Dear NDI Partner,
I have just gotten back home after two weeks of ministry and work in Alaska. I was invited to go there with my brother, Ed. As many of you know, we started in ministry together at the YMCA in Burlington over 40 years ago. From there NDI was ultimately born.
After Ed left the YMCA, he went with the Billy Graham Association for a couple of decades. Then he was asked by Mrs. Ruth Graham to meet her son, Franklin, who was both new in the Lord and new in ministry. Because of some of Ed’s earlier struggles spiritually and academically, Mrs. Graham felt he could be an encouragement to Franklin. They soon became good friends and partners in ministry. As a result, Ed played a formative role in the early days of Samaritan’s Purse (SP) – while his wife Becky helped Franklin organize World Medical Mission (WMM). She has been with Franklin longer than any other employee – over 30 years. During that time she has facilitated the sending of over 5,500 doctors to mission medical facilities around the world!
Even though Ed “retired” from SP a number of years ago, he has remained active in behalf of both SP and NDI. Because of Franklin’s expansive ministries in Alaska, he asked Ed to go there for much of the summer to be the “Chaplain” for the SP Staff and Summer Work Teams. Since I had some un-expected flex time due to the death of a dear friend, Ed and Franklin invited me to go there with him. So the last two weeks is the most time Ed and I have had together in our adult life – for which I am VERY thankful! Since we started in ministry together at the YMCA and early days of NDI, it was so special to co-minister together again – especially in a place like Alaska!
Even though I have had the privilege of traveling over much of the world, I had never been to Alaska – except to change planes in Anchorage on my way to Asia. So it was a joy to visit our 50th State on her “50th Anniversary” as a State (Alaska officially became a State on January 3, 1959).
Alaska advertises herself as “The Last Frontier.” It is a vast State with incredible diversity and beauty in people and topography. While Alaska is bigger than our next 3 largest States of Texas, California and Montana combined, it is sparsely occupied by less than a million people. And because of the rugged landscape and severe winters, many of the isolated native people groups live in some of the worst poverty you will find anywhere in the world.
It is because of the great spiritual and physical needs in Alaska that Franklin Graham and Samaritan’s Purse are so active there. Even though I was in Alaska for just two weeks, I only got to see the “tip of the ice berg” of the vast SP work taking place from the cities to remote Eskimo villages. While I was there, I was primarily focused at their “Base Camp” in the City of Soldotna on the Kenai Peninsula – which is one of the most visited places in Alaska for fishing and hunting.
So I hope that the following pictures will be a blessing and encouragement to you – just as the trip was for me…
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Alaska Photos
In His Faithful Love,
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Dear Prayer Partner,
Greetings in Christ from Soldotna, Alaska, on the famous Kenai Peninsula! I am here—rather unexpectedly, with my brother Ed. He was asked by Franklin Graham to come here as the “Chaplain & Hospitality Director” for the Samaritan’s Purse (SP) summer work teams. Since I had some unexpected flex time due to the death and funeral of my friend, Jimmy Byrd (see previous web article), Ed asked me to come up with him and help out. I was eager to do so since I have traveled and ministered all over the world—but never been to Alaska.
As many of you know, Ed and I began ministry together. In fact, NDI would have never been born if it would not have been for him. Four decades ago he invited me to come to Burlington to help him develop a Day Camp program through the YMCA where he was the Youth Director. I did so on what was to be a short-term assignment. God had a different plan and time table for Ed and me to work together that has lasted over 40 years.
After Ed left the YMCA, he went with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), where he worked for over 20 years. Then he was asked by Franklin to help out in the early days of Samaritan’s Purse, which he did. At the same time, his wife Becky, started helping the fledgling sister ministry known as World Medical Mission (WMM). To this day, she has the longest tenure with SP/WMM than any other person.
Today SP/WMM has become one of the largest mission and relief organizations in the world. Where ever there is a natural or man made disaster, SP is one of the first ones on the scene giving practical relief in the name of Christ. And WMM has sent over 5,000 doctors all over the world to do medical work in the Name of Jesus Christ, the Great Physician.
Even though Ed officially retired from employment with SP over a decade ago, he has continued to do special projects for Franklin and SP from time to time. He has also continued to be an active ambassador for NDI. So when Franklin asked Ed to come to Alaska for much of the summer, I came along to help out for a couple of weeks between my own international mission trips.
In December, I turned 67 and in March Ed turned 70. While we both hope the Lord is going to give us more years of fruitful service, we are not even guaranteed tomorrow. So we decided to seize this opportunity to work together for a couple of weeks before I leave for Africa the first of July.
In my next email in a couple of days, I will share a few more pictures of the work of SP here and what we are doing to help out. Until then, both Ed and I appreciate your prayers for spiritual wisdom and physical strength as we minister to the staff and work teams—as well as do some physical labor. Normally I call the later part “sweating for Jesus”—but it is still a bit too cold for that up here!
More from Alaska in a couple of days…
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After two busy weeks of travel and preaching in Nepal, India and the Andaman Islands during Lent, it was fun for me to finish up my time in India doing some “sweating for Jesus.” It was a joy to get “down and dirty” cleaning up the building and grounds in preparation for the dedication of the first phase of the Bible College. In addition to working along side the Bible College students, it was special to work with Murli’s two sons, Nathan and Tahan, just I have often worked on mission trips with my two sons, Joseph and Jonathan.
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I am primarily an evangelist and teacher who travels around the world in apostolic ministry as God leads and enables me. In addition to preaching and teaching the Bible, I mentor our key partners to be more strategic and impactful for the Gospel in their countries and cultures, just as they continue to mentor me. I am relationally focused rather than program or project focused in ministry relationships and partnerships. 
