Author: Rick

Wow what can I say about Vanuatu? A small little group of islands in the South Pacific! The country was amazing! The reception they gave the Cross was indescribable. The timing of our arrival was impeccable. It could not have been more perfect. We flew in, not knowing at all what to expect. Nobody knew us, all we knew was God was sending us there to carry the Cross and to share his great love with this nation. The Reception we found there was truly amazing. We spent almost a month preaching and ministering to people of every background. Praying with people was a constant and watching God open door after door for us to share Jesus….Even the former President saw Doreen and I out with the Cross one day and pulled over and we prayed with him for his people and for revival in his country. (What a gracious gentleman he was!) We spoke on street corners, roadsides, vegetables markets, bazaars, in churches, in homes, I preached in a pool hall, in the university and we were even welcome to Parliament and Prayed with them there for their country. They thanked us for coming to Vanuatu with the Cross and honored us, giving Doreen and I beautiful sashes!.

Vanuatu, is a tropical island paradise by anyones standard. The people are as warm and gracious as any place I have ever been. Oh how they loved us and Oh how open and receptive they were to the Cross. It is only the second nation in all the world where I have been that I never heard one negative thing said to me or about the Cross. That is a pretty big compliment after 41 years of carrying the Cross around the world. They are truly a beautiful people!!! Always eager to hear about Jesus. We left much of our heart there with those precious folks.

Everywhere we would go Crowds would gather. I would share about Gods gracious love for each of us. How He truly cares about every thing in our lives! He knows each and every one of us. Our thoughts, our dreams, our hurts, hopes and our fears. That is why He has a personal plan for each one of our lives and Oh, how He rejoices over us as we learn to walk in the center of that plan. He can use anyone of us, black, white, educated, no schooling at all: whatever, because he’s a great God….  He loves showing what He can do through any life that will let Him have complete control! It’s not our ability, its His, we just need to be available!!!

: The Lord never fails to use the Cross! It truly is like a magnet, that draws people to it. Those people that are looking for answers in life and those that already know it’s testimony of great love.  As crowds would gather, I would preach, every time praying with those that heard the message and wanted to ask Jesus into their heart. Then we would answer questions and talk and pray with people on an individual basis. After that Doreen and I would shoulder the cross and head on up the street till the next crowd gathered. Then go through the process again. When you see this time after time it gives you a little bit of a glimpse into what Jesus experienced when everywhere He went crowds would gather. Just wanting to touch him or the hem of his garment. We saw grown men with tears running down their face, as we shared the love of God. I tell you I could have spent many more weeks in Vanuatu with those precious people. Oh the Joy of watching the little children reaching out for the Jesus stickers we would give away! It truly blessed us!!!!

We also want to thank the whole Markward family for their hospitality and kindness to us and the Cross….

I also want to ask you to Please, pray about helping  us to keep the Cross on the roadsides of the world by giving a one time gift that God can use to touch a life. And remember”You give that others may live eternally”. You can give by sending a check to PO Box 2 Lanesboro Massachusetts 01237 or simply going to the Donate page here on the website and give a gift by using PayPal. God bless you  and thanks for helping us keep the gospel message on the road sides of the world!   Working together we are making a difference!!

 

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The welcome the Lord had for us as I arrived with the Cross in the village of Nanakinnimi was Amazing!!!

God IS Good!! As The Gospel goes out into all the World!

In the afternoon of the same day I spoke in the school (in my last write up), this dear lady came over from the “pagan” village, (about a 45 minute hike over the next ridge), to meet the white man that had come up the mountain with a huge cross. Since they still run naked in their village she grabbed some clothes, got dressed and came to Nanakennimai village where I was. Through my interpreter we visited. I shared with her of Jesus’ love and meaning of the cross. She listened and seemed to take it in. Then I noticed her limping. She told me she had a bad cut on top of one of her toes. I checked and sure enough it was infected and hurt her terribly. Of course the village had no clinic or medical supplies so I had her sit down and I grabbed my bottle of drinking water and washed her foot. Doreen had sent me out with a little bottle of hand sanitizer so I cleaned the cut with it using my clean paper towels.  I had a little tube of antibiotic cream that I keep in my cross bag so I put that on it and since there was no gauze or band aids, I wrapped the toe in Paper towel strips and used my Jesus stickers to hold it on with. That’s the best I could do!! Then I prayed for her foot, asking The Father to heal her in Jesus name. I hugged her, told her to keep it clean and then she was off. I prayed for her several times as I thought of her but that was it. Now jumping ahead a little out of sequence…Saturday a week ago, our last day in the Solomon’s, Robert shows up for what became a big exchange ceremony with a Chief from the pagan village who had come down the mountain naked as a jay bird to meet the white man that washed and treated his grandmothers foot. Robert had to give him a lava lava to wrap around him, as you see in the picture below. What’s amazing is, that he made that 12 hour trek down to Honiara and came and presented to me his War club. (You can see me holding it in the picture… I will also post a couple other pics of this event). He also presented to Doreen, a hand woven basket. (he has around his neck in the pic).

At that same ceremony, I presented a case of medical supplies, a big case of school supplies and ten more picture Bibles. I told them by faith, that I know the Christians that follow the Cross would have me do that and that they would help!  I went ahead and bought the supplies to give then rather than try to ship them back later. Because they need it NOW!!   Thank you so much to all of you who have been holding The Rope for Doreen and I. All of us working together, are,  making a difference in lives around this world!!!!

Ooo as I climbed out of bed my second day on the mountain, EVERY muscle in my body screamed with disapproval, but the Joy and excitement of the day ahead of me drove me forward! First thing, I was able to speak to all the students assembled out side of my hut, all 72 of them! Praise God!!!! As I shared the immense Love that Jesus has for them, they listened so very intently, as you can see on there faces in the pictures.

With great Joy I told them that He knew exactly where each one of them lives and every thought they’ve ever had. The fears, the feelings of insignificance and the questionings in their hearts, “does God or anyone care about me”… I tell you, the presence of the Lord was there, touching their hearts and revealing His Love to them. It was so pure and beautiful! It was a chance of a lifetime to see children and youth that had not been tainted by our society’s cynicism. Then many of them prayed with me to ask Jesus to come into their hearts….

After the assembly, Robert took me to each class to meet the children personally. I was stunned with what I saw!! I saw a people hungry to learn and be taught but with an appalling lack of supplies! They are Kwaio People, a forgotten tribe way up in the mountains, far away from civilization! (Out of sight, out of mind)They don’t seem to count to the government or anyone else! No supplies ever make it up to them because they don’t get past the villages at the bottom! The teachers do their best with what they have! 8 kindergarteners assemble under a building…In the 1st to 3rd grade class, 2 grown men are learning to read, (from the “Pagan” tribe, the next village over). They bring clothes, get dressed for school and strip back down when they head back to their village. I visited all 8 classes, had prayer with them, including their first six students that are about to sit for their finals and hopefully be the first to graduate from the Kwaio school!! After that experience, I determined by Gods grace, that I would send them books and supplies! World Vision has them in their 15 year development plan, but they are the last on the list. Hopefully after showing them the pictures I took they will try to move them up the list. There is so much more to tell! I look forward to sharing the rest of the story with you all but meanwhile, please keep Robert and the beautiful Kwaoi people in your prayers!! Then, stay tuned for the next post. What happened that night blew me away.