Moving to Wordpress

The Herriford Harbinger has moved from Blogger to Wordpress.
Our new address is www.gregherriford.wordpress.com.
I look forward to staying connected at our new home.

In Him,
Greg Herriford (Teen Mission, USA)

Update from French Guiana

Things have been great in French Guiana. We arrived on Thursday, Oct 22 and will be leaving for home on Thursday, Oct 29th.

Our team wrapped up the convention today (Oct 27th).
Dr John Caldwell (IN) did an outstanding job leading most of the men's sessions. Alex Hill (FL) also helped as well as preaching several times in the evening. Danita Clark (OH) held sessions for the ladies and Ryan Hall (OH) gave lessons on music.

I led a workshop on elders on Friday (Oct 23rd) and another one on church leaders on Monday (Oct 26th).
In addition, I've preached three times.
On Saturday night (Oct 24th), I preached at the English-speaking church. The worship was lively & good. My sermon was on overcoming fear (Peter getting out of the boat & walking on water to Jesus). We had a good response with four coming forward for prayer.
On Sunday (Oct 25th), I preached twice at one of the French-speaking churches.

Please keep the English church in your prayers. They have a chance to buy two acres of land just outside of Cayenne. They desperately need a building of their own.

God bless,
Greg Herriford (Teen Mission, USA)

Return to French Guiana

I am very excited about being a part of an upcoming ministry project in FRENCH GUIANA. French Guiana is a small country on the northern coast of South America. It is an overseas territory of France.

I knew very little about the country until I was invited to take part in mission work there in October, 2007.
Dr Wesley Stepp, director of the Bible Institute for Christian Missions, invited me to help him put together a three-day convention in Cayenne, French Guiana (the capital city). The convention was called, “First Journey,” as it was the first time for much of the audience to hear about the church in the Bible.

Wesley and I have put together a team to go back there and help with a 2nd Convention. This year's theme will be "Kept by His Power." The convention dates are October 23-27, 2009.

While there, I’ll be preaching at both English & French (through translators) churches and doing workshops on church leadership.

We will be leaving the USA on Thursday, October 22nd and returning back home on Thursday, October 29th.

Please keep me and the work in your prayers. I hope to tell you more about it when I return.

God bless,
Greg Herriford (Teen Mission, USA)

Banquet Update

The annual Teen Mission, USA, Banquet was held on October 15, 2009, at Gardenside Christian Church in Lexington, KY. We were blessed to have over 150 people in attendance.

The program featured inspirational music from the Messengers quartet along with a ministry update by TM, USA. Our program also involved honoring two great friends of Teen Mission’s ministry.

Wayne B Smith and Leonard Stone were both honored with our“Distinguished Servant” award.

Wayne, who served as minister at Southland Christian Church (Lexington, KY) for 40 years, has always been a great friend of Teen Mission. He is well-known for his humor and is often referred to as the "Bob Hope of the Ministry."

Leonard has been involved with many Mission Journeys since 1999. In late 2006, he officially joined the TM staff as the administrator of a new outreach ministry called Global Bible School.
Recently, he left us to pursue another ministry opportunity with White Fields Overseas Evangelism.

I'm happy to report an offering of nearly $7,000 was received at the banquet. Monies given before and after the event will take the offering total to nearly $8,500!

One of the reasons for the banquet is to say THANKS to the many supporters of Teen Mission, USA, who help make this mission/ministry possible. Many of you have kept this ministry going over the years through your prayers, financial support and volunteer help. May God bless you!

In Him,
Greg Herriford (Teen Mission, USA)

Teen Mission Notes (September, 2009)

The fall is here. The month of September went by very fast.
Here's a look back at what happened concerning Teen Mission during the month:

STEWARD LEADERSHIP SUMMIT (Sept 22-25)
The highlight of the month was attending a conference in Denver, CO, put on by the Christian Leadership Alliance. This summit strives to provide Christian nonprofit leaders with insights and expertise to develop fundraising programs that excel in challenging times. It also provides in-depth training to equip attendees to effectively build resources, both people and finances, for ministry.
I had two classes: Development 101 and Development & the CEO/Board of Directors. The classes and the instructors were both excellent. I felt I learned a lot and have some more tools for effective ministry.
I say thanks again to David Empson (Director of the National Missionary Convention) for inviting me.

FALL BANQUET (10.15.09)
Work on the fall banquet continued during the month of September. The banquet was held last Thursday (Oct 15th). You can read more about the banquet on the next post.

2010 MISSION JOURNEYS
Work on next year's mission trips continued as well.The Mission Journeys web site, www.missionjourneys.org, has been updated and has a tentative 2010 list posted.
We decided to do a 9" x 6" card to promote the 2010 Mission Journeys. We'll be mailing them to around 6,500 churches and individuals in mid-October.

In Him,
Greg Herriford (Teen Mission, USA )

America's Got Talent Top 10

We're down to the finals in season four of America's Got Talent.
The winner will be announced tonight (9/16) live on NBC.
Here's how I'm ranking the final 10 contestants (1 being the highest):

(10) Drew Stevyns
(09) Grandma Lee
(08) Hairo Torres
(07) Fab Five
(06) Recycled Percussion
(05) Voices of Glory
(04) Lawrence Beamen
(03) Kevin Skinner
(02) Barbara Padillia
(01) Texas Tenors

The Tenors have been among the best on a consistent basis. Barbara has an incredible voice, but can only do opera. The trio from Texas can do a wide range of music and would, in my mind, be a better Las Vegas act. I'm rooting for my fellow Kentuckian Kevin Skinner, but I don't see him taking the top spot.
It's been great. I can't wait for season five.

