Jon DeBell's Blog

Two Suitcases...

2010-12-06T19:50:00.000-08:00

Imagine that you had two suitcases to pack all your personal belongings in--everything you'd need and want for the two years that you would be living in a country half way around the world. What would you pack? A favorite pair of jeans or two? Socks and underwear...can't do without those! How many pairs of shoes could you fit in? A Bible and a few special books would be a must for me (I'm just not into reading books on a machine!). Before you know it you would reach your limit. Lots of things you'd like to have and some things you'd feel like you really needed, but no room. Too bad.

For most of us this would be an interesting mental excercise. But for two friends and their children that is the reality they face in the near future. "Ron", "Babe", and family are heading to Asia to serve with our International Mission Board. Perhaps even today they are packing their two suitcases each and preparing to leave country, family and friends for the next two years. What a commitment that involves such a sacrifice.

And why? The simple answer is that they love Jesus and want others to know and love Him too! They willingly give up some of the creature comforts of living in the United States to identify with the people to whom they will go and take the Gospel. They are motivated because what they leave behind is not nearly as significant as what they carry with them--their faith.

We at East Baptist will be receiving reports from time to time of how we can best pray for Ron and Babe. Can they count on us to do that very thing?

FIRST IN THE WRONG THING!

2010-09-27T08:18:00.000-07:00

I heard last week that U.S. students are ranked first in one area when compared to students in other countries surveyed. That's the good news. But the bad news is that our students are ranked 25th in math and 21st in science compared to their counterparts in the rest of the world.

What are our students ranked first in? SELF CONFIDENCE! So we are instilling in our young people the idea that they are doing well while the reality is that we are lagging sadly behind much of the rest of the world in preparing them for the competitive realities of the global marketplace. The self confidence that our educators are doing such a good job of conveying is not based in reality. Our young people believe they are doing well, they are prepared and ready to compete--but they are not!

I think this perfectly illustrates the truth decay going on in our culture. So much of what we believe and how we act is based on unreality. We believe we are fine. We're as good as most other people. We're all God's children. God accepts me just the way I am. But the truth is far different from what we believe!

Join us this Sunday at East Baptist as we continue our series, "Developing A Christian Worldview". Our message will focus on how we (humanity) got here. Where did we come from? Once we answer that question from a biblical perspective we will see that there are life-altering implications in believing there is a God who created us with a specific purpose in mind.

Let's build our beliefs and our lives on reality--the truth of God's eternal word!

God's Awesome Creation

2010-06-08T22:07:00.000-07:00

Just got back from our two day excursion into the subtropical jungle. What an amazing world our God has created with variety and beauty beyond imagination. We are blessed to have seen all that we experienced! Back "home" in Quito tonight and we all will sleep well.

Climbing Adventure!

2010-06-04T21:32:00.000-07:00

I love old cities, old churches, and and the adventure of exploring them--particularly when it involves climbing. On the last day of my trip here in 2008, Megan and I walked up from the old historic district of Quito to the National Basilica of the Vote. The Diocese of Quito had this cathedral constructed in the 1940s & 50s(?) to rival the great cathedrals of Europe. I was very disappointed that the observation towers were already closed that day so today I gave it another try.

I never imagined how many different staircases, walkways, and ladders of various descriptions could be in one building. After a routine beginning of easy stairs and the first observation point I ventured a little farther and was surprised to discover a wooden walkway/gangplank constructed between the vaulted ceiling of the cathedral and the roof above. No handrails--only a strand of rope on each side to keep one from falling onto the ceiling! At the end of the walkway was a steel ladder which led to outside the roof and to two other ladders leading up to an open observation spot atop the northern spire of the church. (Lawyers in the U.S. would salivate over the potential for lawsuits!)

The views of Quito from that tower would have been well worth the $2 I spent to enter, but I wasn't done yet. I returned to the southern end of the building and this time followed more stairs and ladders up to the clock and then the bell tower above the clock. This spot towered well above even the southern spire. What a gorgeous vista! While there I got to meet a doctor and his family from Idaho spending the summer in Ecuador to learn the language. I also spoke with a young couple from Ecuador, Merlin and Fi, who were kind enough to take a picture with me in it.

Life is filled with twists and turns and sometimes daunting climbs. But often I find that the view from the top more than justifies the effort! Here's hoping that all my friends and family who read this will have some wonderful days filled with joy while we are away. Happy climbing!

PS--Our next few days are going to be pretty full with visiting family and an excursion away from Quito to an eco-lodge. There we will experience the cloud forest, visit waterfalls, sample exotic fruit, make chocolate(!), and perhaps relax a little. Please pray for us. God bless!

Ordeal or Adventure?

2010-06-02T19:01:00.000-07:00

Being early is overrated. I know that is a terrible thing to say, but since I have frequently been told I will be late to my own funeral I admit that at least subconsciously I must believe it to be true. Now I have been trying in my "late"er years to work at being more prompt. But what happened Monday only makes me want to relapse.

With the kind of encouragement only a wonderful wife can provide, Penny had me at the airport the way the airlines request--two hours early for an international flight. I don't think I've ever been to the airport that early! And what did it get me? Delta flight 3567 was delayed once, twice, three times! When we finally touched down in Atlanta the only Atlanta flight to Quito of the day was taking off. We got off our plane and raced to the terminal only to look at the monitor and see, "Flight 673...DEPARTED." Deltal wanted to re-route us through Santiago, Chile arriving at 7AM and not getting to Quito until after 8PM the next day. I replied, "Fly all night with a 5 year old, only to get to Quito a couple hours before this same flight tomorrow gets there? No thanks!"

A good friend passed along a quote he had heard to me. The only difference between an adventure and an ordeal is...attitude. So Evan and I decided we'd prefer an adventure. We had a nice dinner on Delta, stayed at a comfortable motel on Delta and made it to Quito 24+ hours late but none the worse for wear. And we met some wonderful people to boot. Wouldn't you know it, our flight on Tues. was significantly delayed. While waiting to board Toby and Rachel from Chicago helped us pass the time and we both enjoyed getting to know them. They seemed like such genuinely nice people and we wish them well on their own adventure in Ecuador and Peru.

Erin met us at the airport in Quito. Her bags arrived just before us after she had been here for three days! I discovered that back home the washing machine had decided to spew out who knows how many gallons of water through much of our downstairs and by nightfall Penny and the girls had seen most of the carpet ripped out and 29 blowers doing their best to dry out the house.

There are a lot worse things in life than airline delays and inconveniences on a trip. Right now my friend who shared the quote with me is in a fight with cancer. I've been reminded to pray for him and to be more thankful for all the wonderful gifts God gives me each day to enjoy. The inconveniences and hassles of everyday life? NO BIG DEAL! And I promise that when we get back to the states and real life I'll try to work on my late attitude!

SOMETHING OLD... ALL THINGS NEW!

2010-05-10T07:52:00.000-07:00

Bad luck seems to come in cycles doesn't it!? A two week span of misfortune started one recent Friday night while playing for our church softball team. Minding my own business in the outfield, I saw a line drive heading my way. I ran up and over as fast as my 54 year old legs could go, stretched my right arm across my body as far as I could and the ball fell in my glove! It was the best catch I've made in years. An inning or so later, after the adrenaline had worn off, I was running to third base and felt something was not right. I couldn't move my right arm more than 45 degrees up. After a doctor's visit, an MRI, and another doctor's visit, I find myself in PT rehabbing my shoulder because of a tear in my rotator cuff. Not fun, but it sure beats the surgery I thought I was going to have.

Ten days after the shoulder injury I was at a plastic surgeon's office to have a mole-like growth and a precancerous spot removed from my forehead and temple areas. The doctor said he saw another spot that concerned him on my nose and a few other little snips and cuts that needed attention...so I said, "You're the doctor. Whatever needs doing." Forty five minutes later after removing all the ugly he could I left with 12 fresh wounds on my facial area. I had learned my lesson. Never tell a surgeon with a scapel in his hand, "Whatever needs doing!" Or don't go to a surgeon toward the end of the month who needs more billables.

Three days later I took my grandson, Evan, fishing. Erin came to pick him up at the lake and promptly caught the nicest fish of the day, a two pound bass, on my rod and reel. Being the good Dad that I am I volunteered to take the fish off the hook. Naturally the fish jumped while in my hand, thrusting the free hook in the lure through my right thumb. With all the sincerity in the world Evan said, "I'm glad it's you and not me Grandpa!"

If you're still with me after my sob stories there is a point to all this. It's not easy getting older! I've discovered how much I took good shoulders for granted, how painful it is to have lidocaine injected all over your face, and that a hook through your thumb can tempt even this preacher to cuss!

I've also found new comfort in the promise from Revelation 21: "Behold I make all thing new!" How wonderful it will be to have a body better than new. How freeing to be healed from all the emotional and relational scarring this world gives. What joy for the believer to be finally spiritually whole!

I love life with all its joy--and even with its pain. But like I've heard from my elders all my life, the older I get the more I realize that this world is not my home. I'm just passing through getting ready for the life that is to come. I'm excited about one day meeting Jesus and experiencing the perfection that only heaven can bring. I hope that the thoughts of eternity excite you and that you are prepared for that great reality.

