Preparing lunch in the African bush. | 2007 | Tanzania

Breakfast | Tanzania | 2008

Who | Breck Quin

Where I’ve Traveled With Kingsland | I have traveled to Mexico’s Copper Canyons, twice to Nicaragua, and to Tanzania.

What Challenged Me Most | I was perhaps most challenged by the travel time to the African bush in far southwest Tanzania and then traveling back with a blood infection I got from a tick!

What I Will Remember Most | So many things to remember, including:
• An incredible missionary family in Nicaragua named the Loftsgards with whom I am still friends.
• Not eating for 24 hours and not feeling hungry while our team fed hundreds of Tarahumara Indians deep in the Copper Canyons of Chihuahua, Mexico.
• Watching God bring hope to a broken school and community in the drought-stricken Copper Canyons and a 96 year-old man who walked down out of the mountains to see what the ruckus was about and to say thank you.
• A baseball game with Nicaraguan kids on a new field (they almost beat us).
• The sheer beauty of Africa — proof enough that only God is responsible for all creation.
• And, I will never forget how easy life is in the USA.

How My Outlook Has Changed | The first time I went with the idea that we were going to be a blessing to others. I learned that I was the one being blessed. I’ve seen things and done things that most people will never do. I reached out to be a blessing to others and God taught me so much about myself.

Why I Must Go Again | I will go again (probably as part of a Jesus Film team that will travel by motorcycle in Nicaragua) because I love watching God work. I also have a lot more to learn about God and myself.

David in Tanzania | 2007

Who | David Lynn

Where I Have Traveled with Kingsland | God has given me opportunities, primarily through Kingsland’s missions ministry, to serve Him in places that I otherwise never would have gone to. And, He has used me (in whatever small way) to further Christ’s Kingdom in countries like Tanzania, Bangladesh, and the Darfur region of Sudan. God has also allowed me to travel to Iran, twice.

Why I Am Interested in Last Places First | In my case, God told me to “go.” Prior to His call, I had absolutely zero interest in foreign missions. And, having heard His call, I had no idea just how far Beyond He had in mind for me to go! Now, having been to some incredibly remote (not to mention potentially dangerous – specifically, Darfur and Iran) places, I can gladly testify that God is great and He has removed any fear I may have had about going wherever He calls me to go to. Those people who are in those places Beyond our normal frame of reference, those out past the end of the road, or in hard to reach or politically difficult areas, are just as valuable to Christ as anybody in the free civilized world and I have seen the hunger that people in those places have for the truth of Christ.

The Most Troubling Thing About Darfur | To me, the most troubling thing about the situation in Darfur is that the people are so isolated from the rest of the world. The logistics of simply getting there, much less with any kind of significant relief effort, are incredibly difficult. The fact that hundreds of thousands of people are in refugee camps is only the tip of the iceberg. Their entire way of life has been violently altered. Their homes and villages have been destroyed, their friends and family members have been killed, and their farming capability has largely been wiped out. Those people are virtually 100% dependent on support from the rest of the world for their daily survival. The level of need there is beyond description.

The Most Encouraging Thing About Tanzania | The Tanzania trip was the absolute spiritual mountaintop experience of my life. There are three main things that stick out to me about our visit there. First, that trip was irrefutable proof of the truth that God’s word does not return void. We were so far out in the bush that the safari company that was guiding us had never been there, yet the people were so receptive to the Word that many came to faith in Christ during our visit and twenty house churches were started. Second, the in-country missionary couple that hosted us were such a fantastic demonstration of how lives are impacted when we conduct ourselves as Jesus did. Every village we went into welcomed us with open arms because they had either already had experience with that missionary couple and their ministry or they had heard of their reputation and were thrilled that they had come to visit them. Third, the missionaries had trained a group of men from another tribe to share their faith and those guys went to great lengths (at significant personal cost/effort) to be involved in not only this initial missions effort but to also continue on in spreading and growing the faith among the people we witnessed to. Their heart for sharing Christ continues to amaze and encourage me today!

