CAM Interns 2009

For the past 3 summers, Brad and I have worked with CAM International's summer internship program, where college kids from around the US go to our fields to serve alongside of our missionaries and nationals for 6 weeks. This summer the interns were in either: Honduras, Guatemala, Spain, or Uruguay!

The Emerge program this summer was conducted excellently by the Mobilization team at CAM and Karin Rountree gets some incredible props for the success of the summer.

Tuesday to Thursday (today) the interns gathered together in Dallas to debrief their summer and prepare for returning home to see family and friends.

CAMU teammate, Kendra Cervantes, helped compile this video of the summer events. It's about 8 minutes, but has some cool shots of what our interns were involved in. Check it out below.




Are you interested in doing a summer internship? Let us know...we'd love for you to come join US in Uruguay next summer (or another country you'd love to serve in!)

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LAUNCH and LANDING in Uruguay

On Tuesday night our team leaders Jim and Cheryl Eberline entered American Airlines flight #989 from Miami, Fl to Montevideo, Uruguay. On Wednesday morning they arrived at 7:12am Central Time safe and sound into Uruguay.

This means that our team going to Uruguay has officially LAUNCHED and LANDED. We are very excited to see things happening and be a part of such an historic team. For the first time in CAM International's history we have long-term missionaries in Uruguay. In two weeks we will have another family there. Hopefully soon after Lindsey and I along with Kendra Cervantes and Rebecca Zurbrick will be there.

Enjoy the video we made for Jim and Cheryl to launch them out to Uruguay and encourage them.

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Partner Profile - Aaron and Carrie Kraft

Did you know that one of the best ways to partner with Lindsey and I is to connect us with other people?

I'd like to introduce you to Aaron and Carrie Kraft (and their two little children Jonathan and Jackie [recently adopted from Guatemala, check out the video]). This past week, Aaron and Carrie connected us to all sorts of people from pastors, to Uruguayans who could teach us about Uruguay, to friends of theirs who wanted to learn more about missions.

Another way that they have partnered with us is to allow us to stay in their home and use it as our home base for when we are in Washington, D.C. They held a dessert night at their house one night for us to share about our ministry with the church they are serving in. We also got to know many of their close friends from that area and were encouraged by all of their questions, advice, and prayers.

Aaron and Carrie also welcomed Brad to preach during both of the church services at their church. Not only did this give us an opportunity to meet another church but also gave us an opportunity to serve the congregation. It is so helpful for churches to get to know real-life missionaries :) like ourselves and begin to connect what they read about in the bible with what God is doing in and through people around the world.

We are so lucky to know this couple and deepen our friendship with them. At DTS in Dallas, TX Aaron and I were able to encourage and counsel one another as we not only were classmates at DTS but also served in full-time ministry at CAM International together for the past few years.

If you get a chance, pray for Aaron and Carrie as they serve faithfully in DC. Also if you get a piece of mail with our Year End Letter for 2008 highlighting YOUR IMPACT, thank God for people like the Krafts who spent lots of time helping Lindsey and I to send the mailing out!

Thanks Aaron and Carrie for the impact you are making on so many people (including us!).

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Scofield

Nope we're not talking Prison Break's Scofield..... We're talking about C.I. Scofield. Many of you know of him because of the Scofield Reference Bible. He wrote the notes in that Bible. If you are from Dallas, you may know him from Scofield Memorial Church. But you may not know how much of an indirect influence C.I. Scofield has had directly on my life. I was thinking about it the other day and it's kinda weird how God works!



My first encounter with C.I. Scofield is probably one of the most important. For second grade to fourth grade, I went to Scofield Christian School.



It was at Scofield that I became a Christian. Through one of the talks during chapel, I heard the Gospel and realized what it really meant to become a Christian. In third grade, I realized that I was a sinner in need of a Savior to save me and clean me. Would I have heard the gospel somewhere else and become a Christian? Probably. But it was through a school at a church that C.I. Scofield started where my relationship with the Lord first began.