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VISIT EGYPT AND ISRAEL!

2010-01-26T10:30:00.000-08:00

We're planning a trip to Israel and Egypt for June of 2011. I am excited about returning with a group to the Holy Land and introducing new travelers to the land where Jesus walked. If you love the Bible you will come away from this excursion with an even greater love and appreciation for God's written word. The stories of the Bible will come alive before your eyes. I will also say with confidence that you will come away with a deeper love for the living word--our Savior, Jesus Christ!

To make the trip even more exciting we've added an extension for a few days in Egypt as an option. We will see the pyramids, sphinx, the Egyptian Museum and more. We will spend one night near St. Catherine's Monestary on Mt. Sinai, and for those who wish, we will climb Mt. Sinai to view the sunrise!

In Israel, we'll see familiar sites around the Dead Sea, the Sea of Galilee, Bethlehem, Jerusalem and more. We're scheduled to visit the "must see" sites and have included a few stops that we have not done on previous trips.

Consider this your invitation to come go with us! I will be selecting a tour provider and nailing down the exact itinerary by July of this year. We will set up a web site and have printed information available soon thereafter. There will be discounts provided for those who sign up early and for those who make their full payments early. Contact me for a brochure, registration form, questions, etc. My email address is jondebell@gmail.com

MLK DAY AND MY GRANDSON

2010-01-26T09:47:00.001-08:00

On Martin Luther King Day I had two oppotunities while driving around Charlotte to listen to Dr. King's famous speech at the Freedom March on the Capitol Mall in Washington, D.C. in 1963. Although fairly familiar with the words of the speech I found myself drawn into the heightened emotions of that day by his unique gift of using our language to convey truth as he painted the picture of how things had been and how he dreamed they could be.

His dream was not just for those of African descent, but really was one for our society as a whole. He longed for justice, equality and opportunity for those who were black--but he also spoke of a culture where we all would benefit from richer relationships with one another. These would be relationships in which we would edify and bless one another rather than be at odds or even ememies.

As I listened to the speech the second time, while driving to make a visit, my mind went back to the previous day--Sunday at East Baptist Church. I thought of my grandson, Evan, eating lunch next to Xavier, our youth pastor's son. As they spoke and interacted together there was no hint of any awareness of the difference in the color of their skin. They were simply innocent children living and enjoying life in each others' company. I thanked God that at least in a small way a part of Dr. King's dream has come true. At EBC black and white boys and girls can play together, learn together and come to know our great God who created us all in His image.

And I thank God for the way my life is enriched in relationship with those whose backgrounds are quite different from my own. What a blessing it is to be a part of an open and diverse fellowship that gets along so well! We certainly have room to grow more in this area. We humans often struggle in our acceptance of those who differ from our own experience/viewpoint of normal. But how we engage in this challenge and how we attempt to overcome our own biases speaks volumns about the depth of our Christianity.

With God's help let's join together in the mission to build a better future!

FEEDING THE MULTITUDE

2009-11-29T13:26:00.000-08:00

What a great experience it was for our church to be a part of "Feeding the Multitude!" The community responded with 85+ people who showed up for the service of hope. Roger Reid and Ennis Johnson gave testimonies of how Jesus can save and make a positive difference in the life of one who believes. Two persons prayed to receive Christ! A real sense of gratitude was felt from both those who received and those who were there to distribute the food. I sensed that this was a real God-thing that we were privileged to be a part of.

The day before our distribution I asked the congregation to pray for the hearts of those who would be distributing the food and counseling those who responded to the gospel presentation. There was no doubt in my mind that God answered those prayers! I could see the presence of our Lord in the faces of those who offered warm greetings to our guests, held babies while a parent was picking up food, gave hugs to people as they were leaving, and invited people to come back and worship with us.

This is the type of ministry that will make a difference in our community. It reflects the love of Christ and will open hearts to the gospel that otherwise might remain unreceptive. It says that our religion is real--that our love of Jesus goes beyond mere words. It provides a testimony that is hard for the skeptic to refute. It gives the Holy Spirit ammunition to attack the strongholds that the enemy has built up.

Thank you members and guests of EBC for giving to make this ministry possible. Special thanks go out to Ted Shields and Jeff Breisacher for their leadership in this project. Jesus promised that even a cup of cold water given in His name would be blessed. I believe we are seeing the fulfillment of that promise before our eyes!

LAY RENEWAL ROCKS!

2009-10-27T10:52:00.001-07:00

Our Lay Renewal Weekend has come and gone. Hopefully, renewal is just getting started in the lives of many who make EBC their home!

Our team of almost 20 laypersons of varied ages and backgrounds came with a wonderful spirit of love for our Savior and a passion to see others love Him more. And what they had to share and how they led us was embraced and had an impact in many lives. Our celebration service on Sunday night stretched 2 hours long as people shared the blessings they had received and how they had been challenged during the weekend.

What was the key to the great impact of the weekend? Obviously the Holy Spirit is the One who touched lives. But the tool He used was the laypersons who gave themselves to serve Him. I believe He blessed their testimonies and created a spark of interest with the fact that these were ordinary people. They have challenges and struggles just like we all do. Yet they have found the power to live above their circumstances and find a life worth living in Jesus.

I believe many among us said to ourselves, "If God can do that for them, He can do that for me. If God can forgive him/her and change that person's life, He can forgive and change me. If God can use a person like that, He can use me!"

Where will renewal lead us? Only God knows for sure, but I believe true renewal will lead us to take that same message to others in our family, workplace, school and neighborhood. Jesus came to seek and to save those who are lost. He came to bring renewal to that which Satan continually seeks to destroy. Let us follow our Savior's lead!!!

Penny and Jon's Excellent Honeymoon Adventure/Having a Wonderful Time--Glad You're Not Here!!!

2008-07-21T13:35:00.000-07:00

We're having a great time on our honeymoon! Can anyone guess where we are by the photograph? If so you'll win a special prize! After a hectic and crazy engagement of 84 days with a wedding to plan for and houses to work on to prepare to sell--not to mention everyday respon-sibilities with jobs and families--we're ready for a few days of relaxation.

We want to say thanks to all those who helped to make our wedding a memorable and special occasion for us. As far as we are concerned everything was as close to perfect as we could have wished. We feel incredibly blessed to have families and friends who are so loving and supportive.

God bless you all. We love you!

NEED A LAUGH?/ OL' GRINGO'S FABLES

2008-05-07T21:31:00.000-07:00

With the community dogs barking through the night here in Conocoto and the roosters comencing their crowing around 4:30 every morning it seemed a good idea to try ear plugs. Megan gave me some wax-like ones she bought and they worked pretty well.

A few nights ago I crawled into bed and inserted one in my left ear and fell asleep with the one for my other ear still in my hand. Early in the morning I woke up to a rooster's crowing and was vaguely aware of chewing gum in my mouth, but I immediately fell back to sleep. When Evan woke me up a while later I was still chewing that nappy gum. It didn't taste very good to say the least.

All of a sudden I thought, "Oh no!" and pulled that gum out of my mouth...and yes, it was the ear plug. Confession is good for the soul so I told the girls and we all laughed 'til we almost cried.

The moral to the story: BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR HANDS WHEN YOU GO TO SLEEP AT NIGHT!

Bueno Es Alabar & Pan De Vida

2008-05-04T21:25:00.000-07:00

I went to church this morning. It was different to say the least!

I had information that a little storefront Assembly of God church started a 9am. I got there a few minutes early but couldn't find anyone who knew anything about the church. So I walked on down the old highway into the center of Conocoto, an outlying town from Quito. I asked several people if there was an "Iglesia Bautista" in town. Several nodded and I kept getting pointed toward the Baptist church. I turned the corner with a man almost dragging me toward the front of the building. Immediately I recognized the structure as the landmark Catholic cathedral of the town.

Since I was there I went in and sat down on the back pew. I looked at my watch and realized that the service at East would be starting in just a few minutes. I prayed for the church and for Ennis and Kathy as they led the worship this morning.

I decided to get up and continue my quest for an evangelical service to attend. I headed toward a church near Evan's preschool, but when I got there it too was locked up. What to do?!

I was almost frustrated enough to head home as I stood in the street and gazed at the church. Just then I spied a man, woman and child exiting their home and walking out into the street just beyond me. I saw the woman carrying something--a Bible! I quickly caught up to them and inquired where they were going. Despite having to converse almost totally in Spanish I discovered they were going to an evangelical worship service! Naturally I invited myself to go with them--and they agreed.

Several blocks later we arrived at the Christian Center of Faith and Hope. And I was shown the love of Christ there too. I received a wonderful welcome from the eventual 70 or so worshippers who gathered together. Although I only understood a portion of what was being said, I was incredibly blessed. Our God reigns over all the earth. He has Christ-followers the world over. He is a friend of the downtrodden. He is worthy of our praise. And we did!

