Atkinson Anomalies

Change...Growth Takes Place

2010-02-16T11:48:00.006-05:00

Wow. Can’t believe how long it has been since I posted (and now by saying that I’ve just become like most who attempt to blog…returning to it after a hiatus). Seems like only days since November when I last posted, but I guess “CHANGE” has pushed us along leaving little opportunity to look back.

December found us traveling all up and down the West Coast. We began by visiting the Master’s College in Santa Clarita for work then made some family visits in San Diego, Fresno, and San Francisco. By the end of the month we were up in Oregon speaking at a Leadership Retreat for high school and college students. It was a great way to finish out the year…and finish my time serving as Director of Student Mobilization for ABWE.

This year has begun with much excitement as I’ve begun a new venture by joining the staff at our church, LCBC (www.lcbcchurch.com) and oversee the young adult ministries (www.saturateonline.com). Whitney’s doing great as she continues to oversee the student mobilization at ABWE.

But these job changes and the excitement they bring pale in comparison to the excitement we’ve experienced as we await the birth of our daughter. She’s due Feburary 26^th, so to find ourselves inside the 10day window is crazy. It’s something that we’ve been waiting for and now just can’t wait to meet her. I surprised Whitney by having a friend of ours come over and do a quick photo shoot to help us capture this special time.

You can check out some preview pictures on his blog http://bit.ly/bl2r6P Keep us in your thoughts and prayers over these next week days. We’ll keep you posted…and hope to have some new pictures of our little daughter up soon!

Next Steps at Liberty University

2009-11-10T14:17:00.009-05:00

A few weeks ago, Whitney and I had the opportunity to participate in a Next Steps Weekend at Liberty University. Next Steps is a missions discipleship weekend where students interested in going into career missions are paired up one-on-one with a representative from a missions agency for mentorship. The weekend evaluates several different key areas important to consider when thinking about career missions and helps the students become intentional about making progress towards that goal. Spiritual Life, Local Church, Equipping, Getting There, and Mobilization are large group sessions that shed new light on areas of a college student's weekly routine. After the sessions, students break out with their mentor for some honest, straightforward Q&A...&A. Questions are asked. Answers are given. And an opportunity for APPLICATION is provided. Next Steps is one of the most intentional forward-thinking missions activities that I've been able to be a part of and its been exciting to it actually make a difference in student's lives as they prepare and make steps towards overseas service.

Missions, like many things or careers, can seem like this overwhelming thing. Where do I go, how do I get started, what should I study, what does all this mean?...are all normal questions that I get on college campuses each week. And while alone, these seem like huge questions. But with the help of someone that has a bit (or alot) of experience, answers to these questions quickly come making involvement in missions a lot less daunting. It's just another example of how incredible things take place in the presence of community. And community definitely takes place at Next Steps.

Thanks to all the people at CrossWorld who have been intentional in making disciples...and special thanks to Tom Nylander and John Puig from Light Ministries at Liberty University who allow us to be a part in what God is doing.

11 New Posts...Check em Out

2009-10-21T17:54:00.003-04:00

To say that life has crazy busy over the past 2 months would be an understatement. We've lived out of a suitcase for most of that time and have traveled all across the East Coast. We've joked (although it's true) that by the time our little girl is born in February, she will have already visited over half of the United States.

We hope you enjoy reading below and checking out video and pictures from our last few weeks. There are 11 New Posts so keep scrolling down...keep scrolling...keep scrolling or click the October links on the left side of your page. Stuff at the top is the most recent...things lower down take you back to the beginning of September.

Changes Continue: LCBC Young Adults - Saturate

2009-10-21T17:48:00.001-04:00

Whitney and I are excited to share some more good news! After months of discussion and prayer, I will be joining Lives Changed By Christ (LCBC - our home church) in January and will be serving on staff as their Young Adults Pastor. For the full story on how this developed, email me at pkatkinson@abwe.org and I can send you the details. Whitney will continue to serve at ABWE in the Student Mobilization Department and we're really excited about that. Thank you to all of the ABWE family who have been supportive and encouraging during this transition. I'm thankful we will be staying in the same area, serve through our local church, and continue to encourage missions efforts in the lives of young adults. LCBC put together a quick video to introduce me to the Saturate Community (Young Adult Ministry at LCBC) Check it out.

Meet Paul... from SaturateOnline on Vimeo.

New Life Baptist Church: the TOOL

2009-10-21T17:47:00.001-04:00

This past Sunday, I was able to speak to the youth at New Life Baptist Church in New Cumberland, PA. I took them through a modified version of the TOOL which is a session designed for them to evaluate their lives and where they are with responding to God's Word, God's World, and God's Work. It was an encouraging morning with the youth and with Matt and Vicki Riggins. Excited to see what happens this year as their group heads out to several different places.

Moody Bible Institute: Divine Mosaic

2009-10-21T17:41:00.003-04:00

From Connecticut, Whitney drove back to Harrisburg and I jumped a plane to the Windy City for Moody's Missions Conference. Chicago was great to visit and it was a wonderful week of ministering on their campus. I was joined by several colleagues: Dan Branda, Debbie Branda, Aurora Branda, George Collins, Ben Collins, Jack Shiflett, and Ron Barnes. Jack and Ron did a great job teaching seminars throughout the week. I met with students interested in short-term opportunities and internships. It turned out to be a busy and productive week. Folks from the Dalit Freedom Network (DFN) were there and shared about what is going on with Dalit's in India. It was great to see them again as our local church is partnering with DFN to help see change produced through the advancement of education, economic development, social awareness, and of course, the Gospel.

Douglas-Neeb Wedding: Connecticut

2009-10-21T17:36:00.004-04:00

The following weekend brought just as much traveling. We headed north up to Connecticut for the wedding of Matt Douglas and Jen Neeb...two of our great friends! It was such a privilege to support them as they begin their marriage. It was cool for me too cause it was my first wedding to officiate. The ceremony took place without me messing anything up! Whitney sang with Jason Peaks accompanying on the piano. It was great. We're stoked for you guys, Matt and Jen!

New York City: Brooklyn Tabernacle

2009-10-21T17:29:00.003-04:00

From Tennessee we flew to NYC to meet Whitney's mom and dad (Dan and Karin Baker). They were at the Brooklyn Tabernacle for a weekend music conference. We were thrilled to be there and watch Dan's choir from ALCF in California have the opportunity to worship on-stage with the Brooklyn Tab choir. It was a great finish to a busy weekend and it's always good to visit with family...especially when they live on the other Coast. We jumped the train from NYC back to Harrisburg, which was fun, and completed the weekend of planes, trains, and automobiles.

Tennessee Temple University: Next Steps

2009-10-21T17:25:00.002-04:00

From Hotlanta, we ventured north up to TTU. We've been visiting the campus for a few years now and enjoy the fellowship we have with their faculty and students. This fall we were able to help them begin their first Next Steps Weekend (modeled from CrossWorld and LU). Next Steps is a missions-oriented discipleship weekend for students going into career missions. The weekend focuses on areas like spiritual formation, local church involvement, equipping and preparation, and mobilizing others. It was great to aid in the start-up of this kind of program fro their university. Excited to see how it aids in impacting the nations. Great job Dr. Owens!

The Claret Jug: Stewart Cink - 2009 British Open Champion

2009-10-21T17:22:00.002-04:00

On one of our trips down south we were able to visit with our good friends, the Creasman family. We love them and are grateful for their friendship. After meeting for dinner, they arranged for us to meet Stewart and Lisa Cink and gave me the chance to lay my hands on the Claret Jug: the oldest trophy in sports history (dating back to 1872). Stewart won the Claret Jug at this year's British Open in dramatic style by winning a 4-hole playoff with Tom Watson. The Cink's are an incredible family and make you feel right at home. Thanks Stewart and Lisa for making us feel so welcome...and to Holly for hookin us up!

Liberty University: They're Ready, Are We Willing?

2009-10-21T17:15:00.002-04:00

Towards the end of September we were able to travel back to our alma mater: LU for their Fall Missions Conference. The week was great as we were busy each day meeting with students who are either heading out overseas, returning from overseas, or making plans to serve overseas full-time. We enjoy partnering with the folks at Light Ministries and are looking forward to them joining us this year in Thailand, India, and the Middle East. Liberty’s short-term mission department is doing some incredible things and is extremely intentional in their missions coaching and placement for internships. Great to see so many students being helped so that they can follow where God’s leading.

