Category: Missions - Daniel Ausbun

8 Southern Baptist Eastern Kentucky Lodging Options

8/31/2018

Calvary Campus

Calvary Campus, Letcher, Kentucky

If you've ever wanted to plan a mission trip to Eastern Kentucky, the greatest challenge you'll face is lodging. There are limited options - but here are eight places your team can stay - all operated by Southern Baptists. Last month, we toured Calvary Campus and earlier this month, Broadway had a team lodge at God's Love from a Diaper Bag.

Calvary Campus - Letcher, Kentucky
Clear Creek Baptist Bible College - Pineville, Kentucky
Emma Quire Mission Center - Booneville, Kentucky
God's Love From a Diaper Bag - Jenkins, Kentucky
Oneida Baptist Institute - Oneida, Kentucky
Shekinah Village - Partridge, Kentucky
Solomon's Porch Retreat Center - Lynch, Kentucky
University of the Cumberlands - Williamsburg, Kentucky

The Kentucky Baptist Convention's Brazil Vision Trip

2/28/2018

In front of the Municipal Market

Baptist church in Sao Paulo

The Jehovah Witnesses

With Flat Stanley

Yesterday I returned, along with eleven others, from the Kentucky Baptist Convention's (KBC) Sao Paulo, Brazil vision trip. The purpose of the trip was to educate and connect KBC churches with opportunities in Brazil. We worked with International Mission Board (IMB) missionaries and Brazilian Baptist churches. Here are four observations I learned from one week in Sao Paulo:

1). The city is huge. Spread out, 20+ million residents, and diverse. The opportunities are limitless in any part of the city. There's never a shortage of people. The IMB missionaries said there's a need for 1,300+ new churches. Overwhelming is an understatement.

2). Sao Paulo has major challenges. The housing is dense - apartments everywhere - favelas taking over the city. Poverty, crime, gangs, and drugs all go together and Sao Paulo is no exception.

3). The IMB mission team is small. There are five "units" for 20+ million people - about fifteen people are trying to be a catalyst for reaching the city. This is where the partnership with KBC churches comes in. Basically, the laborers are few.

4). The city is lost. Brazilians love Jesus, but the picture of Christ they think of is different than the Scriptures. One of the IMB workers described it aptly as "peeling off the layers to get to the real Jesus." Roman Catholicism is entrenched in their culture. I found the people to be open to discussing spiritual topics, but Biblical Christianity can easily be included with the mixture of religious beliefs.

Register for DNow Weekend here.
Learn more about other KBC vision trips here.

Southern Baptist Disaster Relief

8/31/2017

Houston, Texas - Hurricane Harvey

Last weekend Hurricane Harvey struck the Texas coast, creating possibly the largest natural disaster in U.S. history. Houston is America's fourth largest city, experiencing widespread flooding. Americans want to help, want to give, want to go.

It's important to understand the three "R's" of disaster response: Rescue, Relief and Recovery. Most Baptists are able to help in the relief and recovery phases. The recovery phase will last for a year or longer.

One of the best ways to give to Hurricane Harvey victims is through Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR). There are three ways to give to SBDR:

1). Through your Baptist state convention. The Kentucky Baptist Convention provides Disaster Relief training as well.

2). The North American Mission Board - you can give or go for a week in September.

3). Baptist Global Response - this is the Southern Baptist version of Samaritan's Purse.

Any of the these three Southern Baptist organizations provide relief and recovery during disasters.

Mission Panama

4/18/2017

We visited a kindergarten class

Cuban refugee camp in Panama City

Earlier this month, Broadway Baptist Church sent a team to Panama to work with the Kuna Indians in the San Blas Islands. Multiple teams the past several years from Broadway have traveled to Panama to work with the Kuna Indians. We had the privilege of baptizing five believers in the ocean, preach at a Kuna Baptist church, visit a Cuban refugee camp, and meet IMB missionaries. We hope to go again in early 2018 and work with the Embera and Wounaan indigenous peoples.

Loving the People

7/28/2016

Giving away clothes at Riverside Apartments

Mary Beth and Dirk on the Sky Lift at Natural Bridge

VBS at Upper Buffalo Baptist Church

Preparing school supplies to give away.

Preparing hot dogs to give away.

Denise, Cameron & Elizabeth delivering food, school supplies & Gospel tracts

The best way to get to know people is to connect with them - step into their world. Our team's goal was to do that in Booneville - once you've connected, the door opens to sharing the Gospel. There's a difference between missions and evangelism. Missions is evangelism but in a cross-cultural context. Appalachia is different than Atlanta. There was a great need, but no one begged. Not a single person asked me for money. They arrived daily at the mission wondering if we were giving away clothes and food. You love people for who they are - we can't change them - only the Lord can do that.

