Athol Barnes - Adventures In Missions -

The Newest American Citizen

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

It finally happened! After much frustration and many unexplained delays, Debbie was finally sworn in as a US citizen during her Naturalization Ceremony on the 12^th of December - almost three years after our interview and my Naturalization Ceremony. Thank you all for your prayers and support during this drawn out process.

Our staff conference took place during the first week of December, and was a tremendous blessing. We had our full team of 35 short term mission's staff attending and met in our newly renovated training center in Gainesville for three days. During our time together, it was such a blessing to see how the team has developed into such a close knit family, praying for one another and showing genuine concern for each other.

During our conference we spent a lot of time talking and brainstorming about mission trip leadership. How to train leaders, recruit leaders and maintain quality while on the mission field. It was so good to be able to involve everyone in the discussion, and for each team member to see the part they play in the effective running of a mission trip. I really believe that the Lord has blessed us with some exceptional staff and I am looking forward to seeing what He will do in and through us in the years to come.

After the staff conference I flew up to Chicago with three other team members, including the director of Short term missions, to meet with the Awana ministry leadership. They had contacted AIM with the view to form a strategic partnership with us. We spent a very productive day talking about both ministries. The bottom line is that they would like to promote AIM/The Edge as their partner for short term missions. They currently have 12000 churches using their program, and 4000 churches using the teen 24/7 ministry program. Needless to say, this is going to be a tremendous exposure for our ministry, potentially referring many more young people to be exposed to the mission field and all that goes along with that.

At the end of this month, we would have been serving at AIM for four years. The time really has flown by and there have been so many highlights that I would never be able to list them all here. This year has brought increased responsibility, and seeing the Lord bring in some new staff to really help us move into all that the Lord has in store for us. I was blessed to be able to minister and train young leaders in five different countries and on three continents. I believe that 2009 will be an even better year filled with adventures and blessings, as long as we keep our eyes focused keenly on the Father and seek His will daily.

Thank you all for your prayer and support for our family and our ministry this year. Please continue to pray for us.

Merry Christmas

God bless you in the New Year.

Athol, Debbie, Christie and Joshua

Newsletter November 2008

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

It has been a very busy time for us as a family as well as our ministry and the time has been flying by. We have had quite a few significant changes that the Lord brought our way in the last month or so.

As you can see we have a new logo. The short term missions department of Adventures in Missions, which is where I serve, has undergone a change of name. I know the logo is a bit confusing, but we are officially called "The Edge". The reason for the name change is simple, Adventures in Missions has so many programs that is it easy to get confused between the World Race, Next Step, Ambassador program and short term missions. For more information on the new identity please follow this link. http://www.adventures.org/theedge/

Last week I went to Matamoros, Mexico for a series of meetings with our base leaders from around the US and Mexico. We had leaders from Philadelphia, Kentucky, New Orleans, Gainesville and our team in Matamoros. These locations host approximately 4000 missionaries per year combined. That is a huge responsibility to ensure that we are effectively spreading the Word of the Lord as well as discipleship of the participants.

Ever since our summer in New Orleans in 2006, we have been following a mission project leadership model based on what we learned during that year. We spent a lot of time seeking the Lord's will for the leadership and discussing how best to implement changes that would be specific to each location. It was a fruitful time and it was also good to pray with and encourage our leaders who are alone in these locations.

We again have over 150 missions planned for 2009, and four of these are planned for South Africa. I met recently with our hosts from George, South Africa, as they were travelling in the US in order to increase an awareness of their ministry, and to do some fundraising. My dream is that we would be able to train up South Africans to be involved and lead the mission teams coming from the United States. I am planning to lead a short mission trip to George in April of next year, and during this mission, I plan to spend time training leaders from a partner church in Port Elizabeth. God is putting together a partnership with AIM and the pastors from the church that Debbie and I attended while living in South Africa. The amazing thing is that both these pastors are our age and special friends. God has grown us in our respective roles over the past 8 years, and is now bringing us back together to grow His Kingdom together.

We are still looking for more participants to make this mission trip viable. So, I am asking you to join me in South Africa for a mission trip! If you ever dreamt of going on a mission trip to South Africa, here is your chance. Click on this link to get more details; http://www.adventures.org/a/trips/level3/2767.htm

I will be leading the mission, and I would love to show you some of the incredible sights of my homeland. I guarantee you that you will be touched by the courage and love of those we minister to, and you will be changed forever.

Please let me know if you can make it, and I will get you connected with the person who handles our sign up and preparation.

As most of you know, Debbie's work with missionsresources.com came to an end in October. This has put a fair amount of pressure on our budget as you can imagine. But the Lord has never let us down and He is faithful. Debbie has always been a fanatic when it comes to photography and scrapbooking, and she has started a small business with a company called Heritage Makers. In the first month she has done really well, and hopefully she will be generating some income shortly. She is very passionate about it and I know that God has opened this door for her to be able to combine her passion with a very tangible ministry opportunity. Please look at her website www.capturelifetimememories.com to find out more information.

Recently we came within a few hours and a dropped phone call of Debbie getting her citizenship. Yes, I know, the process is still ongoing. But we are very close, and pray that within the next month, Debbie will join the rest of our little family as an official American.

Thank you so much for all your prayer and support, we can only stay in ministry with people such as you. Please continue to pray for us as we serve the Lord in Gainesville and around the world.

Prayer requests:

Debbie's business

Debbie's immigration status

Health (we have all had a bout with colds and I even had laryngitis for a week)

Wisdom for my position at AIM/Edge that I only focus on the plans the Lord has for us.

Our final staff conference the first week in December- for guidance in planning 2009

Are we people of prayer?

Thu, 2 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Read:- Isaiah 64 vs 7-8: & Ezek 22 v 30.

Then consider who God is and who we are and how we are totally dependent on Him for everything. And then see that He has given us the key by which we may open the door to all the riches of His grace and all the fulness of His love, to the supply of all our need.

Then, surely we will be a people of intercessory prayer, believing God to do all we ask for His glory alone. Mark 10 v 27; & Luke 18 v 1.

mission accomplished

Thu, 2 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Dear Friends and Prayer Warriors

Thank you so much for your prayers leading up to, and during Athol's Six Gap Century Race this past weekend. After a final week with no training due to a chest infection, he decided to go ahead and ride it anyway, since he had invested so much time and effort in his training and support-raising. The weather was perfect, and everything went well, except for a few minor mechanical issues. Overall, he finished in 6 hours 56 minutes and 267^th out of the 2,200 registered riders. He was very disappointed in that he was about an hour slower than his goal, but I'm proud of him nonetheless! This was his first race in over 6 years, and one of the most grueling he has ever ridden. The last riders came in just over 11 hours, so I think he should be really proud of his time!After all, it was 104 miles and not 100....

Praise God for His protection of Athol during his training and during the race. A broken spoke on his back wheel while descending Hogpen Gap at 50 mph could have resulted in a bad fall, but God had His hand of protection on him, and Athol was able to continue riding the remaining 35 miles with a loose and wobbly back wheel. Another rider was not as fortunate, and was airlifted off the mountain after plunging over a guardrail on a downhill.

Overall, the Six Gap Century was a tremendous blessing and we were able to add almost $6,000 to our support account, which will enable us to focus on ministry rather than worrying about our support balance for at least the next 6 months. Athol has also met so many new friends. He has enjoyed getting fit again, and being able to fellowship with other bicyclists. Once again, we thank you for your generous financial and prayer support over the last several weeks.

Blessings!

Athol, Debbie, Christie and Joshua Barnes

Lord teach us to pray

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Lord Teach us to Pray. Luke 11 v 1.

Do you pray in the comfort zone or the combat zone?

Do your requests focus mainly on relief from trials, healing of sicknesses and safe journeys, etc? Or are you concerned that God's Name be hallowed, His will accomplished and His Kingdom advanced in and through those for whom you pray?

That is the combat zone. Relief, healing and safety are not ends in themselves. And they are only good for us when their fulfillment contributes to His will being done and His Name being glorified. At the point we start to "wrestle against the rulers of the darkness of this world", our prayers become strategic. Lord teach us to pray. C.F. Anderson.

Hurricane Ike news

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Dear friends

Just a quick update and some news on my recent visit to the areas affected by Hurricane Ike.

I flew into Now Orleans, and then met two staff members and we drove to Houston. We met and stayed with Jerry Davis, who was one of our ministry partners during the Hurricane relief effort in New Orleans, and lives in Houston. Jerry is a victim himself, and his ministry building suffered damage during the storm. We spent a rather sleepless night in a trailer, along with a swarm of ants, but that is another long story. The next day we travelled to Galveston Island, getting through the checkpoint with a disaster relief pass.

The damage is very similar to Katrina and the New Orleans Gulf coast area. We went through houses and neighborhoods that had 4 to 5 feet of water in them. There will be hundreds, if not thousands, of homes that need gutting, something our teams do really well.

The area of damage is very widespread; the storm was 600 miles across. Many of the areas between Houston to the Louisiana line and beyond are economically depressed and the people might have insurance, but the insurance covers only current cash value (this was the case with a family we visited in Galveston).

The pictures could have been taken anywhere in the Holly grove area of New Orleans, but they were in Galveston.

The immediate need is for volunteers to help with the gutting, cleanup and clearing of debris. Along with meeting the obvious physical needs, this is one of the best opportunities available to share the love of Christ, and to share the gospel with those we are able to help.

Six Gap Century Update (from Debbie):

Athol caught a bad head cold while in Houston, and has become progressively worse over the last 2-3 days. I have been loading him up on zinc and vitamins to try and get him to kick this thing before the race this weekend! Our babysitter cancelled on us this afternoon, and we normally attend a small group bible study every Monday night. We were very disappointed to miss group, since we have become really close to the other couples and each have become a special part of our lives over the past year. However, sometimes God works these things out for us, and we've spent a wonderful evening catching up with each other and the children...

Praise the Lord, we have raised over $5,600 towards our support target. Please continue to pray for us to reach our target, and for those who are waiting until the last minute before placing their pledges or gifts.

Please continue to pray for Athol as the race day approaches - he has trained so diligently and it's hard to believe that the race is actually this coming weekend. He is probably going to be riding for 5-6 hours, and I know he will covet your prayers for his strength and safety during the race.

God bless you all

Athol, Debbie, Christie and Joshua

Update and Hurricane Ike

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Hi Friends and Prayer Warriors

We are delighted to share with you that we have raised around $5,500 towards our $12,000 goal! Thank you so much for your continued prayer and your financial generosity - we serve a Mighty God indeed!

Athol had a good week of training last week, and covered a little over 180 miles of roadway. He drove up to the race route on Saturday, more to train in the area, get a feel for the gaps, and become familiar with the route. Although he hadn't planned or prepared for it, he actually managed to ride 5 of the 6 gaps, with only two water bottles and a snack-size box of raisins. He mentioned that one of the gaps was so steep that he saw birds flying into the road, trying to go over the mountain. He was very excited when he got home, and knows that it will be a little easier to do it in a group, and after proper preparation and planning. He has his carbo-loading menu picked out, and is rearing to go! For those of you who have not looked at the details of the race or the route, we invite you to follow this link and take a look at what Athol has committed to do. (http://www.cyclenorthgeorgia.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=51&Itemid=35).

With the route and difficulty of the race in mind, we would treasure your continued prayers for Athol's safety as he continues to train and then actually rides the race, now only just over a week away.