I'll share more about my experience, the band, the music, the spirit and Spirit when I'm back in Charlotte in 8 days. I just wanted to take this opportunity to testify that when we put something into going to the house of the Lord, we receive so much more back in return. I trust you made the effort to woship our glorious Savior on this His day!

Evan's Ecuadorian Birthday!

2008-05-03T21:12:00.000-07:00

I never dreamed I'd visit Ecuador in my lifetime--let alone 4 times! But here I am enjoying this trip and finding moments that will occupy a special place in my memory as long as I live. Of course I'm enjoying spending time with Erin and Megan. We've found ourselves laughing at and with each other many times today. But the focus of everyone in the house has been on Evan. As he said repeatedly on his birthday, "Para Evan!"

Here are some pics for family and friends to enjoy. (Sorry I'm having trouble reducing the pixels in order to upload to the blog. Will attempt to solve problem manana!)

2008-03-12T13:17:00.000-07:00

Pottery washing area at Hazor

Our last sunset at Ramot

Patrick blowing the shofar at Mt Ben Tal

Seeing how I can hardly keep my eyes open, I'll defer to my ghost writer, Sheila.

Hello again from Israel!!
We woke up again to beautiful blue skies and a clearday. We couldn't wait to get going to explore somemore of Israel with our guide Gila and our expertdriver Albert!
Here are Wednesday's highlights. We started the day atTel Hatzor - the archeological site that Pastor Jonwas a part of 2 years ago. His excitement about thedig was contagious. He explained how this Canaanitetemple was discovered and the progress that had beenmade while and since he was there. We left Hatzorheaded north to Dan. Dan is a nature preserve and theDan River flows into the River Jordan. This is thelargest spring area in Israel. We saw Ancient Dan andstopped at a lovely pool area before seeing the City.You could see Nimrod's Fort off in the distance on topof a mountain. We sat where the elders sat at the CityGate.
We had lunch at a McDonald's. Gila translated for usand we enjoyed our meal.
Back on the bus we headed toward the Golan Heights andpassed the old border with Syria. There were signsthat said "Danger Mines"!.
We stopped at Banias Caesarea Philippi - the Temple ofPan. We saw niches carved directly into themountainside. After Dan, we drove through themountainous area of the Golan Heights. We drove thru aDruze willage called Massadeh to go to Mt. Bental, avery high mountain that gave us a good view of thearea. You could see into Syria and Gila discussed theconflict of 1967. Pastor Jon discussed thetransfiguration passages in the Bible. We startedback to Galilee for dinner and our final night at thislovely area.
Our last e-mail from Israel. We check out of our hotelin the morning, spend the day touring, and then headto Tel-Aviv for our flight home arriving on Friday.

Tuesday in Israel

2008-03-11T11:52:00.000-07:00

Sunset from our hotel room!

Cap'n Dennis steering our boat on the Sea of Galilee

Three baptism buddies preparing to take the plunge in the Jordan. Not only did I get to baptize two wonderful brothers, Bryan and Patrick, I got baptized myself and got to swim just a bit in the Jordan too!

I defer the rest of our report tonight to our ghost writer, Sheila Sommers. Thanks Sheila!!!
-Another exciting and beautiful day. Warm temperaturesand sunny bright blue "Carolina/Israel" sky.
Here are highlights. Our day started at Kursi whereJesus cast demons into pigs that ran into the sea.Then on our way to Capernum we walked across the RiverJordan. In Capernum, "The Town of Jesus" we sawremains of a Church built over the spot where Peter'smother-in-law lived and Jesus stayed. Capurnum is alovely place with lots of flowers. Our next stop wasTabgha the site of the feeding of the 5,000 andPrimacy of Peter. We went down to the Sea of Galileeand got a rock. Just standing there at the Sea wasreally exciting. Jon did a reading and prayer. Nextstop - the Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus preachedthe Sermon on the Mount. We read the Beatitudes fromthe Bible and had some free time to walk around thegrounds. Then off to Tiberias and lunch.
After lunch we went to the baptism site at the JordanRiver and Jon baptized two of our group, Patrick andBryan. This was a great experience!! After the men gotcleaned up, we went back to Tiberias for a wooden boatride across the Sea of Galilee. Jon read a greatstory and Gila had the captain stop the boat so shecould point out interesting locations on the shore.Our last stop of the day was The Ancient Galilee Boat.We saw a very interesting film on how the boat wasdiscovered and unearthed and then we got to see theboat itself. It is 2,000 years old and was inremarkable shape. The display was a combination ofvideo and photo presentations. Very well done.
Only two days left. We leave the hotel on Thursdaymorning for a full day then on to Tel Aviv and theairport.
Another busy day on Wednesday.

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Headed North

2008-03-10T13:42:00.000-07:00

Authentic Roman road Jesus and disciples walked down to Kidron Valley and Garden of Gethsemane following the Last Supper

Group shot outside Lion's/St Stephen's Gate. (Click on and enlarge if you dare!)

What a great day we had today as we visited Masada, Qumran, and Beth Shan before arriving at our hotel above the northeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee late this afternoon. We heard stories about the last of the Jewish Zealots who revolted against Rome and chose death instead of slavery when their valiant resistance on their mountaintop fortress was obviously at an end. We listened as Gila told the interesting stories surrounding the discovery and revelations of the Dead Sea Scrolls. We sat in the remarkably preserved ampitheatre of Beth Shan/Scythopolis and recounted the tragic story of King Saul and how his great potential as Israel's first king never was realized. We gazed at the ancient walls from which the bodies of he and his sons were hung.

As we pulled up to our resort hotel we discovered our rooms have balconies and a spectacular view of the Sea of Galilee. Many words of excitement were shared among us. We are having a good time. We have been blessed with wonderful weather. We anticipate three more days of exploration, information, and inspiration together before heading home on Thursday. God has been so good to us. Continue to pray for us. Thank you from all of us and God bless! (Pictures of our hotel and the sea to follow tomorrow. Here's a couple from the last few days...)

Day 2--Too tired to give it a title!

2008-03-08T12:15:00.000-08:00

Our group in front of Western Wall
Church of All Nations in Gethsemane

Laura and Jon on Mt of Olives

Our second full day started off in great fashion as we visited Mt Zion and the traditional site of the Upper Room. Next we saw St. Peter Gallintu (the rooster crowing). This church is built over the possible site of Caiaphas' home, complete with a cellar prison where Jesus may have been held during the night of His arrest. Outside is the courtyard where Peter failed to keep his vow to the Savior and where the rooster's crowing cut him like a knife. 1st Century steps leading down to the Kidron Valley gave the route of Jesus' last free day on earth--first up to the Upper Room, then down through the Kidron Valley to the Garden of Gethsemane, then following His arrest back up to Caiaphas' house. A panoramic view of the southern city provided a great place for teaching and varied questions on biblical issues as well as the politics of life in Israel today...

We saw the Pool of Bethesday where Jesus healed the crippled man and the church of St Ann where the echoes of our voices singing Hallelujah continued to reverberate through the Crusader-era structure long after we had finished. Patrick loved leading us in that brief but wonderful time of worship.

Before your eyes glaze over...we traversed the Via Dolorosa and toured the Church of the Holy Sepulcher--with more reminders of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus than we possibly had time to take in. We finished the day with a trip to Bethlehem to see the Church of the Nativity and the Shepherd's Fields.

Another full day! Our group is meshing together quite nicely. With four engineers with us one (I) might think that we'd have more than enough people telling us what to do and how to do it! Amazingly new friendships are being formed, a spirit of comraderie has already developed, we seem to be sensitive to each other's needs, and we are all enjoying ourselves!

We've met some nice people here. Patrick and I met Imad at the YMCA last night. He is a former Muslim who came to faith in Christ through the encouragement of a friend and by reading the Bible. Tonight at a supermarket near our hotel Laura and I wanted to purchase an item and were 2 shekel short of having enough of the local currency. A couple behind us gladly converted one of our dollar bills to shekels and struck up a friendly conversation with us.

Continue to pray for us. Gila, our guide, has the utmost concern for our safety and is mother-henning us in a protective and proactive fashion...so don't be too worried about us! I'll try again to post some pics. I think I figured out my missteps from last night so here goes...

Friday's Exploits

2008-03-07T12:46:00.000-08:00

We had a great, exhausting day today. Our itinerary had to be shuffled around a bit because of the uncertainty around the city due to the killing of the semiary students yesterday. We began this morning with a beautiful view of the old city of Jerusalem from atop the Mount of Olives. After enjoying the view we walked down the mount to the chapel of "Dominus Flevit", "The Lord Wept." There I met Brother Leo.

We then walked the Palm Sunday Road down to the Garden of Gethsemane and after spending some time there traversed the Kidron Valley and walked by the eastern wall of the Temple Mount, took some public transportation to meet our bus and had lunch.

The afternoon was highlighted by a trip to the Garden Tomb, a wonderful oasis in the middle of a hectic city. After having the Lord's Supper there we went to the Western Wall of the Temple. Gila did a great job of juggling. We saw so much and walked so far that we are all exhausted.

Betty Lamberth joined us today after missing her flight. She has only been positive since arriving. What a great attitude and spirit. More later. We're all fine!

