Friday, March 25, 2011

T. Pope has returned to the States

Ladies and Gentlemen, friends and family, I am back in the good ole United States of America. It is good to be on this soil. We landed here this morning and I am both refreshed and exhausted. It is crazy to think that yesterday morning, I was speaking to over 250 young men at Durban High School in South Africa. Yet, it has proven true yet again that the Lord brings us rest and refreshment so that when He sends us into the Valley, we have ample rigor to face the day with the power and Passion of Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:13-29).

I am blessed and thankful to have had the opportunity to serve the Lord in the ways that He has allowed me to serve, and I count it a privilege to be able to have you as a partner in that ministry.

Each day, we were (and are continually) blown away by the responses of the youth with which we interacted. It was overwhelming to see God's hand move so mightily and to be reminded of how BIG He is and how so incredibly small we are...I am. I beg of you to continue to pray for me, and the team with which I served. As those of you who have encountered missions know, it bears a lot of the same after effects as mourning the loss of a loved one. The most important time is the next few weeks/months of debriefing as the Lord continues to test and prove His perfect will in our lives as we have worshiped, fellowshipped, and enjoyed community in the name of Jesus and for His sake. I ask you to pray for Hansell Smith, Katie Campell, Grant Campbell, Taylor Wallace, Glen and Marian Campbell, Emily Campbell, Deb and Barry Austwick, and the Van Vuuren family. Thank you SO much.

I am putting together a testimonial video with some footage of our travels and pictures. Thank you so much again for ALL of your support, love, and encouragement.

Lastly, the Lord has spoken very clearly and specifically for me to take some time off from speaking, preaching, and teaching. So I am taking the month of April as a sabbatical from itinerant preaching. The only engagements that I will attend are those to which I previously committed. I ask you to pray for me in that time as I focus ALL of my attention on true worship, my wife, and my three children. Thank you again for your support, friendship, and wisdom. Grace and Peace!

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