This church, originally known as First Congregational Church, also saw one of its earliest pastors, Lewis Sperry Chafer, begin a small seminary whose objective was to train men in expository preaching and teaching the scriptures. This seminary, originally called the Evangelical Theological Seminary in 1924, later became known as Dallas Theological Seminary (or DTS).

Brad and I have had the privilege to spend the past four years at DTS. Due to C.I. Scofield's influence in the life of Lewis Sperry Chafer, we were trained in how to study, understand, and share the truths of the Bible with others.

During our time at DTS, Brad and I began our ministry with CAM International.



CAM was started by C.I. Scofield in 1891 because he had a heart to reach Central America, so he started Central American Mission (now known as CAM International). Because of C.I. Scofield, we now have an established missions organization that will be our sending agency as we head out to the mission field.

How awesome is the impact that this man had on my life...through three institutions: Scofield Memorial Church, Dallas Theological Seminary, and CAM International. It's amazing how God could accomplish all this through the heart he had to preach the Word of God and go out and reach Spanish speakers! Who knows what other impact Scofield will have on our lives in the years to come...but we're ready to see what that might be!

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Last Days and First Days - Part I

Friday was a pretty significant day for Brad and I as well as our family.

Brad's Last Day - A couple months ago Brad notified his boss at CAM that we were going to apply to become missionaries with CAM. This meant that Brad would soon be resigning his position at CAM to begin our ministry of partnership development before leaving for the mission field. Well all of that became a reality this summer when we accepted as new missionaries and then a few weeks ago when Brad turned in his official resignation. Finally on August 29th, Brad worked his last day at CAM International's Dallas Headquarters.


As much as it was a bit of an emotional day to be leaving a place that we had come to love, it was an exciting day to see God moving us forward as a couple towards what He has in store for us in the future. It is mind boggling how much God has done in our lives and in the lives of others to confirm his direction for our lives. From some close friends of ours who have five kids sending us a handwritten letter of encouragement from each member of the family, to some family friends taking us out to dinner and donating an old laptop to us for Brad to use, to a friend of ours allowing us to serve them by walking them through the issue of deciding about infant or believer's baptism, we've seen God at work each step of the way.

Enjoy the video of my last day on the job!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYW2xfcECY8



Bill's Last Day - On Friday August 29, my father Bill Bridges finished his last day of work for Bank of America after 37 years of work. Imagine beginning your career at 22 and finishing it with the same company (after a few name changes) just before turning the big 60. We are proud of Brad's dad and encouraged by his example to us of a loving father willing to work hard to provide for his family.



We found out that Sidney and Wesley along with their families all went and celebrated Bill's last day with the bank of Friday. Also many of Bill's current or previous boss's as well as others that he had trained or worked with came to visit him from various locations North Carolina. Imagine leaving an imprint on your organization or field in general big enough to; A. work there for 37 years, B. have old and current bosses come visit, and C. finish your career as the top performing Bank of America branch in NC. AWESOME!

Next (Last and First Days - Part II)

Next Step - July 20-23, 2008

July 20-23 was CAM's Next Step event, where our summer interns spent 2 days debriefing and sharing about their experiences this summer. The summer internship program is a large portion of our ministry with the Mobilization Team, so we love it when we get to see all the interns come together and share how the Lord changed and challenged them during the summer.

We had five countries represented this summer - Guatemala, Canada, Mexico, Honduras, and Spain. Each of our interns had unique experiences and a great time with our missionaries. This video tells it all:



We also had the opportunity to have missionaries from Honduras, Dallas, and Guatemala with us, which is always a treat to have time with them. They helped lead small group discussion times (along with the Mobie Team from CAM Dallas) and just spent time with the interns.

This year, Next Step was held in Denton, Texas, at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church. St. Andrew was kind to host our group for the event and provide the facilities and host families for our group to stay with! After their church took a mission trip this Spring with CAM, they decided they wanted to stay involved in missions and supporting what's going on around the world. So...they helped our interns who have been serving to have a nice place to spend two days begining their acclimation back to America.