Safe arrival & concerns

2008-03-06T12:33:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone. We arrived safely in Israel late this afternoon, met our tour guide, Gila, and our bus driver, Albert, and drove 1 hour to our hotel in Jerusalem. We had a wonderful buffet meal with so many possibilities to select. My plans to lose weight while here may prove to be wishful thinking! We had lamb's tongue, meat loaf, salmon, chicken on a stick, soups, vegetables, salads and desserts too numerous to mention.

I just read on the AP that there has been an attack on a Jewish seminary here in Jerusalem. From what I have read 7 people were killed and many more wounded. Please pray for our safety and for the collective peace of mind and spirit for our group. I'll update as soon as I can tomorrow--certainly before you go to bed in the US! I'm going to catch some sleep myself.

God bless!

ISRAEL EMERGENCY CONTACT #

2008-03-05T10:20:00.000-08:00

FOR ALL OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS WHILE WE ARE IN ISRAEL,
HERE IS AN EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBER WHERE WE CAN BE REACHED. THIS IS AN ISRAELI CELL PHONE THAT I WILL HAVE WITH ME AT ALL TIMES. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CALL IF YOU NEED TO SPEAK WITH ONE OF US!
011-972-54-698-6830

PLEASE PRAY FOR US AND WE'LL BE POSTING PICTURES SOON!

Kathy's Miracle

2007-09-21T21:11:00.000-07:00

Kathy’s Miracle
As Told By Laura

Monday morning Jenora and Laura were conducting prescreening when they noticed a young girl –early 20s—who came in with a lot of debris on her teeth and an appliance on her lower teeth, that was obviously preventing her from cleaning her teeth properly. She stated how earlier in her life she had been in an accident where her jaw had been broken in three places, thus the need for the appliance to stabilize her jaw. The tarter had built up on a wire behind her teeth so much that she could spin it around like a tube.

Kathy had medical complications which included having a laser ablation to treat an irregular heartbeat. Every tooth was decayed and her mouth was inflamed and infected.

The nurses had Dr. Mickey come and evaluate her condition. Upon examining Kathy and talking with her Dr. Mickey advised Kathy that what she really needed to do was check into a hospital and have all her teeth removed where they could monitor her heart during the surgery.

Kathy’s biggest concern was how all this would be paid for with no insurance. Dr. Mickey shared how every hospital has some discretionary money and suggested she contact the school of dentistry at UK in Lexington to see if they would help.

Laura advised Kathy to contact Andy Cable, the Director of the Powell Co. Health Clinic. Andy was very interested in providing assistance. She called back the next morning and asked Kathy if she could find transportation if an appointment could be arranged. Kathy said her brother could take her.

After the conversation with Kathy Andy shut her door and prayed about the situation. Then she got a phone book and called the dental school. She explained the situation with the woman who answered the phone. The young lady replied, “Well, the dean of the oral surgery department is standing right here. Why don’t you talk with him?” (Amazing! Laura's quote: Those cats don't even talk to their own wives!") Andy related the story once again to the dean to which he replied, “Do you think she could come tomorrow?”

Kathy did see the dean the next day and he emphasized the seriousness of the situation. Arrangements were made for a further evaluation in two weeks after which they will schedule the procedure! When Kathy informed Andy of these developments Andy assured her that we will all be praying for her and asked her to keep us informed of the latest developments.

Kathy, we certainly will!

(photos from Hazel Green tomorrow!)

Hazel Green--the other side of the world

2007-09-19T11:09:00.000-07:00

"Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore..."

Friends, we're definitely not in Charlotte anymore! It may not be Ecuador or Israel but in many ways it seems like the other side of the world. Hazel Green is in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains of eastern Kentucky. It's peaceful, quiet, and the air is refreshingly clear. But one important item that is also missing is jobs. There are many people here in great need. Our ministry to the area has been received with arms opened wide. We've seen people from several counties in addition to where we are located in Wolfe County. One comment I heard yesterday was, "This is the first time something has been done for all the people in our county and not just a few." We've seen well over 100 people. God is at work here!

I've been blessed numerous times as I have talked with people about their spiritual condition. I have heard testimonies that have left me wiping the tears from my eyes. There was Doug, a young man who has only been saved about 4 years, but who has a tremendous desire to lead his family in a godly way and see his children experience the love of the Lord themselves. There was Lawrence who, even with a mouth filled with pain from hurting teeth, said, "I love Jesus. I don't miss going to my church even when I can't go anywhere else." There was Melodee whose eyes welled up with tears when I asked about her relationship with the Lord. She said, "I can't wait to get to heaven." Linda told me about two strangers who showed up in the night in her hospital room to pray for her and could only explain their actions by saying, "Lady, you may think we're crazy, but God told us to come and pray for you." Her reply? "No, I've been praying and waiting for you!" This afternoon I met Jason and his mother April. She said, "We've been everywhere and no one will help us." We prayed together and as Jason was taken to be evaluated I saw tears of gratitude running down her cheeks because finally her son was going to get some relief.

This is just a glimpse of some of the lives that have been touched thus far this week. Thank you for your prayers and support. Those of you who couldn't come but who gave, worked and are praying for us--God bless you!!! And keep praying! You'll hear about and see some answers to your prayers this Sunday morning at EBC.

The trailers packed with clothing and other items for use by the people here? It was all unpacked and placed under and around a large tent Monday morning. The majority of the items have already been claimed.

A few prayer requests before I close:
-Susan, wanting to commit her life to Christ, but facing a tremendous obstacle
-Frank, waiting "for the right time" to be saved
-Kenneth, "not ready"
-Kristina, struggling with God trying to get over the loss of a loved one, a miraculous story of being pulled from a creek after a wreck just a few months ago--wanting to overcome her doubts and find God.
-Sheila, "backslidden"
-Clinton, "searching for the truth for 75 years" and still hasn't found it(Him)
-Michael and Michelle, took Bibles home to read the book of John
-many under the influence of drug abuse

Get the idea? Our ministry is needed here! Continue to pray for us for strength, wisdom, patience and love.

I'll have another report with some pics at the end of the week. We love our family and friends back home. Thanks again for what you mean to us!
--Jon and 40+ missionaries

Israel Memories and Future Plans

2007-07-15T14:30:00.000-07:00

It's only been 7 months since I last posted on this blog site. How time has flown by! It's almost impossible to believe that one year ago today we were wrapping up our trip to Israel.

Today I preached a sermon on the life of Samson and used some of our photos from Michael's CD to show our congregation the Sorek Valley and Zolah, where Samson was born. This afternoon I had some free time so I went through Michael's CD--all 450+ pictures! It only added to my feelings of nostalgia and made me miss Israel and my friends from there all the more.

I've managed to keep up with a few of you, but can't help wondering where the rest of you might be this summer and what you are up to. While my summer of '06 was free and filled with travel, I've yet to get away at all this year. I'm hoping to rectify that in August. I'd love to get updates from any of the rest of you who happen to read this.

I do miss Israel! So... I have made tentative plans to return to Israel next year. I'll be hosting a tour with a pastor friend of mine from March 4 - March 13. We'll be visiting many of the spots we saw last year, plus a few we didn't get to see. If you know of anyone who would like to go to the Holy Land I have info I can send them and a web site they could go to for more info.

Let me thank each one of my companions again for a wonderful experience. There is hardly a day goes by that I don't think of some aspect of our trip. The experience (even with the unplanned excitement!) and each of you have impacted me and my ministry for a lifetime.

God Bless You!
Jon

Doctors and Faith

2007-01-15T21:13:00.000-08:00

I was making a hospital visit this evening and had a wonderful surprise. I was conversing with the young woman awaiting a procedure when her doctor came in with good news. The procedure would be fairly simple and he expected no complications. I prepared to leave and suggested we pray. As the young woman, her husband and I joined hands to pray we were interrupted.

"May I pray with you?" the doctor asked.

"Certainly!" And as we prayed I could just sense that this was no mere formality. There was a genuine person of faith with us in the circle. He affirmed my asking God to help him give the best care humanly possible to his patient. After our prayer he shared the name of a local church where he is a member--a strong congregation with a vibrant witness in our community.

I know the young woman was thrilled to learn that she was under the care of one who realizes that all healing ultimately comes from God. And I was thrilled too, thrilled to be reminded that faith can reside in perfect harmony with the reason of a sharp intellect. Our Christian worldview need not take a backseat to any other philosophy of life in the world of ideas.

Thank you God for a little shot in the arm and the reminder to keep sharpening my mind.

Football and "the Better Part"

2007-01-09T13:38:00.000-08:00

If you don't have a team you passionately root for you won't understand. Unless you're a fan you can't comprehend this fanaticism. MY Buckeyes went down in ignominious defeat to the Gators last night. My reaction?

Disappointment is not strong enough a word.

Devastation is close, but perhaps just a little too strong.

Depression? You better believe it!

Isn't it crazy how we can let our priorities get out of whack? It's going to take me a while to get over that football loss--and it's just a game! There are a whole lot more important things, things that will make a difference for eternity, that should grip my soul. I've actually been kind of embarassed before the Lord today. I don't think that it's because I should be any less passionate about my football team. But there are some more important things whose passion should exceed that of any sport in my life.

