Friday, January 30, 2009

Pacificministries Worship at the River CHANGE TO Sunday Feb. 22

Dear Friends,

As Carlene and I were preparing the November dinner
for our Worship at the River gathering, we were sensing a change was ahead for
us, but we were not certain how it would look, nor exactly what we should
say.  Last year was prophesied to be a “gateway” season, where many were
entering into new things.  We sensed that was true for us, but did not
have the language to express what we felt. If you have been following our
journey, you are aware of the word the Lord spoke to us about "living with
constant change."
Since the November dinner, we have needed to move most
of our belongings to Port Townsend as Carlene has been given primary
responsibility to care for her mother’s businesses and arrange for
her mothers personal care. 

  • Our December “Worship at the River” needed to be canceled due to the
    snow. 
  • Our January worship needed to be canceled because of our Korea assignment.
    (full report with podcasts
    HERE)
  • In February, all of our children (including Calvin, our grandson) will be in California to bless
    our son Matt before he is deploys February 9 (Destination unknown at
    this time). February Worship at the River CHANGED TO 6PM
    SUNDAY February 22
  • March, we will be in Kenya for nearly 3 weeks.  Our Worship at the River for March is CANCELED
So, the things that we were feeling, but unable to put
into words, are being written on the calendar for us. 
We cherish each of you dearly, and we believe that the
Lord will allow us to gather several times a year to Worship again together and
we will send you those dates as soon as we know them. 


So, here is what we know for today:
  1. Carlene
    and I are officially moving to Port Townsend.  We will keep our condo
    in Gresham
    for the next 6-8 months.

   2.   We are still very
        dependent on your love, your prayers and your financial support
         
For the time being, you may send financial support to: Pacificministries PO
BOX 1351 Fairview OR 97030 Or go to
Pacificministries.blogspot.com
and use our Paypal account.

  1. We want to encourage YOU to initiate gatherings in your home of friends (actually family) from Worship at the
    River. 
  1. We want to be with you to Worship at the River.  We will keep in close email contact with you.
  1. Our itinerary:
 
    February 5-9      
         In Los Angeles for Family Gathering to see Matthew Deployed
    February 22    Sunday 6pm Worship at the River at the Troutdale Community Center
    February 24-March 10  Kenya Africa to visit and serve with Dr. Bruce and Kate Dahlman (my first
        cousin is a medical director and Kate is a nurse)

Thank you, and bless you for your continued love, prayers, and financial
support!

Darrell and Carlene

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Pictures from the Mountain Property in Korea

Rejoice with us!!






Dear Friends,

I am rejoicing.  A many of you may know, I literally lost our passports, along with other resources a few months ago.  I have always "prided myself" (dangerous words) on carefully accounting for essential travel stuff, which, if you lose, creates at the least great inconvenience, and at most leaves you stranded. 

These past weeks in the Northwest we have experienced delays and displacements in our lives in record snow, ice, wind (75 mph in the Colombia Gorge a few days ago), cold, and flooding. Yesterday, after a wonderful 9 days of ministry in Korea, I boarded the last leg of my journey. Finally, the end was in sight. I was headed to Port Townsend after a 20 hour flight from Korea via Japan, San Francisco, and Portland  Just a simple 30 minute flight to Seattle. As we approached the city, the pilot mentioned we may have a problem. (I hate when pilots say that) "We've got some fog here, we can't see to land...minimum is 1/8 of a mile visibility. We'll circle and see what happens."  Well, we circled, and circled....for almost 2 hours before running low on fuel and flying back to Portland. 

As I stood in line with several hundred other travelers waiting to re-book and for the fog to clear, CNN was broadcasting the inauguration of Obama.  I had this conversation with the Lord:

ME: Well Lord, I've lost important stuff...now there's fog...(talk about fog as a metaphor), massive change in our nation's leadership......I'm tired...where are you in all of this?

LORD: You are learning to live in days of change and unexpected delays. Trust Me. I am your Resource, Protector, and Guide.

ME: Yea...easier to preach it than to live it.

LORD:  Wait....Trust....especially in the things  you cannot see.

ME:  OK

Now, I know that doesn't sound like much of a spiritual conversation. I was tired but trying to be grateful, even rejoicing in the trial....trying to keep a good attitude amongst many disgruntled passengers.