Clothes & Food

7/27/2016

The Owsley County Food Pantry

The Owsley County Outreach

The Senior Citizens Center

New tiles at Sugar Camp Baptist Church

New sanctuary at Sugar Camp Baptist Church

Free clothes giveaway at the Owsley County Community Pavilion

One of the greatest needs in Appalachia is clothes and food. Yesterday our team served over 300 hot dogs throughout Owsley County. Booneville has a local food pantry that receives a weekly delivery from Lexington - hundreds of residents rely on this food to meet their hunger needs. Giving away free clothes and food is one way to open the door to advance the Gospel. We always include tracts with the food and ask if residents have prayer requests. We're thankful for First Baptist Church of Frankfort, they own and operate the mission center we're staying at. They bought an old motel and renovated it for mission teams to stay and work out of.

One More

7/26/2016

Submerged VBS!

The construction team replaced the door at Upper Buffalo Baptist Church

Serving lunch at Riverside Apartments in Booneville

Our ministry team went to the nursing home and senior's center. Many people don't think about sharing the Gospel with senior adults. One of our team members asked an elderly man about his relationship with God, and he responded, "I'm going to hell."

He told him he didn't have to go to hell, and shared the Good News about Jesus. That senior citizen trusted in Christ yesterday in Booneville, Kentucky. We have no idea who God is preparing to respond to His Word. We're told in Isaiah 55:11 that His Word never returns void. Yesterday, one more was added to God's Kingdom.

Forgotten America

7/25/2016

A school bus stop for children

Denise, Keely & Katie delivering school supplies and passing out Gospel tracts

Sugar Camp Baptist Church is where our Construction team is working

Upper Buffalo Baptist Church is holding their first-ever VBS

Children's Sermon at First Baptist Church, Booneville

Last week at the Republican National Convention, Donald Trump spoke about, "Forgotten America." The flyover part of our nation that's missed economic growth. 34 people from First Baptist Church, Moreland, Georgia are staying in Booneville, Kentucky. Four different teams serving and sharing the Good News in Owsley County.

Many times when we think of missions, we first think internationally. While that must be a priority, we can't forget of our home. The needs are great here in Appalachia - God hasn't "Forgotten" about this part of America. Be in prayer for our four teams as we begin a life-changing week.

Owsley County, Kentucky

6/30/2016

A Baptist camp under construction - future home of an outdoor amphitheater

Upper Buffalo Baptist Church - a mouse got into a desk drawer at the church

30+ folks from First Baptist Moreland will be headed to Booneville, Kentucky next month for a week-long mission trip. Last weekend, 6 people traveled to Booneville to see what to prepare for. One of the most important things about having a great mission trip is preparation. Here are 4 steps mission teams should take before going on their mission trip:

1). Take a Preview Trip. Some of the mission trip leaders should travel to the ministry sites a month or two in advance to see what you'll be doing and make any necessary adjustments. Take pictures, come back excited - become contagious about the upcoming trip.

2). Create a Daily Schedule. Everyone should know what they're doing everyday. You should wake-up in the morning and know where you'll be working, how you'll get there, where you're eating and what supplies you'll be needing. Wasting time wastes your mission trip.

3). Come Prepared for Unplanned Expenses. A flat tire, an expensive restaurant, helping others in need, having to buy extra supplies. There are unplanned and unexpected expenses on every mission trip. Make sure teenagers bring spending money - they always want to buy the most.

4). Be Prepared to Share the Gospel. Memorize the Romans Road to Salvation or the ABC's to Salvation. The purpose of all mission trips is to lead others to Christ - everyone should come expecting the opportunity to see others get saved.

The Peruvian Chinese Crisis

7/2/2015

Andes Mountain village outside of Chosica, Peru

One million Chinese live in Central and South America - yet only .02% are believers. We hear about a Chinese revival in East Asia - but not for the Chinese in Latin America. Among the Hispanic countries, Venezuela has the most Chinese with 350,000. There are eight Baptist churches reaching the Chinese there. Peru has the second most Chinese with 200,000 and zero Baptist churches for Chinese believers. Zero. This should bother you. A Chinese person is more likely to get saved in Communist China than in Democratic Peru. Southern Baptists have assigned one missionary family to work with Venezuelans, and they don't even work with the 350,000 Chinese. In Peru, the IMB has assigned one family to work with the Chinese, and they don't even speak Chinese. This is what an unreached people group looks like.

Teaching MK's how to use a selfie stick!

Face painting in a mountain village

Eric speaking through a translator

Kerry teaching about Jonah

Hiking to the river in the Andes Mountains

La Rosa Nautica

It was hard for Daniel to eat wearing this.

