Prayer Letter for Weeks of 3.19.06 & 3.26,06

Dear Faith Partners,

I'm finally home for a few days before I leave out on Tuesday for Keystone, South Dakota for training with Richard Green. Richard Green is one of our Missionaries from Africa and he believes that disciples should make disciples who make disciples who give birth to churches. He believes in America we have it wrong when it comes to multiplying churches. In America the focus is on planting churches and in the end few are planted. In Africa the focus is on making disciples who make disciples and in the end thousands of churches are birthed. So I am investing 12 days of my life for concentrated training because I happen to believe if making disciples who give birth to thousands of churches can happen in Africa or Asia it must be able to happen here in America.

Our District Conference held last week was the most inspirational district conference of my life. We heard from Dwight Smith, a leading church multiplication trainer and writer who challenged us to get rid of the things that are hindering the harvest. We also heard from Richard Green who said publicly that our revised goal of starting two new districts in Kansas City and St. Louis with 15-20 churches in each over the next 6 years is great, BUT THEN HE SAID, "The goal is still way to low." Our 40 churches is compared to 300 a year in other places where God is moving.

I had by the grace of God 4 church planting prospects with me. Two of them already signed on with us for Kansas City. Two of the three areas I want to get started in are looking like a go. Now the issue of funding becomes more and more needed. Again, I don't know where we will get the people or the resources aside from God and the people He chooses to work through. God is my only hope and I'm willing to be a fool for Jesus and trust Him to provide.

Finally, we heard from and saw the Haiti missionary who was shot a few weeks ago while trying to keep Americans from being abducted on his compound. He was shot three times, twice in his arms and once in his face. The bullet, a 45 caliber at close range did not penetrate his brain because his jaw bone stopped the bullet and the bullet didn't even break the jaw bone. The hand of God stopped the bullet. The bullet shattered when it hit his arm. This doesn't happen to a 45 caliber at close range. The Missionary stated that the gunmen ran for their lives as if to see God or an angel as the missionary approached them. They were fear stricken as God showed up. One of the other guys was shot point blank and the bullets never hit him. What a great God.

Please pray for me as I continue to raise my funding which is stuck at just over half way. This is a burden I keep praying for God to lift. Please pray for wisdom and protection from the evil one. Please pray that God will increase giving for the guys who are going to Kansas City, at least two of them so far.

Thanks for holding my hands up in prayer as we tackle impossible odds.

I love you all,

BOB

Bob Carder
Mission District Leader
Missionary Church, Inc.
636.698.4708
www.theplanter.blogspot.com (if you want to give)