSI, the supporting agency.  Paige Vanderwey and I are the only two people here who do not fit into one of these categories.  It’s a real privilege to be here.  I can’t tell you how encouraging it is to see all these godly, young couples/families, as well as many singles, who have given their lives to serving Christ in long-term, front line mission work. They have left the comforts and privileges of life in the States and embraced the hardship and toil of gospel labors in places far from home, in nations that that are strongly, and sometimes violently, opposed to Christianity. And yet, when I see them interact here, do you know what I see? Joy. Lots of deep, heartfelt, infectious, joy.  I’ll have more to say on that in a later report.  I’m writing now just to say that I’m so thankful to see the Lord raising up missionaries like these at Harvest.  And I’m looking forward to Harvest becoming much more intentionally engaged in this great, global, gospel mission.    

That’s it for now.  Please keep me in your prayers!

Gratefully yours,

Pastor Dale

P.s. I would encourage you to check out this website I referred to in the sermon Sunday morning. These are conversion stories that will bless your heart!