The Most Challenging Thing About Bangladesh | To me, the most challenging thing about Bangladesh is the spiritual warfare that goes on there.  As the country has a solid Muslim majority, the spiritual oppression and outright opposition to Christianity makes for a challenging environment to work in. However, there is no god like our God and the spiritual darkness that exists in Bangladesh only serves to let the light of God shine that much brighter! One thing that really struck me in Bangladesh was the stark difference in the spiritual lives of Muslims and Christians. As a direct result of the tenets of their faith, Muslims are, by and large and in my estimation, a relatively joyless people. By contrast, the Christians we met there were filled with the joy of Christ and that light truly does shine from their faces!

Why We Should Pray, Give, and Go Beyond | First, because the love of Christ compels us, as Christians, to want to share His love with others. What greater gift could any of us give to someone than the gift of eternity? Second, having been on several mission trips, I can testify to the power of the Word, the power of prayer, and the fact that God is working wonders in the world every day. Going Beyond is one great way to put yourself in the position of being used by God to participate in His miracles and to impact the world for Christ. The absolute best meal I have ever eaten in my life was the spaghetti served to us by a missionary couple in Sudan on our way back from Darfur. That meal, as simple as it was, was not only physical nourishment but was a spiritual ministry to me, too. In closing, I would want to encourage you that God is alive, He is working in people’s lives every day, and that each of us can participate in His works, whether through our time, our resources, or our prayers. Go Beyond!

Bill with national workers in Tanzania.

Who | Bill Crenshaw

Where I’ve Traveled with Kingsland | I have participated in mission trips to Tanzania, India, Cambodia, Trinidad, Nicaragua, Mexico, and Montana.

My Current Assignment | I currently serve as our missions ministry’s point man for our annual trip to the African bush in Tanzania where we work with the Safwa, our national partners, to take the gospel to unreached tribes. I also serve as the chairman of our Justice Leadership Team and as a member of Kingsland’s Missions Council.

How I See God Moving in Tanzania | People really have open hearts, churches are being planted and growing, and God is calling new Safwa missionaries into service to expand ministry and outreach.

What I Have Learned from the Safwa | The Safwa tribesmen have taught me how to better serve the Lord with joy in my heart and a smile on my face and that a happy life is not about our stuff.

Why I Will Continue to Go Beyond | Well, I love “Going Beyond” — seeing smiles on faces and hearts and lives changed for His glory. It’s just a critical part of who I am, what I value, and how I prioritize my time and energy.

Laura Childs in Afghanistan

Who | Laura Childs

Where I’ve Traveled with Kingsland | I have had the privilege of traveling with Kingsland short-term mission teams to Nicaragua, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Northern Iraq, and Tanzania. I have also been able to go on some of the student mission trips to a few places in the states. Traveling overseas is always fun, but hanging out with the students is always a blast and an adventure.

My Most Memorable Experience | This is a tough one. There are so many memories from my travels. One of my most favorite memories is listening to my good friend, Leah Pullin, share her story again and again about how the Lord cured her of her cancer.  We traveled to Pakistan last year to do some breast cancer awareness education. We visited several hospitals to teach the nursing students, we visited a home for girls to teach the young ladies who lived there, and we stopped by several apartments where some women the missionaries were trying to reach lived.

Time and time again I heard the miraculous story of Leah’s healing while watching the faces of the women who listened so intently. Even though she was speaking to followers of Islam, the story of how Jesus visited Leah in a dream always invoked a look of wonder. I loved to see the smiles on their faces and would watch to see how they would invariably flock around Leah after her testimony to hear more of her story. The power of Jesus spoke clearly though Leah and it was awesome to see.

Why I Encourage Others to Go Beyond | The journeys that take you outside your comfort zone, the ones that carry you over that line that marks the farthest you have ever gone…those are the ones that change you the most. Sometimes it’s a simple change of realizing that people who look different aren’t really that different after all. But other times, it changes you so radically that you come home a different person, with a new perspective and a new passion.