At 1pm, I was seated on the first of just a few planes to finally press through the fog and land in Seattle.  I reunited with Carlene who picked me up in Bremerton, and within 3 minutes of entering the house, found our missing passports and other items.  Yea God.

There is this wonderful story in Luke 15 that Jesus told about a women who lost, and then found a coin.

And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.'

So, rejoice with me, especially in the things we cannot see.  In the middle of change, delays, falling financial markets, weird weather, disappointment with yourself, frustration at our disruption of plans...trust, wait, and rejoice.  I am convinced we are learning to discern the birth pangs which foretell the end of this age.  I agree with Rick Warren's prayer at the Inauguration:

Almighty God, our father, everything we see and everything we can't see
exists because of you alone. It all comes from you, it all belongs to
you. It all exists for your glory. History is your story...


Hmmm..everything we can't see
exists because of you alone. It all comes from you, it all belongs to
you.
 

I say, Amen.

I'll post a detailed longer (12 min) audio podcast as Korea January 2009.


Bless you as you rejoice,

Darrell and Carlene




Thursday, January 15, 2009

Korea January 2009

Dear Friends and Family,




It's Friday morning I'm sitting in a Korean coffee shop where the temperature has hovered between 5-20 degrees over the past 5 days, and a fresh blanket of snow has covered the city of Seoul. The big floating and sticky kind of snowflakes. The city does not pause much...buses, taxis, and busy commuters set their heads against the blowing snow...and plow forward.



This country, known for it's tenacity and endurance against opposition is a testimony to the spiritual DNA God has given this land. I'm on assignment here, speaking to smaller and larger groups of leaders, churches, and mission groups. It's been pretty non-stop, and this morning is really the first hour I've had to post an update. I arrived one week ago after losing my passport (got a new one in Seattle in a record 6 hours) and literally flying over the flood from Portland to Seattle (as I5 was closed) to catch my overseas flight.



In a word, it was worth the effort. I'll visit 4 cities in these 8 days here, and, as always, the Korean people have received me with grace.



There are many reasons why I believe this trip was difficult with all the problems and delays. Suffice to say this as been our life the past months during Thailand airport closures, record snow and rain....and lost passports. I believe we are learning to live and prosper with constant change. We are learning to trust Holy Spirit as our Friend, Counselor, and Guide. I have, like many of you, been drawn to study the Book of Revelation with a fresh approach. As Mike Bickle as said, if you are a worshipper, intercessor, or prophetic person, you are pretty much guaranteed job security for eternity. Wow. (I'd encourage you to catch some of their teaching at ihop.org)



Carlene is finally recovering after weeks of a nasty cough, and I'll return Tuesday to help care for her Mother. I'll do a podcast later today and hope to post it at http://pacificministries.blogspot.com in a day or so.





Bless you and thank your for praying for us.



Darrell

Thursday, January 08, 2009

Despite Floods...Lost Passports.....I'm off to Korea

Friends....

I'm in Seattle...the only way around the flood is to fly over it..(which is what I and many others from Portland did...)
For those out of the loop...I tried to summarize last few days in a 10 min audio report attached to this email...thanks for thinking and praying...what a wild adventure.

Darrell

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

January Pacificministries Update (January Worship at the River CA

Dear Friends,



In just a few hours, Carlene and I will take our son Matthew, to the Portland Airport for his final weeks of preparation for deployment to either Afghanistan or Iraq as a US Marine.  He has spent the last 18 months in the preparation and anticipation of this assignment.  His final destination and assignment remains a mystery, but we are assured he has prepared adequately.  Last evening, we spent the final hours of his Christmas break together as a few of his friends, and our family... get this... played Bingo.  We laughed, ate bad cafeteria food, and Paul, our youngest son, won $120.



Most of us in the United States have experienced unforeseen challenges to our best plans.  From unprecedented weather including 24 inches of snow in the Portland East County area, to civil unrest in Thailand, life has been unpredictable.  One of our good friends, has been searching office supplies stores for her traditional Day Planner... you know the one with a nicely laid out schedules, hour by hour, minute by minute.  She just can't find one.  Marcia Burns, a writer who regularly posts her thoughts (ft111@spiritofprophecy.com) about what God is speaking to her recently wrote:



In a vision I received my new Day-Timer refill, but it didn't come with all of the extra pages like the long- range planner, expense sheets, etc. It was simply one black page per day, no frills. I believe this symbolizes what our position should be in the days ahead, which is to simplify, be frugal, and to take one day at a time without projecting out into the future.