- Greg Herriford

Teen Mission Notes (August, 2009)

I hope and pray you had a great Labor Day weekend. Here's a look at the recently-completed month of August:

As the month of August began, Kelly, the girls and I took a few days a went to Louisville and southern Indiana. We took in a Louisville Bats game and spent a day at Holiday World in Santa Clause, IN.
I'm not a big amusement park person, but I did like Holiday World. It was very affordable and family friendly. I highly recommend it as a good family destination.
The girls went back to school on Wednesday, August 12th. Kelly went back to work (in a local school's cafeteria) a few days prior.
While the summer is fun, it's good to have the family back in a routine. It's a lot easier on the wallet, too!
Concerning Teen Mission, August is a nice change of pace. It's usually my first chance to catch my breath since the late winter/early spring.
During the month, I was able to have a lot of meetings with folks as we begin looking ahead to the fall and beyond. Here's some of what's been happening with Teen Mission:

TWICE ANNUAL
Our 2nd call letter went out in early August. In the spring, we had a nice response to our Twice Annual mailing with over $7,500 raised.
Historically, though, the 2nd call letter has not been as well received as the spring one. Regardless, it has given some relief during the late summer/early fall.

FALL BANQUET (10.15.09)
Our annual fall banquet will be Thursday, October 15th at the Gardenside Christian Church Gym (940 Holly Springs Dr; Lexington, KY 40504).
The theme will be: “Honoring the Past…Looking to the Future.”
We’ll have a meal followed by music from the Messengers, a very popular Southern Gospel quartet.
Our program will involve honoring Wayne B Smith, the longtime minister at Southland Christian Church (Lexington, KY), and arguably the most beloved preacher in our brotherhood.
Wayne has always been a great friend of Teen Mission and he was very helpful in getting Ken get Teen Mission “off the ground” in the late 1960s/early 1970s.
We will close the evening's events by updating folks about where Teen Mission is heading with future ministry efforts.

2010 MISSION JOURNEYS
Work on next year's mission trips is already underway.
The Mission Journeys web site, www.missionjourneys.org, has been updated and has a tentative 2010 list posted. A 2010 Mission Journey newsletter will be available sometime in late September/early October.

TEEN MISSION, USA, BOARD MEETING (09.14.09)
The Teen Mission, USA, quarterly board meeting will be on Monday, September 14, 11:30 am @ Gardenside Christian Church (940 Holly Springs Dr; Lexington KY 40504).

In Him,
Greg Herriford (Teen Mission, USA )

America's Got Talent Top 20

America's Got Talent is down to the final 20 contestants.
Here's how I'm ranking them 1-20 (1 being the highest):

(20) Tony Hoard & Rory (No way this act should have received the judges' vote over Charles Dewayne/singer.)
(19) Jeffrey Ou (He's very fortunate/lucky to have gotten this far.)
(18) Arcadian Broad (In my opinion, it's borderline to whether he should even be in the final 20.)
(17) Grandma Lee (A great story and a very funny lady, but not top 10 material.)
(16) Drew Stevyns (He's shown a lot of character; he's facing some major voices, though.)
(15) Fab Five (Nice ladies from Utah and very good act.)
(14) FootworkKINGz (I think they're a cool act and some of the competition's best dancers.)
(13) EriAm Sisters (Piers says they are the next Destiny's Child; I don't think they've reached that point yet.)
(12) Drew Thomas (An above average magic act, but not quite good enough.)
(11) Recycled Percussion (A very unique act, but would drive me crazy for an hour-long show.)
(10) Texas Tenors (I'm leaving where I had them last time at number 10.)
(09) Hairo Torres (A young guy with a lot of heart who is also a great dancer.)
(08) Erik & Rickie (These ballroom dancing kids stole my heart and leaped up into my top 10.)
(07) The Voices of Glory (Another great group of young people.)
(06) Paradizo Dance (An amazing act; I still can't get over a 90 lb women lifting a 240 lb man!)
(05) Kevin Skinner (How can I root against a KY boy? He's AGT's Susan Boyle.)
(04) Barbara Padilla (Beautiful lady, beautiful story, beautiful voice; she definitely could win it.)
(03) Lawrence Beamen (What a classy guy and great voice!)
(02) Acrodunk (These guys rock the house very time they take the stage.)
(01) Mario & Jenny (They just look and perform like a Las Vegas act.)

-- Greg Herriford

Teen Mission Notes (July, 2009)

Although the temperatures have been warming up, the summer is starting to wrap up. The kids went back to school today (8/12) here in Lexington. I also turned 38 years old today.
As we start to look to the fall, here is what’s happening with Teen Mission, USA:

2009 MISSION JOURNEYS
The 2009 summer mission trips are now over and it's a really good feeling to wrap up what has been a very successful year of mission trips.
It was not easy, but much was accomplished despite MANY obstacles (read the June TM Notes on my blog for more details).
We’ll end up having a very respectable number of participants (500) and trips (32).
The drop in income to TM from Mission Journeys due to having less international trips will not be as great as I had first thought.
Instead of the initial projections of $10,000-$15,000, it will be more like a $7,000-$8,000 shortfall.
However, that is still additional income we’ll need to have in order to make our budget this year.

