The Bradleys

Friday, July 11, 2008

Rockies Game

Take me out to the ball game at Coors Field in Denver.

Thank you Leo and Susan for the great seats behind homeplate!

12:16 PM | Permalink |

Monday, May 19, 2008

Summer in the States

Here is our schedule for traveling in the states this summer:

30 May - Thailand and fly to San Jose Ca.

June 6th - 25th Denver, Co area.
July 4th – 9th northern Ca.
July 21st – 28th southern Ca.
The in-between times we will be in San Jose and then we fly back to Thailand Aug. 9th.

We would to get time with those of you who might be in one of those areas. Let us know.

1:19 AM | Permalink |

Thursday, May 08, 2008

1.3 Billion People

India: 1.3 billion and growing by 28,000 per day!
4 times the population of the US in 1/3 of the space with 28 states that all have their own language and people groups.

“A bomb was planted in front of our house when we first came here and started our small church.
Luckily, a dog came by and picked the package up and moved it away from the house before it detonated. The dog was blown to pieces but we were safe.”
Amid much opposition this small church has thrived and today pastor Sam Abraham is coaching more than 35 church planters in the region of Himachal Pradesh, a northern Himalayan state of India.

Pastor Sam Abraham and his daughter

This was our first trip to India and we were met with enthusiasm as we cast the vision for these pastors to reach out to their police and military men. They, like most in Asian nations, have always been fearful of reaching out to these powerful people but after seeing what is happening in their neighboring nations, got really excited about beginning a focused and networked military/police ministry.

Pastor Lamech: Chennai police station visit

We held two different pastoral vision casting/training conferences this trip with more than 50 pastors and were also to meet several active duty police and military personnel.

They are already asking us come again for more training and coaching!

Myanmar

More than 22,000 people were killed, says the government, but the top US diplomat in Burma warned that without speedy action that could top 100,000.

Please pray for our brothers there. As you know, we were just in Yangoon a few weeks ago and are concerned for these dear brothers as they try and survive a difficult time recovering from this devastating cyclone. We have not heard from our contact Aung yet but are trying to reach him.

1:55 AM | Permalink |

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Myanmar

My team mate Ron and I had the feeling that something special was going to happen if we ever made it into Myanmar this time! We had to fly to Bangkok just to apply for a visa to visit the country because the consulate here in Chiang Mai no longer issues visas to Americans. After last year’s problems in Yangoon and the resulting outcry from America, only a very few Americans are able to get tourist visas.

We actually found out later that our chances of getting visas were very slim at best. After a week of holding our passports, a flurry of documents created and submitted, and the help of a visa-expeditor who knew someone on the inside, we indeed did get our visas just hours before our plane was to depart.

Our team, consisting of myself, Ron Wilson, Boi Manual from the Philippines, and General Chigone and his wife from Thailand, went to share with church leaders and retired military men the vision of what praying for and serving their country’s military and police might look like.

Those who attended the meeting

Because of tight restrictions on meeting with foreigners, we only were able to speak briefly with the retired military men but were able to spend a significant amount of time casting vision with the church leaders. They are now very excited about getting this ministry going and creating a movement that will reach across their nation. We spent several hours helping them with the beginnings of a strategy to accomplish this movement.

Retired military officer

It was very fun to watch the lights go on in their minds as they began to dream about the impact this kind of ministry might have in the long run. One of the pastors told us that he has already been praying for the military in his church each Sunday, but he has met with some opposition because many people feel the military is their enemy. One lady came up to him after a Sunday service and announced to him that she would not be saying “amen” after any prayers on behalf of the military. These feelings are understandable, but as Aung, our contact there, says “Our enemy is not the military but the old serpent, Satan.”

Thai Army Gen. Chigone sharing his Christian testimony

One of the more moving events was watching the retired military men respond to Gen. Chiagone’s testimony. As an active duty Army general in Thailand, another Buddhist nation, they were very moved that he had come to encourage them in the Lord as a Christian military man.

Aung, Rev, Ko Lay, and Michael Nuyt

The men pictured above are some of the men who will be key in forming and implementing a coordinated effort to pray for and serve the army of Myanmar.

Please pray now for these pastors, retired military men, and their wives as they seek the Lord’s direction and wisdom in crafting a sustainable ministry in a very difficult situation.

Aung is still waiting for an opportunity to share with the high ranking official that I have mentioned in a previous email. Some things came up that have delayed this meeting.

Traditional Burmese warrior. I am not wearing a skirt... it’s called a Lon-gee.

Also, Thank you for your prayers for Sandra and the kids. They really sensed a powerful spiritual covering over them during the whole week--and they made it through without any crisis this time!

9:05 PM | Permalink |

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Unit 14 Cambodia

“I heard you were going to be here and I wanted to talk with you about this Christianity I keep hearing about”.
With a Chinese-made automatic weapon slung over his shoulder, a young Buddhist soldier asked me this near the end of our medical outreach on the first day.

Young Soldier

We spent nearly an hour discussing the Lord and the differences between religion and a relationship with Jesus. He expressed that he has become really interested because many in his military village are now believers. He is still seeking... I feel a little like a broken record when I say that the Spirit is moving among Cambodian military men and their families!

Men of Unit 14 on a combat patrol exercise
This was my first exposure to this Unit that saw such a large number of baptisms last Oct. ( more than 800!)
We were able to do small group training with the key leaders in this camp as well as conduct a medical outreach.
Even those these men were invited to our leadership training, not all were Christians. This became evident when 9 officers responded to the gospel.

Team member Andrew Trawick teaching the gospel
The commander was very grateful for our presence as we were able to treat a bunch of his men who were getting ready to head out on maneuvers.

Commander of Unit 14
The greatest need now is for new believer follow-up.
There are a number of non-officer soldiers who expressed a desire to learn as well and so we are considering some kind of program to help them form small groups.

Capt. Savorn is our key contact there, a soldier Sareth has been discipling for about 1 year.

Capt. Savorn

3:29 AM | Permalink |

Monday, March 17, 2008

Philippine Army Ministry

Sandra was slightly alarmed (and also slightly amused!) when she read my email a few weeks ago, sent from the jungles of the Philippines: "We are traveling through insurgent infested jungle every day, going from one base camp to another…I am eating crazy food and driving on crazy roads and having a great time…" Just another amazing God ordained trip…

The 3rd Infantry Division in the Philippines is tasked with patrolling remote jungle villages in search of enemy insurgents, both Muslim and Communist. Our team traveled to 7 bases on two islands, teaching the first of many spiritual enhancement modules to the Army. We were well received by each Commander and were treated as VIPs. My teaching times with these men were the most enjoyable I have experienced in a long time. They were attentive and receptive.

I wish you could have been there to hear the earnestness in the voice of one Commander who came up to me after a seminar and said that it was the first time in 13 years that he had heard anyone speak about the spiritual needs of man and that he felt that he and his men would really benefit from continuing to learn about God's role in each of their lives.

What is the "continuing to learn" part about?? Amazingly, the Philippine Army recently mandated that each command needs to develop a MILVED (military values education) program. Part of this program will need to include a "spiritual enhancement" module that would bring the Army to the place where it would be "God-centered". Wow—talk about an OPEN DOOR! We are excited about the role we will have in sharing Christ with the soldiers in the Philippine army.

P.S. I have also been invited to come and train about 1000 volunteer Chaplains on the island of Mindanao. These men are local pastors that were recruited to minister to the Army but have had little experience or training working with the military.

6:28 AM | Permalink |