This is Joel's Old Blog

Several Happenings the past few days

I am excited to have the new Treo PDA/phone with a built in camera. Finally merging all my devices into 1 - was able to capture moments, friends, and happenings through the past few days.   It was great to be at our previous home church, Pathways, in Denver the past week and worship with them on easter. My good friend, Ron, baptized his 2 kids, Cole and Sabrina! I met Cole first when he was just 4 and he handed me his piggy bank to give to the poor when I was staying at their house many years back!   it was great to celebrate with them.

Good to see my friend, Tom Mann - The only American I have ever known who was born in Bihar, India. He is an orthopedic surgeon in Denver. His dad was a missionary doctor in India a number of years back.  His is newly married to Heather from Canada, the voice of the ServLIfe video made a few years back by Sky Dimond in Seattle...

Also, had to take a short trip this week and flew through Salt Lake City! Beautiful scenery surrounding this airport!  We are in Denver tonight and fly back out in the morning!

Was also emailed a most recent ServLife project in southern Thailand that was just completed!  We had several dozen lunch tables built. The tables at the local school were destroyed by the Tsunami!  THe table were given by a local church planter, Chach, as a way to minister to the community.  Photo below is of 28 year old church planter, Chach!

He is RISEN! Hallelujah!

Easter painting by He Qi, China's most renowned Christian artist: 

I arise today: By Patrick of Ireland
in vast might,
invocation of the Trinity;
belief in a threeness;
confession of oneness;
meeting in the Creator.
I arise today:
in the might
of Christ’s birth and his baptism;
in the might
of his crucifixion and burial;
in the might
of his resurrection and ascension;
in the might
of his descent to the judgment of doom

I arise today:
in the might of cherubim;
in obedience of angels;
in ministrations of archangels;
in hope of resurrection...
in prayers of patriarchs;
in predictions of prophets;
in preachings of apostles;
in faith of confessors;
in innocence of holy virgins.

I arise today:
in the might of heaven;
splendor of the sun;
whiteness of snow;
irresistibleness of fire;
swiftness of lightning;
speed of wind;
absoluteness of the deep;
rock’s durability.

I arise today:
in the might of God for my piloting;
power of God for my stability;
wisdom of God for my guidance;
eye of God for my foresight;
ear of God for my hearing;
word of God for my word;
hand of God for my guard;
path of God for my prevention;
shield of God for my protection;
host of God for my salvation;
against any demon’s snare;
against all vice’s lure;
against concupiscence;
against ill-wishes far and near.

I invoke all these forces:
between me and every savage force
that may come upon me, body or soul;
against incantations of false prophets;
against black lairs of paganism;
against false laws of heresy;
against idolatry, spells of women, and druids;
against all knowledge that should not be known.

Christ for my guard today:
against poison, against burning;
against drowning, against wounding;
that there may come to me merit:
Christ with me, Christ before me;;
Christ behind me, Christ in me;
Christ under me, Christ over me;
Christ to right of me, Christ to left of me;
Christ in lying down, in sitting, in rising up;
Christ in all who may think of me!
Christ in the mouth of all who may speak to me!
Christ in the eye that may look on me!
Christ in the ear that may hear me!

I arise today:
in vast might, invocation of the Trinity
believing in a threeness;
confessing a oneness;
meeting in the Creator;
From the Lord is salvation; in the Lord is safety;
Be thy right way, Lord, ever with us!

Wanting More ready to be shipped April 1

My book will be ready to be shipped on April 1!  (maybe a few days earlier)  You can pre-order at 7loaves.com - ALso, read a portion of 1 chapter, the foreward by Louie Giglio, and a few other endorsements by clicking here.    As most of you know, Wanting More is a self-published book.    This is where you come in...I am asking all readers, here and far, of this blog to help in the marketing and promotion of the book: Order one for yourself, your friends, your family, your small group, your Sunday School class!    A few comments about the book..

"There are so many stories of injustice, suffering, and pain in our world, and Joel Vestal has seen more them at closer range than most of us ever will. But there are even more stories of hope, joy, faith, commitment, love, and confidence going on unreported in our world - and Joel captures dozens of those needed stories of good news in these pages. I was inspired to want to be a part of making more of those kinds of stories come true." Brian D. McLaren, Author and Pastor

"Joel Vestal represents a fresh, new vision of missions spreading among global Christianity's younger generations that is decidedly personal, yet universal; warmly evangelical, yet socially engaged; local in perspective, yet globally aware -- managing to effectively bridge many characteristics that have divided Christians in the past. The reader will be challenged to integrate many seemingly disparate streams of commitment into a global Christian worldview." Todd M. Johnson, Ph.D; Director, Center for the Study of Global Christianity: Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary; Boston, MA

snow in denver

  Snow fell in Denver- Zayd wasn't as impressed as I thought -- needed to be 1 foot of snow for him to get really into it - Here is a classic photo of Zayd pushing his great-grandmother around back in Indy a few days ago:   ALso, happy to put a link to my friend's blog here in Denver, Pete Larson!  He has some great photos of his trip to ServLIfe's children's home in Kathmandu!