For those of you still wishing to participate with a financial gift or pledge/mile, please complete the attached pledge form, or call Athol on 404-317-6097. No amount is too small, and it all brings us closer to our $12,000 goal

Athol has had to temporarily suspend his training this week. He flew to New Orleans this morning, and picked up a rental car and 2 of the AIM team there. As I type this letter, Athol is crossing the Louisiana/Texas border en route to Houston and Galveston. He had planned to fly up next week, but after speaking with Ministry Partners in the area, decided to move the trip forward to this week. The Ministry Partners we worked with in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina are already set up in the area near Houston. When Athol called them this week, they were elated. They told him that they'd received so many calls from people and organizations wanting to work with them, but had been waiting before committing as they really hoped that Athol and AIM would call and want to work with them again. Once the connection was re-established, Athol realized that time really was of the essence, and therefore moved his trip up to this week. We would love your prayers for wisdom as he assesses the damages following Hurricane Ike, and serves to establish a ministry to meet the physical and spiritual needs of the thousands of lives affected by the storm.

Blessings!

Athol, Debbie, Christie and Joshua Barnes

Footnote:

I am on the road heading towards Houston. We have no idea what to expect, but the Lord has opened many doors for us already.

As we drive we are seeing a lot of damage and destruction, and most of the areas we are seeing are in very poor communities. We are still 80 miles from the area where the storm came ashore. Please pray for us as we travel and as we try to help some of those devastated by Hurricane Ike. We really need wisdom and guidance from the Lord, that He would lead us to the right partners, and that we would follow His leading for Ministry.

Athol

thought for the week

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Thought for the Week:-

"O God, may I never approach the Bible content to understand only the written word. Give me a passion that is not satisfied until, through the written word, I discover more of the Living Word." S.Hughes.

1 Sam. 3 v 21; John 5 v 39.

Thought for the week

Fri, 5 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Thought for the Week. Psalm 86.

O Lord, give me an undivided heart to follow You.

O Lord, give me an undiminished love to see what You see, and to do what You do.

O Lord, give me an unrelenting mind to seek Your face.

O Lord, give me an undeafeated faith to see victory in all that I do.

To worship in spirit and in truth, to see less of me and much more of You.

O Lord give me and undivided heart.

South Africa mission trip

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

July Mission trip to South Africa

Dear friends and prayer warriors

Christie's summer is officially over - she started First Grade last Monday, and loves her new class and teacher. Summer for us seemed to pass by in a blur, which I guess is normal when since it's our busiest season.

Debbie gets a break from writing since I wanted to share a glimpse of what God did on the mission trip that I led in George, South Africa. George is a beautiful town on the South Coast of South Africa. It is where my parents are currently living, and where we spent Christmas with them last year. While there in December, the unrest and violence in AIM's Kenya location was at its worst, and I met with some local ministry leaders to explore the possibility of forming ministry partners for future mission teams. It was a step in faith and the Lord provided two teams within weeks of that meeting to come to George in July this year.

George is one of the most beautiful parts of the world and is situated in the heart of South Africa's Garden route.

George's unfortunate "claim to fame" is the highest death rate of TB patients, a growing AIDS crisis, the highest per capita alcoholism, (which has lead to incredible poverty) and the highest per capita divorce rate in the country.

Our ministry partner in George is Life Community Services, http://www.lifecom.org - an incredible ministry that feeds up to 2500 children per week and shares the love of Christ in ten different centers in and around the George community. As we struggled through the logistics and details of planning these mission trips, it became evident that Satan didn't want us to be doing this. I came up against many roadblocks and seemingly impossible obstacles. It would have been easy to throw in the towel and cancel the trips, after all they weren't very big and we could have directed the participants to other locations. But as we prayed, the Lord opened the doors and He brought things together in ways that can only be attributed to His power. So we moved forward in faith, not knowing exactly what the weeks would look like or the precise details of our

daily schedule. I can see some of my (new) dear friends who were on the mission with me smiling as they read this. It is hard to explain and somewhat disconcerting to those paying a lot of money to go on a mission trip, but allowing the Lord a blank slate to work with and let Him be our guide for the week proved to be one of the most incredible experiences. I am a person who loves to plan and schedule weeks in advance, but in this case I had days and sometimes hours of notice, prior to seeing the plan the Lord had for us.

The poverty in parts of South Africa is as extreme as any other part of the world I have seen, but the most troubling aspect is the close proximity of extreme wealth and extreme poverty. We were able to touch many lives in the short time we were there with some help and the love of Christ, the impact seemed so minimal, but the lives that the Lord directed us to, I pray, were impacted eternally.

For me it was particularly moving to be able to return to an area where I worked twenty years ago, and be able to see it from both an American perspective and a South African perspective. Being able to speak Afrikaans proved to be invaluable and I spent quite some time translating and sharing with local people who didn't feel comfortable speaking in broken English. There were also some humorous moments, when the local people didn't realize I spoke Afrikaans until I suddenly interjected into the conversation - needless to say they were both surprised and embarrassed.

I have so many stories to share, but not enough space here to share them. But here are some brief highlights:

Our team prayed and felt directed to buy some groceries to give to needy families, we went into the township and were directed to a small shack at the bottom of a hill, as we spoke to the mother of the small family, she broke down and shared how her 14 year old son has TB, but can't take his medication because she doesn't have food to give him and the tablets don't stay down. He has dropped out of school and was essentially waiting to die. The food was a small expense for our team, but helped to get him on his medication. We were able to pray for and encourage the mother and her friends.

Prayer walking in a very large township with about 35 small children, all walking and praying out loud. We walked to a local tavern where nightly there are fights, murders and rapes. These little children raised their hands and cried out to the Lord to close the place down and stop the violence. These children, some as young as 3 years old could teach all of us how to pray and intercede, it was extremely powerful, emotional and challenging. I know our Father in heaven was smiling on the little children as they lifted praised to him.

Seeing little children and parents, who have absolutely nothing in the way of worldly possessions, praising God and constantly smiling and thanking the Lord for his goodness to him

We had to be at a ministry site at a specific time, but I had no idea how to get there. In faith I had everyone get in the car and we headed towards the township. We hadn't gone more than km and there on the side of the road was a young boy from the main center we were based at. I stopped and asked him where he was going; he didn't have any plans, just walking. I told him that the Lord had him there to help us, and he jumped into the vehicle and directed me to the ministry site.

A number of our team felt compelled to pray for a particular township called Conville, they constantly felt drawn to pray for the area. Later in the week we found out that a few months before three young girls were brutally murdered by a 16 year old boy at the site where they were praying.

Some of our team members came across a family in desperate need. The parents have no work or food and no milk for the little babe of 3 months! (She was starving and being fed sugar water) The mother got up at 3am to walk to the Clinic, only to be told they didn't have milk for her. We visited, identified needs, our mission team bought milk and baby clothes, food were supplied, and a local grandmother and ministry leader knitted vests and socks. With lots of love and prayers - God turned a situation around! Mom and baby even went to church on Sunday. We are so privileged to be serving such a wonderful, loving Father! Please pray for baby Latita (her name means "the rising of the sun"), for her health and strength.

So many more stories, but not enough space here, thank you so much for praying for us during this time, the Lord answered your prayers. To God be the glory.

Cycle for support

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Hi Friends and Prayer Warriors

Those of you receiving our monthly newsletters will be aware of the $12,000 shortfall in our support account for the year. Since support-raising is the least favorite part of our ministry with AIM, Athol has expanded our support-raising efforts by signing up for the Six Gap Century Bicycle Race on the 28^th of September. Quite frankly, I think he's nuts, but he's willing to go the extra 100 miles and climb 10,700 feet to earn your once off gift or pledge/mile towards our shortfall amount! The Six Gap Century is one of the most grueling routes through the mountains surrounding Dahlonega and North Georgia.

Because of the busy summer and being in South Africa for most of July, his training is a little behind schedule. However, he is training hard in the 90 plus degree heat in order to gain your support. I have included the link to the Six Gap Century website, and invite you to visit the website to view the route he will be riding. For those unable to support his efforts financially, we'd really treasure your prayers for Athol's training and for the race itself. (http://www.cyclenorthgeorgia.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=51&Itemid=35).

We have found that people are less willing to support our ministry since we are based in Gainesville and not out on the field. However, Athol's position as Director of Project Management means that he oversees the set-up of all 42 of the AIM locations around the world, and has a staff of 20 fulltime workers reporting to him. His responsibilities include overseeing the budget and Project Leader dispersements for over 162 mission trips every year. In addition to this, he personally leads several mission trips every year. His role also involves frequent travel in order to set up new locations and maintain ministry partnerships and relationships in our established locations. Though the bulk of the year is spent in an office setting, his ministry with AIM impacts thousands - those on the mission field in each of our locations, as well as the thousands of short-team missionaries that participate in AIM trips each year.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter, and for your continued support of our ministry. Your prayer support is just as important to us as financial support, and we love and appreciate every one of you. We serve a Faithful and Mighty God - as a result, our fund-raising target is $12,000! I have attached a pledge form to this letter. If you would like to participate in this fund-raising effort, please complete the form and return it to us as soon as possible. If you are unable to fill out the form, we will accept email or telephonic pledges. Either reply to this email or call Athol on (404)317-6097 with your pledge. As well as pledging you prayer support, you have the opportunity to give a once-off monitory gift, or pledge a certain amount per mile completed.

Blessings!

Athol, Debbie, Christie and Joshua Barnes

A Glimpse into our lives through Debbie's Scrapbooking pages...

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Debbie has just expanded her creative talents to include digital scrapbooking, and is having a ball pulling out our special family pictures and sharing a little of our testimony online via some digital scrapbooking sites. We invite you to take a glimpse into our lives through some of her pages. She updates the pages regularly, so check back often for new updates and pages...

Follow this link or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.scrapbookflair.com/christieandjoshuasmom

June News

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Thank you so much for your continued prayers and letters of support and encouragement for our ministry with AIM. June has been a very productive month and we are truly blessed to have all of you supporting our ministry!

We went camping with 2 other couples from AIM for Memorial Day weekend, and had a ball as a family -hiking, fishing, kayaking, making smores and talking around the campfire.

We have just returned from an incredible trip to Mexico, and it turned into a real adventure for the kids - especially since it involved 2,500 miles in the car! We left on Saturday 31^st of May and arrived in New Orleans in time to have supper with the AIM Leadership team and the group of trip participants who'd arrived late afternoon. After dinner, we stayed for the group orientation and time of worship, before going to Caf du Monde in the French Quarter for coffee and bignettes with the leadership team. The kids were exhausted after a long day, but impressed us with their great behavior despite it being close to Midnight Georgia time. We slept in a house which was behind in its renovations, so there was no air conditioning and no hot water for the showers. We were tired enough to sleep through anything though, and the 94' F (31' C) temperature felt pretty good after a cold shower

We got to Houston, TX by lunchtime and were incredibly blessed to be able to have lunch with special friends from our Roswell Street Sunday school class who'd moved to Houston a few years ago. After lunch, we continued driving southwards, andthrough Texas. When we arrived at The Gateway (AIM base) in Mexico it was 100'F (34'C) with high humidity and no breeze to cool things down. Once we'd decided on our room (which was way hotter than outside and felt likea preheated oven, they cranked the air conditioning on for us while we escaped back outside - which then felt pretty good! Athol started the training of the summer mission team leaders the next day and was involved with that all afternoon, with another session after dinner. The base director's wife (Shannon)and I clicked immediately, and Christie and her daughter Hannah were inseparable all week. They had a small inflatable pool at their house which was a few minute's walk from the base, so Christie pretty much spent all her time there, playing with Hannah and a young Mexican girl (Jaqui). I would keep Joshua with me and work in one of the offices each morning trying to keep up with my work, and then Shannon would bring the kids back to the base for lunch. After lunch, we'd spend the afternoon on her front porch, talking and drinking cold water to compensate for the extreme heat. We'd go back to the Gateway for supper every evening, and join up with our husbands and staff. It cooled off slightly in the evenings, so Athol and I would sit outside our room after putting the kids down, watch the sunset, and just
talk for hoursa very special time for both of us!