Jesus told Martha that her sister, Mary, had chosen "the better part" by spending time at His feet, being blessed by His words and His presence. God help me to choose the better part for my life each day!

After the game I left the party, went home and sank in bed to read a book to calm me down enough to sleep. I awoke in the wee hours wide-eyed with my mind replaying the horrid images of the disaster. Finally I drifted back to sleep only to wake up after daylight hearing a happy little voice asking for attention.

I walked into Evan's room to see him standing in his crib and holding a small plastic football. And what do you think the first words out of his mouth were this morning? "Bravo Bucks!"

I had to smile and maybe my hurt eased just a little.

I'm considering giving up football--well, for at least the next eight months!

Sunday In the Park

2006-08-07T18:40:00.000-07:00

Two lovely ladies in the park
If Evan's happy--everybody's happy!
I love my girls!

After attending worship in Catedral de San Francisco we visited El Ejido Park Sunday afternoon to see all the artists' creations and to peruse through the vendors who set up shop for the afternoon. The level of skill and creativity displayed by the artists was amazing and we all enjoyed our stroll through the park. There will be a couple of additions to the walls of my house when we get back home. Come over and see them!

4-wheelin'!

2006-08-07T11:40:00.000-07:00

Ready to ride the tarabita!?

The falls on the other side

"Jump on Dad!"

An Evan sandwich

Where do I get off?

These picture don't do justice to the beauty nor to the depth of the canyon we 4-wheeled through. I'm thankful to God for His protection on several fronts during this adventurous day. It's good to be (still) alive!

On To Banos!

2006-08-07T11:28:00.000-07:00

Thursday we finally made the senic trek to Banos. We were treated to beautiful views of the valleys and volcanic mountains along the way. That night in Banos we boarded an open bus and were taken to an overlook where we could see occasional red-molten eruptions shoot out of the top of Tungurahua.

On the bus and ready to see the volcano!

Evan was excited!

The first stop on our 4-wheeling, waterfalls, canyon journey next day.

Cotapaxi

Andrew and Bad Pizza

2006-08-04T19:37:00.000-07:00

¨Hey man, you speak English?" I guess Erin doesn´t call me ¨Ol' Gringo" for nothing. My look must have given my origins away as I walked through the tourist district to pick up a pizza for our supper.

His name was Andrew. His hair was long and matted. He had the distinct look and smell of a street person--one with a fondness for alcohol. He immediately went into detail as to how he was hurting and needed help. He confessed to a number of failings, spoke the name of Jesus repeatedly and indicated he would be appreciative of anything I could do.

I told him I would be happy to buy him a piece of pizza and as we continued walking down the street together he went on with his story. His father was Ecuadorian and his mother was from California. His dad is the owner of one of the largest ranches and noted spots for tourists to get close to nature in the shadow of Cotopaxi, the largest snow-capped, active volcano in the world.

Seems his dad had thrown him out because of Andrew's drinking and language. He asked me to consider going to the ranch for a day or two to horseback ride, view the wildlife, and look for an opportunity to witness to his father, ¨who is a hard man and doesn't believe in God."

As the pizza was cooking (and I'm leaving out several interesting details along the way) we went across the street to an internet cafe and sure enough he pulled up the site of a beautiful dude ranch that caters to tourists. "There´s my dad!" and Andrew pointed at several pictures. It certainly appeared to be one awsome place.

Quickly Andrew pulled up another site, this one a Christian ministry. He had been involved with this group earlier in his life and they were trying to encourge him to pull his life back together even now.

Several times in our conversation Andrew had choked up a little as he looked at his father on the screen and as he talked about his faith. Now he looked at me and asked if I knew how to say "Holy Ghost" in Spanish.

"Espiritu Santo," I replied.

"No, not Spirit--Ghost..."

Before I had time to think much he revealed the answer. "Phan-tas-ma..." The sylabbles seemed to drip off his lips. And a gleam filled his eyes. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a feather. "The feather of a dove," he said and handed it to me.

We got our pizza and he nibbled on a piece as we walked back toward my hostal. Again he asked me to reach his father with the gospel. I had already promised him any leftover money from the pizza. I reached in my pocket and pulled out two dollars and handed it to him.

With a smile and a hug he thanked me and was off down the street. We both knew what he was planning on doing with the money. But before he left I encouraged him to let the Jesus he believed in help him escape from the alcohol and other problems that torment him right now.

Back at the hostal Laura and I enjoyed the pizza and the conversation in English and Spanish with our hosts. But later that night, after praying for Andrew before I went to sleep, Laura and I both woke up sick. Bad pizza?

2006-08-04T19:14:00.000-07:00

Laura really was having fun!

"Dad, sometimes I think you're from the other side of the world..."

Erin and Evan on the equator

Evan and Morgan

Mitad del Mundo proved to be a nice excursion a short ride out of Quito. Should be able to post some more interesting pics when we get back from Banos after Saturday.

Otavalo--Shopper´'s Paradise

2006-08-02T13:04:00.000-07:00

Along Pan Am Highway

You can find anything in Otavalo

A multitude of colors!

A volcano along the way

They have our money!

Saturday we took a 2 & 1/2 hour bus ride to Otavalo. The countryside was picturesque as we traversed along the Pn Am Highway through the Andes. We had a fun day bartering with the native craftsmen.

More Quito

2006-08-02T12:36:00.000-07:00

Laura and me/I in central square with the Governor's Palace in background

City street with Catedral de la National Bota in background

(One way or another I'm going to climb those spires for the view!)

Downtown street

Thanks to the help of a friendly int cafe employee I was able to get these downloaded. We'll see si puedo repitir!

Quito Pics

2006-08-01T15:52:00.000-07:00

The view from our apartment

Historic Square in central city

So much to do...

2006-07-30T16:28:00.000-07:00

...so little time! A tired group of travelers arrived in Quito late Thursday, got situated in our hostel and apartment and had a good night's sleep. Friday we explored the city a little. On Saturday Laura, Morgan and I went by bus to Otovalo, a town north of Quito located in a beautiful valley surrounded by extinct (we hope!) volcanos. The trip was an experience in itself. The ride was two and one half hours through varied landscapes--mostly mountainous, in a bus that became SRO. On Saturdays the town is filled with natives of the surrounding province who set up stands and sell about anything and everything you can imagine. Local crafts as well as produce, livestock, food and so much more are hawked at every turn. We were accompanied on our trip by a man from Boston we met at the hostel, Michael. We all had a great time shopping and bartering. It was fun for me to compare this experience with shopping in old Jerusalem. We were exhausted when we got back to Quito after dark.

This new week we plan on visiting Mitad del Mundo, taking a tram up the side of Pichincha (the volcano that towers over Quito), and traveling to Banos 4 hours to the south where Tungurahua is now said to be safe to visit. There will be lots to explore there--waterfalls, ATVs down a river gorge, hotsprings and if we're lucky a visit to the jungle.

Also there are many more 16th and 17th century churches to visit and be amazed at the artwork and craftsmanship seen in them. One church with twin spires that reach to heaven is awaiting me and whoever is able to tackle the steep climb up the narrow stairwell to the belltower above (sound familiar to anyone?)

I hope to be able to post some pictures, but as for now I have some compatability problems with the internet cafe computers I'm using.

More later. This is definately third world and helps us appreciate home. But we are enjoying ourselves!

Jon

Off to Ecuador

2006-07-26T23:28:00.000-07:00

Thanks again to everyone who has been tuning in to my sabbatical updates. It seems that almost every day since I've been back from Israel I've learned of people in unexpected places I never had a clue were looking at this blog. A fair number of them I've never met! And yet last night I was told of more such people keeping up with us and praying for us while we were in Israel.

Megan, Laura, Evan, Erin and me (Can you tell I'm proud of my family?)

So if I ever manage to get packed tonight and make my flight in Atlanta once again...please, whoever may glance in this place over the next couple of weeks, pray for my daughter Erin, her son, Evan, my youngest daughter Laura, Erin's friend Morgan, and myself as we journey to Ecuador. Who knows what may be waiting around the bend for us?!

Home Sweet Home

2006-07-19T11:16:00.001-07:00

After an uneventful flight home we touched down in Atlanta at 5:30 am Monday morning. I managed to just beat the rush hour traffic through town and arrived back in Charlotte before lunch. There was no time for long goodbyes at the airport. I will miss my new friends. Each one is special in their own way:

-Gordon Franz, our tour leader, has an amazing knowledge of the Bible and made the Word truly come alive as we visited the places where it all happened. Thanks for your insights Gordon. Many will remain with me for life.

-Larry Fuller, board member of ABR. A rock. Quiet, confident and strong. An amazing testimony of coming to faith in Christ later in life and how nothing is the same after you meet the Savior!

-T.J. Betts, a professor at THE Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. It makes me feel good to know that we have men like T.J. teaching future generations of church leaders. There is nothing pretentious about T.J. I thoroughly enjoyed talking with him--his open and positive spirit, his passion for giving his students practical insights into the scriptures, and his love for Christ. Did I mention that he is also a fan of the Buckeyes?!