Where I Am Serving Now | My “service” now is a bit different from my trips in the past. I still get the opportunity to meet with poor widows in villages, I still get surrounded by young children who are fascinated with foreigners, I still get the opportunity to enjoy the hospitality that is so common in countries like this and share tea with new friends, and I still have the opportunity to walk through captivating bazaars and crowded streets lined with litter and streams of urine. Only now I wear body armor and carry a pistol, a rifle and a whole bunch of ammo (which thankfully has yet to be needed!).

I’m currently deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom on an Agribusiness Development Team. I also lead our Female Engagement Team which offers me the opportunity to work to improve the state of women’s rights here in Afghanistan.

My mission trips trained me well to understand the culture of an Islamic country, how to effective communicate through an interpreter, and how to see past the dirt, the poverty, and seemingly hopeless state of life.  I can see the hope of the women I meet instead of being distracted and uncomfortable with the unfamiliar environment that is so different from home.

While we are unable to share our faith with those we meet here, I strive to act in such a way that those I come in contact with can see Jesus through me. I also have great hope that our efforts here will set the stage for a safer environment so that others can follow and share the love of Christ with a country filled with some lovely people who share a painful and violent history.

Our team and the work we do is chronicled on our unit blog: Texas Agribusiness Development Team–IV.

Who

Where I’ve Traveled with Kingsland | I was able to walk the life-changing Holy Land in April of 2009 with my wife and “insula” (close friends and family). I also have been blessed to go to the beautiful country of Tanzania in 2009 and 2010.

What I Did | In the bush of Southwest Tanzania we went house to house sharing our faith through Bible storying. We were able to see the Holy Spirit start new churches from salvation decisions during our time declaring the Good News of Jesus Christ.

What Touched Me Most | The hospitality of the Tanzanian people was so refreshing — and to see the joy of the Lord so evident in our Safwa ministry partners was very touching to me.  However, what touched me the most was God’s revelation of new truths and insight into His character as I served in Tanzania.

Where To Next | Tanzania 2011 — Yeehaw!

Why I Will Go Again | I will return to Tanzania because I get to truly understand Paul’s words form Philippians 1, “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” And, because it was so much fun!

Eating a grub. | 2008 | Southwestern Tanzania

   We left Mbeya early this morning, packed like sardines into Land Rovers bulging with supplies for our stay in the African bush. This is a “bring it with you or do without” kind of trip. We lashed our stuff to the top of our vehicles and wedged it into any available space inside. Our bumpy off-road trek ended at the foot of a hill where people from the Nyiha tribe welcomed us with enthusiastic waves and joyous shouts. Within minutes, local women were balancing our heavy supplies on their heads and climbing effortlessly up the hill.

   Our first order of business was to set up our base camp. Our rocky perch gives us a panoramic view of the mud-plastered, thatch-roofed huts in the surrounding valley where people from the Nyiha and Ndali tribes live. We cleared the area of rocks, pitched our tents, and moved into the neighborhood. Locals marched to the top of the hill like an army of ants, curious about the activity and eager to meet the mzungus (white people) in the blue tent village.

    Quickly eating our lunch of peanut butter and jelly slathered on thick slices of egg bread, we divided up into teams with believers from the Safwa tribe. These Swahili-speakers are here to interpret for us as we introduce the Nyiha to the story of God’s love through chronological Bible storying. Anxious to bring light to the people of the Dark Continent, we headed downhill toward all compass points. This is the idyllic “ends of the earth” adventure — trekking down dusty trails to huts in remote African valleys.

   In the heat of the day, my team arrived at a tiny hut in the middle of a brown field covered with the dandruff of the recent cane and maize harvest. Children stared at us with curious eyes while a hen and her chicks clucked and peeped their way across the barren ground.  The family invited us to sit with them in the dirt outside their hut. While the hot afternoon sun painted our shadows on the dusty canvas, we introduced ourselves to our humble hosts. And then, the unexpected! Upon hearing why we had traveled so far, our hosts exchanged relieved expressions and said, “Karibu” — you are welcome. “We are among the few believers here and have been praying for the mzungus because we were not certain they had heard this wonderful story of Jesus. We are happy to know that you too have heard this message.” How humbling to be reminded that God cares for the nations and that believers on the Dark Continent are praying for the savages in America!