East Asia

Well the first full day in East Asia has come to an end and it has been a busy one. We got in bed late last night, jet lagged, at 1 a.m., got up at 7 and hit the road at 9. We have been wide open ever since.

We have learned first hand in a fresh way that persecution is real. It is not easy to be a believer here, but there is joy and a hunger for God.

We have met some interesting young men and women from Vietnam who are hungry to learn more of the word and hungry to learn more about planting churches both here and in Vietnam. One young man, who I will call Bill came to Christ, returned to Vietnam and began evangelizing the lost in his community. In a short time the communist government caught on to his work, began harrassing him and his family and eventually drove him out of the country. He is currently here separated from his family,planting churches, and discipling young men and women.

We led church planting training, shared testimonies, and computer training from 10:30 until 4:30 for him and some of his colleagues today. Then tonight after traveling to Bill's and spending time with him and his fellow workers this evening, I taught in Bill's home to a packed room full of his disciples from about 9:15 until 10:30. In reality, he should be teaching me.

I feel like a guy who just went to Wal Mart, bought a hammer and a Do it Yourself magazine trying to teach a bunch of contractors and construction workers how to build a house. I am insufficient for this task.

It is almost 11 as I am typing this, in the van, on the way home from Bill's. It is clear that there will be very little rest or down time on this trip. By the time we get back to the hotel, call home, and get cleaned up it will be 1 a.m before bed again. We need your prayers that we will be energized and rested for the week. We need the Holy Spirit to equip us for this task.

More tomorrow...

Training and House Church

Well the first full day in East Asia has come to an end and it has been a busy one. We got in bed late last night, jet lagged, at 1 a.m., got up at 7 and hit the road at 9. We have been wide open ever since.

We have learned first hand in a fresh way that persecution is real. It is not easy to be a believer here, but there is joy and a hunger for God.

We have met some interesting young men and women from Vietnam who are hungry to learn more of the word and hungry to learn more about planting churches both here and in Vietnam. One young man, who I will call Bill came to Christ, returned to Vietnam and began evangelizing the lost in his community. In a short time the communist government caught on to his work, began harrassing him and his family and eventually drove him out of the country. He is currently here separated from his family,planting churches, and discipling young men and women.

We led church planting training, shared testimonies, and computer training from 10:30 until 4:30 for him and some of his colleagues today. Then tonight after traveling to Bill's and spending time with him and his fellow workers this evening, I taught in Bill's home to a packed room full of his disciples from about 9:15 until 10:30. In reality, he should be teaching me.

I feel like a guy who just went to Wal Mart, bought a hammer and a Do it Yourself magazine trying to teach a bunch of contractors and construction workers how to build a house. I am insufficient for this task.

It is almost 11 as I am typing this, in the van, on the way home from Bill's. It is clear that there will be very little rest or down time on this trip. By the time we get back to the hotel, call home, and get cleaned up it will be 1 a.m before bed again. We need your prayers that we will be energized and rested for the week. We need the Holy Spirit to equip us for this task.

More tomorrow...

Pickern Prayer Gram

Dear Prayer Partners,

What an amazing God we serve! We made the trip to Tallahassee fine. Gene had a really rough day yesterday because of the patch they put on him. But I was humbled again that as I was trying to help Gene as he was hurting with such a bad headache that he could not be still because of the pain, I looked up and one of our missionaries was on bended knee praying for him and a young Dominican pastor was in deep prayer with his head bowed. The pain finally eased off and Gene was able to sleep through the night. He was able to rest and sleep some on the flight here and felt well yesterday - especially since he got to see our daughter, son-n-law and grandson - BENEAH!!! And he also got to watch Bama football, and they won!

The medi-vac company in London handled all the arrangements for us. They asked me what hospital and doctor I wanted and they took care of everything. I had heard of one hospital, so I requested that one. Well, we couldn't get it. I didn't know of any doctors. We just left everything up to the Lord. He is so faithful. Guess what He did. He put us in one of the top 100 hospitals in the nation for cardiac care. Plus, this hospital (and I think this doctor) is the only one in the area that does robotic surgery, and that is what Gene is going to have. He will have bypass surgery, where he will have 3 incisions, but the doctor will use robotic arms to do the surgery - which is less invasive. And, they will not stop his heart during the surgery. Thank the Lord! Isn't God awesome?

Because he was given a blood thinner in the DR, he cannot have surgery until Wednesday. But, we found out today that even though that delays surgery, that also probably protected him for the flight home. Otherwise, he could have had a heart attack. We also found out today that medicine Gene just started taking for his recently diagnosed thyroid problems increased his heart rate, which unmasked the heart problem. If not for the thyroid problem, the doctor said he probably would have had a major heart attack. For ALL things work together for good for those who love the Lord and for those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 He is faithful!