Also got to check out their new year-round ski slope. Not too shabby...especially for the first one in the continental US. Pretty cool.

We're continually grateful for LU and the investment it made in our lives. Always great to go back and see how God is working in new ways as more lives are changed by Christ. I pray LU will always be an incredible place that is set on training Champions for Christ. RIP JF.

Swine FLU: Negative

2009-10-21T17:11:00.001-04:00

After Labor Day we headed up to Cedarville, OH to spend a few days at Cedarville University. However, due to an outbreak of the H1N1 Virus, our plans were altered. I was still able to spend some time connecting with Brian Nester, Director of Missions Involvement Services, but Whitney had to remain far from the campus. No need to take any chances with a baby on the way. But we're excited to partner with Cedarville this year as they join us in Albania, Bangladesh, Kosovo, Togo, and the Middle East.

Judah Wise Safstrom

2009-10-21T17:01:00.007-04:00

Over Labor Day weekend, I was able to meet my new nephew: Judah Wise Safstrom. Crazy to think that now I’m an uncle. And even crazier to think that in a few months Whitney and I will be parents. But seeing Judah makes us long for February. So happy for my sister, Lori, and her husband, Dave. They’re great parents already! There’s nothing quite like family.

Bible Baptist School Retreat

2009-10-21T16:54:00.005-04:00

In September, I had the opportunity to speak at a retreat for a local Christian school. Spoke on “Name-o-tology.” Talked about the what’s associated with a name, desiring the right name, how to get the name you want, and Jesus: the only name that matters. Great time of hanging with students and challenging them. I’m excited to see how some of them make practical steps towards making a good name for themselves by May 2010.

Doing it Together...Doing it for Others

2009-08-19T07:39:00.005-04:00

If you had told me 2 years ago that we would be a part of a dynamic community that does life together (called our church), I would have probably smiled, would have hoped deep down for that to take place, but would have probably doubted that we would find just that. But we did. And now, Whit and I are blessed to be a part of an incredible community called Lives Changed By Christ (LCBC).

Recently I attended a conference called The Leadership Summit where many notorious CEO's and philanthropists alluded to the importance of vision and how when a vision is clear, people will do anything to be a part of it. People will give, serve, sacrifice...really whatever you ask. I get to see that take place every week through my church...and that excites me.

Recently our Harrisburg campus finalized the purchase of a permanent home and this past weekend we began demolition on our new facility...converting it from a VW car dealership into a gathering place where peoples lives will be changed by more than driving off the campus with a new set of wheels but by the truth of Jesus and the strength of community. I think we're all doing it because we know it to be true. We've experienced the change ourselves...and desire for others to experience it as well.

If you're looking for a place where you can connect, grow, experience community, and serve...you should come visit us...we could even use some more help this Saturday.

4150 Chambers Hill Road
Harrisburg, PA...where Victory VW used to be.

August Rush

2009-08-11T09:32:00.008-04:00

More than a movie, August Rush is a season that Whitney and I will enter over the next few weeks. After an incredible and productive summer that found us in India and Nicaragua, found us sending out teams and interns, found us participating in seminars and conferences, and found us rejoicing over the news that we're going to have a baby; we now look toward the fall and soon-to-be-made campus visits.

As the 2009-2010 school year rapidly approaches would you please join us in prayer for this upcoming year. We'll have the opportunity to interact with students, plan trips and internships, counsel with students making decisions, travel a lot...and so much more. Wisdom, discernment, strength, and a positive mindset are all things that will be needed and are huge prayer requests. Here are some events currently on our schedule between now and December...please pray with us for these unique opportunities:

Aug 29 - Ministry Fair at Baptist Bible College (Clarks Summit, PA)
Sept 3-4 - Paul speaking for School Retreat for Bible Baptist School (Halifax, PA)
Sept 7-9 - Visit to Cedarville University (Cedarville, OH)
Sept 18-23 - Debrief and Missions Conference at Liberty University (Lynchburg, VA)
Sept 30-Oct 4 - Next Steps at Tennessee Temple University (Chattanooga, TN)
Oct 13-16 - Missions Conference at Moody Bible Institute (Chicago, IL)
Oct 23-25 - Next Steps Weekend at Liberty University (Lynchburg, VA)
Nov 9-13 - BBC and Cedarville University (Clarks Summit, PA and Cedarville, OH)
Dec 4-6 - Student Missions Forum and Educator's Collaborative (Harrisburg, PA)
Dec 7-10 - Visit to The Master's College (Santa Clarita, California)
Dec 29-31 - Paul speaking at the Teen Leadership Conference (Antelope, Oregon)

Thanks for your prayers!
Continue to check here for updates and pictures from the road!
Picture Below: Enjoying the Summer with Members of our Life Group

Nicaragua Trip

2009-07-06T10:04:00.006-04:00

I just returned from spending 11 days in Nicaragua leading a team of 4 high school girls and God did incredible things! The 4 girls were from different states and we all met for the first time here at ABWE for a little training and then flew out together the next day. The goal of this trip was to expose the girls to various ministries while giving them opportunities to serve…and that is definitely what we did! We didn’t slow down but the girls had such great attitudes! The entire time I did not hear one complaint and they jumped right in getting involved! Life can be tough in Nicaragua and so we knew people were praying for us each day!

The first couple of days we helped another American team with a VBS and began building shelves for our big project. The VBS was great and the 5 of us girls really got to use the little Spanish we knew to talk with the kids and have fun with them. In the afternoon’s we would head back to where we were staying at the Center (like a camp) and began cutting, measuring, drilling, and sweating over shelves! For being a bunch of little girls we sure know how to use power tools!

Throughout the week we were involved in a variety of ministries from helping with artwork for the Nicaragua Christian Academy, visiting a blacksmith’s shop ministry, helping with a church ladies Bible study, to learning about ministry to the upper class, and helping with AWANA. It was great for us to see how God can use anything as ministry and the girls really saw that you can do anything as a missionary.

Most of the week was spent at the House of Hope. This is a place for ex-prostitutes to get off the streets and make changes in their life. They can live at this center for up to 3 years and are taught the Bible and how to make money in different ways. Their main source of income is to make greeting cards and one morning we were able to watch as the women made hundreds of cards. We helped by holding their babies so they could work faster and make more money. The sweet little girl I held just cried the whole time…she had a runny nose and a fever so I felt so bad for her. Her mom felt bad but was so thankful I could hold her while she worked.

Our biggest ministry at the House of Hope was to the girl’s dorm. We called it our “Extreme Home Makeover” project! The girls dorm houses girls ages 9-15 who were involved in prostitution as well. Most of the girls were sold into prostitution by their mom or dad’s and their stories just broke my heart. Some of the girls were sold to an Auto Hotel where cars just pull into a slot to spend the night in their car. A big curtain is pulled across the door to the garage and these little girls were brought to the cars for the men to abuse. Other girls were sold to pimps, older men, etc. One little girl was sold to a pimp by her mother for only $7.50…even thinking about that just brings me to tears.

So our job last week was to spend time with the girls and makeover their dorm! As you can see from the “before” picture, the walls were so dirty and the girls used to write on them just to add some color to the wall. Their sheets were dirty and old and they had no place to put their clothes, shoes, schoolbooks, etc. So, we brought fun sheets from the states and purchased paint when we got there. The first day we painted the foundation colors and the 2nd and 3rd day were spent painting huge butterflies and flowers all over the walls! I went around and used a projector to trace pictures then the girls and I painted in bright colors all over the place! It was a great experience because while we were painting we got to hear from their dorm mom, Brittany, a 23-year-old girl from California, about their stories. We also got to spend time just talking with the girls and many of them helped us paint flowers the 3rd day! Although our Spanish was little, we were able to build relationships and love on them as much as we could.

Saturday morning we paired off with the girls and helped them read through their Bible study before meeting together as a group. One of the little girls, Sujey, and I sat down and memorized her verse and read through the story. When we finished one of the ABWE missionaries, Shelly, came over with a brand new Bible and had Sujey sign it. Shelly said that Sujey and her were talking 2 weeks ago about Jesus dying for us and Sujey just started crying. It became real to her and she understood why Christ died for us. That day Sujey accepted Christ and this day she was getting her first Bible! I could have burst into sobs watching her sign her Bible and show it to me. Her face lit up and she was so excited! I was just thanking God for Sujey and for bringing her to the House of Hope so she could hear for the first time that there is a God who loves her!