-Elise Bosse, a grad student now living in Brisbane, Australia with her husband, Michael. (Well, actually she's now stuck in Amman, Jordan and is having difficulty getting out of the country and back home!) Elise is studying ancient history and was in Israel for several reasons--not the least of which is searching for that special something God wants her to do in life. In Elise I found a kindred spirit in one who loves to explore, climb and see what's around the next bend. People like Elise help me to feel young (except when my muscles are aching from trying to keep up).

-Michael Lassiter, a lay student of archaeology, paeleantology, Hebrew and so much more. Michael had several nice finds on the dig. He also is gifted vocally and in playing the guitar. Michael blessed us by sharing his musical gifts with us on several occasions in worship.
Thanks Michael for the picture DVD. The pics will bring lots of memories to recollection.
-Joyce Morrill realized a longtime dream in being able to take part in our trip. She has 5 daughters, #s 4 & 5 adopted! Joyce obviously has a heart for the Lord and was a joy to be around. Her husband operates a commercial fishing boat off the waters of Alaska.

-Jim Muehling, an algebra teacher from California, is a seasoned world traveler. He has participated in numerous overseas mission trips and regularly uses his summer vacations for that purpose. Jim left us early Sunday to head for Turkey with another stop in Egypt before coming back to the states.

-Brendon Witte is a student at Bryan College in Tennessee. At 20 years of age it is amazing what Brendon has read and studied. It will be interesting to see where the Lord leads him in the future and what plans He has for Brendon's special gifts. (BTW--Thanks Brendon for putting up with me as your roommate!)

-Jessica Zeidler, just graduated from high school and wants to be an archaeologist. What better way to chase your dreams than by jumping right in? Jessica celebrated her 18th birthday while on the trip. It happened to be the Thursday the rocket hit close to the dig and we packed up and moved south to Tiberias. Talk about fireworks for your birthday! Jessica possesses great maturity for her age, is a good sport and is fun to be with (and make fun of).

-Frank Zeidler, accompanied his daughter because 17 year olds were not permitted to come on their own. Frank's love for his daughter was apparent every step of the way. He made no bones about not being particularly fond of the digging or the Israeli food for the most part...but Frank enjoyed himself because Jess was happy. Frank works with a prison ministry and has an awesome testimony of how God called him out of the business world and into this particular ministry vocation.

Geography, circumstances and God's will may mean that some of us will renew acquaintances in the future, but in all likelihood most of us will never cross paths in this world again. Isn't it good to know that one day we will meet again, not in a place where Jesus walked (past tense), but in a place where everyone will bow down and worship Him! That will make our trip digging in and exploring the Holy Land pale in comparison. But for now I'll cherish the experience and the memories...

FYI: I'll be leaving for Ecuador with Erin, Evan, Laura and a friend of Erin's from high school on Thursday, July 27th, God willing. News of the eruption of Tunguruaha greeted me on my arrival home. We had planned on spending several days in Banos at the foot of that volcano. Oh well! Not the first explosions we've had to deal with this summer. Future blogs will begin to focus on this trip for those who are interested.

Jon

Bet She'an, Jerusalem, and Bombs

2006-07-15T11:39:00.000-07:00

Today's blog is dedicated to Elise. We miss you and will be praying for you as you make your way home!

We worked our boots off!
(Use your photo shop to lighten this)

After a pleasant stay in Tiberius we left this morning to return to Jerusalem. We stopped at a site called Bet She'an(think Saul's death) in the OT which became the Decapolis city of Scythopolisby NT days. The Roman ruins are quite impressive and give a clear picture of what was important to the people living there (worshipping the one, true God was not among them).

We enjoyed seeing the city and climbing the adjacent tell to the top of the OT tel. Climbing that tel, climbing The Cliffs of Arbel, and swimming in the Sea of Galilee were things I didn't get to do on my first trip to Israel that were high on my wish list for this trip. I got them all accomplished if going down Arbel counts.

A view down the Cardo(the main street of the city)

The threatre which seated 7,000!

From Bet She'an we journied down the West Bank toward Jericho and Jerusalem. Once we arrived in Jerusalem we were escorted through the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. I saw some interesting and inspirational sights that I will certainly use in future teaching and preaching.

Perhaps my favorite part of the day was climbing to the top of the bell tower of The Church of the Redeemer. It offered a panoramic view of the old city and the Temple Mount. It was well worth the 176 step climb and having to wrap a skirt around my waist to hide my knees!

Tonight we had dinner on the terrace of our hotel with a pleasant breeze and a beautiful sunset. After dinner we shared about our experiences on the trip. As we each talked about meaningful things we have experienced the last several weeks the sky occasionally glowed to our north. We noticed jets flying overhead and once again heard the sound of explosions. We soon concluded that Israel is probably bombing the Palestinian city of Ramallah. Haven't heard that confirmed on the news yet--but it was rather strange to be in the city of peace, to be praying and sharing, and to have our inspirational time interrupted by the sights and sounds of war. We do know that after leaving Tiberius this morning 5+ rockets hit the city. I'm ready to come home!

So much more I'd like to share, but no time. We'll have a service with our dwindling group in the am and then get in a few more hours of touring before catching our flight in Tel Aviv tomorrow night.

Thanks for reading & God bless!

Jon

War and rumors of war...

2006-07-14T12:31:00.000-07:00

have dominated our lives here in Israel the past few days. As long as the hostilities were focused in Gaza we felt far removed from the conflict in our northern location. Things have certainly changed! We've been relocated to Tiberias the past two days. We returned to our former hotel long enough this morning to pack all our things and get out. So we've been making do at a seaside hotel with great food and a not so bad view...

Today was supposed to have been the last day on the dig, but things did not turn out the way they were planned. Before I left on the trip I replied to Erin's concern about my safety with a flippant, "What's the worst that could happen?" This may be one of those times when I have to eat my words!

But there is great comfort for those of us who believe. We are in the Father's hands. I made that decision a long time ago to trust my life to Him. I believe He will take care of me. But if even the worst does happen from a merely human/physical standpoint, I know that still I will be taken care of. Even if the worst happens I will be ok!(Please don't read too much into these comments. I don't expect anything bad to happen--but the truth is no one knows what the future holds.)

Tomorrow we're off to Bet She'an and Jerusalem. We'll be leaving to come home Sunday night at 11:30pm Israeli time. I arrive in Atlanta Monday at 6am.

Please pray for one of our team members who is flying out early tomorrow. Elise will be returning to Australia, but first must get to Amman, Jordan. I'm sure she would appreciate your prayers. Due to connecting issues and a couple day layover in Ammon she won't get home until Thursday!

Trusting the Good Shepherd!

Jon

For Meg and Laura

Last view of Tel Hatzor

Everyone's safe!

2006-07-13T09:45:00.000-07:00

I'm sure many of you have or will hear the news of what's happened in Israel today. Sorry to say we were a little too close to the action. As we were working this morning booming sounds could be heard like the ones we heard yesterday. But this time the sounds not only came from the north but also from the south. After an explosion sounded very close we could see the smoke rising from across the valley on a hill where the rocket had hit. It didn't take long for a decision to be made for us to vacate the area. Later we learned that more rockets had hit in areas around where we were working.

We moved south to Tiberias and will be staying in a hotel here tonight and tomorrow before leaving for Jerusalem on Saturday. As always, thanks for your prayers!

Jon

More Sunday Pics

2006-07-12T08:47:00.000-07:00

Joyce and Elise give a thumbs up to lunch, Frank...

Relaxing by the Sea of Galilee

Frank and me at the top of Arbel

A Strangely Normal Odd Breakfast

2006-07-12T08:24:00.000-07:00

Got to work this morning as usual at 5am (can you believe I'm saying that?). We were greeted by an awesome sunrise over the peak of Har Bental.

We did some really strenuous work...

And then came our mid-morning breakfast. The usual food. The usual aches and moans and conversation. But there was something different at breakfast today. Our meal was frequently interrurpted by booming sounds coming from the north. "Artillery practice?" "Maybe rockets from Lebanon?" Occasionally helicopters and the sounds of streaking jets echoed overhead.

Now that our workday is over we've just found out that Israeli troops have moved into Lebanon. The border is only 8 miles from where we are. But aside from a few cocked heads and comments after the booms, breakfast was pretty much normal. And life around the internet cafe in Rosh Pinna continues on as usual.

I haven't had time to really process all this, but one constant on my mind since coming to Israel is that I'm thankful for life. As we dig up the history of the dead, I want to make sure that I live!

So today I'm thankful for muscles that ache, for family and friends, and for the opportunities God gives us every day to really live. I'm doing my best to not take today for granted and to remember that real life is found only in Christ.

Take time today to really live!

Jon

SHEER Stupidity

2006-07-10T08:50:00.000-07:00

I had such a good day Sunday--a rather serendipitous one! And I learned to thank God for His mercy and grace displayed in the way He protects us in spite of ignorant or foolish things we do.