In our two days together, we had a lot of activity and a lot of fun. During the days we had opportunities to share and learn about what has been going on in other countries, explore how their summer experience has changed them and the way they view the world, and consider how missions might fit in their future -- whether that means praying, giving, going, or learning more. As a fun break and relaxation, we went out to Water Works in Denton, TX, one evening. Getting a chance to float down a lazy river, go on water slides, and play sand volleyball was a great way to bond and relax.

All in all, it was a great time to be with people who have a shared passion for missions and serving across the world! We are looking forward to the opportunity to impact the interns to come in the future, as interns come to serve with us in Uruguay and in Spain!

Moving Out...Moving On

Done! No more packing, cleaning, organizing. Our stuff is in about 25 boxes + our bed. That is all we own, period. Enjoy the video.

Candidate Orientation...Missionary Appointees

Candidate Orientation in the secular world would be considered a week of interviews and then a week of job training once you got the job. For us Candidate Orientation with CAM International was an encouraging time of building relationships with other missionaries, planning for the future, and also learning more about how we can best serve CAM as we serve the people of Uruguay and Spain. Check out some more pictures...

At the end of the first week, we were formally given the title Missionary Appointee (some people would call that missionary wannabe :). As appointees our ministry with CAM begins NOW as we meet with individuals, families, small groups, churches, foundations and anyone else that is interested to offer them a chance to PARTNER with us in ministry through: prayer, financial support, encouragement, serving alongside of us as missionaries, and a whole slew of other ways. Our partnership development phase of our ministry with CAM will find its greatest focus in the next few months as we invite others to partner with us before launching out to the mission field. We are looking for many teammates who will commit to prayer and financial support as CAM does not allow us to leave for the field before the entirety of our support has been pledged.

Would you consider praying for us or partnering with us by pledging a monthly gift of 25, 50, 100, 250, or 500? Our goal is to be at 25% by the end of August and we can't do that without your help. We look forward to having you on our team and serving you as well.

Mesquite Rodeo - July 4th

On July the fourth, we went to the Mesquite Rodeo in Dallas, TX. Enjoy the video that we created that tells the story of our memorable night in 2 minutes.

Candidate Orientation - Day 4

Today we had the opportunity to start the day by sharing our testimony to all the CAM staff and the new candidates. It was fun to share a little about ourselves, the montage we shared at our wedding, and then share about our future ministry.

After that we had some time to go over each of our myers-briggs personality profiles so that each of us could understand ourselves a little better as well as the rest of the team. As we expected, Brad is an extrovert and Lindsey is an introvert in terms of preference. There's much more to be shared but let's just say that we were amazed to learn so much about ourselves, our marriage, and also about those around us with whom we will be serving.

In the afternoon we went to the Arboretum here in Dallas with all the candidates (among which is our Spain team)where there are some amazingly beautiful flowers, places to take walks, water fountains, sculptures, and more. For all of us it was nice to get some time away from "meetings and interviews" and just enjoy some fellowship as a team. Check out the pictures.

Finally after dinner today we all came back and watched two Nooma (see Nooma.com) and then watched National Treasure II as well with Jeff and Linda Arnold.

Candidate Orientation - Day 2 and 3

Tuesday and Wednesday were great days!!! We continued to have interviews with CAM staff regarding personalities, marriage, teams, etc. Tuesday, we had 3 awesome sessions, which were sort of counseling sessions regarding our marriage. It was so encouraging to have someone walk alongside of us and help us look at things in our marriage that we can build upon and strengthen together. We are so grateful for the individuals who have devoted this week to us and the other candidates, as they use the gifts that the Lord has given them to come alongside of us to help us thrive on the field!

Today, we met with CAM personnel and talked about our future ministry in Spain and how we can use our time in Uruguay as an incubator to prepare to lead a new team into Spain. It is nice to have individuals to consult with and get advice from as we enter into serving in missions. The stewardship department also spoke with us about CAM's philosophy on stewardship and giving. As they seek to help us understand the Biblical foundations for stewardship, we can apply those principles to our lives and also encourage those who are choosing to partner with us -- not only financially, but through their time and talents! We want you to join with us however you are able -- WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT SERVING WITH YOU!!!!