On Saturday the girls went to another building after the Bible study and we surprised them by making up their beds with the new sheets and setting up the shelf’s we built! When they came in they were so excited to see it all completed! We helped the girls organize their things on the shelves and gave out more hugs that I could imagine! It was incredible to know that they girls have suffered so much abuse, are living away from home, but that the Lord allowed us to bring some joy into their lives.

It was such a blessing to play a part in these 4 girls lives and to minister alongside them. It was awesome to see how God is working in Nicaragua and how much He needs workers to tell people about His love. Please continue to pray for the missionaries who live and work there every day, praying for the girls in the House of Hope that they would receive Christ and live normal lives, pray for the poor and the wealthy that they would come to know Christ.

India...May Closing Comments

2009-05-29T14:15:00.003-04:00

Every time I visit India I see a new land, a new people, a new way of life. And this trip was no exception. The team trip in Delhi was probably one of the greatest team trips I’ve ever been a part of: wonderful team, great work, amazing fellowship. But on Sunday I left the team and journeyed a little further to do some survey work. One of the places I found myself was the city of Varanasi, the Hindu Holy City. From there I visited Sarnath, where Buddha preached his first message. I watched as men and women worshiped water and made noise to get their god's attention. I watched as people danced, and painted, and did pretty much everything but worship the one true God. And as I visited these places, I couldn’t help but think: I really have no idea what India is like. And I wondered how God must feel. 20% of the world’s population. An economy that spans from some of the world’s poorest to some of the world’s richest. Life that maintains a constant buzz…when do they sleep? Home of some of the world’s dominant religions. A place bursting with physical life…and a place reeking of spiritual death. And all this is India. There’s truly more than meets the eye. Bursting with impressive need for more workers. To steal one of my coworker’s phrases: India…where the need is only surpassed by the opportunity. May we pray in mighty ways for this special place.

India...May 23

2009-05-23T22:36:00.002-04:00

Well today was the final day of our 2nd Kids Camp. I’m just going to say it: It was wild…and we enjoyed every moment of it. What a joy it has been these past three days to interact with these kids from the Nandlal slum. It has been a blessing to take time with them, share Bible stories, goof off, eat, and sing with them. We’re definitely excited that they are more connected now with PMI and can have a constant source for spiritual growth and intake.

  Today also concluded our 8th session of our Conversational English Class. If you would have asked our team prior to the past two weeks if they could conduct 8 English classes, many of them would have laughed…mostly unsure how we could do that much talking. But it happened. Today concluded with final conversation small groups then Peter shared about the Mystery of Life. Many of them listened intently and responded eagerly to the news that was shared.  

And so our India journey is drawing quickly to a close. Sunday, the team wraps up final sessions at Kids Sunday School, the CBC church service, and Focal Point. Then on back to the States. I’ll leave and head to Varanasi and Bangalore before returning home. Thanks to everyone who has journeyed with us…especially through prayer!

India...May 22

2009-05-23T02:16:00.006-04:00

Our 2nd Kids Camp is well underway. Day 2 provided much excitement as the kids learned about David and Goliath…many of them for the first time. Being that these kids are new to PMI and are not accustomed to an organized schedule or behavior, things get pretty chaotic at times, but we’re so glad they’re here to be able to learn about the Good News. I think they are really enjoying themselves.  

In the afternoon, it absolutely poured down rain…creating some minor flooding and momentarily slowing down what would be normal, busy traffic patterns. With such a downpour, we were really wondering if anyone would show up for English Camp. By 3pm when it was time to start, we had just a handful of students, but moments later, people came “flooding” in the door and we had our usual 40-50 students.

  After English class, we went upstairs for Core Group Fellowship, CBC weekly Bible study. Scott was able to challenge the group to guard their heart and we examined how the enemy works and what he has been doing from the beginning of time. It was a wonderful evening of challenge and encouragement. And we also had a blast playing some Catch Phrase…one of the greatest games ever. Tomorrow: final day of kids camps and English class.

India...May 21

2009-05-22T00:40:00.003-04:00

Our final Thursday here in India began with a bang as we had 62 new kids show up for our 2nd Kids Camp. These new kids where ones that had never participated in PMI before so it was great to watch their faces as we introduced new activities and concepts. Since these kids have never been to PMI before, most of them have no understanding of the things of God or have even heard stories from our Good Book. So yesterday it was cool to think that for many, really most, of them that it was their first introduction to any kind of Good News teaching. Hopefully as they are now connected with PMI they will continue to be involved and understand more and more.  

Thursday afternoon, we conducted English lesson 6 of 8. We are still continuing to have a ton of people present, which has been a great encouragement to the PMI staff. From what they have shared, usually it starts out with many people the first day or two but as it continues, the people dwindle away. We’ve been consistently having about 50 people present with a few new additions each day. As I’ve shared before, we’re continuing to teach in the main session about idioms. Yesterday, they brought newspapers and magazine articles in that had idioms that they had found. Each day we try to do one “hangman” session revolving around an idiom. The students absolutely love it. Hangman…we really should get back to playing it more back in the States. Anyways, after the main session we broke out into our conversational groups. At some point throughout the sessions our groups have focused on pronunciation. This is something that they are genuinely interested in as they try to develop their fluency in English. It’s interesting to hear some of the sounds they have trouble with…some of them are like almost impossible to grasp such as the sound made by “th”. For many of them it just sounds like “t”. Our team has enjoyed helping, teaching, and watching many of the students grow over the past 6 lessons.

After classes we split up for dinner. Each free evening some of our team members have been visiting with our hosts P&H to talk, understand more about India, and be encouraged. Some of the team used the opportunity to have some Indian Henna put on their hands. Thanks to those who have been lifting us up. We’ll be home soon!

India...May 20

2009-05-21T01:13:00.008-04:00

As we’re here, the relationships and conversations become more intentional, more personal, and more probing. I think that for many on the team, it will be very hard to leave some of the new friends next Monday when we return to the States. Wednesday was another great day. We began by touring what I would call “the mall”…similar to our “mall” in Washington, D.C. We were able to see various parliament buildings and what is known as the India gate, a memorial to many who have lost their lives during war.   

After our visit to the India gate we were able to go and visit one of the largest Hindu temples in the city. It has been very interesting and helpful to gain some perspective on what motivates different people. By now, we’ve visited a Hindu temple, a Sikh temple, a Jain temple, and a Muslim mosque. Following our temple visit, we visited Delhi University and St. Stephens College. Within about 5 miles of the PMI resource center, there are about 500,000 college students. Their classes just concluded, but there were still many on campus that we were able to invite to Chat Over Coffee.  We rushed back to PMI quickly after our brief University tour to find many students ready for English camp. To this point we have had about 80 different students participate in the camp. Close to 50 have been present each day. Teaching about idioms has been an intriguing topic, but the conversational sessions have brought about topics that far exceed English grammatical application. In fact, many conversations are occurring now that revolve around faith, love, and serving. The relationships that have been built through the English camp are probably the deepest aside from those we have developed with the PMI staff. Please join us in prayer for these intentional conversations that are taking place.   

Wednesday was packed back-to-back. Following the English Camp we began Chat Over Coffee. COC was first developed to be a question/answer conversation time based upon questions university students had after focal point on Sundays. This COC was a little different however. We began as usual with just casual conversation, but halfway through began a special program. We played some games such as “Gorilla, Man, Gun” and put on 2 random comedy skits. One of which, focused on the staff of PMI (hopefully I can load the video soon! – it was a spoof we did where each of us were one of the staff people from PMI and kind of acted things out that had happened throughout the week that were funny). They really enjoyed it! Finally we finished with some songs, then Peter interviewed us regarding our India experience so far. It was a night filled with much laughter and enjoyment!