One thing we can be assured of: God is faithful, and we trust him.



On Friday morning, I will deploy for my 23rd trip to Asia. I'll be speaking at several churches, and youth intercessory meetings.  Carlene will remain in the states as she continues to care for her mother.  Consistent with challenges and changes, we have cancelled our Sunday January 11th Worship at the River meeting but Lord willing... will gather on the second Sunday, February 8 at the Troutdale Community Center .



Just as Matthew has been in preparation for his assignment and Feb. 14th will be departing for an unknown destination, many of us warriors, worshipers, and intercessors have been in a similar season .  Now we all look forward to a future perhaps undefined and a bit unclear from our perspective, but perfectly designed from God's.



We bless you, and thank you for praying and supporting us.



Darrell and Carlene

Saturday, January 03, 2009

An Invitation for a Gathering WEDNESDAY January 7....TWO Options






To All Is Our Wonderful-Spirit Filled-Passionate Lovers of Jesus-Friends,

I'll make this short and sweet.  In order to simplify everything, on Wednesday, January 7, Carlene and I want to invite you to either a:


11 A.M.  Late Breakfast/Early Lunch......Or,


6:00 P.M.  Dinner


We'd
love to spend a couple of hours sharing a no host meal (or just a soft
drink/tea/coffee) at Xavier's restaurant.  This is a moderately priced
family restaurant, where we have reserved a larger private comfortable
room that will seat up to 40.    Carlene and I will share in a bit more
detail regarding our travels the last month in Korea, Thailand, Sri
Lanka, and Russia.  We'll also update our perspective travel plans
(Africa and possibly India) and future calendar events for
Pacificministries.


Please call me at 503-997-0713 or reply to this email to confirm.

Please
also remember Bill Petersen's continued healing.  I saw him last
evening... we want to pray for a normal blood pressure, and renewed
energy.  You may call Delight's cell phone 503-380-7203 before a
visit.  This morning, I also received a note from Connie Dana regarding
Mike.


Just a note to ask prayer for Mike.  He had
terrible cold and cough a couple of weeks ago and it seemed to get better. 
But Thursday he steadily got worse.  Yesterday afternoon was diagnosed with
pneumonia.  Thankfully he has prescriptions to help battle it.  But
know that God has to win this battle for us.


(maybe we'll have healing intercession/proclamation at Xaviers)

Bless you and thank you for praying and supporting us,


Darrell




Francis Xavier's Restaurant


portland.citysearch.com

1933 NE 181st Ave
Portland, OR 97230
(503) 666-1957
Get directions






Pacificministries
Online Safe Donation to Pacificministries

PO Box 1351
Fairview, OR 97024
Pacificministries@gmail.com
http://pacificministries.blogspot.com/

Thursday, January 01, 2009

Prayer for Bill and NO JANUARY 11th Worship at the River






Dear Family and Friends,

Just wanted to send a quick e-mail to specifically request prayer for Bill and Delight Petersen.  Since Bill's surgical operation for kidney repair in October, he has been running a low grade fever, which increased over the weeks.  Christmas Eve, he was hospitalized and just two days ago underwent another operation to remove a 7 inch segment of his inflamed colon.  We believe that God's healing power is at work.

I spoke with Delight this morning, and we want to pray specifically for:

1 Complete Rest, Especially during the Evening Hours

2 Comfort throughout the Healing Process

3 Quick and Complete Healing

4 Peace and Rest for Delight

The doctors expect Bill to stay in hospital for at least five to seven days, and you can reach him at Portland Adventist Hospital 503-257-2500. (Call first before a visit) They both would appreciate prayers and notes of encouragement at delightpete@yahoo.com.


ALSO....

THERE WILL BE NO JANUARY 11TH WORSHIP AT THE RIVER...BUT WE WILL HAVE FEBRUARY 8TH GATHERING. (details to follow!)    

Bless you,

Darrell