A few more important trips are planned for later this year.
Ken has been invited to preach, teach and train hundreds of students, preachers and church leaders in North-Central INDIA and much of TANZANIA from Oct 08-Nov 17.
I'll be working with Dr Wesley Stepp (Oct 22-29) on doing a 2nd convention in FRENCH GUIANA (located on the north coast of South America). Topics to be covered will be: preaching, ministry, church leadership, worship and women's ministry.

TWICE ANNUAL
As you may know, we went ahead and raised the Twice Annual this year from $35 to $50. It was phrased, however, in a very low key way. In the spring, we had a nice response to our Twice Annual mailing with over $7,500 raised. Our 2nd call letter will go out in early August (this week). Historically, though, it has not been as well received as the spring one. Regardless, it should give some relief during the late summer as the mission trips wrap up and take a lot of funds out of the office.

FALL BANQUET (10.15.09)
We have things set for our annual fall banquet here in Lexington.
The date will be Thursday, October 15th at the Gardenside Christian Church Gym (940 Holly Springs Dr; Lexington, KY 40504).
The theme will be: “Honoring the Past…Looking to the Future.”
We’ll have a meal, mini-concert and brief program.
The music will be from the Messengers. They are a very popular Southern Gospel quartet, celebrating 50 years as a group this year.
As for honoring the past, we will continue to use the banquet time to honor faithful supporters/volunteers as we did with Chuck Perry (2006), Tommy Baker (2007) and the Bill Teegarden family (2008).
This year, we’ll honor Brother Wayne B. Smith, the longtime minister at Southland Christian Church/Lexington, KY, and arguably the most beloved preacher in our brotherhood.
Wayne has always been a great friend of Teen Mission and he was very helpful in getting Ken get TM “off the ground” in the late 1960s/early 1970s.
I must confess that following this year’s North American Christian Convention in Louisville, Teen Mission is the proud owner of 100 Wayne Smith bobble head dolls.
My friend Ben Prewitt had several made to honor Wayne at a NACC luncheon and had a few leftover following the event. I bought some of them with hopes of using them as some type of gift for this year’s banquet givers/attendees.
In closing the evening, I would also like to spend a few moments updating folks about where Teen Mission is heading. We’ll share with our supporters that Teen Mission has been seriously and prayerfully considering expanding the Mission Journeys outreach by starting one, eventually more, Teen Mission "mission locations."
We feel like God may be opening a door of opportunity in the Central America country of Belize as well as in Eastern KY.

THANKS again for your prayers, support and encouragement!

In Him,
Greg Herriford (Teen Mission, USA)

America's Got Talent

This post is on a much-lighter-than-usual note. Allow me to explain:

For me, it can be a major challenge finding something to root for and follow during the month of July.
My daughter's baseball comes to an end then and, for all practical purposes, church league softball is finished, too.

Even though they have nearly half a season to go, my beloved Cincinnati Reds are usually "finished" by mid-July.
It's no different this year. The Redlegs overachieved most of the year staying around the .500 mark. However, a rash of season-ending injuries finally took its tool and stretched an already paper thin lineup too far.
The Reds offense is pretty punch-less. The pitching, which had been surprisingly good for most of the year, has worn out.

Pro and college football are still a few months away from getting started.
The fantasy football draft is not until late August.

The middle of summer feels like being in the dead zone of cell phone range...no connections...no activity...nothing!
Perhaps I would have been better off had I rooted for "rain" this July.

Ah, but when all looked lost, NBC has thrown me a lifeline.
The name of this oasis in the summer's desert of disappointments is called "America's Got Talent."
The show is a nationwide talent search for the next great entertainment act. I actually started getting "hooked" on the show last summer (season 3).

I really can't explain why I enjoy this show so much.
I just do.
I do know this, though: In times of trouble, our country has always turned to escapist entertainment to help it get by. Things haven't changed.
The show has a lot of energy (most of it very positive) delivered by the show's host, Nick Cannon, talent judges and contestants.
I also like the fact that the show highlights the talent of many average, every day American people.

Several auditions held across the country are over. Last week, nearly 200 acts were sent to Las Vegas, NV, where the judges (Piers Morgan, Sharon Osbourne, David Hasselhoff) narrowed the list down to a top 40.
This week, the top 40 moved on to Hollywood.

Of the top 40, here are my top 10 (1 being the highest):

(10) Texas Tenors/singers
(09) Charles Dewayne/singer
(08) Platt Brothers/creative dancers
(07) Barbara Padilla/singer
(06) Lawrence Beamen/singer
(05) Mario & Jenny/magic act
(04) Kevin Skinner/singer
(03) Voices of Glory/singer
(02) Ishaara/Bollywood dancing
(01) Acrodunk/sports entertainers

Some of the acts I really liked didn't make the top 40. Those were: the little Hawaiian girl who sang, the Spiritual Harmonizers (several Richmond, VA, postmen) and the little boy who played blues on his guitar.
However, through a new twist for season 4, some of the acts are being invited back as "wildcards." The first two wildcards competed last night (the Diva League and the girls from the Lake Houston Performing Arts Center) and, in my opinion, were pretty horrible. I'm still hoping some of favorite will find their way back to the AGT stage.