One morning we headed into the Colonia's near Matamoros to visit the ministry sites and pray for the pastors and other ministry partners that the AIM teams would be working with this summer.

Christie and Joshua loved the bumpy roads, and endeared themselves to many of the locals we met within the community.

The base bathrooms had no hot water, and the water was well water, which smelt like sulfur. God sure compensated for the cold water by heating the bathrooms to a slow broil, so you didn't stay cold very long at all! Actually, the cold water felt great, and we'd sometimes shower a few time/day just to cool down and rinse the dust and sweat off. The ground is very dry, and though the wind was great for cooling you down a little, it whipped the dust around something fierce. After training was completed Friday morning, we joined the summer staff on a trip to South Padre Island just over the border in Texas. They guys played soccer on the beach while the girls chilled, and we had great time of fellowship and relaxation before the first mission trip participants were due to arrive on Saturday. After a great meal, which had been grilling all afternoon, we returned to the Gateway around 11pm.

On Saturday, Athol spent one more session of training with the leader team, focusing them on the spiritual battle they would be entering into this summer. They spent time praying for each other, the ministry of the summer mission trips and the participants coming to Mexico this summer. A total of 1100 short term missionaries will be coming to our Mexico base this year.

After lunch the group participants started rolling in from different churches across the States. It was great to be there and be able to welcome each group as they arrived. Dinner was very festive as all the groups got to meet each other and mingle, and was followed by the base and ministry orientation. Following the orientation, we were able to enjoy an incredible time of worship in the tent outside. Christie had already made friends with some teenage girls and was following them like a puppy, even sitting with their group for the orientation and worship. Joshua had endeared himself to most, and was thriving on the attention as he was passed around from one person to another

Sunday we had free time while the project facilitators took their groups of participants on a tour of the ministry sites in Matamoros, and we joined Jonathan, Shannon and their kids on a trip to the market in Matamoros. We had dinner in a small hole-in-the-wall eatery at the market, and the food was outstanding.

This was my first trip to Matamoros, and it really touched me in ways I never expected. Athol and I are prayerfully considering volunteering to be the Ministry Coordinator couple at the Gateway next summer. As MC's, we'd be responsible for the summer work crew, who are teenagers volunteering their summer at the base. They work really hard doing the cooking, cleaning and all the chores around the base. We'd also be in charge of the project facilitators and leaders. Our biggest responsibility, however, would be training and preparing each summer staff member, and discipling each team member throughout the summer. Please join us in praying through this potential opportunity, which will also be a great experience for Christie and Joshua.

Welcome Joshua

Tue, 10 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

We are delighted to announce the arrival of Joshua Steven Barnes, born at 03:08am on 20^th March, 2007. He weighed in at 7 pounds and 1 ounce, and was 20 inches long.

As you can imagine, it has been a rollercoaster week, and we keep pinching ourselves to make sure we're not dreaming - though to be honest, you have to sleep in order to dream, and we haven't had much sleep since Sunday night!

We know that many of you have joined us in praying for a baby brother or sister for Christie, and we give God the glory for answering our prayers! We celebrated our 11 ^th wedding anniversary on Friday 16^th of March, and were blessed with a wonderful weekend in the mountains of North Carolina. We were able to have some incredible family time, and spoke at length about where God is leading us as a family. One of the things we focused on, was Christie's unwavering faith and belief that Jesus was going to give her a brother or sister. She has prayed faithfully every night, and even when saying grace, manages to slip in a "and Jesus, please give us our baby soon." We decided that we needed to be praying just as earnestly, and spent our quiet time on Sunday night praying that God would reveal His plan for our family this week. While in a store after church on Sunday, Christie told us that we needed to buy food and clothes for our baby. We told her that we had to be patient, and that we would buy whatever we needed after we got a baby. She had told us a number of weeks ago, that Jesus was going to give us a baby "on Monday."

Imagine our delight when we received a phone call on Monday afternoon, from the midwife on duty at the hospital where Christie was born, saying that a 16 year old had come in with no adoption plans, and wanted to give her baby up for adoption. Because it was an African-American family, she wanted permission to show the family our adoption profile. We told her that race has never been an issue for us, and that it's not about us, but about the love and life we could provide for another child. She said she was going to give them our profile, but that it was then out of her hands and up to the family to decide. I called Athol immediately, and told him about the call, and we both started praying earnestly. We prayed that if this was the child that God has chosen for us, that He would make it clear to us immediately, and if not, then he would close the door, and allow us to continue searching for our chosen child. Even from the time of the midwife's call, we had both experienced an enormous sense of peace, and knew that this was of God. Athol went cycling after getting home from work, and prayed the entire time. When he got home, he said that he had asked God to give us an answer before midnight.

Just after 7:20pm, the phone rang once, and stopped immediately. My first thought was that it was someone trying to work up the courage to call, and dashed for the phone when it started ringing again a few moments later. It was the young girl's mother, saying that she'd read our profile, and would love to meet us. We were in the car and headed for the hospital a short while later. We bonded immediately, and told her that we'd be honored to be the adoptive parents, if she chose us. She said she loved our profile, and would like us to have the baby. She herself had a 1 year old child, and financially, they couldn't afford to keep the baby. We were able to look after her child, while she spent time with her daughter, Jasmine, and support her until she was settled after her epidural. The midwife told us that Jasmine wasn't progressing well in labor, and that it was going to be a long night. We then decided to go home, and get Christie to bed so that she could go to school in the morning. We arrived home after midnight, and the wait began! The ultrasonographer had been unable to tell whether this was going to be a girl or a boy, and this just added to our excitement. Driving home, we started thinking about names, and immediately decided on Joshua Steven if it was a boy. Athol insisted that this was a boy, and refused to help me find a girl's name, no matter how many names I threw at him - which was very annoying!!!

Athol managed to fall asleep, but I lay awake waiting for the phone to ring. It finally rang just after 3:30am, and we found out that we'd just had a son. I was beside myself with joy, and all Athol could say was "I told you so!" Athol went back to sleep, while I dashed into the bonus room, and started calling our family in South Africa, who are ahead of us by 6 hours. The phone started ringing almost immediately, as the news spread among the family, and it was so special to see everyone share our joy and excitement.

What a joy it was to wake Christie up for school, and to tell her that she had a baby brother! Her eyes were still closed, but she was grinning from ear to earAfter taking her to school, Athol and I were at Walmart buying baby supplies. As soon as our attorney's office opened, we called to get the paperwork moving. We were dying to see baby Joshua, but weren't allowed to see him until all the paperwork was in place, and before he was discharged from the hospital. As news of Joshua's birth spread, people started arriving with baby things, and we have been incredibly blessed and spoilt!

Wednesday saw the first hiccup, as our new attorney seemed unsure of herself, and we found ourselves talking her through the adoption process. She had still not called the social worker at the hospital, and we were told by the midwife that the hospital staff were encouraging the birth mother to contact an adoption agency, who could be at the hospital within an hour. We were very frustrated, and insisted she call both the birth family and the hospital right away. We were then told that Joshua had been cleared for discharge, and that we needed to come to the hospital with our attorney to get the paperwork signed, and to bring the car seat ready to bring him home. Athol picked Christie up from school early, and we headed to Marietta, to review the paperwork with the attorney. We then headed to the hospital, and had to sit and wait while all the paperwork was signed, basically saying that Jasmine relinquished all her parental rights, and had transferred custody of Joshua to us. While Christie and Athol waited in the hospital lobby, the attorney and I were allowed into the nursery, where we were given our discharge instructions. What a joy it was to walk out of the elevator and watch their faces light up as they saw Joshua for the first time.

Please continue to pray for us, as the birth mother has 10 days to change her mind, and this 10 day period expires on the 2^nd of April. We have no doubt that Joshua is our chosen baby, but would still appreciate your prayers. Please also pray for Jasmine and her family - while we experience the joy of Joshua's birth, they suffer the heartbreak and loss of giving up their baby

As you can see from the pictures, he has Christie's coloring and hair, and we think he is just gorgeous. Christie has fallen into her role of big sister like a pro, and just adores her baby brother, as do we. Joshua is an incredibly content baby, and only cries with diaper changes and when he's hungry - just like Christie was as a baby. We were at the pediatrician for our first appointment this morning - he has regained his birth weight, and got an all clear from the doctor.

We are headed to Philadelphia and Washington DC as planned this coming week, and will be traveling as a family of 4, instead of a family of 3. I have been given 8 weeks of maternity leave, and can take as much as 12 weeks off if I need to. Unfortunately our budget won't allow me to be off that long, but I will definitely stay home for the 8 weeks. We are now praying earnestly about my job situation, and are praying that God will lead us to something I can do from home.

Thanks again for all your prayers, and words of encouragement. We serve a mighty God, who knows the desires of our hearts. He has been so good to us! Blessed be the Name of the Lord!!!

All our love

Athol, Debbie, Christie, and baby Joshua

Debbie on Mission to New Orleans

Wed, 14 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT

I was privileged enough to join an AIM Ladies Trip to New Orleans from the 18th- 21st of January. This was my 4th trip to the city since Hurricane Katrina, and though it's good to see the progress made with rebuilding, it remains devastating to see how much work still remains, and to meet so many people still affected by the hurricane.

Whilst in it's planning stages, this trip had about 15 ladies signed up, but as the day of departure arrived, it had dwindled to a mere 6 women. Satan did his best to thwart the trip entirely, and we left Gainesville amid an ice-storm early that Thursday morning.

Up front, I will admit that I wished I was one of the ladies who'd managed to wrangle her way out of the trip, and felt annoyed that I'd had to cram my nursing shifts into the beginning of the week. I felt resentful that I was going to be missing my weekend with Athol and Christie, especially since our busy schedules seem to rob us of family time together. Nevertheless, Athol persevered, drove slowly on cold and icy streets, loaded me, my overnight bag and sleeping bag into the AIM van, and then merrily waved us on our way.

The weather changed over from freezing rain to a steady misty drizzle as we headed south, so the trip down took us a good 9 1/2 hours. Thursday evening we were treated with a delicious chicken chowder soup, made by Elizabeth, our host and set-up person for the weekend. We then made our sleeping arrangementssnorers in one room and non-snorers in the other, padded our hard cots with as many blankets as we could find, and fell into bed exhausted.

We were up bright and early Friday morning for personal devotions, and then came together for group devotions after breakfast. After making and packing our lunches, we headed for "The Dwelling Place", run by Mark Drouin and his Inner City Ministries. While a line of people gathered outside, we prepared the shed for food distribution, and laid out some tracts, Christian reading materials, and devotional books. While some of our group worked in the shed, Karen and I helped people sign in, and helped some first-timers fill out their application forms. Others milled around and spoke with some of the locals, allowing them time to share their stories, and any prayer requests/needs. Even though it was freezing cold, we had a good turnout of people, and we thoroughly enjoyed this time of ministry.