Before some of you were in bed a few of us gathered at 7:30 for a time of worship. Then off I went to rent a car and go on a Holy Land adventure. Four kindred spirits joined me(Joyce, Elise, Frank and Jessica) and off we went to explore some of Israel on our own.

We circled the Sea of Galilee looking for jet ski rentals--no luck. We drove up the Golan Heights in search of an elusive hamburger--no luck. We had a convenience/grocery store lunch and then found a senic overlook with a spectacular view of the sea from the eastern side.

Next it was back down to the sea where we swam where Jesus walked!(or a least in close proximity to the spot) The breeze, water, view and company made for a wonderfully relaxing afternoon.

Our next venture was up to the Cliffs of Arbel. Another awesome view at a location rich in history(google it for more info). Everything was great and then some idiot had to suggest that we descend down the cliffs and mountainside below. Jess and Elise were quick to enthusiastically second my idea and so off we went.

The cliffs had some well placed handholds anchored in the walls. So the first part went well. Then we came to what looked to be the easiest part of the descent, the slopes of the mountain. The problem was we had not counted on the dry soil and loose rocks giving way under the weight of our feet. Once you started sliding stopping was almost impossible! Neither had we anticipated the thorn bushes blocking our path or the assorted thorns on the ground waiting to impale us every time a hand went down to stop oneself from falling. And did I mention that the swelling in my ankle was just beginning to get better? What was I doing?!

The view from a cave in the cliffs

Through the thorns

There were some positives to offset the negatives. We saw rock badgers playing and taunting us with their antics. A gazelle skampered effortlessly across the slope. And when at last we met Frank and Joyce waiting for us at the bottom, a large, whole Saint Peter's Fish was our reward at a nearby seaside restaurant.

I have a greater appreciation now for the meaning behind biblical phrases like "hinds feet on high places" and the deer panting for water--and anything that mentions thorns or firm footing! And I am extremely greatful for making it down the mountain in one piece.

A prayer went up to heaven when we reached level ground, "Thank you Father for caring for me even when I'm foolish and don't deserve it..."

Los Tres Amigos Locos. Doesn't look so tough from the bottom? Then you try it!

First week discoveries

2006-07-07T06:06:00.000-07:00

I lived through the first week! Some pictures of three finds: a juglet, a bronze cylinder something(may be very big find!), a an almost complete Persian jug--2500 years old!

Digging my own grave...

2006-07-07T05:53:00.000-07:00

Thursday Jim and I were given some grunt work to do: dig a 3+' by 9' trench that would serve as a foundation for a tourist bridge that will be built later this summer. We dug through a lot of fill but just before we were finished we made an unexpected discovery. We unearthed some stones that were part of a water channel from the middle bronze age (2200-1500BC). The directors were excited to find something that they had not expected. So what we had joked about as our grave turned into something very positive!

Our trench was under this first tent. The roof in the background covers a late bronze palace that was fascinating. You can be sure I'll be showing some more detailed pictures of this in the future with very interesting ties to the Bible(hint--think Joshua)

If you like...

2006-07-05T07:42:00.000-07:00

If you like getting up at 4am, being soaked in your own sweat by 7, covered with several layers of dirt, swinging a pick-axe, pushing a dirt-filled wheelbarrow, andslinging dirt-filled buckets on a bucket line until many muscles you never knew you had are aching...then you might enjoy being on a dig!!! Somehow, I am enjoying myself immensely. Please continue to pray for me. I need it!

Thirst for Connection

2006-07-03T11:19:00.000-07:00

I like to think of myself as tenacious. Some who know me well might call it stubbornness! Which leads me to my story...

We had an awesome day today(Sunday). We journied to a place I had never heard of, Har Bental, a mountain on Israel's border with Syria. From the top of the mountain we had a wide panoramic vista. We could see Mt. Hermon off to the west. It's the tallest mountain in the area and according to our guide, the most probable wite of the Lord's transfiguration. Leading off to the north we could see the Damascus Rd. We had a brief woship service above what had been a military bunker in Israel's earlier wars.

After several other stops we headed back to where we are staying near Hazor. Several of us wanted to get on the net to connect with family and friends back home. But only Seth, Elise and myself were adventurous enough to get off our tour bus in a strange town to look for an internet cafe on our own.

Qiryat Shmonah is a fairly large town, but after looking in the mall, in shops on the street and asking around we found none. "Not to worry. We'll just catch the next bus to Rosh Pina where we heard another digger say he had found a cafe."

We finally found a bus stop--but no bus would stop. So we walked and walked back to the center of town to the central bus station where we finally caught a bus. Over two hours from when we began our search we arrived in Rosh Pina and once again after much walking and asking probably a dozen people we found the cafe!!! We ordered some cool drinks and at last we were able to connect with the outside world.

Riding on the bus back to our hotel a question crossed my mind. Do I persevere to the same extent to connect with God each day? I had spent time, energy, effort walking on a bum ankle(another story), and more money than planned all to get online. What do I invest each day in communicating with the God who loves me?

Some sites we visited today point us the right direction when viewed in light of scripture:

"As the deer panteth fot the water, so my soul panteth for thee, O God. My soul thirsts for the living God." --Psalm 42:1-2

"He that believes in me as the scripture has said, out of him shall flow rivers of living water."--John 7:38

Exhausted after our first day's dig. But that's another story too!

Traveling to Hazor

2006-07-01T11:57:00.000-07:00

In front of "Club Med"

The group by Megiddo grainery

Hint: where was Jesus placed after He was born?

2006-06-30T13:19:00.000-07:00

What we'll be doing next week at Hazor. Fun! Fun!

2006-06-30T12:59:00.000-07:00

Ibrahim the coin shark--er dealer

End of Hezekiah's tunnel from the Gihon Spring

Citidel of Old City Jerusalem with David's Tower(missnamed)

Your's bowlegged truly in front of the Dome of the Rock on Temple Mount

Jerusalem

2006-06-29T12:10:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody! We've had a busy day in Jerusalem today seeing the Temple Mount, the Old City of David, and walking all through the Old City of Jerusalem. Gordon Franz is our guide. He is an archaeologist from The Association for Biblical Research. He added lots of meaning to the scriptures with his insights. Seeing the sites where Jesus and others spoke the words that are recorded in The Word adds so much to one's(my) understanding. Gordon is very gifted in what he does.

Let me share about the rest of our group(from left to right):
-Joyce is a librarian from Seattle, Washington.
-Elise is a graduate student in ancient history from Australia
-Gordon
-T.J. I wrote about last night. I didn't mention that he has his Dr. and teaches Hebrew as well as O.T. at Southern Seminary.(Thomas, you'll be interested in hearing his story!)
-Jim is from the Bay Area in California. He teaches 8th grade math and travels extensively on his summer vacations. He's been to many places on various mission trips and will be in Turkey and Egyt after our dig is over.
-Michael I wrote about last night
-Brendon is from Chattanooga and is a Bible student at Bryan College. He wants to study abroad after getting his undergrad and get a doctorate in N.T. studies.

These folks have plenty of grey matter. I'm doing my best to keep up! I stumbled across some neat trinkets today and will be giving some away at Homecoming 2006. I bet we have a child who would love to have a 2000 year old coin--a widow's mite. As you can see even over here my family and friends are never far from my thoughts. A couple of personal notes to save the time for email:
-Dianne, they even have statues of the king over here. I laughed out loud when I saw him next to the motel we stayed at the first night.
-Erin, I had a schwarma for lunch today. It brought back some bad memories from Ecuador, but I was able to laugh about that too.
-Jackie, please email me Bill Payne's internet address!(U can't get away from me asking for favors even when I'm 6000 miles away!)
-Laura, be working on your Spanish! AR&PNF...!
-Meg, I saw some of your best friends on the Temple Mount and at our hotel tonight.
-Everyone please tell our shut-ins that I'm thinking about and praying for them while I'm here.

Night all!

Contact Me...

2006-06-28T12:05:00.000-07:00

The best way to reach me while I'm in Israel is by emailing me at jondebell@gmail.com. I'd love to hear from you!

What time is it? What day is it? Where am I?!

2006-06-28T11:51:00.000-07:00

After a 6,000 mile, 11+ hour trip from Atlanta to Tel Aviv we're finally here. And after thinking I would be spending 3 weeks with people I knew little/nothing about and wondering how we'd get along I was in for a big surprise.

The person I sat next to on the plane was T. J. Betts. T.J. is an Old Testament professor at Southern Seminary in Kentucky. He grew up in Ohio and I've met some of his family. Another man on our row and also participating in the dig was Michael from Alabama near where my father lives. He is trained as an engineer, but now drives a truck for a living. His avocation is archaeology. He's been on several different types of digs from dinosaur to Indian and now biblical. I've met more interesting people that hopefully I'll get a chance to write about in the near future.

Tomorrow we tour the Temple Mount and the Old City of Jerusalem. Thanks for all your prayers and well-wishes for me. Everything is going great thus far. (I actually made it to the Atlanta airport on time!)

Office is closing so I must as well!

Jon

Getting Ready to Fly!