It's probably more critical to stay tuned to the economy, the war on terror and health care reform.
But, don't think less of me for taking a little time each week to follow America's Got Talent.

God bless,
Greg Herriford (Teen Mission, USA)

Teen Mission Notes (June, 2009)

The summer is off and running. June flew by as the days were filled with weeks of Christian camp, Vacation Bible Schools and mission trips. Here is a little more about what’s been happening:

2009 Mission Journeys
Several of this year’s Mission Journeys took place in June with more coming in July. While the trips have be going very well, nothing has been easy about this year’s trips.
The struggles began last fall. The economic recession in our country had many people worried about their money. As a result, Mission Journey volunteers were much more hesitant in committing to going on a short-term mission trip this year.
Our international trips took the biggest hit as people opted for staying inside the United States for a less-expensive project.
The primary focus of our international efforts this year was to be in the Central American country of Honduras, with two teams scheduled to go their this summer.
Our first team led by Ken Henderson (June 18-28) had a great trip.
Ken wrote, “My team did a GREAT work in Honduras for people in GREAT need. God is surely more pleased than I am, and I am thrilled at all that was accomplished. A special thanks to JD Miller for heading up the music contest, and the Madeline Hicks for heading up the dental clinics, and to John Walker and Gay Patton for heading up the medical clinics. Thanks to every other trip member and thanks to the Mission for their excellent organization and care of us while we were there.”
As the team neared time for their departure, a sense of political unrest and uncertainty developed in Honduras. The president of Honduras was removed from office by the military, with the president of the congress being appointed as president to serve until the elections to be held in November.
The team, however, was able to return home at their scheduled time, June 28th.
The instability in the country led us to reschedule the second team (July 16-25) to Saltillo, Mexico, where they will be working on a Christian camp outside of the city with Ernesto Fuentes.
Ernesto was thrilled to have a team coming to work with him. The spring’s H1N1 “swine flu” virus news from Mexico had all but wiped out the chances of his mission receiving any visitors this summer.

Our stateside projects had their fair share of hurdles to overcome, too.
One of our host missionaries on the Yakama Reservation in Washington learned she had terminal cancer. Please keep Jerry & My McNew in your prayers!
Two other missionary couples are having some serious marital problems. I do not wish to name them. However, please keep them in your prayers, too.
A full-time ministry worker on the San Carlos Apache Reservation in Arizona wrote me in early June saying, “The situation right now requires a great deal of prayer. Between 22-30 teens/adults (Native Americans we work with) have attempted suicide in the past month, several succeeding. Two added to this number just this week.”

I am reminded of 1 Peter 5:8, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil roams around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
However, I take comfort in 1 John 4:4, “the one that is in you is greater than the one that is in the world.”

Camp/VBS
Along with the Mission Journeys, the VBS/Camp season is in full swing, too.
Teen Mission was the mission for VBS at our home church, Gardenside Christian Church (Lexington, KY), June 14-19.
GCC Children’s Director Shannon Hatfield did a great job with her 1st VBS @ GCC. There were over 80 children in attendance most every night; several of them were not from a church background.
It was one of the best evangelistic things we’ve done at Gardenside in a long time.
The offering for Teen Mission, USA, was $800!
The following week (June 21-25), I represented Teen Mission as the missionary for a Junior High week of camp at Butler Springs Christian Camp near Hillsboro, OH.
In all, TM is the mission for 6 Vacation Bible Schools and 11 weeks of church camp this summer.

NACC (June 30-July 03)
This year’s North American Christian Convention was held close to home in Louisville, KY.
It was good to have Kelly and Autumn attend with me this year. Meredith had a week of camp at Blue Grass Christian Camp and stayed with her Grandma.
We were able to “connect” with lots of old friends and meet some new ones as well.
It was especially good to spend some time with Denford Chizanga and family. Denford ministers in his native country of Zimbabwe, Africa. He and his wife (Shingi) help develop church leaders and plant new churches. Gardenside and my Sunday School class (the LIFE class) support their ministry efforts there.
Denford spoke at Gardenside on Sunday night, June 28th. He, Shinigi and daughter Hannah (15 mos) stayed a few nights in Lexington and rode up to the NACC with my family.
We’d love to bring a mission team to visit them in Zimbabwe sometime in the next few years.

THANKS again for your prayers, support and encouragement!

In Him,
Greg Herriford (Teen Mission, USA)

Denford @ GCC (06.28.09)

Denford Chizanga and family are wonderful missionaries that my home church, Gardenside Christian Church, supports. They minister in their native country of Zimbabwe, Africa. We were blessed to have them visit us at GCC a few weeks ago (Sunday, June 28th).