Are you ready for something else that is so neat? The doctor asked Gene who we worked for. He told him the International Mission Board of the SBC. He had no idea who that was. So Gene explained who we were and how we operate. When Gene told him how many churches join together in the states to support missionaries, he was amazed. Then he asked how we lived in the DR. Gene told him that you provide us an apartment, a car and insurance, etc. He couldn't believe it. He told Gene that he was very impressed with the people that we work for. He could not believe that our medical department would go through much to get us home and to make sure we got the care that we needed. Wow! What a testimony! To God be the glory! So please, keep on keeping on. I know times are tough. But you are continually a testimony in ways you don't even know. Jesus said that the WORLD would know us by our love. They are knowing of Him by your love for us. Both our world in the DR and your world here in the states. Thank you.

Please pray that God will continue to keep Gene's heart safe, heart attack free. The doctor said that if the mammary artery is not sufficient enough, he will have to strip a vein from his leg and crack open his chest. Pray that this artery will be sufficient. The surgery will take 6 hours. Pray that the doctors and nurses remain alert and God continues to give them divine wisdom and steady hands. Please pray for minimal bleeding. Also that Gene is able to come out of the anesthesia without complications. I pray God's richest blessings on you!! Thank you so very much for your prayers. We love you.

In Christ,

Julie

Pickern Prayer Gram

Dear Prayer Partners,

I am overwhelmed at the love and concern you have shown to us through your response and your prayers. Thank you so much! I can't wait for Gene to get home and read all the notes you have sent. It will mean so much to him. The doctor went in to do the cath today and put in the stint but was unable to do so because the blockage was too extensive. He said he would have to put in 4 or 5 in that one artery and you just shouldn't do that. Number one, it would end up blocking other arteries and number two he would have more problems later. He said that Gene needs by-pass surgery. Gene is spending the night in the hospital and will get to come home tomorrow. The doctor wants to do the surgery in five days. There are some decisions that need to be made between the doctors here and some doctors in the states about whether Gene is able to fly and have the surgery in the states.

Please pray for divine widom for all involved and God's will to prevail. We want nothing less! God again has shown His amazing grace and sustaining power today. I so want to tell you all the different ways He is moving - in so many of the small details - where He just keeps wrapping His arms around us. But if you are His child, you know! If you are not, I want to invite you into the family through His Son, Jesus. I promise, you won't regret it. I really don't see how people go through things like this without Him! And then - when it's the fun things, WOW, they are just awesome!!

Sorry, I got side-tracked! One of the doctors told me today that they (being anyone of the medical personal that knows Gene's case) are all amazed that Gene has not had a major heartattack, that it is medically unexplainable. This doctor is a christian. She, of course said, "But just because it can't be explained medically, we can explain it - GOD. He is the reason!!" Thank you for your prayers. Please continue to pray for Gene, that God would bring healing to his heart. Also that God would reveal His presence to Gene like never before during this time. Please pray that the Dominicans would see Christ through all this and that He would be glorified greatly, and that souls might be saved as a result. God can use anything, right? I'll let you know what decision has been made and what is going on as soon as I know something. I will also try not to write a book!! We love you and appreciate you.

In Christ,Julie

Pickern Prayer Gram

Dear Prayer Partners,

I write this today with tears streaming down my face and a heart full of joy and broken at the same time. On the one hand I am so amazed and stand in awe at the fact of God’s amazing love for me and that He sings over me and cares for me like He does. On the other hand I am so broken for the people here. Remember the Macedonia School that we asked you to pray for? The pastor that wrote the material is the same man that built the orphanage we wrote about several months ago. He wrote the material with the Dominican culture in mind. He talks about praying for the area in which you are going to be working. These are some of the things he mentions you should pray for God to demolish the spirit of skepticism, superstition, witchcraft – both believing and practicing it and being the one actually performing it (the witch him/her self), satanic oppressions, infidelity, divorce, lies, materialism, doubt, slavery, darkness, alcohol, drugs, prostitution, robbery, crimes, homosexuality, violence… He names them in that order! Does that tell you anything about the culture here? I started a new ladies Bible study yesterday with some old friends. We did have some new people there that are not believers. There were 13 people there and we had a great time studying the book of Ruth. Only one of them had ever heard the story of Ruth. One! And she was a little girl.

