09.11.2014

Our Vision

When I left the business world for a “short-term” assignment in ministry now 15 years ago, my goals became more eternal, less financial and far more personal. The goals became life and death, generation changing, family restoring, God glorifying. Intentionality has always been at the forefront of my motivation but during this now long-term “short-term” assignment ETERNAL things have overtaken all other motivation. My constant quest is to do something with the life time I have been given that changes the eternity of another person(s) for God’s glory and pleasure. I thought I’d found it in ministry in general but I know now that the move to ministry was an entry point not the focal point.

What lies before Debbie and I seems at this point to be the most life-changing, eternity-redirecting, God-glorifying, captive-freeing work we have ever engaged in. Prevention|Rescue|Restoration|Reintegration of defenseless, hopeless, captive children just seems to us to be the most redemptive work we can find. It is the next step in our quest to do something that changes the life of another person for God’s glory and pleasure.

Money. It does take money to do the work we are embarking on. In my business career I raised a lot of money to develop start-up business operations largely owned by others, venture capitalists. I never asked for funds for something I did not believe strongly would be successful, but we were not each time successful. We did however always make notable progress. We always moved closer to our goal.

I find I am again asking for money. This time intentionally focused on the eternity of children and changing the culture. The goals are clear – Prevention|Rescue|Restoration|Reintegration.

Simply stated, we need financial partners who share the vision of changing lives for the glory and honor of God. We need folks who share the vision to SHARE THE VISION with others. We need an uprising of those who see the eternal significance of rescuing kids from the world of sex-trafficking. We need lots of people telling lots of other people. If you “get it” please share it! It is an eternal investment.

Thank you for your support.

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09.02.2014

Remembering Missing Stuff

I was asked the other day as someone walked out of my house with some tables and other “stuff” if it was hard to see it go. The bag of feelings is not as mixed as I would have expected. No question, there are a lot of memories. No question some of those memories have not been embraced in many many years.

Somebody walked away with my yard tennis game and it made me think of the hours of fun in our home in Edmond, Oklahoma that I had playing with my kids for the “family championship”. The number of last points that turned to best two out of three, the number of times we would be called for dinner and have to play “next point wins”, and the number of times I lost to my incredibly gifted children who were so delighted to beat dad; now those were the days. Interestingly, while the equipment is now gone, I still have the memories. In fact, they are fresher for having pulled the equipment out and looked it over. I even remember the last time it was put away and one of my kids was keeping score on a little yellow sticky that was still in the bag. They were winning by one point and I am sure that is why the little yellow sticky was left behind.

The balls were crusty and cracked, the rackets were still good and the net seemed just fine. I threw in the little hammer that we used to put the stakes in the ground. But, while all the stuff went out the door, the memories lingered freshly new in my mind.

God has given me a good family. Not perfect but then they didn’t get a perfect dad either. But what we had was a chance to grow, learn and develop together. What those years mean to my soul is nothing short of amazing. The memories did not go out the door. I still have them. They are the precious thing.

And now, we are using the resources of sold stuff to go help children who do not have such fond memories. Children who do not know families exist in God’s design for their good. Young girls and boys who long for a chance to experience real love as their hearts cry for something they do not know. We are selling it all to be “Imitators of God (Ephes. 5:1)” who gave all that he held on this earth for the lost ones of his creation – including me.

Missing stuff. Not really, I still have the memories. Come on by and buy some stuff or donate for the cause of going.

In case you don’t know, Debbie and I are entering a new stage of work. We are moving to Cambodia as soon as we can sell our stuff and raise our support so that we can engage in the work of Prevention|Rescue|Restoration|Reintegration of children from the world of sex-trafficking. This is work that may dwarf any other work of our lives. We hope and pray we will be part of a great new movement of our day that sweeps the world. Be a part of this with us.

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08.23.2014

If they were here……

I cannot bring an end to the flow of thoughts that takes me to the young children who this week, instead of heading off to elementary school, were given a very different education experience. No ABCs or 123s. For them the experience was awful torture, abuse and twisted sex. Learning about the God designed differences between men and women and finding that it is not something of beauty but rather something of terror. This has to be one of the greatest atrocities of man’s existence. Kindergarten and elementary kids being used by adults for selfish gratification, now that is just ugly. If it was within my power to eradicate sin from the face of the earth, I believe I would start with this. This is why we are going. It is why we are asking for help to get there.

Debbie and I look forward to looking into the eyes of rescued and recovering children who will look to us as adults who, perhaps for the first time, are people they might just trust. In the New Testament, James tells us that it is “pure and undefiled religion to care for the widows and orphans.” Their defilement becomes our opportunity to practice pure religion. What will it be for these kids to feel the love of God through the hands and arms of people he has called to reach out to them?

I can only imagine what their lives would be if they were here. If they were here……. But they are not, so we must go there and Rescue, Restore, Reintegrate and Prevent.

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08.14.2014

Hearts captured – Incurably

As Debbie and I tell the story of our trip to Cambodia last March, the trip that is setting our lives in a wildly new direction, the most frequent words I hear are these “no way, not little kids!”

Sadly, it is true, yes, little kids. That is why we cannot pretend we do not know, we cannot pretend we have something more significant to do, we cannot pretend that because it is over there it is not our job to step in, we cannot pretend that God has not called believers to open their eyes to the lostness of the world and step in. We cannot pretend he has not asked us to obey him and go.

http://youtu.be/3oQX1DT71x4
In March, when we had just returned from a long prayer walk in Phnom Penh, we returned to our hotel and flipped on the TV. It was just a week or so after the Malaysian Air flight had gone down somewhere in the Indian Ocean, we wanted to see if there was news of the search. What we found was this CNN Freedom Project video. It is nearly an hour documentary so find a spot where you can watch at least 10 minutes and determine if you want to see the rest.

This is the scenario that has shaken our lives.

08.11.2014

Prevent|Rescue|Restore|Reintegrate

I am often asked, “at what age does a child understand sin.” Most often, here in this country, folks are wondering when a child understands right and wrong. The age at which they recognize the ability of man to be evil toward his fellow beings.

There is a group of children that learn very very young that evil can be done by one to another. There are places where children learn that adults commit evil acts even on them. There are places in the world where children learn about sex from an adult who enslaves, tortures and rapes them.

These kids understand sin. They learn of it early in life. Way too early. Way before they can protect themselves. And they need to be rescued, restored and reintegrated.

“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. James 1:27 ESV”

Will you pray about and consider supporting the work to redeem these children?

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08.10.2014

The Decision to Go

The decision to go to Cambodia actually began many years ago for me (Pete). Honestly, my decision was a series of decisions. Unrelated in many ways but quite entangled in critical ways. While it was not actually a decision to go to Cambodia, in 1986 I made the decision to do whatever God required of me even if it seemed crazy. I was just going to obey. So, there have been many decisions since that time that bring me to this time of choosing to go to Cambodia. I changed my life priorities because God showed me in the Bible that I had things wrong. He became first, my wife became second and our children third, work fourth. That is what obedience looked like to me.

Then came my career. Spending close to 20 years in business with a very good track record of success, God pointed me into ministry. I changed because God showed me through the Bible that I need to turn to eternal “building” instead of earthly building.

There are many decisions. Many. All bringing us to this time in my life when many men are considering retirement and God has shown us a need in Cambodia that appears to be a match for the life experience God has given me. There is a companion match for the life experience God has given Debbie. How can I ask God to send workers into the field and then ignore when the need over seas is for someone like me? I can’t. I won’t. I must go.

It really is about obeying Him in all things.