The other candidates have been a blast to be with. When we aren't in meetings, we have the opportunity to hang out, chat, play games, etc. We had an intense game of Apples to Apples going on before lunch today and are looking forward to more times together in the next couple weeks.

Candidate Orientation - Day 1

Today was the first day of Candidate Orientation. It's soooo good to finally be at this point in our move to the field! For the next two weeks, we will be meeting with CAM staff and missionaries as we get closer to going to the mission field!

Our morning started with a great time meeting with Larry and Jaime Hower talking about many facets of ministry and life on the field. They are a great couple who has served in Honduras, Mexico, and, most recently, Canada. Our time with them is so precious, and they are such an encouragement to us as a couple! Throughout the day, we also had a chance to spend some good time with the other candidates -- Joel and Vivian Lara, Jon and Libby White, Kendra Cervantes, Rebecca Zurbrick, Tom and Ann Withers, and Joe and Jenna Blakey. We ended the evening with a game of Rummy Cube.

Indiana Brad and Pepita...

I know what it feels like to be a cartoon now (see the picture).

Samuel and Luis are amazing. Two incredibly humble and fun men from Mexico.

They do art and they do it well. The only thing is that Lindsey says my biceps are too small in the picture (well, I just wish she said that).

How about that Olive Oil? Awesome huh. If you have never tried it, try toasting a piece of bread and pouring olive oil over it for breakfast. YUM!

Thank you Samuel. Thank you Luis. Thanks Frys. Thanks Anna. Thanks Miguel and Isaias and everyone else. Thank you for the memories of Spain.

My only question though: When will we see Pepita? (Lindsey's Spanish nickname).

Uruguay

Lindsey and I are moving to Uruguay. Yes that's right. Uruguay. Why? Good Question.

Mentoring. Training. Team. Fellowship. Business. ESL. Church Planting.

Jim and Cheryl Eberline. Brent and Le'Ann Downs. Bill and Linda Parker. Mike and Nancy Blake.

Why not Spain? Spain is still coming...just later. Would you want a doctor that skipped his/her residency and just jumped into surgery?

Departure is set for January! Is the Lord working in your heart to pledge monthly financial support? If so, we need you!

Pray for us as we navigate many transitions right now. Pray for our marriage. Pray for our walk with the Lord. Tell us how we can pray for you.

Email us with how you'd like to partner with us. Prayer. Serving. Giving. Connecting.

Brad

We Hit the Ground Sprinting

It would be safe to say that we hit the ground sprinting in Spain. Things have gone very well our first few days in Spain with lots of visits with missionaries in Madrid, some unique opportunities to serve, and lots of great times of mutual encouragement as each of us learn more not only about the Spaniards but about one another and ourselves.

We are now in Ubeda, Spain where we were warmly received today with a HUGE dinner full of Tortilla Espanola, Ensalada Mixta, and lots of other typical Spanish food. Two members of our team who flew in from Mexico did an artistic presentation in Baeza (a nearby town) where they had a crowd of kids watching them. We'll post some pictures soon but lets just say that they did an amazing job.

We are all quite tired so please pray for our energy levels, unity, and also that we would be a blessing to those that we serve and interact with.

For those of you that pray and/or support, thanks for partnering with us in ministry.

Surprised by Grace

Should any of us be surprised by grace? If we base our answer on what we see in the world today, probably so. However if we based it on the grace of God that He has shown to all of us, then probably not.

Today Lindsey and I experienced grace. We finished an exhausting day of two speaking engagements at Dallas Theological Seminary, multiple meetings, Lindsey's last day of work at DTS, running to buy a new battery charger for our camera, and picking up a salad at McDonalds (yum) with a surprise that we found at our home.

Some of our friends left a note on our door. We walked into our home, opened the card, and in it we found a message that some of our friends in seminary called and donated $400 towards our ministry in Spain. WOW!



At this point our need for our trip to Spain is down just below $600 due to another gift today as well. We appreciate all of your prayers not only for us but for our team.