India...May 19

2009-05-19T12:15:00.005-04:00

After a long journey to Agra yesterday and a breathtaking view of the Taj Mahal, today we journeyed back into the slums to conduct the first ever PMI Sport’s Day for the kids from Nandlal Slum. Many of these kids were a part of our Kids Camp last week, but many were new faces. We had a blast as we split up the kids by ages then competed in various games. Relay races and a game of cricket were seemed to be the highlights. But we also had fun beating a piñata, doing a general quiz, eating snacks, and everything was concluded with an awards ceremony. EVERYONE had a great time. This afternoon we completed session 4 of our 8 day English camp. Many are growing in their conversational English and it is interesting to watch their enthusiasm as they pursue grasping another language.

India...May 18

2009-05-19T12:10:00.002-04:00

We’ve passed the halfway point of our trip. Much work has been done and great things are happening. But after a BUSY Sunday, it was time for a little mind refreshment. So we took a road trip and ended up at the Taj Mahal. Unbeliveable. Enough said.

India...May 17

2009-05-17T14:06:00.004-04:00

Sundays are quite a bit different with our friends here in Delhi. No church function starts before noon. What does that practically mean?...sleeping in ☺ and it was much needed. But after we woke up, we packed quite a bit of activity into have a day. We started by leading the children’s Sunday School class. Today’s featured story: David and Goliath. Scott and Evan have found their second calling as actors.

We stopped briefly for lunch then picked up with the afternoon church service for CBC. It was great singing with folks from all around the world. I had the opportunity to speak and challenge those attending. We thoroughly enjoyed the fellowship with the community of believers.

Following that service kicked off Focal Point…a discussion meeting for unbelievers. We played some games then broke into small groups to discuss the differences and similarities between University life in India versus the States. It was great to learn about the factors that go into making university decisions and see the type of commitment that is involved in pursuing higher education. We had close to 80 people there and probably 25 or so came because they have been joining us for English classes this past week. Great day. Great team effort! Tomorrow: Taj Mahal!

India...May 16

2009-05-17T05:51:00.006-04:00

Today was day 3 of both our Kids Camp and English Classes. The kids have really warmed up to us and it is great to see their faces light up when the come by rickshaws from the slums. Today’s story time focused on Daniel and the Lion’s Den. The kids (and staff for that matter) really enjoyed making lion masks. It's hard to believe our first kids camp is over already. The kids enjoyed getting some special prizes such as book bags and school supply cases.

One cool thing that happened today was we were able to provide a pair of shoes for each of the children who have been a part of the kids camp. We began by washing their feet which was a pretty humbling experience. After which, we sized them for shoes and placed their new shoes on them (we brought about 125 pairs of shoes from the States). The kids wrote their names as well as PMI on the shoes to ensure that they keep them and don’t “wander off”.  

Our English camp continues to go well. Deeper relationships are forming and that is exciting for everyone involved. After each lesson and game, we break into separate groups based on their English speaking abilities. Here in these groups are where some of the deepest relationships are being formed…plus they’re improving on their English. Our next English class occurs on Tuesday.  

We had the evening to ourselves so we were taken to a mall that’s about an hour away or so. It provided a sharp contrast of the various parts of India. The mall strip literally looked like a Vegas strip. The stores were prominent and expensive…so we didn’t buy much. But it provided a great contrast as we’re able to see the poor of the poor right next to some of the wealthiest people in the country.

India...May 15

2009-05-16T03:27:00.004-04:00

Today was day 2 of our Kids Camp and English Camp. It was great to see the kids again and our English class continues to grow. Today we continued teaching the kids about Noah. They enjoyed putting all the animals in our flannel-graph ark. It’s hard to believe our first of two kid’s camps is almost complete. In our English class today we focused on Idioms. They absolutely love idioms. They’re intrigued by them. After the formal class was complete, we moved on to conversational English stations. Today we focused on the topic of “education.” It was a pretty humbling experience as many of the people attending are working on their Ph.D’s, have two Masters degrees, or have some other long list of educational accomplishments. We kind of laughed to ourselves thinking if they only knew who was teaching them English.

The day concluded by us leading their Core Group Fellowship Meeting. It is a Friday night Bible study for core members of their church. It was a great time of singing, studying the Bible, and fellowship. Great day!

India...May 14

2009-05-14T23:24:00.006-04:00

Our first day of Kids Camps and English Camps got off to a great start! Kids from several different slum communities were able to come participate…in fact they all showed up early; which was encouraging to us and had us moving right away. The kids participated in story time, games, crafts, songs, hygiene lessons, and of course we ate some too. Many of the kids in this camp have been involved with PMI for some time so they have a great grasp already on spiritual things. It’s great to be able to help “water the seeds” as so many of them are at different points in their spiritual journey.

This afternoon kicked off our first of 8 free English classes. We had nearly 50 people show up. Those present were from all over: India, Iran, South Africa, Korea, and more. We had a variety of interest from people at different stages of the English learning process…everything from people who are learning basic vocabulary to PH.D candidates who are looking for career advancement. The broad spectrum of English proficiency caused us to think quickly on our feet for sure. We began with some games that focused on adjectives. We then had each person take an English evaluation test. From there we were able to split into groups based on different levels of proficiency and able to have conversational growth lessons that focused on “kinship”. We were able to learn a lot about their families and we’re looking forward to building some solid relationships as the sessions progress. Those present for all eight sessions will receive a certificate from PMI certifying completion of a conversational-focused English course. They’re pretty excited about that.

And I couldn’t help but through this picture in. When’s the last time you saw a cow changing a car battery? The team is doing well. Everyone really jumped in yesterday and it was so encouraging to see such a unified willingness to serve. Pray for a few cases of minor stomach issues but other than that, we’re doing great!

India...May 13

2009-05-13T22:30:00.008-04:00

This morning, we hit the streets running. Today was very beneficial as we learned more about the many religions that are present in India. We began by visiting 3 different temples and mosques. It was saddening to watch as people bowed down, offered some form of sacrifice, and uttered a prayer. While it was sad to watch, it helped our heart expand with compassion for the people to whom we are here to serve. One of the interesting things about India is realizing how much religion pervades all parts of India. It isn’t a secret or something that is private…but it is something that encapsulates your entire being. Today was helpful in understanding people, their philosophies, and what motivates many of them to action.

This afternoon flew by as we unloaded, separated, and re-packed supplies that we brought with us for PMI: shoes, medical supplies, book bags, stuffed animals, hygiene, products, and other resources. We’re looking forward to how these items will be used to touch and impact people.

This evening we participated in Chat over Coffee. It is an evening event that is intended for people who have questions about faith, life, etc. For three hours we sat, listened, and interacted with people who would drop by. Some visited briefly while others camped and enjoyed the fellowship. Many of them spoke very good English. Others stopped by to register for PMI’s English camps that begin tomorrow. These first two days have been wonderful for gaining understanding and insight into the people here. It has been a valuable beginning to our trip. Tomorrow: Kid’s Camp and English Camp begin!

India...May 12

2009-05-13T22:18:00.005-04:00

After a long day of flying, we successfully made it to India. It is great to finally be here after the past few weeks and months of preparation. Upon arriving after midnight we quickly turned in knowing today would be a long day of fighting jet lag. This morning, we began by venturing out into the streets as we made our way to PMI’s Resource Center for a time of study in the Word with their staff. Following a time of singing and refection, we began orientation that helped acquaint us with PMI’s work and how we will be helping over the next few weeks. It gave us a greater understanding for the work, the people they connect with, and how we can best assist the work while we are here. We worked through the plan for the next few weeks and made sure we are ready to go…all prepared for upcoming events and projects. Following orientation, we became familiar with the local metro transit. Taking it to a district known as CP, we were able to walk the streets, do a bit a of shopping, and sample some southern Indian cuisine at a vegetarian restaurant. We had a great day, everyone is pretty energized, and we’re looking forward to a great day of cultural adaptation tomorrow.

GRADUATION 2009

2009-05-10T00:16:00.002-04:00

On May 9, 2009...Whitney, her sister Kelsey, and myself all graduated from Liberty. We had a wonderful time as both of our families were able to join us and celebrate this wonderful milestone. Paul graduated with a Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies. Whitney graduated with a Master of Arts in Human Services and Counseling. Kelsey graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Education. What a great weekend to share with our family!

