On the Way to the Middle East

We leave for the airport in about an hour. A long flight to Frankfurt, Germany, an eight hour layover, and then the final four hour flight to Amman, Jordan. It will be a long journey. It gives Dee and me plenty of time to talk, think, pray and sleep. This is our first trip to the Middle East, but it is not a Holy Land tour. We will be visiting Mission of Mercy supported projects in Jordan and Lebanon. We'll travel from Amman to Beirut by car, so we'll travel through and spend the night in Damascus, Syria. We will conclude by going into the West Bank of Israel to determine the needs of children there.

We know that this will be a once-in-a-lifetime journey. We will see and experience things well off the beaten path. Our hosts know the culture of the Middle East well. I have a feeling that we will get a very unique perspective and that we will come back changed.

I'll do my best to blog as I have the opportunity. I'll post pictures where possible. Please keep us in prayer. We will be on the go for two weeks. I look forward to learning much more about this historical area of the world.

Field of Dreams

Today was an amazing day. A new facility was dedicated in the Dominican Republic. It consisted of a baseball field, volleyball and basketball court, multipurpose building and classrooms for the 200 children who attend this project. In addition, a total of 15 projects reaching over 2,500 children are within 20 minutes away, so they'll have access to use this wonderful facility.

Today, about 300 children participated in the dedication. Pro baseball players from the US attended, along with a few US players in the Dominican league. Civic officials and a Mission of Mercy project leaders and pastors helped round out a wonderful group. After the dedication, activities were scheduled for the kids including baseball, soccer, basketball, face painting and more. I got a great hit off a major league pitcher.. it was captured on video.. I'll post that later!

This day wasn't about baseball - it was about hope for the children. The community where the field is located is a poor community and this facility has given them great opportunities for their kids. Hundreds of children will benefit. They know that they have value, and you could see the excitement on their faces.

But, for me, one of the greatest blessings came from someone I had never met. A pastor of a local church introduced himself and asked how my family was doing? I told him that my family was doing well. He said that he has been praying for my family every day asking God to protect them and bless them. He has also been praying for me - that God will continue to give me a vision to reach more and more children. As I spent time getting to know him, I felt honored by his commitment to prayer for my family and me - even though he never met us.

There were so many events that occurred today. The medical team checked each of the 200+ children in this project, and met a couple very immediate health needs. It was a great day of fellowship and fun. I look forward to seeing the impact this "Field of Dreams" has on this region. Today was the start of something great!