Teen Mission Notes (April & May, 2009)

It’s been a busy, but productive spring.
While it’s not summer yet officially, the end of May and the Memorial Day weekend signals that summer is right around the corner.
Here’s some of what’s been going on with Teen Mission over the past few months:

Finances/Development Projects: So far, we’ve had a nice response to our spring Twice Annual mailing with nearly $7,000 raised. This has given some much-needed relief during the spring.
We raised the suggested Twice Annual contribution from $35 to $50. It was phrased, however, in a very low key way.
Our Fundraising/Development team has decided to pursue a concert and meal here in Lexington at Gardenside Christian Church for our fall banquet. The tentative date of Thursday, October 15th has been set.

2009 Mission Journeys: Things are moving into high gear with the 2009 Mission Journeys. In fact, we’ve already sent four teams out this year with many more to follow. Due to the current economic climate, many would-be Mission Journey volunteers have been hesitant in committing to going on a short-term mission trip this year. Despite that, it looks like we’ll have a very respectable number of participants (525) and trips (32).

VBS/Camp Mission Project: Our VBS/Camp mission program is underway and we several Vacation Bible Schools (6) and weeks of church camp (11) using us as their mission this summer.
We have a new theme and a DVD featuring 5 (one each day) of the locations/countries TM, USA, ministers in. These places will be:

Day 01 - Appalachia (Eastern KY/West VA)
Day 02 - Gulf South/Hurricane Relief (Louisiana/Mississippi/Texas)
Day 03 - Native American Indian Reservations (Arizona/South Dakota/Washington)
Day 04 – Central America (Mexico & Honduras)
Day 05 - Africa (Tanzania)

Sam Bowles & Cameron Andry (Marengo, IN) helped us with production of the DVD. Ken H designed the passport books and stamps that the children receive for attending.

Summer Interns: We have two really fine young people working with us this summer through the Joshua Teegarden Internship program. They are: Andrew Eells (Rossville, IL) and Clare McGill (Lexington, KY). A third intern, Sarah Cross (Nicholasville, KY), will not able to join us this summer.

TEEN MISSION, USA, BOARD MEETING (06.01.09)
The Teen Mission, USA, quarterly board meeting will be on Monday, June 1st, 11:30 am @ Gardenside Christian Church (940 Holly Springs Dr; Lexington KY 40504).

In Him,
Greg Herriford (Teen Mission, USA)

Texas Project Photos

Texas Project

In the fall of 2008, parts of southeastern Texas were hit hard by Hurricanes Gustav & Ike.
In the towns of West Orange, Orangefield and Bridge City, Texas (near the Louisiana/Texas border), there were just over 5,000 houses flooded as result of Hurricane Ike.
Much like those families effected from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, many were left homeless without knowing exactly what to do. The majority of these homes are repairable, but, so far, it has been a slow and difficult process of recovery.
Last month (April 20-22), I went down to southeast Texas and looked at a mission site where we’ll be helping folks recover from Hurricane Ike. It went very well.
Two guys from Kentucky flew down with me and two others from Indiana drove down.
While there, we were able to look around at the project site and meet with Garry Jones, Director of Real Life Ministries of Louisiana.
This summer, Teen Mission is partnering with RLM in helping with their first-ever “Project Home” project.
Through this project, our Mission Journey teams will be building a brand new home for widow and her daughter in Orange, TX, who lost their home to Hurricane Ike.
Two work groups have already laid the foundation and sub-floor. The first summer group will begin with framing.
In all, we’ll have four teams working on the project in Texas this summer. They are:

Driftwood Christian Church (Vallonia, IN)
Quincy (KY) Church of Christ
Broadway Christian Church (Lexington, KY)
Arundel (MD) Christian Church

Most of our teams will be staying at the First Christian Church in Orangefield, TX (Jim Hardwick, minister).
They have a nice facility with a kitchen and restrooms/showers.
Our backup facility will be a mobile home (unit #5) in Orange, TX, along with the West Orange Christian Church (Bobby Granger, minister).
If you’d like to help with this project or simply want more information, please contact us right away.

In Him,
Greg Herriford (Teen Mission, USA)

Easter Programs in Eastern KY (Photos)

An Easter Blessing in Eastern KY

Teen Mission, USA, held Easter programs/services at two different locations in Eastern KY on Saturday, April 4th.
In Booneville, KY, our team worked with over 60 elementary age children at the Owsley County Elementary School. Nearly 30 volunteers from Catalyst Christian Church (Nicholasville, KY) helped in making this event possible.
The event was a huge success as volunteers worked with the students in making crafts, telling Bible stories and transforming the gym into a carnival-like atmosphere. The day concluded with a massive Easter egg hunt involving nearly 2,500 eggs!

A second program took place in the mountain community of Spencer Ridge (Lee County). Jason Brown (TM Board member and minister at El Bethel Christian Church/Owenton, KY) helped organize a great program that involved preaching, worship, a Bluegrass band and an egg hunt. Also helping out with the program were several folks from Leesburg Christian Church (Cynthiana, KY).
Over the past few years, we’ve done several programs in this community, meeting in a vacant Church of Christ on the top of a mountain. One of the ladies in the community came up to thank us after the program. Her story is very special...

She told of bringing foster children, in her care, to our services last year. Not too long after they came to her home last summer, she saw that a mission group (one of ours led by Jason Brown) was doing a Vacation Bible School at the church on Spencer Ridge. As far as she knew, the foster children had never attended any church function. The VBS was a great success and her first-time VBS attendees had a great time! In fact, when one of them could not sleep at night due to some painful memories from the past, she told the child to think of something good. The little one began singing a song she learned at VBS. That helped the child relax and drift off to sleep.