A Lot to Celebrate

2009-04-21T16:54:00.010-04:00

Well after a crazy time of traveling during February, we have been home now for nearly two months and have loved it! It has been great for relaxing, catching up on work, and taking some time to celebrate. Over the past month, we both have celebrated birthdays...and we noticed we're getting pretty old.

For Paul’s birthday in March, I (Whitney) surprised him with dinner at the Hershey Hotel. It's a pretty classy place and offers and incredible dining experience. Being a former restaurant manager, he loved it and we had a wonderful evening of fine dining.

For Whitney’s birthday, I (Paul) planned a little surprise. Thanks in part to all the travel we do for work, we had some mileage saved up so I was able to fly her out to California to spend her birthday with her parents. She was able to see her dad’s new Easter production: Light of Hope. She had a great time supporting her folks, hanging with Brensley, and touring San Francisco.

We also had a great Easter weekend and are so grateful that our lives have been changed by Christ. We had an incredible weekend at our church, LCBC, and took time to reflect upon Jesus who truly gives us life. Kelsey and Riley (2 of Whitney’s sisters) came up and we had a blast relaxing with family.

Please remember us in your prayers over the next few weeks. We will be traveling down to Lynchburg, VA at the beginning of May to walk for graduation. Whitney will be graduating with a Master of Arts in Human Services and Counseling. Paul will be graduating with a Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies. It’s kind of nice to be done studying for a little while. Paul will be leaving from there to help lead a short-term missions trip from Liberty to India. Please pray for their team as they go and impact parts of India with the love of Christ. Pray also for Whitney as she’ll be leading a team of students to Nicaragua in June. We’ve been blessed to be at home for the last few weeks, have enjoyed it, and are now ready for some more travel. Thanks for your prayers!

It's March Already...Update!

2009-03-12T12:27:00.007-04:00

To say that February flew by would be a great understatement. February had us blazing trails across Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Tennessee. At the beginning of the month, we partnered with Baptist Bible College in Clarks Summit, PA to put on their Spring Missions Conference entitled “Live Like the World is Dying.” This was the first time ABWE has been asked to do something of this scale at a college campus. So along with about 30 other of our staff, we set out to tackle the campus.

The week was incredible as we stressed urgency as we live missionally. The week focused on the local church and the commission that Jesus gave to the church to make disciples of all nations. That task requires involvement of each person, regardless of location or vocation. We enjoyed refocusing on God and identifying with Him so that our lives and work flow from a solid relationship that seeks His Kingdom first. It was wonderful interacting with students who wanted to sit down and just discuss what God was doing around the world. One of the cool things we implemented was an interactive prayer room. Throughout the week, students spent 5 hours praying for the nations. About 100 people were in the room at a time and navigated through prompt stations that encouraged us to engage in global work through prayer. It was a great week!

From BBC, we traveled down to Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia for their Spring Missions Conference. The pace for the week was slightly more relaxing since we didn’t have to run things. Returning to Lynchburg is like going home for us in many ways so it was a wonderful week to connect with friends, engage with students, and help train students preparing to go out all across the world this summer. Specifically, we trained teams heading to India, Nepal, and a survey team that will visit the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Croatia. We were also able to participate in Next Steps – a 1-on-1 mentorship weekend for students interested in career missions. We also got to spend some time with Kelsey and Riley, which was AWESOME! We miss our families so it’s always good when we can connect. The week was incredible and we’re thankful for the partnerships we have with schools across the US. We’re continually encouraged by the progression students are making as they follow the way God is leading them.

After Liberty, we went down to Tennessee Temple University in Chattanooga, Tennessee. We spend a few days meeting with students and sharing in several different classes. It was exciting to connect with several students from TTU’s Student Missions Fellowship and hear what God is doing in their hearts and lives. We have several students from TTU heading to various parts of the ABWE world this summer so it was a beneficial time for us to talk logistics and nail down some details.

All in all, a GREAT February! Once we got home on February 28th, we were able to transition into a different apartment and catch up on office work. We’re glad to be home pretty much for the next two months before I head back to India and Whitney leads a team to Nicaragua. We have many students we are working with who are heading out on teams and for internships this summer. God is good and we’re continually grateful to be a part of His global work! Thanks to each of you for your continued prayers and encouragement!

Happy New Year…Hitting the Ground Running

2009-01-21T20:02:00.014-05:00

Following holiday time with our families, we joined Dave and Lori for their B3/Union Winter Camp. Paul spoke several times and took the students through a series called Here and Now. Here and Now is a discipleship weekend that challenges students to engage in opportunities that God places before them right Here…right Now. We were able to witness one young man give his heart to Christ. We love seeing Lives Changed by Christ! We had a blast serving with Dave, Lori, the B3 Gang, the Union crowd, and the band Austin Colby (check out austincolby.com) Oh yeah, and we hit the slopes too! Whitney learned to snowboard…and Paul had a fun time laughing at Whitney!

From Kentucky we headed East to Cedarville, Ohio for Cedarville University’s Missions Conference. We spent the week interacting with college students, connecting with short-term team leaders, and discipling students who expressed interest in missions. We had a great time interacting with out MK’s from across the globe and our President, Dr. Loftis, was the main speaker. It was a great week of ministry and we’re excited about the 6 Cedarville MIS trips that are happening this Summer with ABWE in different parts of the globe.

We then headed home via Canton, Ohio where we were able to connect with some of Paul’s best friends. Over some sweet Chipotle burritos, we caught up with each other, laughed, and enjoyed sharing about what all life has been throwing at us. We were able to see Tim (check out www.timothyadamdesigns.com), Christina (check out www.gracedesignsphotography.com), Jocelyn, Laura, and baby Harrison (sorry we missed you Cole!). We’re so blessed to have some incredible friends.

Eventually we made it back to Harrisburg…but only for a few days. Then we hopped on a plane and headed to Toronto, Ontario. Yikes…was it cold! We served alongside of our ABWE Canada friends and partners in ministry, Dave and Cathy Smith. We spent a day training a team from Heritage College that is going to England and Croatia this summer. That evening we drove northeast up to Coburg, Ontario and trained two teams heading to Jamaica. It's exciting to see students engaging in what God is doing globally. We finished off the weekend by visiting some of our co-workers living and serving amongst the Chinese in Toronto.

It has a been a wild month from December 13th until about January 18th, but we’re thankful for God’s provision and the unique opportunities he has brought across our path as we’ve journeyed North, South, East, and West.

Please join us in prayer as February promises to be an ACTIVE month as we head to Baptist Bible College and Liberty Univeristy for back-to-back weeks of missions conferences, interacting with students, and serving the Lord.

Family Fun

2009-01-21T19:46:00.011-05:00

Over Christmas we had a wonderful time visiting family and friends. We started by traveling down to South Carolina for the Atkinson family gathering at Paul's grandparent's house. It was a great time of hanging with family, helping out with some minor construction projects, eating, laughing, and sharing gifts.

Then we flew across the country to spend time with the entire Baker clan. We had a wonderful time in San Francisco. Whitney was able to participate in her Dad’s church’s Christmas musical. It was a great opportunity for both of them to lead in worship and praise our Savior!

We then got to visit some of our friends, the Cohoon’s. It was a blast to see all of them, sample foods from all around the world, discuss ministry, and enjoy wonderful fellowship.

We then headed south down to San Diego making a wonderful stop at Six Flag’s Magic Mountain. Magic mountain did not disappoint delivering some great thrills!

We eventually made it to San Diego and had a wonderful time hanging out with all of our extended family. Family skits, sharing testimonies from 2008, opening presents, and joining Rony and Jaimee at their church for their Christmas Eve service with the entire family were just a few of the highlights…a wonderful Christmas!

We hopped back on a plane, headed East, then eventually drove West to join Paul’s parents, sister, and brother-in-law for New Year’s. We received an incredible surprise…Paul’s sister, Lori, is pregnant which will make us an Aunt and Uncle for the first time.

Needless to say we had a blast trekking across the country and spending time with our family. Family is such a wonderful gift. And we’re grateful to have the best families anyone could ask for.

Journey to India

2008-12-02T16:27:00.015-05:00

We just returned from a few weeks traveling across India. We were part of a survey team from our church, LCBC (Lives Changed By Christ). As part of our trip we surveyed several areas where our church could get involved and help other lives to be changed by Christ. Our goal is to identify a Dalit community where we can be involved helping impact the community through education, healthcare, economic development, and social justice. The trip was extremely productive. It was a wonderful opportunity for us to travel together. Between the two of us, we’ve served in nearly 30 countries through short-term opportunities, but this was only our 2nd trip together. We enjoyed experiencing it together.

