Our work began about 20 years ago as I traveled throughout the Czech Republic and Poland working in small church planting projects, equipping young leaders to build and multiply small groups within their local churches. In those early trips, two significant things occurred – 1) a portion of the Lord Jesus’ heart for Europe was injected into my veins creating the burden needed to start PI and 2) a simple strategy arose . . . find, equip, and hold up the arms of indigenous leaders to bear much fruit within their own lands! This is the heart and soul of Prepare International!

November and December were incredible months of travel for our team. We literally reached the four corners of the Earth by touching Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America with all of our traveling team deployed. Read more about the God stories that happened as they traveled!

We are humbled to report, Pursue Missions, the missions arm of Church on the Rock, invited Prepare International to be loved on at their annual banquet through financial and spiritual blessings.

Because we have young children, rarely do Lindsay and I get a chance to travel together. So in September, I had the privilege of traveling to Central Europe with my wife. Our first weekend in Gdansk, Poland, a beautiful city along the Baltic Sea, was filled with hungry leaders intentionally advancing the Kingdom of God in a nation with under 2% Evangelical Christians.  

You know there are many things I love about PI, but I think each trip I take I cherish the stories of how God is using PI students to reach the forgotten places of the world. Let me paint a picture for you of Sarah’s* journey.

Political unrest and severe drought have combined to create a dire situation for millions needing work in Africa. Currently, there is a mass exodus of people heading to Vredendal, South Africa, with the hope of finding work so they can send financial support back to their starving families. Sarah is a young, 18-year-old girl desperate to feed her 1-year-old son. She makes the painful decision to leave her baby with family in Zimbabwe to travel roughly 1,200 miles to find employment.

There are those people who cross your path and leave you changed forever. They can pass for a moment or for a season, but the impact is the same. Last year, I met a young girl who left an impression. Someone who would leave a God-print on my heart. And with great anticipation, I looked forward to reuniting with her as our PI team traveled to the Czech Republic to assist several of PI’s partners by leading a creative camp for youth.

Belgium: What a wonderful experience getting to know Ministry Partners Conely and Madaline Annandale’s hearts for Belgium as well as their dedication to Christ! Their great relationships with the people created an eagerness and hunger for the PI training on Faith. While in the region I had the opportunity to preach in a church for another couple in Belgium.

Randy and I just arrived in the Czech Republic (Czechia).  This is the place where missions was planted in the heart of our whole family.  This is where we as a family were ruined forever for the Kingdom.  Our world got smaller and our hearts got bigger.  Normal would never look the same again What a great time to acknowledge God’s goodness and remember His works.  So lets take a nostalgic walk down memory lane. (Old picture – the 1st team we led to Kadan with some Czech leaders & friends –  a life changing trip!  Team members, do you recognize yourself?)

Kids playing tag in the yard just makes me smile.  Often you hear a voice rise above the laughter, “Tag your it!  No touch backs.”  That phrase “No touch back” ensures the person who was formerly ‘it’, a secure time to run away before he is tagged again.

As Randy and I ventured into parenting our ever changing, ever growing children, we found ourselves in a continual game of “Tag! No touch backs!”  Every year we would encourage the kids to take on more responsibilities, more self discipline, more self-control.  Maturity is the act of being responsible.  We knew we couldn’t just dump responsibility on our kids.  We had to train them to carry responsibility little by little, getting stronger in character, critical thinking, strategy, and maturing as people with each added responsibility.

This is an excerpt from my new book, Playing Around in PrayGround, that is presently in edit, soon to be published.

According to John Eldredge in his book, Wild at Heart, there is a warrior in every little boy. I agree with John Eldredge.   We need to train and release these young warriors for battle in prayer, emphasizing that Satan is the enemy and Jesus is their Commander in Chief!  These young warriors can be heroes for the whole world as they fight for the Kingdom.  Likewise, in the heart of every little girl, there is the heart of a future mother.  A mother is the fiercest of warriors when her children are threatened.  We need to nurture the hearts of these little girls to love people as God loves people.  They need to be angry at what the enemy does to God’s children and potential children.  We need their ‘mother bear’ claws to come out toward the enemy.