We ate lunch in the van, and after a time of prayer and sharing, headed for the Lower 9th Ward, the area which sustained the worst damage following Hurricane Katrina. Most of the homes destroyed have been bulldozed, and empty streets now wind through where lives were lived, and children played. A few damaged homes remain, where the owners have refused to allow the bulldozers in, but they stand as they did immediately following the hurricane. After touring the area, and praying for those who'd lived there, we headed for the French Quarter, where we enjoyed a time of fellowship over late afternoon coffee and bignettes at the famous Caf du Monde. After dinner, we had an evening debrief, and a time of sharing. By this time, I was feeling terribly guilty about my attitude to the whole trip, and shared exactly how I was feeling. I was more honest than I expected to be, and shared how I'd felt intimidated by the thought that I'd be "shown-up" by being thrown together with a group of Godly and spiritual women. I was very touched when everyone came and stood around me, praying for me, and my spiritual walk. It was an incredible evening, and we fell into bed exhausted, yet again.

We were up even earlier Saturday morning, and again had personal devotions, breakfast, then group devotions.

Next, we headed to the Vierre Carre Baptist church in the heart of the French Quarter. Here, some of us helped prepare the hot meal to be served, others sorted clothes, and others made goodie bags filled with hygiene and personal care items. Once the doors were opened, the small room downstairs was filled to overflowing, as mostly homeless people rushed in to get out of the bitter cold outside. No longer feeling so intimidated by the thought of sharing with people, I milled around and met some interesting people, with fascinating, and heartbreaking stories.

The one which stands out most in my mind was Mike, who allowed me to take his picture, so that I could continue praying for him once I got home. Mike was a heroin addict for over 15 years, and has been clean since Sept 2006. He first came to the Vierre Carre church in September, and has been coming every week since. Each week, he is one of many, who get a shower, clean clothes, and a hot meal. Following the hot meal, those who stay for the worship and church service get a goodie bag filled with a sandwich, chips, socks, and personal hygiene items. Mike comes from a Christian family, who live in California, and he hasn't seen or heard from them in over 7 years. He now works part-time with race-horses on a farm just outside the city. He has left heroin, but is now struggling with alcohol addiction. I was able to use the analogy of a race-horse heading for the finish line, and told him to think of the church, its pastor, and God's Word as his "blinkers" allowing him to focus on the finish line, where his family stood praying for him to come home. He seemed to like that thought, and I was able to pray for him, and encourage him.

After serving over 250 hot meals, and enjoying the worship part of the church service, we slipped out and headed for the inner city, filled with housing projects and a lot of gang-related violence. We met with a woman who runs "Grime and Roses", a ministry aimed at cleaning up and beautifying the streets of the inner city. We spent the afternoon picking up trash from the streets and vacant lots, and then gathered for a memorial service honoring a 19 year old who'd been killed in the area a few weeks before. Following the service, we planted a rose in his memory. The rose would normally be planted at the actual murder site, but since this was on a concrete sidewalk, we were able to plant the rose in one of the local gardens. The lady who volunteered her garden was a lovely Christian lady, and a mighty prayer warrior for the neighborhood. Someone from the BBC World News was there for the rose planting, and we were featured in the Monday edition of the BBC World News report, which was really neat.

While we were cleaning the streets, we heard sirens nearby, and found out afterwards that 2 people had been murdered 2 blocks away. We are grateful for God's protection while we were there.

In conclusion, the trip was an incredible blessing, and I thoroughly enjoyed it after straightening up my attitude and allowing God to work through me. This was my first solo trip (i.e. without Athol), and it made me realize just how much I would love to be more involved with the trips he leads, and with his work at AIM. We are now praying about how we can make this happenor rather how God can make this work

Family Prayer Requests :

New financial supporters and prayer partners

Wisdom for Athol as he directs the setup for 240 mission trips for over 6000 people.

Protection as we travel to inner city areas of Denver, New Orleans, DC, Philadelphia, in the next few weeks

New Orleans Prayer Requests:

Continued salvation for the people of N.O.

Workers to rebuild the churches

Decrease in inner-city crime

Quick financial relief those wishing to stay and rebuild

Physical & mental health of our ministry leaders and partners

End of 2006 newsletter

Wed, 27 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Dear Friends and prayer warriors

As I start this newsletter, it is early Christmas morning, and even Christie is still asleep. It is cold and raining outside, and winter seems to have finally arrived. It has been a warm December here in Georgia, not that I am complaining though, since I'm not a big fan of the cold - unlike Debbie, who'd love nothing better than to have it snow every day in winter

Looking back on 2006, and reading through my devotional journal, I am overwhelmed by all that God has done this past year. Obviously, the disaster recovery and subsequent revival in New Orleans was the biggest part of our lives this year - prior to Hurricane Katrina, I had never been to New Orleans, but now I am practically a local!

But what else happened in 2006?

I became a US citizen, and Debbie is just waiting for her swearing in/naturalization ceremony.

My Grandmother and most faithful prayer warrior went home to be with the Lord.

We celebrated our 10^th Wedding Anniversary in March.

We were blessed with a visit from Debbie's aunt and uncle (Colleen and Gareth) from South Africa. They are faithful prayer warriors, and an inspiration to us as a family.

Christie started school (Pre-K), and absolutely loves it.

I moved into the position of Director of Project Management, at AIM.

Debbie and Christie got to experience a mission trips first hand with me in New Orleans.

Debbie's mom was able to spend the whole summer with Debbie and Christie in Gainesville, while I spent the summer in New Orleans.

We were blessed with the gift of a once-in-a-lifetime vacation to Mexico and Florida

As a family, we are earnestly praying about adopting another child, and have had a few close calls over the last few months. As each situation unfolded, and then fell through, we were filled with a sense of peace, knowing that God was in control. His timing is perfect, and only He knows what is best for us, and the precious life that will join our family.

2006 flew by in a blur, and as Stuart White, a close friend said to me recently, "natural disasters will do that to you!" I have also grown so much in the past year, and was forced to relinquish all control of many situations into God's hands. How amazing to then see how miraculously He worked, and had been working all along. I met and worked alongside so many incredibly inspiring people, who are totally abandoned to Jesus. People that are real and no longer live for self - some had lost everything, while others had given it all away.

This week marks my two year anniversary with AIM, and I've seen many changes in the past year. Many times during this year I have had the privilege of sitting in leadership meetings, where we have been struggling and praying over a certain issue or problem. Suddenly, the wisdom of the Lord enters the meeting and the light bulbs go on. Frowns turn to smiles and we are immediately praising God for the answer to prayer and the miraculous orchestration of events. That is exciting!

AIM has been described as "a discipleship agency disguised as a missions organization." This has proved true, as I've seen so many young people (and older folk too), grow in their walk with the Lord and take that next leap of faith.

So what lies ahead? I don't know. I do know that it won't ever be boring!!! God is moving all over the world, even in places we haven't yet looked at, mobilizing His army, beginning the harvest. I have taken down the New Orleans posters in my office, not because the work there is complete, but because that was a stepping stone for me personally, and an even bigger training ground. I am excited about the future - working with a good team of leaders who understand that God is doing something big, and that we are privileged to be used by Him.

Recently I visited another organization that focuses on unreached people groups, both here in the US and internationally. We have formed a partnership, whereby we will mobilize teams of missionaries to their short term mission trips. It opened my eyes to a whole new dimension of short term missions, one that only God could bring together.

In closing here are some interesting statistics from the Joshua Project: http://www.joshuaproject.net/

Global Statistics
Peoples-by-Country		Individuals
Total	15,817	6.50 billion
Unreached / Least-Reached	6,505	2.60 billion
% Unreached / Least-Reached	41.10%	40.10%

10/40 Window Total	6,702	3.98 billion
10/40 Window Least-Reached	5,016	2.25 billion
10/40 Window % Least-Reached	74.80%	56.60%

	Count
Affinity Blocs	16
People Clusters	240
Peoples (without reference to countries)	9,597

As a family we look forward to new adventures together. Debbie will be going on her first solo mission trip in three weeks time. It is an AIM wives mission trip to New Orleans. Please pray that they will be blessed as they in turn bless the people in New Orleans. We as a family are planning to lead at least one mission trip next year, and are blessed to be able to expose Christie to serving the Lord at an early age.

Thank you all for your prayers and support over the last two years. We definitely wouldn't be here in Gainesville, Georgia, if it wasn't for your faithful prayers and encouragement. May you all experience God's richest blessing in 2007.

Athol

Prayer requests:

For wisdom in leadership.

For protection while traveling.

For God to bless us with another child through adoption.

For spiritual growth and desire for God, individually and as a family.

For financial support for our ministry.

Final Thought.

2 Corinthians 2:12-17

When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, 13 my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia. 14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.

This aroma of the love of Christ in the sacrificial service of the missionary may please God, but it does not please everybody. This aroma divides the world. We must always be aware of the fact that, whether we are witnessing on the street corner or sitting in a crowded coffee shop, we are the "Aroma of Christ"

September 2006 prayer letter

Sat, 23 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

It's hard to believe that Saturday marks the first official day of autumn here in the USA, and that the summer of 2006 is almost behind us. For those of you receiving this letter as your first newsletter from us, welcome to our prayer warrior team

How do we even begin to describe what an incredible summer it's been? Some of you may have kept up with all the news and Athol's blog, which was updated weekly. For those of you who didn't, you can still visit the blog, view pictures, and read all (or some) of the updates and newsletters that we posted. We have both seen God's hand at work and have grown in our faith, as we have seen and experienced all that He has done.

My mom arrived in May, and was here for the 11 weeks that Athol was away in New Orleans. What a blessing it was to have her caring for Christie, and to have another adult in the house while he was away. She left on the 28^th of August, and arrived home safely in South Africa on the 29^th.

Fortunately, Athol was able to come home for a night or two every 10 days to 2 weeks, which made the separation somewhat bearable. My mom, Christie and I were able to go to New Orleans for the Fathers' Day weekend in June, and although Athol remained incredibly busy, we were able to spend some quality family time together. A friend at my work blessed us incredibly by giving us 3 return tickets to New Orleans (compliments of her husband, a Delta pilot), so we were even able to make a second trip in July, to visit and catch up on some family time.

Athol arrived home for good on the 12^th of August, and the annual AIM staff conference started on the 17^th. After being apart for so long, we weren't about to be separated again, so we tagged along and camped at the Mocassin Creek State Park nearby. After a time of worship on the Friday evening, Athol was presented with the MVP (annual, "most valuable player") award, which he received along with a standing ovation. We were really humbled when AIM presented our family with an all-inclusive, all-expenses paid vacation to Cancun, Mexico, in appreciation for the sacrifices we'd made as a family this summer. It is hard not to feel guilty; when you are awarded for doing something that the Lord already blesses you for doing.

We left home at 3:30am on the 6^th of September, and were at the resort in Cancun in time for a late lunch. What a glorious few days this proved to be! We were blessed with incredible weather, and even better family time. We took an all-day Mayan Adventure tour, and got to snorkel over a reef just off the Riviera, and then in some Secret Jungle Caverns. Following the caverns dive, we were given a traditional Mexican lunch, served on a local farm. We then closed off the day with some snorkeling in some Sacred Mayan Cenote (sinkholes).