We worked with the Dalit Freedom Network and they took us to different communities each day that were in different stages of the transformation process. We were humbled as we walked through some of the Dalit villages. Some were mere metal shacks and others were homes made out of concrete pipes.

Our hearts were broken as we met face, after face, after face and recognized that many of them have no knowledge of who Jesus is or have even had the opportunity to understand the value that he places on each of their lives.

Many of the settings we were shown involved a school that had been started. This is often the best way to begin making an impact in a community. Providing education opportunities to Dalit children gives them hope and opportunity that they normally would not be afforded. We enjoyed meeting the kids, hearing how their lives are being shaped by Christ, and participating in their daily routines and even National Children’s Day (an Indian holiday for children).

It looks like our church will begin this partnership in the next few months. Please pray for us as we dialogue and initiate a healthy partnership where more lives can be changed by Christ.

Following our survey trip, we journeyed up to Delhi to visit some of our partners serving in a University setting. We had a blast and our visit was extremely encouraging as we laid some important groundwork for a trip that Paul will be helping lead in May alongside of Light Ministries at Liberty University. It seems for the time being that God is opening doors for us to continue to visit and serve in India. Please pray for us as we continue to be involved in several different opportunities for ministry.

Whitney and I are Moving!

2007-06-15T15:58:00.001-04:00

As of July 1st, Whitney and I will be on staff with a new ministry: The Association of Baptists for World Evangelism (ABWE). So we are leaving Lynchburg after 7 wonderful years and will be moving to the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania area. I will be assuming the position of Director for Student Mobilization. Whitney will be the Administrative Assistant for Student Mobilization. Our department will be responsibile for all high school and college-aged missions efforts working with nearly 1,400 missionaries in over 80 countries around the world. For more information on ABWE you can go to www.abwe.org.

Please pray for us as we pack up and move at the end of the month! For our new housing and phone contact information, you can email me at pkatkinson@liberty.edu. Thanks for your prayers!

Republic of Georgia Campaign - May 2007

2007-06-15T15:23:00.000-04:00

Greetings from the Republic of Georgia! Thank you so much to everyone who has been a part of our team through prayer and finances. This was my first time to the Republic of Georgia, a land that still bears many effects of Communistic rule that ended in 1991. Today it is a beautiful nation that is in much need of hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There are over 5 million people that live in the Republic of Georgia, but less than 3,000 believers in Jesus.

Our team was blessed with the privilege of serving with Charles and Nina Hoblitz, veteran missionaries who serve with Baptists International Evangelistic Ministries (BIEM). They have just moved to Tbilisi, Georgia after serving for the last 12 years in St. Petersburg, Russia. By partnering with this couple, our students were able to have a front row seat in witnessing what missionaries encounter when first moving to a new field; both the good and the bad. Charles and Nina have only been in the Republic of Georgia for about 2 months now.

Our ministry revolved around several avenues in 3 main cities: Gori, Kutaisi, and Jwari. In Gori, we met for several days with Pastor Beso and his church. We conducted evangelistic services, spent one-on-one time with church members through translators, traveled to different areas for fellowship, and prayed for one another. Our time with Pastor Beso proved to be extremely encouraging for their church, especially their youth, and for our team as well.

We spent the next few days in the city of Kutaisi with Pastor Omari. Through this experience we learned the value of understanding the language and culture as a few problems arose due to communication barriers. Our time, however, was still profitable. We spent time interacting with their church, conducted a church service at another church, prayed for one another, and just had good fellowship.

For the last leg of our trip we went to a primitive village called Jwari. Jwari is a primitive village of about 8,000 residents. There is no running water and the electricity is spotty through much of the day. Here, the Hoblitz’ are looking to plant a church because there is great spiritual need. The correct Gospel of Christ had never been preached their before. What I mean is there was much influence in the region from Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Orthodox church (paganistic). Many involve themselves in empty practices of lighting candles, praying to pictures, and other rituals. We conducted street evangelism, spoke one-on-one with nationals, held evangelistic outreaches, showed the Jesus Film in the Georgian language, and prayed over potential buildings for a church plant. Throughout our efforts we saw 12 people come to know Christ as Savior.

Charles and Nina will need a building to help plant the church. The building below is the one they hope to purchase. We spent time prayer-walking the campus. They need much prayer support for this process to be finalized. Please pray for them as they seek to work with nationals in obtaining the proper paperwork. They will need an additional $35,000 to repair the builiding. As you can see from the pictures below the exterior walls are in place, but no plumbing, drywall, or electrical work has been done. Pray for the resources and physical labor to be provided.

Our team was wonderful. At times there were hardships due to the heat, lack of meals, or normal facilities. However, our team really expressed a heart of servitude, compassion, and humility. Chris and I were extremely please with the way our students, served, were willing, and stretched themselves in many ways. It was truly a joy to serve with them as leader.

Thanks again so much for all your prayers and support!

The Czech Republic - March 2007

2007-03-24T13:40:00.000-04:00

Ahoj! from the Czech. I've just recently returned from spending 11 days in the Czech Republic in Central Europe. We had a wonderful trip. Matt Rawlins, Assistant Director for Light Ministries, and I led a team of 13 students from Liberty University to partner with Ron and Brenda Barnes and their team from the Association of Baptists for World Evangelization (ABWE), a missions organization based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

This was my first missions trip to the continent of Europe. I've now been able to lead trips, preach, and share the Gospel on every continent (with exception of Antarctica). There were many goals/purposes for this trip. One goal for this trip was to expose Liberty students who are interested in missions to the needs and opportunities that are available in Central Europe. Another goal was to be an encouragement to the Barnes family and their team. A third goal was to serve their ministry any way possible while showing and sharing the love of Jesus Christ.

This trip really opened my eyes to the spiritual needs that are present in Central Europe. The predominant religion in the Czech is atheism and over 60% of the population claim atheism as their personal religion. Spiritual darkness envelops many of the places you visit. In fact, it is one of the least evangelized countries in the world. It is a land that is in desperate need for others to come and be able to practically share the truth of the Gospel. There are over 11 million people in the Czech and less than 2,500 Baptist Christians according to the material that was shared with us. The country is essentially split into 4 sections: Western Bohemia, Northern Bohemia, Moravia, and Southern Bohemia. In Western Bohemia, Northern Bohemia, and Moravia, there are only 32 Baptist churches. In Southern Bohemia, where the Barnes' have moved to, there are ZERO (0) Baptist churches. There are ZERO (0) Baptist Theological Seminaries, few international church planters, and even fewer national church planters.

The Barnes family recognizes this need as well as sees the opportunities for spiritual growth and development that are all around. Originally from the states, the Barnes family has spent the last 7 years ministering and planting churches in Hungary. Last fall, God led them to the Czech Republic to be a part of new and developing ministry. So throughout the week, we had the opportunity to be exposed to their ministry, witness the limitless opportunities that lay before them, and hear of the needs that are present. Ron and Brenda have 3 children: Ronnie, Victoria, and Sophie. Jen Thigpen is also present in the picture and is a short-termer who has committed to being with the Barnes family for 2 years and serves as the teacher for the kids.

The Barnes family is working specifically with the first church plant in all of Southern Bohemia: Ceske Budejovice Baptist Church. It has recently been planted within the past few years. It is the first plant in the southern 1/3 portion of the country and is about 2 1/2 hours from the nearest Baptist church...which is quite different from begin here in Lynchburg, Virginia where one church is seemingly at most 2 1/2 minutes from one another. Ron shared with us there is documentation that shows Christians 95 years ago were concerned that there was no solid evangelical church in Southern Bohemia...and now, approximately 95 years later, there is the first. It was so incredible to get to witness the fulfillment of believer's prayers from nearly a century earlier. The church now has approximately 40 members. So on Saturday and Sunday, we were able to minister with the youth from the church and another church that is about 3 hours away. So total, we had about 10 youth. We played all kinds of games, several students shared testimonies, we sang and worshipped our Living God, and challenged one another in the faith.

