check out my South African blog

I am now in South Africa for the next 13 months. Please be checking my blog eppesafrica.blogspot.com for regular updates of my ministry there.

I will still be blogging here as well with the more random non-AIA stuff. take care!

Charlie Davies and suffering

Today I received a text from a friend telling me of the car accident Charlie Davies, a forward on the men's national soccer team, was involved in. Upon my further research I found that his injuries required several hours of surgery and he will be missing 6-12 months of competition where he will be undergoing extensive rehab.

It still amazes me why God takes people through such events to reveal Himself. That was my prayer for Charlie and the other friend who survived the crash as one passenger passed away. God works all things for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. I trust in his hard work ethic that Charlie will bounce back from this but my heart quickly turns to where his heart is in relation to Jesus. I dont know where Charlie is spiritually but I pray that this accident is more than an accident...that the crash breaks down Charlie's heart to see who God truly is and that our God has a plan for his life. My prayers reach to his teammates that are believers in Christ that they can use this to showcase God's plan and let the players know that God has a plan for their lives. Just because these guys are 'famous' doesnt mean that they dont hurt or have pain. Hardship and suffering are real. God has given us suffering as a gift (Phi 1:29) and are you really embracing that? Are you looking at suffering in your own life as tragedy or as a present 'wrapped in a bow' as John Piper puts it ready to be used for God's glory?

Let us pray over Charlie and his friends tonight for God to show them mercy/grace/forgiveness/life/love in ways they never thought possible...

hilarious soccer celebration!

South Africa!

Today I reached my support totals for my year in South Africa! how amazzzing is that? Just over 6 months ago I started a ginormous goal of raising support. Through this journey God has taught me so much. Now I ache to serve the Lord and be used for His Kingdom. I will be leaving in just over a month so the time is comin quick!

Johannesburg awaits...

Heaven and Earth

Phil Wickham has a new album out and its incredible...Phil's passion to worship God through song is undeniable through his lyrics and sounds. I think its also amazing that his music is getting in to worship sets around the country. This past Sunday at church his song "Beautiful" was played which happens to be my favorite Wickham tune! He has quickly turned in to one of my favorite artists. You can download his new album Heaven and Earth at PhilWickham.com.

an unforgettable weekend / patience

unforgettable, amazing, surreal....those are are just a few of the words to describe my weekend in Hershey, PA. My best friend Jon was married to his amazing bride Jennie. From the karaoke on Thursday to my drive home Sunday night it all seemed as if it was a dream....

God has allowed me to interact with some amazing people in my lifetime and this weekend was no exception. I was able to meet amazing and Godly people and also reunite with some old friends. It was special to see Jon and Jennie get married because they did it right. In so many ways they waited on the Lord in the process leading up to getting married. To me its an amazing story of God's love and plan for His people. God's word talks of patience and living a life for Christ in the first book of Colossians:
¹⁰And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, ¹¹being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully ¹²giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light
Jon has focused on God and in-turn God led his steps along his journey with Jennie.

I think its hard for us to wait on God like Jon and Jennie did. We are human and we put limits on ourselves and how much we can take. I quickly forget how a God-pleasing life exemplifies patience and a steadfast spirit of obedience. I pray that I take that example of patience from Jesus in to next year in South Africa. He, himself, was patient for thirty years leading up to a three year ministry. I desire a patience with a new culture, patience with the distance between myself and friends from home, patience with building new relationships. My trust is in Him...

VMA

So I dont watch MTV very much but I did catch some of the highlights and low lights of the award show the other night. the best moment had to be Jay-Z's and Alicia Keys performance of "The Empire State of Mind'. It was just done so well and not to mention the song is hot...it really makes you want to be in the City. I figured I would put it up for anyone who hadnt seen it.

At 81% raised...South Africa is comin on soon.

a week in the Rockies

Last week I returned from Colorado after having one of the most incredible weeks of my life. At Copper Mountain Resort Campus Crusade and all its ministries, including Athletes in Action, gathered to train all the individuals going abroad for the coming year in areas such as: what its like to share your faith in the country you are going to, how to resolve team conflict, and how to love your ministry team. As for attendance at this briefing in Colorado there were about 5 people specific to the ministry of Athletes Action among 200 some others with Campus Crusade.

It was an amazing week to get to know so many others giving a year of their life to go and share Jesus with the Nations. There are two people in particular at the briefing that impacted me in a tremendous way...

Riley Wogamon is on staff with Athletes in Action. She played soccer at Syracuse and like me was a goalkeeper. Riley and I will be on the Johannesburg team together doing ministry with a few others in the athletic communities of South Africa. She is an awesome person and it was just great to get to know her and I so look forward to serving alongside with her. We shared our visions for reaching the lost athletes in South Africa and it is just mind blowing to know that our great God is preparing in advance so much for us there in Joburg.

Barrett Grant is a life long friend from Forsyth, Georgia. Our dads attended their residency programs together in Roanoke, Virginia back in the 80's. Barrett and I are 4 years in age apart but that didnt stop God from aligning us together here in Colorado as he is leading a ministry team with Crusade in Durban, South Africa. It was amazing to catch up with him and see how God has matured him. I am so excited to be serving just a few hours north of him next year and I am sure our paths will align in our time abroad. His team going to Durban includes many students from all over the southeast. We met several times in breakout sessions with other teams going to the same region of the world. I am so excited for Barrett to take this step of faith and leadership in the year to come...there team will depart January 2010.

Currently I am at 62% of my support raised. I am sending out a prayer letter soon to keep people up on my ministry even before I get to South Africa. I am so thankful for you following my approach to my year in South Africa. Please continue to pray for my financial needs to be met and for a steadfast approach to my relationship with the Lord as that relationship takes priority before any other...

here are a few pictures from my time in Colorado at the briefing...

getting away

Im heading up to Hershey, PA for the weekend to take part in the Jon Small Bachelor Bowl 2009. My buddy Jon is having a weekend full of sports and fun to celebrate his getting married in september. Such a momentus occasion!

After the weekend though I am headed to a Cabin near Covington, Va to get away and get quiet with God. I have never done this before but after getting encouragement from friends and REALLY feeling the Spirit's call to get away I will be stepping away for a couple days of being still before Him.

I need this time with Him more than ever. If anyone is out there reading this I would so appriciate your prayers for focus and restoration with God as a result of my couple days on the river.

now we are free

The past few months for me have been up and down spiritually. Even in support raising for Africa I havent been living in right alignment with God. Its hard for me to put that in words and tell others that I have lost my focus. Now I feel like I have it back...I feel like I restored in the freedom of Christ (Ruth 4:15). It has come through confession and through realizing alot of pain from poor decisions but I am free in Him.

I press on now in life knowing that God's ever flowing grace is just as abundant now as it was when I first received Him. I wanted to put a video up that Ive been searching for. The song in it fits redemption through Christ's atoning sacrifice...the title is 'Now We Are Free'. It comes from the Gladiator soundtrack but this version is live by Andrea Bocelli in the opening ceremony of the 2009 Champions League final in Rome. This whole intro gave me goosebumps watching it. I really wanted the commentators to stop talking so you could just turn up the volume and feel this moment. I have found a feed where these commentators for the most part are silent and giving respect to the moment. I so wish I was a player for one of these teams walking out of the tunnel at this match...but for now I just watch in awe of the moment.

We are forgiven and free in the arms of Jesus....He is always enough...