God's blessings didn't end here! While in New Orleans, Athol got to work again with a worship leader who'd lead worship on the 3 previous mission trips that Athol had led, Ivy mentioned a couple in his home church, who had bought a beach house and made it into a guest house/retreat/place of rest, for people involved in ministry and missions. Instead of flying home from Cancun, we flew into Orlando, and then drove down to this house in Melbourne Beach. If we'd thought Cancun was paradise, then this house was a little slice of heaven! Ed and Jeanne, who own the house and live in a home on the same property, couldn't have made it any more luxurious, yet comfortable, welcoming, and filled with the love of the Lord! We even had our own pool, and Christie had a ball feeding the fish and turtle in the lake in front of the house. I took over 700 pictures (thank goodness for digital camera's!!!), and will share a few of them with you. We enjoyed beautiful sunsets on our own dock on the Indian River, and watched manatees and porpoises as they swam and played nearby. What a special gift this week was, as we explored the Brevard zoo, Sebastian Inlet, Pelican Reserve, etc. Saturday night we went to church with Ivy and Wendy, and then out to dinner with a number of people from the church, including Ed and Jeanne, who made us feel so welcome.

After 12 days of the best vacation we've ever had, we arrived home on Sunday, and are still trying to get back into the swing of real life and work again.

I mentioned my not-so-reliable car in a number of recent newsletters, and God answered our prayers for a new one - yet another blessing in a month of many, many blessings! Close friends in our Sunday-school class called Athol just before our vacation, and said that they were buying a new family car; did we want their old one? What a question! They worked out some financing which was very generous of their part, and fitted into our budget. So, I now drive a minivan, and can drive above 60mph without my teeth rattling, and wondering when next I was going to need the AAA With that said, does anyone want to buy a slightly used Ford Focus, with only 120 000 miles on it?

Athol and I spent a lot of time talking and praying about the future. It has been a momentous year and it almost feels anti-climactic, to return to the same routine we were in before the fateful day of August 29 2005, when Katrina struck. Well for Athol the answer didn't take long to come. AIM's director of project management and Mexico has stepped out of that role and Athol has been asked to take over the entire project management department. (Setup department) He knew it was coming, but would have liked a little more time to get familiar with some of the financial systems. He will be responsible for all of the mission trip locations worldwide (somewhere in the region of 40 or 50) including locations such as Peru, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Ghana, and of course South Africa. Amongst them there will be at least seven different locations in Mexico. Athol has assured me that even though he will be traveling a lot, the trips will be short and we will work around my work schedule. He already has four two day trips planned for next month: Virginia, Denver, New Orleans and Matamoros in Mexico.

Just prior to leaving for New Orleans in May, the Lord gave us the verse that would be the theme for all our summer work in New Orleans, which was Isaiah 58 v 12. We get an email everyday from an organization called Daily Manna from the Net. And two days ago, Athol got the following reading:

"Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings". Isaiah 58:9-12 NIV

It is so refreshing to look at the entire passage and be hit by something fresh and new. Our work is not over yet and there is much to be done. We praise God for the opportunity to rest and be refreshed and then to hear Him speak to us so clearly. It truly is exhilarating to walk by faith and not by sight.

May God bless you all and thank you so much for your continued prayers.

Over but not complete

Wed, 23 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Dear Prayer warriors.

The past three weeks flew buy at a frantic pace and I realize that an update is way overdue.

I am in the process of gathering my thoughts and trying to take in all that happened over the last three months, and even this last year. As we are a week away from the one year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina many people are looking back at what happened, but also realizing that there is a very long road ahead for the local people.

Our final two mission trips went exceptionally well; we had 171 people on the last trip which was one of our smallest weeks. Our leadership team finished strong and served with excellence, even though they were so very tired. I saw our leaders give more than they had to give, and walking in the strength that only comes from complete reliance on God. We had to constantly keep in mind that even though this was our last mission trip of the ten this summer, it was the very first for our participants.

Isaiah 40 v 31

But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.

Personally it was a very tiring week. There was a lot to undo and pack away. I had to say goodbye to a lot of wonderful people we had worked alongside in the city. I was really blessed to have Mike Anderson come back to the city for a few days to help pack and get a lot of our supplies back to Gainesville. And I know that the hardest part of his trip to New Orleans was the nine hours spent in the same vehicle as a staunch UGA supporter. But I know he will be particularly blessed for enduring such suffering. Seriously though, we had an enormous amount of logistics to undo and things to close out, before I could come home. We saw Gods hand at work in this process as well, and He allowed the entire process to go extremely well.

One of my biggest concerns was the return of the rental vehicles we had been using in the city; we had two trucks and two minivans. We averaged five thousand miles on each vehicle over eleven weeks and the vehicles were driven on some of the roughest roads you can find. I ran each of the vehicles through a carwash before handing them in and then prayed. The rental company representative went over the vehicles and declared that there was no need to charge us for any repairs. This was a miracle. But looking back on the summer we had so many miraculous events, we came to expect it and simply smile at each other knowingly. Some of the obvious miracles we tend to overlook were the ones of protection for all the people working in the city.

We drove a total of 100 000 miles in 15 vehicles without a single accident.
Our participants probably drove more than that with their traveling from all parts of the country, and also no accidents.
We had people from cooler northern states working in 100+ degree heat indices, and we only had two minor cases of heat exhaustion.
We had 12 year olds and older gutting houses every day, with hand tools and a lot of enthusiasm, and we had no injuries.
We prayer walked in some of the most infamous areas of the country, places where the National Guard was being shot at, and we had absolutely no hint of trouble.

We serve a mighty and an awesome God, every one of our prayers was answered.

On the final Thursday night we had our cookout at Ray Avenue Baptist church. It was well attended and including most of our teams we must have had close to 300 people there. It was an evening of joy and celebration. There was hope in the community, where previously there had been despair. We had a time of worship and then we prayed for the church members. Pastor Brown was struggling with the fact that we were leaving, he was understandably apprehensive about the future. But he understood that now it was his time and the community needed him to continue the work and to continue to walk the streets of his neighborhood in prayer.

I talked to him yesterday, and he told me that they are going to keep on having the Thursday night outreach, and that he was committed to walking the streets around the church in prayer. He was and still is a tremendous symbol of strength and courage. He is giving the people hope, he is walking with them and through his testimony many people in the previously drug ridden area, are coming to know the Lord. I pray that we will see other pastors, and church members, all over the world, understand that the streets around our own churches are the mission field we are called to serve in.

I came home last week and went straight into our annual staff conference. It was a time of spiritual refreshment and prayer. It was great to reconnect with staff from all over the world, and to hear there stories. At the conference it was announced that the Director of Project Management will be stepping down, and that I would be taking his place. That would mean that I would be responsible for the setup of all the short term missions across the globe. I am currently too tired to even think about the new responsibility, and will have a few months of training and restructuring ahead of me. At the staff conference Debbie and I were recognized, for our hard work and sacrifices over the past year. I was given the MVP award for the year, and we were blessed with a three day and four night vacation to Mexico. And to tag onto that, one of our friends and supporters has arranged a house on the beach for us to use for a week in Florida.

We have been blessed.

I have so much to say, and so much to still process, but suffice to say that this past year has been the most incredible experience of my life. To see God working every day in ordinary and extraordinary ways has increased my faith tenfold. We are by no means finished with the mission field of New Orleans; there are still many years of ministry there. I am planning a large vision trip for the fall, and we are having people sign up for the next year already.

Please keep praying for us as we look to the next mountain. I don't know what the Lord has in store for us in the coming year, but if this past year was a training ground, (and I believe it was) then we are in for some exciting times.

Thank you for your prayers

God bless you

Athol, Debbie and Christie

Good News from New Orleans

Fri, 28 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Dear Prayer warriors.

At the end of another week of ministry, we are all becoming aware that the end of our summer mission trips is only a few weeks away. I am beginning to look beyond the summer to our long term plan for mission teams to the city of New Orleans. I have two staff members coming from Gainesville tomorrow, one of whom plans to relocate to New Orleans. We plan to spend the next few days planning and praying about the future of the ministry here. I feel very strongly that we have only just begun the fight for the city. There is so much more to what we are doing here than simply cleaning up and rebuilding. None of the repairs or rebuilding we are doing will be here in forty or fifty years time. What we are really focusing on is the spiritual battle for the city and to see the Kingdom of Heaven reign in the city of New Orleans. We have seen thousands of people come to the city in the last two months and have been privileged to be a part of the biggest single relief effort ever in the history of the US. But that won't mean a thing if we leave in three weeks time and the local church is not able to pick up and carry on where we have left off.

We have partnered with many local churches but one of the greatest success stories has been our partnership with the Ray Avenue Baptist church. This church, under the leadership of Pastor Brown, was one of twelve churches in a small area on the east side of New Orleans. This area was well known as an area that was infested with drug trafficking and violent crime. We have seen a miraculous transformation in the community over the last five weeks. Ray Avenue church is the only church currently open in the area, and we hold weekly cookouts there. We have seen the numbers grow at our Thursday evening meetings from 50 to over 250 last week. It has been so good to be a part of seeing a community reconnect and begin sharing their stories of the past year with one another. As we drive around the streets we are welcomed, people regularly wave at us and stop our vehicles to talk and ask for prayer. A few days ago, one of our prayer walking teams stopped at a house and spent some time praying with an elderly lady living there. As they were standing there ten different people from the street came up to them and asked for prayer. They spent over two hours sharing and praying with people.

The area I have focused our attention on, Holly Grove, is beginning to buzz with activity. We are seeing families coming back and there are children playing in the streets. This is so good to see in an area that was formerly a hub for gang violence and criminal activity. There is definite hope in the streets and people feel safe, for the first time in a long time.

Even amongst our team of leaders there is a feeling of excitement and joy as they walk the streets with the teams and share the vision of a city transformed by God's grace. Our team leaders are tired and have had to put up with some interesting challenges. But through it all they have grown and developed into excellent leaders. As we look towards the last two weeks, we are praying that we finish strong and that we don't simply get through the summer, but that we strive to lead with excellence. It is only by the grace and strength of God, that we have been able to do anything this summer. I believe that the biggest miracle of all is that our team has been able to lead so consistently and even though they grew weary, God used us in spite of our weakness.

The city is changing; I am seeing more and more private construction vehicles. A sign that some people do have some money to repair the damages. The devastation is still enormous and overwhelming, but there is hope. One of our ministry partners is a yard cleanup ministry called Beacon of Hope. I have attached below a letter from their director. A little effort spent cleaning up a few yards can make a huge difference to the people's mindset and gives that little encouragement to keep them going.

This weekend marks the end of the Good News camp, we have been working this week to breakdown tents and clean up the parking lot that for ten months was a distribution center and a volunteer housing facility. This small area at the bottom end of city park has been witness to many miracles. Hundreds of thousands of meals have been served, many people have accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior, and almost twenty thousand volunteers from all over the world have stayed there. I was speaking to the founder of the organization, Jerry Davis, this morning as he was franticly running around organizing volunteers. He told me that they had never intended to stay more than three months, but after the outpouring of volunteers, they kept the tents up. We have seen the Body of Christ come together across denominational boundaries and be a part of something bigger than what anyone could have imagined. The local church is starting to come back and pick up where the disaster relief ministries have left off. Many churches are opening distribution centers and offering meals to the public.

Please continue to pray for the city of New Orleans, and for us as we plan to continue mobilizing armies of Christians to come and share the gospel and love of Jesus with those in need. I have confirmed a partnership with a local church that is going to continue housing up to four hundred volunteers for the next five years.

Due to my constant traveling and focus on the ministry in the gulf coast, our financial support has dropped significantly. Currently we are about $5000 behind for this year. Breaking it down, we need five people to commit to $20 per week. Please be in prayer for us as we seek to raise more support. And if the Lord is leading you to support us in ministry, please email me or use the contact details below.

Thank you for your prayers, please continue to pray for all of our team here in New Orleans.