Its stories like that one that makes this area (Lee & Owsley County) a special place for both me and Teen Mission, USA. In fact, we, as an organization, have “adopted” this community and have committed to doing ministry there throughout the year. Eventually, we would love to have staff people there in the area serving as the mission “hosts” for our short-term mission teams.

Once again, a big THANKS goes out to all those folks who helped with this year’s Easter event. You did a great job! You’re helping bring hope to many people in Lee and Owsley County.

In Him,
Greg Herriford (Teen Mission, USA)

Teen Mission Notes (February & March, 2009)

It’s been nearly two months since my last Teen Mission update. Therefore, this one will cover February and March, 2009. There’s a lot to cover so here goes:

Health
The day of our last Teen Mission board meeting (Monday, March 2nd), I felt pretty sick and left the meeting early to go see my doctor.
Over the past few months, I’ve been having some minor pains in my chest, but I was also extremely sick to my stomach on that day.
I was a little concerned that it could be something to do with my heart.
I’ve been watching my blood pressure over the past year and a half as it’s been getting a little too high.
The good news is that it is not heart related.
Just to be on the safe side, though, I had an upper GI and a Gall Bladder Ultrasound done at a hospital.
It confirmed what my doctor had thought. It revealed I had a Hiatal Hernia (in my upper stomach). It can be controlled with meds and not eating after 7-8 pm at night.
I am also now taking a blood pressure medicine (small dosage) and my blood is pressure is doing a lot better (averaging 120/80).
It’s no all fun getting older, gang.

Holy Land Trip (March 09-21)
I was away a good bit of the month of March with a group of 46 (mostly from Gardenside Christian Church) on a trip to the Holy Land.
It was a truly awesome, once-in-a-lifetime experience.
God was gracious in allowing me to be healthy and focused. Because of that, I was blessed by the experience of having walked where our Lord walked.
During the trip, I posted a journal and uploaded photos on my blog. Many of you were able to follow along. Thanks for all the positive feedback!
While it was a great trip and we saw a bunch of incredible stuff, I’m glad to be home. It took me about a week to adjust to the time change and all the travel.
Once again, I greatly appreciate all your concerns, thought and prayers.

Mission Journeys
The 2009 Mission Journeys are moving into high gear. In fact, we’ve already sent two teams out this year.
Chuck Perry led a team to Haiti, February 05-15. The group helped build a church building while holding both a revival and Vacation Bible School.
Another team from Big Hill Avenue Christian Church (Richmond, KY) worked in St Albans, WV, March 06-08.
The team served with Gateway Church of Christ in their ongoing ministry to the community around them by working on several area homes and with a few different community centers.
Team member Regena Adams said this about the trip, “Thanks for an awesome weekend. I absolutely had the time of my life; the people…the church…everything was done with excellence, just the way God wants!”
The current economic climate has many people worried about their money. Many would-be Mission Journey volunteers have been hesitant in committing to going on a short-term mission trip this year.
As a result, applications and funds are coming in to our office much later than usual.
Despite that, it looks like we’ll have a good number of participants (500-550) and trips (30-35).
Many of this year’s projects will be taking place in the United States as our international trips will see slight a drop in number.
The projects going outside the USA (Brazil, French Guiana, Haiti, Honduras and possibly Tanzania) will be smaller teams than normal.

Other projects
Besides the Mission Journeys, we’ve been busy getting things ready for our 2009 VBS/Camp mission project and schedules made for our summer interns.
While Our VBS/Camp mission program is just getting underway, we already have several weeks of church camp lined up.
We have not done a new DVD for this project in over 5 years. Sam Bowles (Marengo, IN) is helping us put together a new one that will feature 5 (one each day) of the locations/countries TM, USA, ministers in.
Children will receive their own passport and receive a new stamp/sticker for a new country each day.
In early April, a promotional flier advertising the project was mailed out to 1,000 churches & individuals.
The 5th year of the Joshua Teegarden Internship program will take place this summer. Our interns will represent Teen Mission at many of these weeks of VBS & camp as well as help with the administration of the Mission Journeys.
We currently have two really fine young people lined up to serve with us this summer. They are: Andrew Eells (Rossville, IL) and Sarah Cross (Nicholasville, KY). Both have previously served with us on Mission Journeys (Andrew - Tanzania and Sarah - Mexico). There is a chance we might have a third intern join us for the summer.

Spring is a wonderful season with many things around us starting to bloom and come “back to life.” Creation is reminding us of our Savior’s resurrection years ago.
I pray we as Christians take joy in that fact as we enjoy the season.
May you have a wonderful Easter (April 12th)!
THANKS again for your prayers, support and encouragement.

In Him,
Greg Herriford (Teen Mission, USA)

Holy Land Trip (Highlight Photos)

Holy Land Trip (Recap)

We successfully made it back from our 12-day Holy Land trip (March 9-21).
I apologize for not posting anything to let folks now we arrived home safely.
In talking with a friend from Indiana, he said, “I was following your blog, but you left me hanging in Galilee!”
It was a great trip and we saw a bunch of incredible stuff, but I’m glad to be home.
It took me about a week to adjust to the time change and all the travel.
Even though we’ve been back for over two weeks now, the memories of the trip are still fresh on my mind.
There were so many highlights that it’s nearly I impossible to narrow them down to a list of favorites. However, here’s my humble attempt at a Holy Land Trip top 10 list (going in reverse order):

(10) Jimmy Boling and his comedy relief: the guy is a born entertainer with a great voice and sense of humor; I’ll never forget his debate over having to pay two shekels to use the restroom in a Galilean town (he owes me one shekel by the way).

