NOTICE: AS OF 5-08 HARVEST EVANGELISM WILL REQUIRE THAT ALL PERSONS GOING ON OUR MEXICO MISSIONS TRIPS HAVE A VALID PASSPORT!!!
The Harvest Evangelism Mission Experience is designed to help each participant; Know Christ more personally, Experience Him more passionately, and Share Him more powerfully.
INDIA MISSION FEBRUARY 16- MARCH 3, 2008
Pastor Rick and Blake Gilbreath, along with Roger Hayslip (Texas), Charles Hayslip (Texas) and Sunil McWan (New York) are ministering in India February 16-March 3, 2008.This is, in Pastor Rick's own words, "the most draining trip physically, mentally and spiritually. India is tough!" While he looks forward to this particular mission every year, he and others who have traveled there know that it is a difficult place and the demands on the body, mind and spirit are many.
Please keep the team in prayer as well as their families while they are away. Pray for their physical safety and for the fruit of their labor to be great in God's kingdom.
The report we have at this time is that they were able to preach in a large church in Mumbai, Sunday February17, the pastor there told them that the message was right on target for what the church needed. They have an open invitation to return at any time. They traveled to another area where they were able to visit with a family who run a school in their home. Although the home is very small, they are able to give an education to over 100 children (at $1 per month per child!). They visited several small villages that in Pastor Rick's words, "were just like walking in William Carey's India."
They will be continue to travel by plane, car, train and even elephant, to some of the most remote areas in India.
We will post updates as we get them.
Mexico Men's Mission January 2008
In January 2008, several men from Times Square Church in New York City joined Pastor Rick, Blake Gilbreath, Roy Busby and some of our own men on a special Men's Mexico Mission trip. After returning, one of the men told Kim that it was a "wonderful trip. We guys had so much fun. We worked, we joked around, we prayed and it was wonderful. I hope we can do this every year."In the words of another in his testimony written to us:
"This year has been a year of dryness, confusion, too many things allowed into my life that were pushing God out. My heart has been crying for the tenderness I once knew from serving the Lord. This week has brought my heart back to that place.
I know I need to go back and put my house in order. My relationship with my wife, children, friends has been suffering because my relationship with Christ has not been where He wants me to be. Praise be to God that He has never given up on me, and yes, I've learned that His Grace truly is sufficient.
Thank you Jesus." (ES)
TSC Mexico Men's Mission 1-07 slideshow
Click here to watch Mexico Mission Video: December 2007
Click here to watch Mexico Mission Video: November 2007
July 2007--MISSION MEXICO: We had the largest group ever...a wonderful experience!
July 2007 we had around 85 people join us for the week of July 16-21 and more than 175 the week of July 21-28. It was by far the largest group we've ever had and it was challenging but exciting. The logistics of housing, transporting and feeding that many people every day was not easy, but it got done. As we all know, Missions isn't about making us comfortable but rather making us like Jesus and bring others to Him. We saw both accomplished during our time on this mission trip. We had people come from many different areas including; Lindale, TX; Manassas, VA; New York, NY; Lake Hopatcong, NJ; Calera, AL; Tampa, FL; Nashville, TN; Mobile, AL; our own people from Harvest Evangelism in Opelika, AL and even one from Australia!
Our time was spent building houses in some of the neighborhoods we work in, building more on and painting murals in the Orphanage, Casa de Hogar, spending time with the girls at the orphanage, feeding thousands in one neighborhood, ang among other things, distributing over 30,000 pair of shoes! It was a very busy two weeks.
One thing we were able to do was help a very needy family in Texas. We realized that our mission was not just to go across the border, but to make a mission field any place we saw a need, and this family had a need. Their two boys were handicapped and we were able to fox the front porch, the wheelchair ramp and one room to better accomodate these boys. It was wonderful indeed to help.
While we were there in McAllen, TX, there was major flooding, in fact the facilities where we stay was flooded. As it was, we were unable to cross the border that day, but the staff at King's Way needed our help. With the man power we had with us, we were able to move furniture out and pull carpet up in the three apartments that were flooded and we moved the furniture out of the girls dorm, also flooded, into the trailer that was dry.
Every night we heard testimonies of how our people saw God work and how He moved in them. Their stories of ministry efforts paled in comparison to the testimonies of God's work in their own hearts and lives. Even our joy in the seeming difficulties of so many people, the flooding and other little attacks of the enemy were seen by those we were able to minister to as proof that God truly does inhabit the praises of His people and there is peace that passes understanding.
Praise God, the testimony we left there was longer lasting than any house we built or any shoes we placed on feet or any hot-dog we served up. His work in us is eternal, and it plants eternal seeds, in an eternal field, reaping an eternal HARVEST!
Mission Goals:
- Learn to hear the voice of God from His Word, from His people, from His Spirit.
- Learn to experience the power and presence of God, including exercising your own spiritual gifts in the flow of ministry.
- Make new friends and strengthen existing relationships. (Each week we will have members from various church backgrounds and locations. You should learn the names and something about as many people on your team as possible. Hopefully these relationships will continue even after you go home. This definitely includes the Mexican people we will be working with across the border.)
- Become "true worshippers" of God.
- Have a regular "devotion/quiet time" each morning for the week and transfer that habit to your life back home.
- Discover which part of "mission life" you fit into best (what you enjoy and seem to do best).
- Pray specifically. Hear and experience prayers answered.
- Strengthen the church and homes of our Mexican brothers and sisters. (This includes building, repairing, and painting homes in Mexico as well as ministering to their spiritual needs.)