God bless you

Athol

A busy week of miracles

Wed, 19 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Dear Prayer warriors.

It is Tuesday already, and the weeks continue to fly on by. Last week was a full week with visitors coming and going. First, I had Seth Barnes spend two days with us, to check in and get an overview of the ministry. Seth is the founder of Adventures in Missions.

The day he left, Mike Anderson, my employer prior to joining AIM in 2004, and Stuart White, our Sunday school teacher and fellow deacon at Roswell Street Baptist, arrived to see first hand what the Lord is doing here in New Orleans. Both are special friends and have been used by God as a tremendous influence in our lives since moving to the United States. We spent an incredible 2 days together, and they were able to see how God is moving in such a mighty way in New Orleans.

We have seen the Lord at work through some incredible miracles over the last 2 weeks, and have seen Him clearly orchestrate events and situations. I shared with our leaders on Sunday that we had all witnessed miracles, and that we should be expecting God to show up in supernatural ways during the weeks ahead. Two days later, I met Seth at the airport and he handed me a book saying that God told him to give me that book. He was reading it on the plane and got to page 123 and knew that this was a message for our team. The paragraph is talking about Matthew 11 v 20-24, where Jesus is talking about the mighty works that were done in Chorazin and Bethsaida, and their refusal to repent. The author wrote the following in 2003, well before Hurricane Katrina:

"But there is another message contained in the story. Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom would have repented had they been exposed to the same miracles. This is a promise for today. Miracles on the streets of the "sin cities" of the world will cause them to repent the San Francisco's, the Amsterdam's, the New Orleans and the Rio's of this world, will repent.if there is an army of saints, walking their streets, caring for the broken, bringing the God of Power into their impossible circumstances. They would repent! They simply await those with the message of the kingdom to come."

God really spoke to me through that. We are His army here - we are only the first wave of troops, but He is working through us to bring the city to repentance. What an awesome privilege!

While Seth was here, we visited our different ministry sites and partners. I have always worked with Seth as the CEO of AIM and have never seen him in "ministry mode". It was so refreshing to see him walking around and seeking out people to pray for, and leading people to the Lord. He has such a passion to disciple and teach the youth participants, and it was good for me to see that, and be reminded of why we are here.

During our final meeting we discussed plans and strategies for the future in New Orleans. I feel strongly that we need to have a long term approach to the ministry here in the city and not just focus on getting through the summer. The spiritual battle for this area is going to be long and the church cannot afford to give up now. So we are looking at establishing a long term base and ministry platform that will take us into the next five years. Please will you pray for all of us as we seek God's will and direction for the future.

The day that Seth left, Mike and Stuart arrived. It is so difficult to explain to someone all that is happening here, and I was anxious that they would be able to get a small glimpse of what God is doing in the short time they were here.

We started off by going on a tour of some of the devastated areas, allowing them to get a glimpse of the magnitude of the damage. After that we had dinner at Good News relief and distribution center. The food there is typical relief food and what tasted like chicken turned out to be tuna. So the term "chuna" was created. I eat at the different relief and distribution centers most nights, and have decided that no chuna is good chuna

The next day I had them partner with one of the ministry teams and they spent the morning gutting a house. After lunch they joined another team on a prayer walking and ministry time in the Holly Grove area. They spent the afternoon sharing the gospel with workers and residents, and had the joy of leading people to the Lord. The next day we went to our base in Mississippi, and spent some time encouraging and praying for the base directors, Rob and Kim.

It was so good to have them here, and to let them see first hand all that is going on. It is so difficult to put into words all that is happening, and the newsletters are too short to really express all that has happened each week. So, to have people see first hand what is going on, and to be able to share with others back home the vision of the ministry, is really a blessing.

We have a little under four weeks to go before our last group leaves, and I am challenging our leaders to end strong and to keep the momentum they have built up to the end. They are incredible young leaders and we have seen their leadership skills develop weekly. I have a few specific prayer requests:

We are still looking for housing for about 60 students for the last two weeks of the summer, since one of our ministry partners is closing down their relief center.
Please pray for the health of our leaders, there has been a flu type of infection that has plagued our team.
Please pray for me and the AIM leadership as we hear from the Lord about the future of the ministry in New Orleans.
And for continued safety for all of our leaders and teams. (one of the national guard captains mentioned that he had been shot at three times and that the gang members are being promoted if they kill a policeman or a guardsman.)

Thank you for your ongoing prayers and support.

Athol

The spiritual battle intensified

Mon, 10 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Dear Prayer warriors.

Another week has flown by and we have so many stories to tell, that I will copy some of the better reports from our participants onto the end of this letter. We have seen God work in incredible ways over the past week.

Our leadership team has done extremely well in learning the logistics of two hundred to two hundred and fifty people coming to New Orleans each week. They are starting to feel comfortable with the role they are in and are all extremely competent leaders. Last Saturday during our debriefing time, I challenged them to step up now and become the true spiritual leaders of their mission teams. AIM encourages all project leaders to realize that they are the spiritual leaders of their groups, and as such they are responsible for encouraging the participants to step out in faith and stretch themselves spiritually.

Three days later seven of us had individual experiences that were all very similar. Ranging from nightmares, to waking up feeling that there was an evil presence in the room. This all happened a little after midnight at three different locations. We immediately turned to the Lord in prayer and were able to return to sleep peacefully. It wasn't until two days later that we put this all together during a team meeting. The connection was clear, we had raised the level of the spiritual battle, and the enemy had done the same. We were encouraged that obviously we were making an impact and that satan was not pleased with our renewed level of commitment to pray for and evangelize the city. One of the devastated areas that I have been focusing on was an area of the city where seventy percent of the population was practicing voodoo and witchcraft. So it is no surprise that we are being challenged. The greatest part of this all is the realization that Jesus has already won the victory and that these battles are minor skirmishes.

On Thursday we attended a combined meeting for all the youth mission teams in the city at First Baptist Church of New Orleans. It was such a blessing to see over six hundred young people attending, many of whom had traveled over two days to come to the hurricane affected area and to help in the rebuilding of the city.

The week was a difficult one and even though the ministry seemed to go relatively smoothly, we were all drained at the end of the week. On the weekend, we had a visiting speaker come and address our team and we divided into prayer teams and spent about two hours praying for one another. It was a great time of renewal and refreshment. I was particularly challenged to pray daily for my team and their spiritual health. We have six more weeks to go and I am praying that we all stay spiritually fresh and attentive to the Lord's voice.

I came home to Gainesville on Monday and we were able to spend independence day together as a family. This was the first year that neither Debbie nor I were working on the fourth of July since moving to America. It was also my first as an American citizen. I will be returning to New Orleans on Friday, and have so much to do in a few days. One of my projects is to redo the kitchen floor, since it had to be removed as a result of our freezer mishap. Just what I needed - some mindless physical labor!

Please read the trip reports below and be in prayer for all of us and the mission team participants who are still to come to the city. God is doing some incredible miracles daily and we need to give Him all the Glory.

Please read and signup for updates on my blog; http://atholbarnes.myadventures.org/

God bless you

Athol Barnes

7/5/2006 By: Tim Wright, Youth leader

Rock River Christian Center- Rock Falls , IL

Where to start! As a youth leader on a mission trip, it has been humbling to see these kids "get it". All the time studying, the weeks of home work in discipleship, hours of prayer, wow, God has worked miracles in these kids lives.

We started off the day handing out fliers for "feed the multitudes". Random people who need prayer. My kids got to pray with some of them.

We then loaded up and went to the festival, and God answered my personal prayer, we were asked to be in the prayer tent. I got to watch as my youth talked and prayed with people. I watched several of them move out of their comfort zones to serve God.

The best part of the totally awesome day was the last alter call, about 20-30 people went forward. I ran to get my kids so they could see and participate in the fruits of all their prayers and service. We formed a semi circle around them as they prayed and at the end we greeted them into the Kingdom of God! As I tear up thinking about this I KNOW God rocked my kids' world today!

I prayed for a couple of men today that God guided me to and it is incredible to be distraction free and hearing God guide me.

It's easy to preach it, harder to live it continually, and impossible to do it ourselves.

Cafeteria man

6/30/2006 By: Lisa Nicky, leader

Bloomingdale Church

Our group asked the Holy Spirit to speak to us during an exercise called "ATL" (Ask the Lord). Each student was asked to pray and then listen to the still small voice of God. One student, Heather, had a vision of running water which became dirtier and dirtier. Another student, Alex, remembered a homeless person on a bench at "Good News" (a New Orleans relief base) and felt strongly that he needed to minister to the homeless man. Alberto, for his prayer time "asking the Lord", felt he needed to prayer walk with Alex. As they walked, the students felt they should turn left. They saw on their left a large abandoned compound with a chain-link fence surrounding it. The fence was locked, however Alberto had a strong urge to go in. As they returned from their ATL prayer walk, Alberto felt God telling him to "close his eyes and trust in Him". Lisa, Alberto and Alex's youth leader, sensed God telling her to break down a wall or barrier. But, "Why? Where?" So, after asking the Lord individually, the group came back together and divided up according to what they heard from God. Alex, Alberto and Lisa decided to stay and return to the abandoned building. Heather asked Lisa twice why she had a vision of running water getting dirtier and dirtier. Lisa wasn't sure and sent Heather with a different group. Meanwhile, Alberto explained to Alex that God was revealing that he was going to find a dark room and that he would have to trust in the Lord to go in. So the three of them set off praying and came to the abandoned building which they realized was a Katrina damaged school. They reached the locked gate, and Alberto and Alex easily fit through. But leader Lisa was bigger and far more hesitant to break through. "Come on Lisa," the boys urged, "this is the wall you have to get through." Lisa squeezed through, fearing someone would accuse them of trespassing or looting. The three walked past long abandoned classrooms praying for safety, guidance, and praying for the former students of what we later learned was Phillis Wheatley School. The two teens were led into an abandoned cafeteria. There, they saw a sink with a strong stream of running water. Alex tried, but was unable to stop the faucet from flowing. "Hey, there's the running water from Heather's vision," Alberto said. Lisa thought, "yeah, but its not getting dirtier and dirtier, like Heather described." That was before she looked into the sink an saw a bucket filed with disgusting refuse. The water, dirty from the sink, then flowed into a dark, dirty drain in the floor. By then, all three of them were convinced that God had led them to that exact spot. They looked in the small back rooms surrounding the sink, calling out to whomever might be there. Lisa and Alex noticed Alberto standing in front of the last room. Unlike the others it was pitch black and smelled foul. Alberto knew God had told him he'd be entering a dark room, but was scared to follow through. Lisa handed him a penlight, unwilling to go herself. Alberto found shoes, an umbrella, and a toilet - all signs that someone was living there. Lisa felt oppression in the room and a need to pray for the poor soul living in such deplorable conditions. The three huddled and prayed, shedding tears for the homeless man God had told Alex he needed to reach that afternoon. They prayed for a pen, found one, and left a Bible encouraging him to seek and find Jesus. They left the bible inscribed with what they hoped would be encouraging words, as well as contact information. Upon returning to the house around the corner from the school, the three noticed a homeless man, pushing a cart full of garbage he'd picked. He was from Trinidad and had amulets which he said warded off evil spirits. He was unwilling to profess Jesus; as we offered him a cup of cold water and shared with him God's power over evil. "Maybe tomorrow" he said. We prayed for him after he left, asking the Lord to release him from bondage. We all three wondered if he was staying at the school. Where did he lay his head down at night? Was he the one who would find our bible this evening? What a great God we serve who would speak to us and put a burden on our hearts for the many homeless people for New Orleans - the least of these - Cafeteria man.