Anyway, inside this house was a “bouquet” (for lack of a better word) of dried herbs and plants. This was not to decorate, but to keep out evil spirits. Now this lady is a believer. Her children are believers. Her husband is not. But you could walk into most any house in the barrio and find one of those in there. It is very real and practiced here. Superstition. Darkness. Witchcraft. Isaiah 44 talks about the people planting trees, cutting them down, using the wood to make fire to cook their food and watching it burn. Then they use the other part of the same tree and carve images to make a god to worship. Verse 20 says: “That kind of man feeds on ashes [and finds his satisfaction in ashes]! A deluded mind has led him astray, so that he cannot release and save himself, or ask, Is not [this thing I am holding] in my right hand a lie?” My question is, what are we holding in our hand? Is it pride, money, position, selfishness, laziness, job, or material things? You see, ANYTHING that we put in our hand and hold onto other than God – is a god. God made our hand for His and His alone.

Our ministry here is to lead others to put their hands into the hand of God. Please help us by praying that God knock down the walls that I mentioned above. They are real walls. We are running into them. We need your help. Please pray for: · A person of peace in a new barrio, Guaricano. This barrio is huge! We have started driving through the streets, praying and seeking the Lord as to where He wants to start working. We have also begun talking to the people there. Pray God gives us His mind and wisdom and that we clearly see the door He is opening.· The Macedonia School students to be faithful and obedient to start their new Bible studies.·

A new apartment complex Bible study possibility, which could lead to a house church. The girl I have been talking to, Kenia, has a desire to reach her apartment building for Christ and wants to have a church in her house. She is in her early twenties. Pray that God continues to give her courage, boldness, and wisdom as she witnesses for Him.· Our daughter, Christie. She just found out that she has Type 1 diabetes. Please pray that they will find the right amount of insulin for her and that her sugar will be leveled out quickly.· Me, Julie. I just found out that I have thyroid problems. I am currently taking medication and am under a doctor’s care.

In Christ,Gene and Julie1C:
FCO Moreno ESQ AV Anacaona
Edif H Apto 6-HI Bella Vista,
Santo Domingo, DN 12006-11
850-390-4090

The Pickern Prayer Gram

Dear Prayer Partners,

“The stars dance, the moon glows, And I see You when the wind blows. The mountains applaud You, and the oceans reflect You, and the power of heaven revealed in creation, and my heart shouts out at the wonder of your name. You amaze me.” This is part of a song by Michael Neale on his CD, “No Greater Audience”. I am listening to this CD right now as I am looking at the ocean and my heart does cry out, “You amaze me!” On one side of our apartment you can see the ocean, on the other you see building after building, full of people. All of creation is declaring God to a dark world. Judges 16:19-20 says: “And he awoke out of his sleep and said, I will go out as I have time after time and shake myself free. For Samson did not know that the Lord had departed from him.” Samson had gone so far and was so sure of his own abilities that he had not even realized that the Lord had even left him. How sad is that!! Judges 17:6 says, “In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes.”

We live in a city where we see people doing what is right in their own eyes every day. What happens to a society when rules don’t matter any more? Here, we see it on the road. People drive how it best benefits themselves with no thought about others. If it means that they are going to hold up a whole line of traffic for them to turn across 2 or 3 lanes of traffic to go down a one way – the wrong way – then too bad! If they see someone on the side of the street and they want to stop and talk in the middle of the road, then that’s OK too. I won’t even go into passing several cars and almost killing others for the sake of just saving a few minutes only to turn or stop at the next block anyway. (OK, maybe I will go into it!!) And this is just driving. What if we were to apply this attitude to our entire life? What is best for ME? What is right in MY eyes? Yes, we live in a dark world. The driving here is only one example of that.

Gene has just accepted the position of team strategy leader for the urban transformation team of Santo Domingo. When we came to the DR, we were working with the urban poor, which is about one and half million people. Now we will be focusing on all of Santo Domingo, which is right at three million people. Three million people! My mind cannot comprehend that many people. Obviously our strategy will change because we will try to reach all the people, not just the poor. As I look now out over the ocean, I see an ocean of people. Yes, it’s people who are focused on themselves. But it is because they are lost. Lost people. Lost people who live in the dark. Lost people who need to hear about the goodness of Jesus.

I want to introduce you to our team God has put together. We are really excited to be serving together to see what God is going to do. The first is Steve and Marilee Flook. They have 6 sweet children. Steve told us that we not only have two on our team, we now have 8, because the kids will work too. Isn’t that awesome? And they will too. (Plus now I might get to baby-sit more. How neat is that!) Another set of team members is Ryan and Emily Buttes (Bju-ts). They are from California with a heart for the city. Emily is pregnant with their first baby. Please pray for her. They thought she might be going into early labor at 25 weeks and they had to go back to the states for 30 days. Thankfully the baby is fine. We just got word yesterday that she is better and they will get reevaluated on the 20th. And last but not least is Allison Crino. She will be arriving in October. Her parents are missionaries in Mexico. Allison has a passion for the city as well. We are very excited about having her come to work with us in the DR.

