Africa has been on our missions outreach radar for a while now. So much turbulence and turmoil in a country full of God’s children.
When the International Christian Tennis Association sends a missionary team to a particular region or country, we send to be a beacon of hope and light, a reflection of the love of Christ, a messenger of salvation which can only be known through Jesus.
Our missionaries and myself have decided to set the call of our own selfish wants aside, and chose to follow where God would send. I can personally attest to the fact that I am a particularly selfish person. I like what I like and I want what I want. It takes much work on a daily basis for me to be unselfish. If it weren’t for the strong call I feel on my life to follow the Great Commission as explained in Mathew’s letter…
…then I wouldn’t have driven to the doctor’s office yesterday and took a painful shot in the back of my arm to vaccinate me against Yellow Fever. I hate shots! I’d rather have my fingernails peeled off that get a shot.
This blog has been set up to share our outreach to Africa with you.
But, honestly, we have no idea if we’ll even be able to go. We want to go. We are planning to go. Yet, we have no idea if we will get to go!
Our pro and world class junior tennis player missionaries are entered into the pro tournaments and have been accepted. We have raised the needed finances to cover the larger expenses. Our schedules have been cleared to allow for up to 14 days of travel. We all had out shots. The invitation letter from Nigeria has come in. Our missionaries have their visa paperwork ready to send in…
And on Monday or Tuesday, I’ll fly directly to a Nigerian embassy to have them quickly create our visas. Then, I’ll fly back home and we’ll leave for Africa… right?
Nope. It’s never that easy. Something is going to happen!
I have never been on a successful mission trip which wasn’t constantly being battered by Satan’s goons trying to make me quit! You would not believe the demonic activity which surrounds missionary activity. It really is amazing.
So, this very well could be the only blog entry for our Nigeria outreach. Yet, even of we don’t go this time, it is still our effort to reach the lost for Christ in Benin City, so I wanted it to have it’s own blog.
Everyone reading this needs to know that Satan is seriously working to thwart our activities for Jesus. He will do the same for any authentic Christian organization.
In fact, demonic activity working to harass a ministry’s plans is one of the most effective ways to discern the authenticity of the ministry itself.
If all goes according to schedule, we’ll be in Lagos, Nigeria on February 13, 2008. Please keep our outreach in your prayers!
God bless,
Scott Paschal
International Christian Tennis Association