Sunday morning I was given the opportunity to preach before the church. It was a wonderful opportunity. Members from our team were able to connect with the younger kids during children's church where they sang songs and told Bible stories using flanelgraph. Afterwards, we fellowshipped over a variety of snacks, cakes, and danishes which was encouraging because Czechs in general can tend to be very personal, very private. I attribute this to being under Communistic rule for so long. In 1993, communism was done away with in the Czech and though it has been 14 years, there are still grave effects that can be visibly seen from that form of government; one of which is the way they keep to themselves and have difficulty opening up to one another and enjoying relationships. Sunday afternoon was incredible because our team split up into different groups and went to the Czech church member's homes for lunch and just to build relationships.

We were able to see many facets that are involved in moving to a new country and beginning a new ministry. One of the biggest challenges is learning the language. On Monday, we were able to have our own private 2-hour Czech session. The Barnes' language teacher helped us learn basic words, numbers, and concepts. Currently Ron and Brenda go to language school about 3-4 times a week for 5-6 hours a day. It was tough for 2-hours, I can't imagine trying to master a whole other language. It is important, however, for them to learn the language quickly so that they can more effectively communicate and so that their ministry can be enhanced.

Not only can learning the language be difficult, but it is also difficult not being able socialize and interact with others as much as you would like to. So, Monday afternoon we wanted to spend time with just Ron and Brenda's kids so that we could just love on them and have some fun. We ate, went bowling, and Brenda organized a scavengar hunt throughout the town square in Ceske Budejovice. It was a blast...although awkard as 15 Americans ran around trying to locate things in the city without begin able to speak the language.

Throughout the week, we were able to visit several places where God is visibly at work. In the past few months, God has provided the finances and building to begin the FIRST EVER Baptist seminary in all of the Czech Republic. It is currently being renovated and in the fall hopes to open with 10 students. We spent one day helping with landscaping, cleaning, and construction around the facilities. There are many financial and personnel needs that still exist. They have been renovating the facility in order to turn certain sections into dorms for the students. An additional $35,000 is still needed to finish renovations. Please pray with us for the provision of those funds. Secondly, there is a need for educated professors to commit to teaching and training nationals through the seminary. Please also pray that God will provide the right people.

As the church plant has grown there are believers who already recognize they have a responsibility in taking the Gospel to their country. Milan and Misa Pis are a couple from the church that will soon be starting another church plant in Ceske Krumlov, a city that is about 30 minutes away from Ceske Budejovice. While we were there, Milan and Misa actually received the keys to their new church building, a room about 20'X25' located at the base of a community of flats that house about 5,000 people. We spent time praying for them and for the task and responsibility that lies ahead. Please pray for Milan and Misa as they begin this new ministry.

On the last day of the trip we were able to visit Prague, a beautiful city. The architecture was beautiful all throughout the country. The buildings were amazing. There were even tons of little bands sitting on the sides of the streets playing music...and so I was inclined to dance. Yep, they were Czeching me out.

While in the Czech, I celebrated my 25th birthday! I've now celebrated my birthday on 3 different continents. One of the unique opportunities that is presented when your birthday falls during Spring Break. On my back is my new b-day present from my wife and Mr. and Mrs. B. Thanks so much guys! The pack is awesome.

This trip really helped me and the rest of our team understand the spiritual needs that are present in the Czech Republic. God used this trip in great way in many of our students lives. Out of our team we have about 6-7 students who are interested in returning for a longer time from 1-2 years to fulltime. It was wonderful to be able to be a part of a ministry that is just getting started and to imagine and dream of the potential and the possiblities that are present. I ask that each of you join with us from wherever you may be in helping constantly lift up the needs, the Barnes family, and the ministry that is going on in Czech to the Lord in prayer. God is passionately pursing His people everywhere and I am thankful to have had the opportunity to be exposed to His work in the Czech and help others realize the needs as well. If you are interested in keeping track of or finding out more information about the Barnes family or the work in the Czech Republic, you can visit www.abweczech.org.

Thank you to all of you who are consistently supporting me through prayer!

Thanksgiving in India - 2006

2006-12-05T13:32:00.000-05:00

Wow! I've been to a ton of countries and seen a lot of sights, but nothing compares to India. Each trip stands in a class of its own and this one is no different. I've recently returned from my latest trip to Southern India. It was absolutely amazing in so many ways. I had the privelege of leading the trip and my fellow teammates were the members of the Light Singers, the ministry team I travel with each weekend here in the States. We travel together overseas once a year to share the Gospel with others, but also to gain a new perspective ourselves. As we travel and speak about missions here in the U.S. it helps us to be able to identify with what God is doing elsewhere by going and immersing ourselves in another culture, exposing ourselves to different religions, and seeking to understand more of God's heart and His love for all people. So, this year, this desire took us to India.

We worked with a very credible ministry (which needs to remain nameless) which focuses on ministry to orphans, educating of national students, and preparing seminary students to go out and become missionaries to other parts of India and around the world. This ministry is fixed in the midst of a land that is overflowing with people. The country of India is about 1/3 the size of the United States and its population exceeds over 1 billion (That's like putting over 1 billion people east of the Mississippi). Soon, India will pass China in total population.

Sadly, at the center of this rapidly expanding culture is a religion who focuses its attention on more gods than can be numbered. India is predominantly Hindu. Some sources have stated that there are over 200 million Hindu gods. Unbelievable! Think about that...the U.S. just recently passed the 300 million person mark with regards to population. Let the seriousness of that sink in. The pictures above are of the largest Hindu temple in Tamil Nadu. Hopefully you can make out some of the detail. If you can see closely, it looks as if there are little figurines carved out as part of the detail of the structure. Each one of these little figurines is a god...and there are more inside. Actually, as part of their rituals, they remove all the figurines/statues from inside the temple and put them in the wooden cart you see in the top picture. The cart itself is bigger than a normal dumptruck. They put the statues inside the cart then push the cart down to the river which is about half a mile away.

And so we came to offer hope. We came to offer love. We came to offer Christ. The ministry we worked with is doing just that...and doing it well. It is one thing to say that you went and worked with kids in an orphanage, but God totally blew our team away the day we saw an orphan actually adopted into the family (check out the picture above...that's him being dropped off). There was no big hassle. There was no paper work to fill out. A constable brought a small 3 year-old boy and said they had found him at a police checkpoint; would they now take him? There was no huge decision process, there was no voting by the board, the headmaster simply took the young boy, picked him up, tried to calm the boy's wailing and wiped the tears, and simply said, "Look, today we have a new gift." Just like that, this small boy (whom is now named Matthew) in and his new life began. It was an incredible representation of Christ. He takes us...no questions ask, adopts us into his family, and gives us amazing hope and purpose. Amazing.

Each day consisted of similar activities. In the morning we would wake up, eat breakfast, then head of to the Bible school to share with the Bible students. Each day we sang songs, shared from the Word of God, then split into classes where we taught everything from discipleship to the names of our family members. The Bible school students have no text books. They simply have a Bible, a journal, and a song book. They take notes and memorize everything...practically as it is coming out of the professor's mouth. The Bible school is held on a new piece of land that was given to the ministry. The funds have not been raised yet to build new buildings so the students meet in thatch huts. What is amazing to me about these students is that they are enrolled in a 3-year program. After the third year, they graduate and are sent out to be missionaries either to India or to another country. Many of them know that this commitment may one day cost them their life as many are martyred for their faith that they openly share wherever they go. Their faith means something. Its cost is very real.

After we would conclude at the Bible school we would then report back to the ministry's headquarters where their public school was located. Students attended from all different backgrounds, lifestyles, and religions. Our team would split up into pairs and then go into the classrooms and teach in their public school. All of the students understand English so that made it a little easier. We taught everything from music, to Spanish, to history, to biology, and of course the Bible. The team loved this opportunity and it was awesome to see their enthusiasm while trying something new...totally out of our comfort zones.

The afternoons varied. Some afternoons were used for rest, during some we had different school assemblies, and on others, we went into the city to learn about the culture by walking the streets (usually while doing souvenir shopping) and checking out the different Hindu temples...they are everywhere. During the school assemblies, we would teach, put on a drama, and sing some songs. One of the bigget hits was the song that goes "Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelujah...Praise Ye the Lord...with the kids standing up and shouting back and forth. It was great! The public school assemblies also gave us the opportunity not only to encourage Christian students, but Hindus and Muslims as well.