Judges ends by repeating 17:6, “In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes.” Please help us write a different ending to the history of Santo Domingo by praying and coming and helping us. The task is huge and we need you. The Dominicans need you.

What to prayer for:
# Macedonia School – A 13 week school for anyone who wants to learn how to start churches that meets every Saturday. Pray that the students will be faithful in attendance and obedient in application.
### We just finished the second week yesterday. There is already a possibility of about 10 to 12 new Bible studies that hopefully will turn into new churches! Pray as these studies get started that the seed of the gospel takes root in fertile soil and God will raise up leaders who will go and lead others to Christ.
# Urban Transformation Team – Divine wisdom and discernment as we start this new focus. Pray that we could see the lost through His eyes and would have His mind in reaching them.
# The DR Team & Haitian Team – two other teams that have to reach the rest of the country!! What a task!

In Christ,

Gene and Julie Pickern
1C: FCO Moreno ESQ AV AnacaonaEdif H
Apto 6-HI Bella Vista,
Santo Domingo, DN 12006-11850-390-4090

The Pickern Prayer Gram

Dear Prayer Partners

Thank you for praying for Gene. His hand is a doing OK. He has been really sick from the antibiotics. The doctor had to switch his medicine, but now he is better. Please pray that the medicine works and he does not get an infection. Also pray that his hand heals quickly.

Also thank you for praying for Wilfrido’s baby. She is doing better and is out of the hospital. She is not completely well and continues to need your prayers. There is something going around that is affecting babies with high fevers and vomiting. Please pray that God would place His hand on these little ones.

I have been reading in the book of Judges about Gideon. His name means warrior. At this point,he had already seen the miracles of the fleeces. God had just told him how to choose 300 men to go into battle against the enemy. He had seen God move and he had obeyed God in all things. Now, in Judges 7:9-11 God tells him to go down into the camp, that He has given it into his hand, but if he is afraid to go down into the camp to take it, to go that same night and take with him his servant Purah down into the camp. He tells them that when they get there they will hear what the people say and they will be strengthened to go down against the camp.

So Gideon, the warrior, took his servant and went down into the camp. This is a very important story because it tells me that God understands our fears. We see Gideon, a warrior – afraid. He “went down into the camp with his servant Purah.” God did not say to Gideon, “Gideon, didn’t you just see all that I did for you? What is wrong with you? I can’t believe you are afraid! You are on your own Big Boy!” No!! God did not say that. Not only did God not say that. He told Gideon how to overcome his fear. What a God!

Now please don’t misunderstand me. God doesn’t want us to live in fear. The Bible also says that He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind. (2 Tim. 1:7) We just serve a God who searches the heart and mind and knows each motive and exactly what we really need and what is best for us. There is no one like our God!

God told Gideon to take his servant Purah with him. Purah means branch. He is only mentioned in the Bible in these 2 verses. Why did God tell him to take this servant? We know that Purah was Gideon’s armor bearer. He also witnessed what Gideon heard that night. It could have been that he needed encouragement as well. My question to you is, are you a Gideon or a Purah? Has God placed you in a position of leadership or as servant? Either way, He sent both men to the camp and allowed both men to hear what was said and later gave both men the victory. He let both men experience His glory. We live in a troubled and very uncertain world. Place your fears in His capable hands and He will allow you to enter the enemy’s camp and take it. He has already conquered it for you; just take it.

Now all of us are Gideons – warriors, and all of us are Purahs – servants and branches. Jesus said: “I am the vine, you are the branches, He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). We can’t be the right kind of warriors without abiding in Christ. Purah was Gideon’s armor bearer. He made sure he had his armor before the battle. Judges 6:34 says: “But the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon with Himself, and took possession of him…” (Amplified) Wow! That is the kind of armor I want!

I know I don’t normally “preach” (women don’t preach, we “share”) but I was so encouraged by this study in Judges that I just wanted to share it with you. I know times are tough right now and things are really frightening. I can hardly stand to watch the news without being scared. That is why I am grateful we serve a God bigger than the United States or the Dominican Republic or the world or even Satan!! Let’s just stay connected to Him and abide in Him. He is able to do all things.

In Christ,Gene and Julie
1C: FCO Moreno ESQ AV AnacaonaEdif H Apto 6 – HIBella Vista, Santo Domingo, DN 12006-11850-390-4090