Off to Denver manana

Last night we had a group of 10 folks come to my in-laws (where we are camping for a few days before we move into our place downtown) from Common Ground Church - They are going to the Sudan refugee camps to visit ServLIfe's work and encourage the refugee communities (about 65,000) people -  Talking last night to them reminded me of the tragedy going on currently in the Darfur region, western Sudan. Estimated 10,000 per month are dying. UN has estimated that 180,000 have died the past 18 months from hunger and disease. read more-The world rushes to help when nature kills but when governments kill, we sit back and reflect and evaluate and do not rush there.  I would give anything to get on a plane tomorrow and go to western Sudan to this region.   Go and visit Ryan's Sharp's blog -  He and his wife, Holly, are staying at our place in Phuket for about a week and working with some relief efforts. They are from the San Diego area - We have never met in person but have some mutual friends, Mainly, Darin Petersen who came to visit us a few months back when we were in Thailand. Seeing there photos and reading there blog makes me miss being in Asia (It is hard when the high temp here in Indiana is low 40s...OUCH!)   We are off to Denver tomorrow to connect with friends- Elise will fly to Seattle to be with her sister in a wedding shower while Zayd and I stay back in Denver.

A 7 year old in Texas raises $118!

Here is an amazing story that I just got in the mail:  A 7 year old in Kerrville, TX spent  3 hours in the 40 degrees weather (very cold for Texas) selling Lemonade for Tsunami Victims. His parents just sent ServLIfe the check that  Benjamin Turkett raised out of his compassion for those who lost so much!    His father writes, "Everytime he would sell a cup of lemonade he would drop a life-saver in each cup and say, 'There is a life saver in your glass b/c you are being a life saver by buying this lemondade'

back with family in Indy

Well the for the past week I have been in Raxaul, India; Kathmandu, Nepal; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Phuket, Thailand; Bangkok, Thailand; Atlanta, GA -and after 8 hour drive yesterday from Atlanta -- I finally connected with my family after being apart for 3 weeks - My wonderful wife fixed a magnificent chocolate cake for me  -- It was a joyous time walking through my-in laws front door and little Zayd sprinting into my arms!  No greater feeling in the world!  Elise is doing much better and eating well.THank you for your prayers, support, and prayers. Now the fun job of hunting a place to stay here in Indianapolis, our home for the rest of the year - The baby comes in August!   Our house we were suppose to rent out totally fell through, the owners decided to sell it rather than rent it out.  what to do?  so we are at the in-laws for a few more weeks than planned.

Hope Center in Thailand

A momentous moment happened right before my departure. We  purchased  this house here for continued ministry efforts in southern Thailand. The house will be used as a multi purpose facility:  House a new church plant, house for a young single Thai church planter, relief office for Tsunami victims to come and get help they need; and a guest house for workers.  The name of the house will be ServLife Hope Center - Thank you to many in making this happen. More details to come on the development of this house.   There is a 4 foot ant mound inside the house and the Thai people believe it is haunted by evil spirits; therefore, it has remained empty for several years. No one would rent it or buy it.   So we bought it believing no spirit in the world is greater than the the Spirit of God who resides in us!    Want to come out and help clean up the place?  Email me - We are looking for helpers

From Tokyo to USA

there are many contrasts of emotions within me - to leave thailand where we have been the last 5 months..closing a chapter in our families life; an amazing few months of ministry efforts among the Tsunami victims. I went all out on the beach yesterday and had my last meal on the beach: 2 crabs cooked in garlic and thai sauce, fried calamari, seafood fried rice..all for $7 - despite the most amazing meal overlooking the sun setting over the Andaman sea, there was an emptiness and longing that has been with me the past 3 weeks being away from Elise & Zayd -- With sadness leaving our life and home in Thailand, there is an equal anticipation and joy within me to see them again.   My Northwest flight left at 6 am from Bangkok, so not much sleep. Flying back to Atlanta to get our car and then making it up to Indy... In my head, I don't know whether to say, "Kaneeshawa"  ; "Sawadeekah" "Nameste!" ; "Terima Kasi." "Gemasee"  -- All the greetings from the different lands I have been the past few days.

imprisoned for sharing Jesus

Udaya just sent this to me. He runs our children's home in Kathmandu, Nepal.  He is currently in Singapore getting training at the Haggai Institute for 1 month.  He is on the far right in this newspaper clip out of the Nepali paper. In 2002, he was imprisoned for sharing Jesus and conducting a Bible study at a local a school in Kathmandu.

Nepal's current situation could lead to more of this human rights abuses as the King has demolished many freedoms many Nepalis have embraced.  However, history proves that when the church is squeezed and pressed, she usually rises to the occasion and grows! May this be the case in Nepal.    I am in route to KL today and sitting in the Bangkok airport - Free wireless is always a good thing.  Going to settle everything with my book and pick up a few hundred copies to take back to the states in a few days.