Samuel and Luis are on a plane right now as I type this on their way from Mexico City to London en route to Madrid. Pray for them. Pray for us as well as Lindsey's mother picks us up to go to the airport at 7am.

As we sit here tonight in our home though, it is safe to say that we were surprisingly encouraged by God's grace today. We invite you to await and anticipate his grace tomorrow as well.

You can go to www.caminternational.org/give to donate to CAM's work that we are serving with in Spain during the 2 week trip coming up (or call 1800-366-2264 to contribute by phone). Remember to include our name and account number 060288.

New CAM Mexico Internship Video

Below is the new CAM Mexico internship video for this summer. The animators of this clip are two very talented artists that will be going on our trip to Spain with us these next couple weeks. The voice over is of Rod Fry, who is the coordinator of the Mexico Internship along with his wife Mayra. We are excited to have an innovative way to share what goes on through the internship program in Mexico each summer. Kudos to Rod, Samuel, and Luis for a job well done!

Rain...Lots of Rain.

It was incredible today to see the rain pour down at CAM in Dallas, TX. My coworkers and I just decided to take a break from work for about five minutes and proceed to ooh and ahh about the rain. It really is easy to take rain for granted especially when it is coming down all the time. But it is during the times that we don't have it that we realize how thankful we should be.

My father shared with me in the fall about how NC and other states were experiencing extreme droughts that were making life very difficult for full-time farmers.

Enjoy the video. Be thankful. Rain.

Great Times

Have you ever spent time with a group of people and wondered if you could just do something to make it last a little longer? That was tonight for Lindsey and I.

Tonight we hosted 5 couples at CAM's headquarters for dinner. Each couple was just formerly appointed with CAM which means they now start their time of support raising before leaving the country to be missionaries. After lots of pizza and watching the movie Cars, we all sat around a table and played Catch Phrase. If you haven't played it before, you should.

Halloween Alternative -- Please Pray

www.ixtapalucafryed.blogspot.com

At CAM International I have the privilege of seeing some exciting, creative, interactive, and just downright cool ministries. Read the email below about a Halloween Alternative that started last night and continues on Saturday night. Please pray for all involved.

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Tonight and tomorrow night we are presenting a Halloween alternative (for lack of a better term) evangelistic event that we have been working on for weeks now. It is called the "Maze of Life and Death." Some key concepts that we want to teach through this...life is short, we are all going to die, and we better had made the right decisions (Jesus) in life to be prepared for death.

In the maze are 5 scenes. The first scene is the bedroom of a typical young person, with a Bible and different spiritually edifying things on one side, and worldly tempations on the other. In this first room, each participant picks a card (their choice) that says "Jesus" or that says "money", "pleasure", "family," etc...

The second scene is this exact same bedroom (different room), but as seen through spiritual eyes, with angels and demons influencing in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. After this, participants descend into the bottom part of the church, which is death. The third scene is a series of causes of death...heart problems (I am picking up a pig's heart today for a young person to hold), violence, car accidents and liver problems. The last scene is a rocking chair...the largest cause of death is old age, but the total is 100%.

The fourth scene is a graveyard that participants pass, and finally a casket. Someone just died tonight. Each person looks in and sees a reflection of themselves in a mirror inside the casket.

The fifth scene is their eternal destiny. The are asked to present the card that they picked up in the first room. If it is Jesus, they enter heaven, if not, hell. This is probably the most challenging of all the scenes.

If you're wondering about small children, in the case of kids under 8 we will be taking out several elements of the presentation.

Afterwards everyone receives a tract and is invited to drink coffee. People enter in groups of 4 due to reduced spaces. I have a feeling that we'll be doing this into after midnight!

We have announced the event in a local newspaper, and I had the opportunity to appear live twice (5:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m. ) on a local cable tv station on Wednesday to promote the event. I was also given, in the second interview, a great opportunity to share why we exist as a church and the importance of faith in Christ.

Please pray for this event! We expect to see a real impact in the community through this effort. It has been so encouraging to see the whole church, particularly the men, work together in making this happen!

Thanks much for your prayers,

Rod

www.ixtapalucafryed.blogspot.com for pictures and updates