Summer Mission Plans

This summer is starting to shape up. We're haveing a missions fair at church Saturday for which I have put together a two-hour long video slideshow of some of the missions that members at Western Avenue have been involved in. As I thought about it, I actually recieved very few photos relative to the number of missions we have. I have photos for all the larger missions efforts, particularly Venezuela and London Bridges. I also have photos from our activities in Uganda, China and Guatemala. I made a music video of the All For One youth choir including potions of the DVD of the Christmas concert interspersed with photos from their visit with the children at the local children's home. I also have a few photos from the South Yadkin Baptist Association, Campus Crusade for Christ ministry at NC State and a video from the Upper Room, a local ministry for youth. I know I can't remember them all, but I know the missions that I'm missing include a couple to Central America, one to southern Sudan, one to Nepal, a few to lend a hand in the area devastated by hurricane Katrina, and a current one to the US military. There are also regular missions to Cuba and the four corners area of the US as well as associated missions to the Ukraine and Iraq. This doesn't include mission excursions that we can't report on. So my little 2-hours are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

So what is shaping up for this summer for the Pembertons? Ised, the missionary to our sister church in Venezuela is trying to get her visa to come to visit us in the US. We have provided for her care while she is here and have sent letters to the appropriate embassies. If her visa is approved, she will fly here in early April just after Easter. She is slated to stay with Western Avenue for a couple of weeks. Then we will drive her to Kentucky where she will visit with the mission group, Least of These, under whose umbrella she works. They will take her to Tennessee to a couple she has worked with in missions before and they will bring her back to us a short time before she is to fly back to Venezuela in early June. At least that's her general itinerary to date. My wife is planning to take the kids and accompany her back to Venezuela. So far we have two teams slated to go to Venezuela in late July and early August. I plan to go for both weeks and my family and I will return with the last team.

Whew.

What am I going to do for six weeks without a wife and kids at the house? I have a short list forming:

1. Finish the mural in my daughter's bedroom.
2. Fill a few canvasses with some pictures.
3. Write a couple of pieces of music.
4. Produce a few more discipleship materials to give the church in Venezuela.

Actually, I'm doing number 3 already. I just had an idea for some more lyrics occur to me Sunday at church and have the start of some music to put them to. I hope I wasn't too obvious: It happened during Pastor Skip's announcements while I was in the choir loft. I shuffled inside my robe to get the pen out of my front pocket and jot a few lyrics on my hand. I didn't see anyone looking at me funny from the congregation, but it's hard to take everyone in. Okay, maybe the situation was only humorous to me...

Anyway, for those of you who will, pray for Ised to get her visa and pray that Venezuela doesn't close her borders to us to see our brothers and sisters there and visit with the people they minister to.