Each evening we held different church services across the city. It was amazing to hear the Indians worship. They sing songs that are literally like 10 minutes long. It's awesome. We sang songs, performed skits/drama, and then each evening I had the opportunity to speak. What a receptive and responsive audience! It was great to hang out afterwards and just visit with elderly Christians who were late in years and had much experience to share. The churches were so alive, so genuine, so intentional. It was refreshing just to be able to attend. After each message, Dr. George would follow up on the message and he spoke with such power and authority. Praise God for the working of His Word.

During this trip, God taught me a new lesson in his sovereignty. Wednesday night we held a service at a house church. The host family had a daughter, Sheila, who was to leave the next weekend to do a medical/missionary internship in London. So we met at her house, worshipped together, heard testimonies from her mother and father, ate, and had a wonderful time. The next day, Thursday - which was our last day in India, we were leaving the Bible school in the morning. We received a phone call saying that there had been an accident and Sheila's mom was "no more", meaning she was killed. Unbelievable. We had just sat at her house the night before. We heard her last charge to her house church and to her daughter. And now she was gone. Sheila was a wreck, understandably, but still the family focused on the Lord understanding that his ways and his plans are higher than our own. Sheila will still be leaving for London later in mid-December.

God has proven himself so faithful to me. It was incredible to witness how he works around the world. I know I won't forget the hopeless feeling of seeing people bow down to statues, rocks, and cows. I won't forget how he stretched our team and unifed us as we served. I will definitely never forget the faces, the smells, the sounds. I look forward to returning soon and learning more. I've learned to trust him more, even when you don't understand. Just be obedient.

Even before the trip, we were met with obstacles. 4 days before we were to leave, bomb threats were issued on our port of entry. After much prayer and conferring with government sources, we decided to go. Even on the way to the airport, a huge tree fell right in front of our van tearing the front bumper off of another car. Should we keep going? Absolutely. Not out of ignorant enthusiasm or to be foolish, but out of the understand that God is in control. Nothing can happen without his allowing it. He wants me to trust him. Even when the view ahead is pitch-black. These obstacles have really caused me to think about the American church. It has been my experience often times that when met with obstacles, the church wants to view that as God closing the door. "He must not want us to go." I was inspired because through this trip I had the opportunity to sit at the feet of Christians who had been met with many obstacles, prayed hard, persevered, and had become victorious. Maybe we miss out on God's blessings because we're not willing to press on in faithful prayer and discover God's fulness.

I want to say thank you to all of you who supported our team through prayer and even financially! Please continue to pray for the people of India and that more missionaries will be sent so that more might hear and understand. Please also be in prayer for my next upcoming trip in March as I help lead a team to the Czech Republic. Your continued support and love is felt and trul appreciated. If you have any questions or comments, let me know. You can email me at pkatkinson@liberty.edu

2006-01-21T11:25:00.000-05:00

Greetings from Puerto Rico!

My recent trip through Light Ministries with our team of 22 members proved very productive. Puerto Rico is an exciting and lively place. Though final legislative decisions are approved by the United States, it operates as an independent nation. Our team was blessed to be able to learn about the culture, participate in many of the customs, provide physical man-power to meet needs, and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with many. We saw about 20 people personally testify to receive Christ as their Savior. Our ministry was great in that it involved evangelism, discipleship, encouragement, and physical labor. We performed concerts, primed and painted a new church facility, tore down drop ceilings and walls, performed dramas in public parks, cleaned schools, conducted school chapels, led worship in church services, held youth rallies, fed the homeless, and much, much more. I want to begin by saying thank you to so many of you who provided support through prayer while we were gone. There were a lot of things going on and we needed it! Thank you for your partnership in ministry.

I enjoyed this trip, but it was different for me in many ways. I, along with Tom Nylander, Director for Light Ministries, co-led the trip to San Juan which included a trip to Ponce, a beautiful city about an hour-and-a-half away. I would say that probably the biggest difference for me personally on this trip was the fact that Puerto Rico, in many ways, was just like being at home. We had all the modern conveniences that we have here in the states: cell phones, tvs, computers, etc. (which was not always a bad thing...especially when we needed to communicate with others back in Virginia). However, on a few more primitive trips that I have been on, it has been nice to NOT have those things. It was nice not to hear the phone ring, not to be bombarded with emails, etc. It was a lot easier for those things to not be distractions because they were not available. It caused one to be disciplined and focus continually on why you were there.

The Land and a bit of the Culture:
Puerto Rico is an incredible land with some of the most beautiful scenery I've ever seen!

As I stated earlier, one thing you experience on all mission trips is the culture. The Puerto Ricans we served with through Christian Community Church were incredibly warm, friendly, and inviting. Overall, Puerto Rican culture is very laid-back. Times and programs are not as important as people and relationships. We were there on January 6th, which is the day they celebrate 3 Kings Day. It is traditionally more of their "Christmas Day" when gifts are given and they celebrate the 3 Wise Men coming to visit the new born Christ. On that night we participated in a tradition called Parranda (a tradition that I am sure will not catch on in America). You get a band of people together and go "caroling" in the wee hours of the morning...only by "caroling", I mean screaming and beating on drums with the goal of waking them up, them inviting you in, and them feeding everyone. It was fun...just a bit tiring as we went around from 11pm-5am.

Everyone lined up waiting for Parranda's joyful music to begin!
Can you imagine feeding all those people at 2 in the morning?

Ministry through Schools and Churches:
We had a great ministry in the churches and schools we were in. In the churches we held several Youth Services, were involved leading worship in main church services, and also had the opportunity to encourage the churches through preaching. We held 14 services and ministered in two different schools and in 4 different churches. It was such a blessing to worship with other Christians and experience two different cultures worshipping the same God.

Ministering to 7-12th Graders at Wesleyan Academy, a private Christian school (above)

Kids going crazy at a Youth Rally (below)

It was so great to have the opportunity to be an encouargement to many pastors of different churches. Everytime I go overseas and have the opportunity to meet different pastors I'm always humbled by their commitment to Christ as I hear their own stories and testimonies. I praise the Lord for those who have been so faithful for so long and only pray that my life can be characterized as "faithful" as well.

Ministry through Drama:
One unique opportunity for ministry was provided through drama. We ministered through drama almost every day. We did three different dramas: Redeemer, Chains, and King of Hearts. The drama I was in was called Redeemer and focused on creation, man's choice to sin, and God's redeeming love. Below are pictures of one time we did the dramas. This time was on 3 King's Day. On 3 King's Day all parents take their children to the Governor's Mansion where he hands out gifts. There were an estimated 75,000 people that were in this area on January 6th. What better place to set up and do some dramas? However, there were other events to compete with such as side-shows, contests, and marching bands. One band actually marched right through our Chains drama while they were doing it. But nonetheless, as you can see below, people still stayed around to hear the message of Christ afterwards.

Redeemer Drama (above)
Explaining the message behind the drama afterwards (below)

Our Host Church:
Christian Community Church was our host church for the 2 weeks we were in Puerto Rico. CCC is an active, incredible non-denominational church. God has blessed their ministry and they continue to grow and reach out to Guaynabo and the surrounding areas. They currently have 4 services on Sundays and are in the middle of a building project. It was very rewarding to not only serve with them on Sundays and Wednesdays, but to also be able to help by meeting physcial needs such as priming and painting in the completed basement of their new facility.

The Light Singers:
It was a great privilege to be able to travel overseas with the team I travel with every weekend. These guys and ladies work really hard to spread the Gospel across the country and around the world as well as work to open the eyes of others to people God loves everywhere. On the last day we went to check out the scenic view of El Murro. El Murro served as the watchtower and was the entrance port to the island. It was the place on many battles and many graves. It provided much scenic beauty and even a good backdrop for some photos for Light's new CD that should be coming out this Spring.

Final Thanks:
Thanks again for all your love and your continued support! Please continue to pray for the people of San Juan, Guaynabo, and Ponce. Pray that God will continue to use the words, songs, and dramas that were presented to continually teach them more about Himself and draw them closer to Him.

Welcome

2005-12-26T16:47:00.000-05:00

This site will serve as an online update to my travels around the world. Hope you enjoy!