The Story of one New Orleans Street

6/14/2006 By: Ludmilla Parnell

McLean Bible Church- McLean, VA

The story of one New Orleans Street - June 13, 2002
Gentilly (New Orleans Parish)

Today was our second day of working at Debra's house on Jonquil Street in New Orleans Parish. Jonquil Street was just another regular street in the New Orleans area before Hurricane Katrina hit. Now, it looks like a war zone - demolished houses, debris everywhere, few people around, a lonely grungy bar at the street corner and a recently re-opened corner store.

Debra has a son in second grade as well as a daughter in college. Debra, as well as others we've met along the way, clearly feels a strong need to talk to those who ask questions and want to hear their story. So she obliged us when we started inquiring about her own situation during and after Hurricane Katrina.

Debra began by relating how she stayed in her house right up until the Sunday before the hurricane hit, not having realized how bad the situation was getting, until she got a call telling her not to come to work. After checking the news, she quickly gathered up her and her son Jonathan's belongings and headed to her sister's house located more inland in Louisiana. Like many other homes, her house was flooded and completely damaged from the effects of the water and the wind. She only returned home a couple of months ago to see the damage for the first time. So here we are, having spent the last couple of days at Debra's house, tearing down walls, pulling apart sinks and floors, and removing the past.

The only real signs of emotion Debra shows are in the way she tells stories of her escape, of people who couldn't face what they found and died or killed themselves. But Debra and her son have shown strength and hope in the future, and in their desire to rebuild. And that's how she came to know AIM and their volunteers. A month ago, she happened to come across an AIM volunteer through a flat tire situation where they connected and she asked how she could get help with her house. Nothing happened until this past Sunday night when she got a call that we were coming to help.

During the last two days, we've prayed with her several times. This afternoon, she had to leave early to do errands that included sorting out issues related to insurance settlements. So we prayed with her to give her strength in dealing with these difficult and stressful errands.

Today, a few of us decided to check out the little store nearby, and had a chance to speak with the owner about his situation. He just reopened the store recently since the power didn't come back until March. He also narrowly escaped the effects of the hurricane and ended up living at a relative's in Miami where he worked for someone else until he could return. He and his nephew fixed the store up and just reopened it. So I asked him if we could pray for him and what we could pray for.he had some difficulty understanding what I was asking, I think partly from not being used to having such a question asked. Finally, he just placed his hands in prayer and asked if that was what I meant. When I answered yes, myself and another volunteer joined hands with him, through his payment window slot, and prayed for him and his family's future and gave thanks. He was very grateful and thanked us for doing this.

A couple of hours later, one of the Missouri volunteers went next door to talk to Debra's neighbor, Cheryl, who was painting the railing on her balcony. I joined him and we again went though her story of escape from Katrina, and the tragic losses many of her family members suffered in losing over ten homes between both sides of the family. So far she's the only one back in a home, which she and her husband were given from her daughter in law who decided to leave the area and gave them the home to fix. They did a beautiful job. I just wanted to see inside so I could imagine Debra's future home as I only now see the gutted shell. But Cheryl feels blessed in everything and was so grateful to tell her story to us. At the same time, she expressed worry about upcoming hurricanes and how another Katrina would completely wipe out anything they have left. All their savings were spent dealing with Katrina. No flood insurance so they were on their own to fix this house. Again, another opportunity to minister and pray with people. So she put her paintbrush down, and rubber gloves still on, raised herself to her knees. Together, we held hands and prayed for the family and their strength. In gratitude, she gave me a CD she had with a collection of Katrina photos from New Orleans. She kindly requested that we take time to look at it, which some of us did tonight.

Week four from New Orleans

Mon, 26 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Dear Prayer warriors.

Again it has been such a busy week, that I have way too much to tell and too little time.

Every day has its new set of blessings and trials.

I arrived back in New Orleans last Wednesday after taking the family home. Debbie mentioned that we had a bit of a flood. It didn't look so bad, but the insurance company came in and removed the kitchen linoleum, they found a lot of water damage and it had already spread into three rooms. So now I have some work to do when I get back home for a few days on the 3^rd of July. But, like Debbie said, the damage is nothing compared to the thousands of homes we see every day here in New Orleans, and maybe it helps us to keep things in perspective.

As many of you have probably heard by now, the Governor of Louisiana, Kathleen Blanco has asked for 100 National Guardsmen to assist the NOPD in the fight against crime. The murder rate of the city is going back up and last week four teenagers were murdered as they were driving down the street in the central business district. This was clearly drug related, but also a sign that some of the gang activity is returning to the city.

The seventy humvees and other military vehicles arrived in the city last Tuesday. The reason cited for this action, was the increase in crime and the inability of the already depleted NOPD, to cope with the situation. A quick pole taken shows that 86% of the people are in favor of this action. This is the second time since hurricane Katrina that the National Guard has been called upon to assist the city.

For AIM and many other ministries in the city this is a welcome sign that the local government is serious about dealing with the crime in the city. We have been working in all areas of the city and have not seen any sign of a criminal element. On the contrary, we have been welcomed with open arms by appreciative local residents trying to rebuild their lives.

One of our ministry partners, Good News in Bad Places, has become a central location for the National Guard to meet. The commander of the guard troops has said that our security worries are over, and that they would personally patrol our ministry sites. Needless to say this has calmed a lot of the worried parents.

Good News has proved to be an amazing partnership, and a blessing to us all. They have had 40,000 people come and stay in their tents since September 2005, and in all that time there have been absolutely no injuries. God has protected them miraculously. One of their workers, Patrick, had a bad car accident. He tore his cruciate ligament and had a broken bone in his foot. I saw him the day before he was due to see the orthopedic surgeon, to make plans for surgery. After a time of prayer that night, he went to the doctor the next day. The scan revealed that he had six months of ligament growth in five days, over the tear and no loss of mobility. He is walking around without a brace and praising God!!

Last week we had our smallest group of the summer, only 125 people. But for some reason it was the most tiring week. We were tested in many ways and had to pray for a lot of patience, not my strong point! I had three flat tires in one day. But I guess that is to be expected with all the nails lying around.

On Saturday night we attended a Christian music concert at the central park. There were many artists including Shaun Groves and the Newsboys. We got great seats as a result of being one of the Christian relief organizations. But unfortunately God blessed us with a huge thunderstorm about four songs into the Newsboys and the organizers called it off. It was such a blessing to see so many Christians in the city praising God and also to see all the Christian relief teams there.

Yesterday I made a trip to our base in Mississippi and was able to encourage our new leaders there as they received about fifty mission trip participants. Please be in prayer for the ministry in Mississippi, they tend to be forgotten. One of the most interesting statistics I heard while there was that even though Mississippi is right in the middle of the Bible belt, seventy percent of the people of Long beach are unchurched. This is a huge mission field and one that is really hurting right now.

Today I had one of the most incredible experiences imaginable. I still find it difficult to explain, but I will try.

Our construction coordinator told me that we needed to help a local alcoholic rehabilitation home. I really didn't want to commit to more work, and didn't see how we could possibly help. But I agreed and we headed off to the home. It was across the street from the Baptist Theological Seminary, for those of you who know the city. I was introduced to Pastor Mel Jones, who runs the mission; he is an incredible man and has a testimony that keeps one riveted. After talking for a while, he asked me where I was from, I told him that I was from South Africa and he immediately got on his cell phone and said that he wanted me to meet someone. In minutes I was talking to Rob Wilton, he is an American working in New Orleans with Mission Lab, a short term missions program of the Southern Baptist Seminary. He was in the area and decided to come over so that we could talk face to face. He told me how his parents had come from South Africa and that they are now pastoring a church in North Carolina. After some questioning I found out that his grandfather was John Wilton, who was the pastor of the church my family attended in Cape Town over thirty years ago!!! And the church that sent our family out, when my father began his life in fulltime ministry.

After some questioning, I found out that his whole extended family is in the United States and they are pastoring three churches in Georgia, North Carolina and Alabama. And that Rev John Wilton is well and living in Spartanburg, NC.

What an incredible blessing it was to talk to him and see how the Lord has worked through generations and across continents. We plan to meet later this week again.

The week we have about two hundred and forty people in New Orleans on mission teams with AIM. Please keep all of us in your prayers as we seek to meet the felt needs of the community and spread the gospel by showing the love of Jesus. It promises to be another busy week, and one that no doubt will bring a host of miracles.

Thank you so much for your prayer and support, I will try to keep my letters a little shorter next week.

Please read and signup for updates on my blog; http://atholbarnes.myadventures.org/

God bless you

Athol Barnes

Newsletter from Debbie

Tue, 20 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Dear Prayer Warriors

I am writing this from a very hot and humid New Orleans, where Christie, my mom, and I have been able to experience just a little bit of what Athol and his team experience on a daily basis. We left home early Thursday morning, and made stop at the AIM base in Long Beach, Mississippi, for lunch. After sharing a meal with the couple running the base - and their 3 boys, Athol and Rob started grilling 175 hotdogs and 250 hamburgers for the evening's outreach ministry - not a fun task in the 98-degree heat and humidity. Kim took my mom and I on a tour of the area, which remains devastated, even 10 months after Hurricane Katrina. As we drove through streets still devoid of the homes and buildings, which had stood there just 10 months ago, we came across a gentleman in his 60's. He had a gazebo set out on what remained of his home - now just a concrete slab. We pulled over to talk with him, and he shared how he was still not allowed to start rebuilding their home. Because he and his wife had had a show garden before the storm, they were working on the garden and replanting it in the meantime. He was a war veteran and missing his left arm. We told him a little about AIM, and asked if we could pray for him. Initially, he seemed hesitant, even though he nodded yes, and we held hands as we prayed for him and his family. He never did take off his sunglasses, but his cheeks were streaked with tears, and he thanked us for caring. We were also able to visit some of the local ministry sites, and were touched by the love and enthusiasm of the volunteers, who are exposed to so much heartache and devastation daily.

The apartment that Athol calls home for the summer is in the heart of the city and amid the damaged homes. It too was damaged by the flooding, and is in the process of being renovated and repaired. Housing is at a premium, and Athol shares the 4 bed roomed apartment with a family of 5, who are also with AIM. The apartment below was completely destroyed by the flooding, has been completely gutted and is being rebuilt. The house is the center of AIM's ministry in New Orleans, and is a hive of constant activity, with project leaders and staff coming and going at all hours. There just never seems to be a moment's peace, or quiet, and I don't know how they all keep going so effectively. Looking out our bedroom window, you see the debris from Katrina filling the swimming pool next door, and atop the storage shed beside it. The watermarks from the flooding are still visible on many of the buildings, and piles of debris line each street. Trailers are parked in front of many homes, and families live in them as they try and rebuild. In some areas, the homes are completely destroyed, and the trailers are parked on the cement slab that was once their home. It is all very overwhelming, and very difficult to describe!

We were able to visit some of AIM's ministry sites around the city, and meet some of the people involved in these ministries. We ate our meals at the ministry sites, together with the mission trip participants, and members of the community making use of the shelters and facilities. I have included a few pictures of some of the ministry sites, as well as some showing the devastation that remains in the city of New Orleans.

Athol decided to use Saturday as a team-building day, as mission trip participants leave each Saturday morning, and new groups arrive each Sunday. He treated all the project leaders to a day of canoeing, and we had a ball, paddling down a creek in Mississippi. Christie loved it too, and I think we were the only canoe that didn't topple, until 10 minutes before the end of the trail! Having come through all the rapids in one piece, we hit a completely benign spot; somehow hit a rogue tree branch, and Athol and I were unceremoniously dumped into the creek. Christie sat in the canoe, squealing with joy, and shouting to everyone that paddled by that "daddy had tripped the boat!"