(09) Sami our Palestinian guide for the Israel part of the trip: his wisdom and knowledge was greatly appreciated.

(08) Anne Frank house in Amsterdam: it happened so early in the trip that it was easy to forget about it; however, it was a very powerful reminder of a very dark period in human history.

(07) Great Pyramids in Egypt: there’s not much to add; these are one of the wonders of the world; it’s on most everyone’s bucket list of things to see before they die.

(06) Caesarea Philippi: located in northern Israel, I thought it was one of the prettiest areas we visited.

(05) Baptisms in Jordan River: Brother Joe baptized Rosie Caywood and Jimmy Boling in the river; a big rat ran past Rosie on the way out of the water; I’m thankful Rosie did not have her glasses on to see this; she would have passed out if she had.

(04) The Region of Galilee: my favorite area of Israel; I could picture Jesus and the disciples out of the water or traveling along the hillsides; for whatever reason, this area seemed to be the most real to me. I want to go back there some day for a study break. Just me, a computer, books and the sea!

(03) Climbing Mt Sinai: After four hours of sleep in one of the strangest hotels anyone has ever stayed in, our group got up at 1 am and left to climb Mt Sinai in the early morning hours; it may have been crazy and incredibly challenging, but it was well worth the climb; there were many lessons about the Christian walk learned (more about that on a later post); on the top of the mountain, a group of Nigerian Christians broke out in worship at sunrise.

(02) Galilee Boat Ride: for me, it was one of the “slice of heaven” moments; it was an absolutely perfect moment: beautiful weather, good friends, good music and everyone having a good time as we rode across the same sea that Jesus calmed the storm and walked on water. How can you beat that?

(01) Communion Service in Garden Tomb: whether this is the actual site of the tomb or not wasn’t important; taking the Lord’s supper there with so many dear friends was an unforgettable spiritual moment.

Let me say again that the Holy Land trip was a really awesome experience.
The trip played out with hardly a single hitch.
The hotels were great; the food was good; the travel was pretty smooth.
I appreciate Joe Cooper (our preacher at Gardenside) for all his hard work in organizing things with our team. Aristotle Travel as well as Biblical & Educational Journeys did a fantastic job in coordinating this trip.
Having been, I highly recommend that every Christian take such a pilgrimage at some point in their life.
God was gracious in allowing me to be healthy and focused. Because of that, I was blessed by the experience of having walked where our Lord walked.
THANKS again to everyone involved with making this trip happen!
Our team reunion will be this coming Sunday, April 12th (6:30 pm @ Gardenside Christian Church).

In Him,
Greg Herriford

Holy Land Trip (Galilee Photos)

Holy Land Trip (Galilee)

We are rapidly nearing the end of our Holy Land trip.
We’ve spent the last two days in and around the Galilee, the region where Jesus spent the majority of His ministry in.
I’ve enjoyed this part of the tour the most.
It is a very beautiful place and does not have the hectic pace of the city (Jerusalem).
The Sea of Galilee provides a very beautiful and tranquil setting.
You can easily picture our Lord walking the hillsides with his disciples or teaching in a boat near the shore.

Highlights from Wednesday, March 18:
Leaving Jerusalem, our group headed to the Jordan River Valley and Jericho.
Before looking at the remains of the ancient city, we stopped to see a sycamore tree believed to be the one Zacchaeus climbed to see Jesus.
We also visited the ancient city of Beit Shean before heading on to Mt Tabor.
Saul and Jonathan were slain at the foot of Mt Gilboa, near Beit Shean.
Beit Shean has some of the best excavations in all of Israel.
At Mt Tabor, overlooking the Valley of Jezreel, we saw the traditional site of Jesus’ transfiguration.
Our last stop was the Jordan River.
At the Jordan, Brother Joe baptized two of our team members: Rosie Caywood and Jimmy Boling.
The team spent the night in Tiberias, located on the Sea of Galilee.

Highlights from Thursday, March 19:
The day started with a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee.
On the north side of the Galilee we went up on Mt of Beatitudes, where Jesus delivered this famous sermon.
From there, we traveled north to the base of Mt Hermon to see Caesarea Philippi where the headwaters of the Jordan River begin.
This was where Peter made the “good confession.”
Also, on the Sea of Galilee we saw the site where Jesus fed 5,000 with 2 fish and 5 barley loaves.
We ended the day in Capernaum.
Capernaum was the site of most of Jesus’ miracles.
It was also the home of Peter.
While there, we saw excavations believed to be Peter’s house and the synagogue where Jesus taught.

Tomorrow (Friday, March 20), will be our last day of touring. We will leave Tiberias and go to Nazareth, Cana, Meggido, Haifa and Netanya.
We will leave Tel Aviv airport very early on Saturday, March 21.