- See people saved! (Our Own personal goal is to see at least one person saved for each person on our team.)
- Be more like JESUS when you leave than when you came.
Mission Rules:
- RESPECT!! All other rules fall under this one main rule. RESPECT the property here as if it were your own, better than your own. RESPECT Pastor Rick and the other leaders here. RESPECT each other. Do what you can, ALL YOU CAN to try and make this mission trip better for those around you, which in turn will make this trip better for you.
- No grumbling or complaining or whining. No exceptions! (Philippians 2:14)
- Keep your hands off anything that doesn't belong to you'or that you're assigned to.
- Be on time for all events (synchronize with Pastor Rick's watch, He WILL leave you!).
- NO talking Outside after 10:00pm (This means NONE!). Nineth graders and older can stay up until 11:30pm in the dining room as long as you are reasonable (and I get no complaints). Remember, NO talking when you leave the Dining Hall after 10:00 P.M. Last one out, turn out the lights.
- Don't pick any of the fruit here at King's Way.
- Meals are provided. If you don't like what's provided... FAST (or call Pizza Hut, with your own money!).
- No boys in the girl's rooms. No girls in the boy's rooms.
- STAY OUT of the kitchen! (unless you're on chore duty).
- EVERYONE will be given chore duties. Do all work as unto the Lord Himself. (refer to rule #2). If you're caught slacking, you'll be given double duties.
- Do not leave the Ministry premises or the mission site without permission from Pastor Rick or your group's leader.
- Remember to take your I.D. with you every time we go into Mexico (and keep up with it. A U.S. I.D. is a prize target for thieves in Mexico).
- Stay with your partner(s) at all times while in Mexico.
- Have fun! Be blessed and be a blessing. Don't forget, you are a representative of America, your church, your family, Harvest Evangelism and Jesus Christ. When in doubt remember, WWJD?
***NOTICE: AS OF 05-08, HARVEST EVANGELISM WILL REQUIRE THAT ALL PERSONS GOING ON OUR MEXICO MISSION TRIPS HAVE A VALID PASSPORT***
- If you have never participated in a Harvest Evangelism Mission Experience, contact us by phone (Rick, 334-332-3932; Blake, 205-586-4844), or by e-mail, missions@harvestevangelism.org (or just apply online) to reserve your spot and to initiate the process of approval.
- Completely fill out and mail in an application along with your $50 non-refundable deposit.
- Mail in a referral from your Church Pastor.
- Contact us to make sure we've received your application and deposit.
- Travel to McAllen, Texas and begin your Mission Experience.
Director of Missions Development
Blake Gilbreath
Describe your Christian faith. Where are you at? What scripture verses are important to you?I grew up in a Christian home and was in church every week. I was saved at the age of 7 and went on my first mission trip to Mexico in 1993. I went through a deep depression and soul searching for about two years, then in 1995 I went on my second mission trip to Reynosa, Mexico where I surrendered to a call to missions. I graduated from Auburn University receiving a degree in Spanish. In the last three years I have traveled extensively; lived in Times Square, New York City. I was there during 9-11 and fell in love with the city. Now I work with Harvest Evangelism as the Director of Missions Development. I travel a lot on short term mission trips and try to open up new areas where we can provide more trips throughout the year. Several verses are very special to me, but one of my favorite verses is John 17:3: "And this is eternal life, that they may know YOU, the only true GOD, and Jesus Christ whom YOU have sent."
What are some of your favorite activities?
I grew up singing in church and have been in choirs, on worship teams and even recorded a CD of songs that I have written, so I am very much into music. If I believed I could make a living at it, it would be quite tempting to do so. I grew up on a cattle farm, so I love the country and outdoorsy things like camping, hiking and mountain biking. Water sports during the summer are also very cool, especially Sea Doos. I like to repair old Bibles and make things out of leather. As I mentioned earlier, I love to travel. Did someone say "roadtrip?" I have traveled to three continents, North America, South America and Europe, and to seven countries, USA (does my own country count?), Canada, Mexico, El Salvador, Panama, Colombia, and England. I can't wait to explore another one.
Describe your current occupation. What do you do?
Well, you know by now that I work with Harvest Evangelism and a big part of my vision in working with them is to see people exposed to missions. I know the impact that mission trips have had on me and I have seen so many people's hearts touched in a deep and lasting way toward God (the One we are supposed to love above all else) and their neighbor (the ones we are supposed to love as ourselves). So many people seem to hear from God on mission trips about their purpose and calling... even if it is not to be a career missionary. We all have a role to play in the Body of Christ and in reaching the lost with the Gospel. I believe short term mission trips provide an environment like no other for stretching our faith and causing us to live out those things that we learn in church each week. Sometimes it takes going to another state or country to minister for us to realize that we can also minister to others in a miriad of ways all year round where we live and work and go to school. Like someone once said, "we are either a missionary or a mission field".
What are some of your personal goals in life?
To borrow a slogan from Youth With A Mission (YWAM), I want to "Know Christ and Make Him Known." I want to have a family of my own, visit Australia, visit every continent and every country if possible like Loren Cunningham (founder of YWAM), and visit every state in the USA (19 to go). I also want to visit the ancient ruins of Machu Pichu in Peru, go hang gliding and/or fly in an ultra-light, visit the graves of Rich Mullins and C.S. Lewis, start an orphanage in a foreign country, adopt at least one child, and own (would settle for driving) a BMW Z8.