2006-06-26T21:40:00.000-07:00

So, tomorrow night I fly out of Atlanta on a short(only 11 hours!) flight to Tel Aviv. After a few days of touring we start to dig on Monday at Hazor, several miles north of the Sea of Galilee. Here are some pictures of how I've been spending my time the last few days. Hope you enjoy and hopefully this will get me in practice for posting some pics from the dig and places of interest in Israel! Thanks to all who are praying for me. You don't know how much of an encouragement you are to me.

Beach with Evan-buddy

2006-06-26T18:38:00.000-07:00

Evan & Mommy in Calabash!

On To Greensboro!

2006-06-12T06:58:00.000-07:00

Laura and I will be arriving back home from Alabama tonight. Then Tuesday morning I'll be going to Greensboro for the annual Southern Baptist Convention meeting. What would possess me to add another trip to my already full summer? For the first time in years we will have a real choice as to who is elected to be president of our convention. So, as a messenger of our church, I'll be there to cast my vote.

Late Wednesday afternoon I'll head up to Greensboro again for the concluding session of the convention. This promises to be a memorable event as a statue of Billy Graham will be unveiled, Casting Crowns will perform with a mass choir, and the "Everyone Can" emphasis for our churches to baptize 1 million people this year will be highlighted.

If anyone would like to go with me give me a call. I'd be glad for you to come along!

(Bonus question: if anyone can remember the topic of a Sunday night sermon/talk I gave 20 years ago before going to an SBC meeting in Dallas I'll take you out to lunch when I come back to work in the fall!)

Pastor Jon

What if...

2006-06-10T12:29:00.000-07:00

What if your pastor announced that he had decided to spend the second Sunday of his Sabbatical on a golf course? I know many of you would think I had lost it! Let me explain.

Laura and I had a delightful drive down to my dad's in Alabama after she finished her finals on Thursday. Friday morning Dad and I ventured out to play a round of golf. After coming within 3 inches of my first hole-in-one and scoring two birdies on the front nine I was elated to say the least! We paused at the clubhouse for a break before beginning the back nine. And there it was--my sign from the Lord that perhaps I needed to be back on the golf course Sunday morning:

The Church at Quail Creek

Join Us for Worship

Sunday Morning

10am

Any notion that my newfound golfing prowess and the clubhouse sign were signs from the Lord about where I needed to worship this Sunday were quickly dispelled by my play on the back nine. Laura and I will be worshipping with family this week. I'll be sure to spend a few moments in prayer for the service at East as we worship.

How is the sabbatical going so far? I'm enjoying being on a routine of rest, exercise, better eating habits, some babysitting, and reading. The first book I've read is Experiencing Prayer With Jesus by Henry and Norman Blackaby. Let me quote a prayer from Henry:

"O God, many others have begun and never saw the completion of your promises in their generation. O Lord, help me to be faithful in my generation that when I pray, I hear from You...and that when I hear from You, I immediately adjust my life accordingly."

I'm hoping to read much more this summer that will stimulate my mind and spirit to be all I can be for our wonderful Savior. Thanks for the opportunity!

Pastor Jon

Indispensable

2006-05-30T12:37:00.000-07:00

"The cemeteries are filled with indispensable men."
--Charles de Gaulle

It's here! At long last, after much preparation, it's time to begin my sabbatical. Several weeks ago I came across the above quote. Pretty timely isn't it? It has helped me in preparing to let go of my responsibilities at EBC for a season. Now the trick is to do it.

It is a rather sobering thought that we not only can be replaced, but one day, sooner or later, we will all be replaced. As indispensable as we might want to believe we are--we aren't. And that "all" includes pastors.

In a very real way this summer will be a test of how well I've been doing my job. Do we have the sufficient breadth(number) and depth(commitment) of leadership to see that the work of God's church moves forward? Has our membership bought in to the spiritual truth that we are all members of one body and each part has a role to fulfill for the body to remain healthy and vibrant?

Here is a big "Thank you!" in advance to everyone who will be pinch hitting for me in many areas of ministry this summer. Whether you realize it or not, even if you haven't volunteered to specificly take on one of my roles this summer, you will be helping me and blessing our church simply by carrying out your normal responsibilities to the best of your ability.

So what will I be up to the next few weeks? This week is one of transition for me, making sure the loose ends are tied up and shifting gears into a rest, relax, study and reflect mode. I'll be spending some time with family in Alabama and perhaps a few days at the beach before heading off to Israel on June 27th.

Remember: there is only One who is truly indispensable!

Shalom(can you tell I'm getting ready for Israel?),
Pastor Jon

I'm Going On Sabbatical!

2006-05-09T09:50:00.000-07:00

I'm thrilled that my church, East Baptist in Charlotte, N.C., has granted me a sabbatical for the summer of 2006. The sabbatical will begin on May 29th and I will return to my duties as pastor on August 27th.

What is a sabbatical?
A sabbatical has been defined as: "A period of time (usually 3 months) when professional church workers set aside their normal responsibilities with their congregation for the purpose of renewal and sustained excellence in ministry."

The Alban Guide to Sabbatical Planning suggests, "Ministry Sabbatical is not an extended vacation. In ministry sabbatical the physical, emotional, spiritual and intellectual wellbeing of the worker is addressed. The Biblical example of Jesus' own frequent withdrawal to a quiet place to meditate, pray and be renewed is a model."

Another denomination identifies three key components that should be included in Ministry Sabbaticals:

A time for personal relaxation.
A time to pursue personal interests.
A time of renewal around things that will directly benefit the congregation.

What will I be doing? I'm excited about the variety of things I have planned for the summer. I'll be taking two major trips:

From June 27th to July 16th I'll be in Israel to participate in an archaeological dig at Hazor, north of the Sea of Galilee. Dig days will start at 4:30 a.m. so that we can be on the site and digging by sunup and finished in time for a late lunch and before the heat of the afternoon makes work unbearable. During the evenings there will be time for lectures on archaeology, the Holy Land and the Bible. In addition to the dig we will take the time to visit many other Biblical sites. I can't wait!
On July 27th Erin, Evan, Laura and I will be traveling to Ecuador. We will get to visit with Erin's husband and his family, as well as do some sightseeing. I'll be returning to Charlotte on August 10th.

While I am in the States I hope to be involved in a wide variety of activities:

I'll be visiting other churches to enjoy worshipping with them--but also to observe and learn how other congregations "do church".
I hope to get away to the beach or mountains for a week or two to relax, read, pray, meditate, evaluate and plan.
I'm looking into attending a conference in Ridgecrest and a leadership conference here in Charlotte.
There will be at least one trip to Alabama to see family.

As you can see, my summer will be quite busy and will pass all too quickly. Pray that I will be able to prioritize what I need to accomplish and plan time to truly rest.

What will happen at East Baptist?
My responsibilities will be provided for in a number of ways:

Speakers have been enlisted to fill the pulpit for the twelve Sundays that I am gone. They will provide fresh perspectives from God's word and challenge our congregation. We will do a good job of publicizing who will be speaking prior to each service. (I trust our congregation will be committed to worshipping our Savior on His day no matter who the speaker is!)
Special Sunday night events will be planned for two-three Sundays each month.
The Wednesday night services will be covered by church members who have been enlisted to speak.
Thomas McCuddy will be working additional hours to help with administrative and visitation needs.
John Oakes will be in charge of our regular visitation program. Our deacons and Sunday School leaders will be asked to step up and meet ministry needs within the congregation.
John and Michael Stevens have volunteered to lead the McAlpine Terrace Bible Study.
Earl Lowry, Deacon Chairman, and John Oakes, Personnel Chairman, will meet with the staff on a regular basis to assist them with their work and to address any needs that may arise.

I like Earl's comment that this summer can be an opportunity for our church to experience revival as members grow, using their spiritual gifts to minister to the needs of our congregation, and as individuals open their hearts and minds to the challenge different speakers will present from the Lord. I also appreciate April Dickson's comment this past Sunday from 40 Days of Community, "We can discover this summer that we truly are better together!"

How will all this be financed? There are several different aspects related to the financing of the sabbatical:

The church will continue to pay my salary and benefits as usual through the summer. Thank you!
The extra expenses the church will incur during my absence will be paid for by a special gift that has been designated for that purpose. No additional expenses will be placed on the church.
I will be responsible for paying for the trips I am taking during the summer. The Personnel Committee is sponsoring a love offering for me to help with those costs. Thank you again!

How can people keep up/get up with me this summer? I will be using this blog site to write on a regular basis about my activities this summer. I'll be excited to share what I am experiencing and learning. I will need your prayers! And I will read my emails.

This first blog has been a long one--but I hope that this will help members of EBC and friends have a clear picture of what will be happening in my life and in our church this summer. Words cannot express how grateful I am to the Personnel Committee and Deacons for spearheading this effort. I am also appreciative to our staff for how willing they have been to take on additional responsibilities and provide for the needs of the congregation. And I have to thank Alan Thomas for setting up this site for me. I will be putting it to good use in the days ahead!

With Much Love and Appreciation,

Pastor Jon