Eric volunteered at a Cancer Hospital

The Caceres family, minus Mateo

At New Life Baptist Church in Lima

Eric and Mateo

Canete: The Place With No Baptist Church

6/30/2015

Along the Pan American Highway

Baptists have been working in Peru since 1927 - but in the city of Canete, two hours south of Lima, whom 26,000 people call home, there's no Baptist church. Not even a Spanish-speaking Baptist church. Christians south of Lima have two options for worship: the Roman Catholic Church or prosperity Gospel churches. Could you imagine being a Christian with the closest evangelical church hours away? We met people today who are praying, even begging for a church planter to come to their city.

Outside a Hakka association in Lima

Hakka believers in Canete, Peru

Praying with a Chinese family in a chifa

Drinking tea in a Chinese home

Two girls going home from school

Peruvian law requires a Catholic Church on every town square

Lima's Chinatown

6/30/2015

Every large city has a Chinatown. Atlanta's Chinatown's in Chamblee. The method our IMB personnel engage Peru's Chinese is to eat at their Chifa's or Chinese restaurants and invite them to a midnight Bible. We spoke with a Hakka man who said he hasn't had a day off work in 24 years. He owns a seven-day a week business. David Platt has said, "There's a reason the unengaged, unreached remain unreached." We visited about a dozen Chifa's - trying to connect with the owners.

Eric bought a head scratcher in Chinatown.

Talking with two Hakka Chinese men!

Today was a national holiday in Peru - St. Peter and St. Paul Day

Eric bought Frizz Ease for his hair!

Daniel Caceres stopped by for a visit!

Sam & Emily Moran stopped by too!

A Different Lima

6/29/2015

200,000 Chinese Peruvians live in Lima. This morning we attended a non-Baptist church. We worshiped in the China Alliance Missionary Church. Why not a Baptist Chinese church since there's so many Chinese? There aren't any. In a city of 9 million with 200,000 being Chinese, there are two Chinese churches, both Alliance. Could you imagine Coweta and Troup counties having zero Baptist churches in both counties? That's what it's like for Chinese immigrants in Lima. How many Southern Baptist missionary families are working with the Chinese in Peru? One. Of the 46,000 SBC churches how many have adopted the Chinese in Peru? One. Is one church in Moreland, Georgia and one SBC missionary family from Chattanooga, Tennessee going to reach 200,000 Chinese Peruvians in Lima? What's different about this Lima? The Chinese speaking people in Lima, Peru are overwhelmimingly unreached with the Gospel.

Bayovar in Lima

Kerry, Macie & Eric about to board the train

Macie and Juan Wu - one of the few Hakka believers

Lunch at China City after worship

Pastor sharing how to reach the Chinese in Peru

Children's Church

The worship team!

City parks in Peru have statues of Mary in the center

Eric lost to Daniel in ping pong after worship

Lima, Peru during Winter

6/28/2015

Our team with Donnie & Lori Starkey and their boys!

Today we learned about our assignment and explored Lima, Peru. This is our first time to South America - most of the continent is in the middle of winter. Lima is a city of 9 million with 200,000 Chinese. It never rains and is usually foggy. This country loves soccer. Everything paused this afternoon so everyone could watch Paraguay beat Brazil in the Copa America soccer tournament - which is the premier soccer tournament for South America. Peru plays Chile on Monday evening in the semifinals. Soccer here is like SEC football in Georgia. Tomorrow we worship in a Chinese Peruvian church.

IMB personnel, the Starkeys, with our translator, Siu Mui

Surfers in the Pacific Ocean

Kerry and her flower

The national drink of Peru is Inca Kola

Our team's show off!

Where we ate for dinner, a Chifa, a Chinese restaurant in Peru

Casinos are everywhere in Lima

Eric wants to buy this chair - it costs 2,000 Sol which is $630 Dollars

On public transportation in a bus, while you stand up, you listen to a live concert

Mission Peru: Hakka

6/23/2015

On Friday, First Baptist Church of Moreland will be sending four people to Peru on the church's first-ever international mission trip in her 186-year history.

Please be in prayer for myself, Eric Ramey, Kerry Howard and Macie Perry as we try to engage the Hakka people group with the Gospel. The Hakka are Han Chinese people who speak the Hakka Chinese language and descended from southern China. They now live all over the world.

Click here to learn more about the Hakka of Peru from the IMB's people groups website. IMB personnel told me they only know of one believer among the Hakka. We'll be working in Lima's Chinatown (pictured below).

Not only will our team be in Lima, but the Hakka also live in a city 2-3 hours south of Lima called, Canete, we'll also serve in. We'll also be traveling to a city called Chosica, which is two hours east of Lima in the foothills of the Andes Mountains. There's a Baptist Campground there we'll be doing VBS-style ministry with children. The IMB workers said children's ministry typically involves soccer. Fortunately, all four of us on our team have been Upward Soccer coaches!

We hope to share the Gospel with people who need Jesus and encourage our IMB personnel. Our church has adopted the Hakka - we hope this is the beginning of multiple mission trips to Peru for FBCM.

Thank-you for praying for our safety and for the receptivity to the Gospel.