In Him,
Greg Herriford

Holy Land Trip (Jerusalem Photos)

Holy Land Trip (Jerusalem)

Things continue to be going great for our team and our Holy Land trip.
We’ve spent the last two days in and around the city of Jerusalem.

Highlights from Monday, March 16:
We began the day in Jerusalem at the Mount of Olives and walked down to visit the Garden of Gethsemane.
After visiting Mt Zion and the house of Caiaphas (where Peter denied Christ on the night of his arrest), we left for the town of Bethlehem.
In the afternoon, we toured Bethlehem, the town where Christ was born.
The Church of the Nativity is the place where our Savior Jesus Christ was born.
The entrance into the church is a small opening that makes nearly everyone have to stoop to enter. This is the very appropriate for a church remembering the ultimate act of humility by Christ (coming to live among us on the earth).

Highlights from Tuesday, March 17:
The entire day was spent in the Old City of Jerusalem.
We began the day at the Western Wall (the last remaining part of the Temple).
We were also able to see the Dome of the Rock (now controlled by the Muslims).
For a good bit of the day, we traveled along the Via Dolorosa (the path Jesus is believed to have traveled on the day of His crucifixion).
The Via Dolorosa ended with two possible locations of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection. One is the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
We ended our day at the site many protestants believe is the site of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.
It is called the Garden Tomb. This site was not discovered until the late 1800s.
Our group took the Lord’s Supper together in the Garden Tomb. It was a great end to a great day!
Tomorrow, we will leave Jerusalem and travel north to Mt Tabor and Tiberias.

In Him,
Greg Herriford

Holy Land Trip (Judean Wilderness Photos)

Holy Land Trip (Sinai Photos)

Holy Land Trip (Sinai & Israel)

Much has happened since my last update.
We’ve been in the Sinai wilderness without internet access and now we’ve arrived in Israel.
We left Cairo, Egypt, on Friday, March 13, and headed for the Sinai peninsula.
The group spent the night at the base of Mt Sinai, the mountain Moses ascended to receive the Ten Commandments from God.
Our hotel was less than spectacular (small bedrooms, dirty bathrooms and cats roaming the dinning area), but we were not there long.

Saturday, March 14
Several of the team awoke early on Saturday morning (1 am to be specific) to begin a hike up to the top of Mt Sinai.
The hike up to the top (over 8,000 ft above sea level) took nearly 6 hours round trip.
The hike was much tougher than advertised, however, and several of our people had to stop short of the top.
Those who did reach the top were treated to a great sunrise.
I have to say that it was one of the most physically demanded things I’ve ever done, but well worth it.
At the mountain top, there were people from every tribe, tongue and nation (sound familiar).
A group of Nigerian Christians on their own pilgrimage sang and danced.
In the afternoon, we toured St Catherine’s Monastery located at the base of Mt Sinai.
St Catherine’s is one of the most important monasteries in the world containing oldest and richest libraries in the world.
Located there we saw the tradition site of where Moses drew water from Jethro’s well as well as where God spoke to Moses through the burning bush.
After leaving Sinai, it was onto Israel!
The day’s only difficulty was getting through customs and security on the Egyptian/Israeli border.
A larger-than-normal amount of traffic caused a wait of several hours.
Our patience was tested while waiting in line. A group of fellow pilgrims from the Ukraine repeatedly kept trying to cut in line in front of many of our team members.
Cooler heads prevailed and the Cold War was not reignited.
After making it across the border and meeting our new tour guides, we drove to Jerusalem, arriving around midnight.

Sunday, March 15, was our first day in Jerusalem.
We’ve got a really nice hotel. After a good night’s sleep and breakfast, we were off on our tours.
Here’s the highlights from the Judean Wilderness:

Masada - King Herod’s palace/fortress; also the site where 960 Jewish Zealots attempted to hold off the Romans in 73 AD.
Ein Gedi - site where David cut off a corner of King Saul’s robe while hiding in a cave there (1Samuel 24).
Qumran - location where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947; these manuscripts dating back to the 1st century were the greatest archeological find in the 20th century.
Dead Sea - lots of salt; 27% of the water is mineral (I don’t know what else to say).

We have pretty consistent internet access here in Jerusalem.
I will try my best to post an update every day now.

In Him,
Greg Herriford

Holy Land Trip (Day Two in Cairo)

Thursday, March 12, was our second and final full day in Cairo, Egypt.
We spent most of the day looking at several pyramids and ancient sites in and around the city.
Among them included: Saqqara (the first pyramids in Egypt), the ancient city of Memphis and finally the Giza Pyramids & the Sphinx.
It was awesome to see and experience these great wonders that date back to 5,000 years ago!
Our group was privileged to go down into a few of the tombs, while others had the chance to ride camels across the desert (see my photos posted earlier).
The souvenir vendors were pretty aggressive at each location we visited. Therefore, there were a lot of gifts purchased for friends and family back home.
At the Great Pyramids at Giza, a few of our team traveled inside the largest one of the three pyramids.
We ended the day with a dinner cruise on the beautiful Nile River.
Today, we’re leaving Cairo and heading across the desert for Mt Sinai. We’ll stay there overnight before heading onto Israel.
I will keep you posted.

In Him,
Greg Herriford

Holy Land Trip (More Cairo Photos)