Well, it's now Tuesday evening, and we have just arrived home after a 12-hour drive. We walked into the house to find it flooded, following a mishap with the icemaker. The floor is flooded and the water has seeped into the kitchen cabinets, under the hardwood floors of the hallway, into the walls, and into the basement below. It was almost like being back in New Orleans, except our damage is minor compared to what everyone there had to endure. Athol flies back to New Orleans in the morning, and hopefully all will be repaired by the time he returns on the 3^rd of July.

My not-so-reliable ford focus let us down once again, and we had to hire a car to drive to New Orleans, while it sat in the auto repair shop here. This is the second time it's broken down in a month, and is incredibly frustrating. Fortunately it broke down within the subdivision, and we were able to pile out and walk back home. I now have the number of the auto repair shop in my cell phone directory, and am prepared for the next time it happens!

We were almost blessed with a baby sister for Christie last week, but things unfortunately fell through. At the time, we were devastated, and think I cried for 3 whole days. Now that we hear more details about the situation, we are grateful that we trusted God's leading, and the way in which he closed the door on the whole matter. We know that He has chosen another perfect child for us, and we await his perfect timing.

I know this is a longer-than usual update, but we have had a very eventful week!

Please continue to keep all of us and the team in New Orleans in your prayers. We just found out today that the National Guard has been called in by the state Governor to assist the beleaguered New Orleans Police Department. The city is still in the midst of a lot of struggles, however we can see the beginnings of a revival taking place, and it is exciting to be a small part thereof.

God bless you

Debbie

First week completed

Mon, 12 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Dear Prayer warriors.

We had an incredible first week and there is so much to tell, but too little time to type it all up. God blessed us and our leaders performed extremely well. On Sunday and Monday our leaders met their youth pastors for the first time, and performed like seasoned mission trip leaders.

We had the usual bumps and bruises that come with so much organization, but all in all our leaders were gracious and we were able to learn and apply a few lessons. We had many miracles that happened and every day we had reports of people coming to know the Lord as their savior. I will share one of the miracles later in this report.

This week sees the first of our mission trips to Long Beach, Mississippi. I went there for three days this week to help prepare for the trip and build some showers for the participants. The gulf coast of Mississippi is still devastated and gets very little media coverage. I stood on the same place where I stood one week after the storm, a place where a thirty foot storm surge hit. The only difference I could see between now and last year, was that the trees had leaves on. I have included some of the pictures on my blog for you to see what it looks like. Pictures don't really capture the vastness of the damage and destruction. Nothing more than the slab remains of any building that was in the first three to four blocks from the beach. We are staying with a local church in Long beach that has been reduced to two families after the storm, and we are praying that our ministry to the community will dramatically add to their congregation. We are also working with a relief organization called Katrina's Kitchen in Long Beach. They are a distribution center ministering to the physical and spiritual needs of the community.

Last week, we were asked to assist in the churches VBS. During the course of the week we met a six year old boy that had never seen a bible or heard of Jesus. Something that lot of people find so hard to grasp, but proves the point that we as the church in America have a huge mission field right here within our borders.

We got the showers built in 103 degree weather (40 c) and about 90% humidity, which the locals tell us, is only a taste of how hot and humid it gets in August. So I have much to look forward to. The participants arrived on Sunday and I know that the Lord has paved the way for a blessed week of service for each of them.

Back in New Orleans we had multiple examples of God's hand at work. One of these happened last Thursday.

Most of our work here is removing all the household belongings out of the houses, and then tearing out all the sheetrock and ceilings. Tearing the house down to the bare wooden studs. Most of the houses haven't been touched since August last year and the black mold is everywhere. Nothing can be salvaged, and understandably, this is a very emotional time for the owners.

One of the teams was gutting out a house and soon found that they were running out of space, they had emptied most of the furniture, but hadn't started removing any of the sheetrock. The rubble was piled high, covering the whole front yard and a few of the neighbors had started complaining. As concern began to spread, a car drove up and stopped. The driver wanted to know who we were and what we were doing. As the leader shared with him about our ministry and how many people where coming to the city to help this summer, he started to become more and more interested. The leader then proceeded to tell him about the problem of the rubble and that we needed to have it picked up, but that the city wide cleanup teams were far off and we didn't know when they would be in this area.

Well it so happened that the driver of the car was the director of all the city's rubble collection teams! He asked when our team would be having a lunch break, and he arranged for the pickup crew to be there, clean the whole site, and be gone by the time our lunch break was over. At 12pm sharp, three trucks drove up and picked up all the rubble, allowing our team to finish the gutting process that same day.

This same director for the city gave us his phone number and told us to call him anytime we needed help from him. The owner of the house and our participants were in awe of the hand of God in orchestrating that "chance" meeting.

There were so many stories of Gods hand at work, but I don't have the time to write them all down.

This week we have almost three hundred people here working and praying in the city of New Orleans and fifty people in Mississippi. Please keep praying for all of our safety, and for effective ministry. This past week we had a few minor injuries and trips to the hospital, but on the whole we were blessed with God's protection.

I will be going home to Gainesville this week and bringing the family back with me to spend a few days here in New Orleans.

Some of the prayer items we have are the following:

Traveling safety for all our team.
Effective ministry and for people to come to know the Lord
Endurance and strength for our leadership team.
Wisdom for the many decisions that need to be made.
Protection for the participants from the extreme heat and humidity.

Thank you so much for your prayer and support

Please look at my blog on http://atholbarnes.myadventures.org/

God bless you

Athol Barnes

Training complete

Sat, 3 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT

This week has gone by in a blur, and this report is definitely not going to have the same flair and style that Debbie is able to write with. I am tired and slurred speech tends to come across in an email.

God has really been working and preparing this city for the huge influx of teams this summer and daily we meet local pastors and church leaders that are expanding their vision of what the church is called to do at a time like this. I have yet to meet anyone in the city that has expressed any anger or confusion as to why God would allow such a natural disaster to hit the coast. They all see the bigger picture and even if it is a small glimpse of what God is doing, they are ready and willing to be a part of what God is doing.

Just this morning I met a local pastor, and he shared some of his stories and experiences. Before the storm he had a church of 150 people, after Katrina he had a church of 13 people and no building. He felt God telling him that he was the pastor of a small church, now he is being called to be the pastor of the community. He has since had 250 people from churches in Michigan come and rebuild his church. He has changed his classrooms into dormitories and built on extra showers, to allow people coming back to the city a place to rest and clean up while they are rebuilding their home. It is humbling and a real privilege to meet people like this and to see the fire they have after losing everything. It seems to be true that the greatest hindrance to the church being what Jesus calls us to be is the buildings we surround ourselves with. We envelop ourselves in the comfortable buildings and drive through the neighborhood we are meant to be ministering too.

I have heard stories of churches that lost their buildings that have voted to join congregations with other denominations. And the votes were 92% and 96% in favor from both churches. There is no place here for denominational pride and territorialism. God has removed that in New Orleans and it is such a good thing to see. The body of Christ is working together and really making a difference. As far as I can see the only effective and long term relief and rebuilding of personal homes, is happening because of Christian groups and churches. We are just privileged to play a small part in that.

Our team of leaders arrived on Monday, and I was able to share with them a bit of the vision the Lord laid on my heart for the city. They are an extraordinary group of people from all over the country, from Texas, to Minnesota. They are between the ages of 21 and 26. At this stage they are completely overwhelmed with all the information and logistics we have given them. Please pray for them especially tomorrow, as they meet their mission teams for the upcoming week and they begin their leadership role as Project Leaders.

We are being housed all over the city. The mission trip participants are staying at five different churches, our leadership team is living in four different apartments/ offices. So the logistics of that alone is proving to be a challenge.

I am completely aware that God has control over the summer mission trips here and that we are simply to obey and follow His leading. I offered the leaders a "way out" on Monday night. I told them that if any of them felt confident that they could handle the next eleven weeks, and they in themselves had the strength and ability to handle this, then they could go home immediately. We are united in our dependence on the Lord and in His protection and guidance.

Please pray for us this week and for the participants coming to the city for the following:

Protection from all harm
Endurance in the heat and long days
Wisdom to handle the logistics
For many people to be saved as a result of our service.
For strength and rest for our leadership team.

Thank you for your continued prayers and encouragement. Please check my blog at http://atholbarnes.myadventures.org/

God bless you all

Athol

Here we go!!

Sat, 27 May 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Dear Prayer warriors.

Well the day is finally here. I leave this Monday the 29^th May for New Orleans to start our leader team training and to make final setup arrangements. This will be my last Sunday that I will be able to attend our home church, Roswell Street Baptist, until the end of August. Debbie and I are not looking forward to the extended time away from our church family.

I have set up a blog for our prayer supporters to keep track of all that is going on, and the plan is to send an update with pictures each week. You will be able to view the blog at the following address

http://atholbarnes.myadventures.org/

Please check back frequently.

It is difficult to explain in one or two sentences all that we are going to be doing this summer. I will try to set a small picture for you of what I will be heading up this summer.

2900 people coming to the gulf coast to serve on mission teams
6 different housing locations (from churches to tent camps)
Over 110 different churches represented from around the country.
355 ministry teams serving in different capacities.
We will be working with 4 major relief distribution centers
Partnering with over 20 local churches
With 22 part time and fulltime staff.

And the most important task will be setting up a 24 hour prayer room at our housing locations to bathe the ministry in prayer.

The ministry will be varied and will include the following aspects; relief work, reconstruction, prayer walking, evangelism, children's ministry etc.

It is amazing how God has opened doors for us from our humble beginnings in First Baptist Church of Reserve in September last year right after the hurricanes. We still partner with this church, but now most of our relief efforts are focused closer to the city.

A few weeks ago, we finalized a ministry partnership with a Baptist church in Long Beach, where we will have 350 people ministering to the Mississippi gulf coast region. This was where the real wrath of hurricane Katrina was felt. An area not seen on the TV news.

Debbie and I have had a difficult week and we know that we are in the middle of a spiritual battle. Debbie has had two separate trips to the doctors this week, and was admitted to hospital for some tests, early on Wednesday morning. She is recovering now and is spending the weekend recuperating. I have been struggling with a cold and the usual frustrations that come with organizing such a large operation. The good news is that Christie is well and continues to be a blessing to us, and Debbie's mom arrived last week and will be helping to look after Christie for us.

I plan to spend the first two weeks in New Orleans and then will return home for a few days. Debbie, her mom and Christie will come back with me and spend some time in New Orleans as well. I will then be traveling between the gulf coast and Gainesville every two weeks, to spend about three or four days at home.

I am excited to see all that the Lord is going to do this summer, and truly believe that we will see the city transformed, both spiritually and physically during the days and months ahead.

Some of the prayer items we have are the following:

Traveling safety for all our team.
The training to be effective and lead by the Holy Spirit
The leadership team, that we will have a common goal and unity.
All the youth coming to New Orleans this summer
The ministry to be effective and powerful
Debbie and Christie as I am away for so much time.
Debbie's health.

If you are in the New Orleans area in the next twelve weeks, please give me a call and I will be more than willing to host you and show you around the ministry.

This is the time for the church to shine and it is amazing to see how the body of Christ is stepping up and making a real difference to this devastated area on our doorstep.

Thank you so much for your prayer and support

God bless you

Athol Barnes