The Impact of Vision

As I was driving into work today, I was thinking of the the missions team of the week, Warsaw, Poland...a place very dear to me. What struck me was how much God has put them on my heart, how much love God has shown me towards this country, and these people.

Getting out of my class a little late, I missed the video presentation from Pastor Maciek on the church in Warsaw, but I got to hear the beautiful prayers of Pastor Andrulonis as he prayed for the churches in Poland.

Why would this country, these people 4000 miles away mean so much to me? Why would I be brought to tears just thinking about any lack they might have, any needs they need fulfilled; to think about the joy on their faces, their laughter, their desire for God's word and personal touch fills me with such rejoicing. What is God doing?

It was the trip that we (Kyle, Pastor Chris and I) took in March 2008 that started this. I had been to Poland the previous summer, but this was different. This trip was so personal. From staying with the Pastors and their families in Wroclaw, Krakow, Gdansk, and Warsaw, to attending mid-week meetings, prayer, and Bible studies to seeing the faces and joy of team and church members. It was a vision. God was working a vision in my heart, a purpose to go forth to love and minister to His people in Poland. God was showing me that there is so much more He is doing than I could imagine.

This week-long missions trip changed my life. God had given me direction, missions. God had given me a country, Poland. Since returning that's been the focus of my heart.

God has a plan for Poland, for Eastern Europe. God's heart is for missions throughout all the world. I pray that this eQuad can be used to stir up hearts. I pray that God will speak greatly during this trip; that people would be led to come and see what God is doing in Eastern Europe. It's going to be life-changing. Pray about coming with us!

See you there,
Bryan

eQuad; Intro to Vision

Bryan Ackerman and Kyle Benoit here,

We are two Bible college students in Baltimore, whose hearts have been stirred for the possibilities and potential that God has for eastern Europe.

Earlier this year we spent two weeks in Europe. Starting with EuroCon 2008 and following that with a trip to the four churches of Poland with Pastor Chris Moore. Returning to the states we were burdened to pray for the precious work in Poland. Our weekly prayer meetings expanded and God led us in the vision to pray for all the churches throughout eastern Europe.

eQuad.

The furtherance of that vision, stirring deeper in our hearts, is to visit the ministries of eastern Europe. The plan for this first new and exciting venture is to travel through Germany, Poland, Ukraine and Czech Rep., followed by a visit to Austria and Zagreb in the summer of 2009.

The theme in our hearts for eQuad09 is, Zephaniah 3.17 The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.

We'll be posting an array of devotional thoughts, summarizations of the plans going forward and communication of the intra-european prayer requests.

- Kyle and Bryan