blog access

Hi Folks,

I've been having frequent difficulty accessing my blog. Often the link only comes up with a blank screen and I'm trying to identify if the problem is only on my end. If any of you have had similar difficulty getting my blog to come up, could you please email me at escorev@gmail.com?

Thanks a bunch!

Pat

Happenings

Just a brief update. Ministry wise I was blessed to teach again at Calvary Chapel Vista's 3 morning services this past Sunday. Next week, it's representing Shepherd's Staff at the annual Calvary Chapel Missions Conference at Murrieta Hot Springs Conference Center. Looking forward to a full three days of fellowship, teaching and networking. Then over the weekend I'll be in Phoenix working with Pastor Jeff and some of the Shep. Staff team in an "in service" training time with the materials, course outlines, and other resources offered by the ministry.

Love you and may you all have a blessed, safe, fruitful and happy New Year!

In His Arm's,

Pat

Christmas Blessings!

It's Christmas Eve and I just returned from my son's in-laws and a house full of grandkids! What delicious chaos! The little girls were all dressed up in their elegant Christmas outfits. Just before opening their presents, Grandma Lynn asked them all what Christmas was really about. Kaylee, age 6, shouts out above all the noise, "It's about Jesus!" Indeed it is.

My hope and prayer for all of you is that your Christmas would be filled with Jesus - overflowing in the wonder of His love. May His peace and joy wrap around that so precious gift of salvation given to us in Christ.

A very blessed Christmas to all of you who have been following this blog and the progression of my life and ministry these last couple of years. I hope we can all look forward to a fruitful, healthy, and safe new year ahead!

In His Arm's,

Pat

learning lots!

I am presently working thru making contact with the missionaries from the sending churches in my Western US region. In that process, I'm reading a lot of blogs and prayer updates and newsletters available online - posted by "my" missionaries or their churches. One evening this week I spent a couple hours just reading about a missionary family in Kyrgystan. Each missionary has such an amazing story of faith and obedience to God's call. And each one has had to endure hardship and trial and some, outright persecution.

I've not only been blessed but convicted as well. You can't start getting close to these folks without your own heart and walk being challenged.

My goal now is learning about and writing at least one of my missionaries a day for the next 3 weeks. After that it's time to start hooking up with each of their sending churches - and there's about 30 of them! So each day for the next few weeks will be a new learning experience for me.

In addition to the daily writing, over the next couple of weeks, I'm  meeting with local pastors, teaching at Calvary Vista on the 28th and representing Shepherd's Staff at the annual Calvary Chapel Mission's Conference in Murrieta Jan. 5-7. Then it's off to Phoenix for some training with Pastor Jeff and visiting with some missionaries home on furlough and some getting ready to be sent out.

Thanks to all of you who are praying for me and this work...can't do it without you!

In His Arm's,

Pat

prayer

Prayer is so crucial to fruitfulness in any ministry. It is often the least practiced yet the most needed. My ministry with Shepherd's Staff to missionaries and their sending churches and support teams needs a lot of prayer. The emails I write, the phone calls I make, the meetings I have, the conferences I attend, and my health - all need to be covered in prayer.

So I humbly ask you to pray with me for this ministry. I'm meeting with a missionary from the Philippines today, a mission's pastor who has three missionaries in the field with Shepherd's staff tomorrow, and a senior pastor of a large 'sending' church on Thursday. I also have about 25 missionaries I need to personally write/contact over the next couple of weeks. Please pray for wisdom and discernment and compassion - and the the Holy Spirit would minister words of encouragement and edification to all I speak to.

On the medical side, I did hear from my surgeon that he was starting the process to get my hernia repair surgery scheduled. Pray the timing of the surgery and recovery doesn't hinder too much my responsibilities.

Love you guys!

Pat

Sweet!

Well it was a really sweet time at CCE last nite and this morning. Can't tell ya how cool it was to be so encouraged and supported by my church family. I was able to share some of the history of our journey in missions over the last 25 years and the new direction of my ministry now with Shepherd's Staff. The love was nearly overwhelming! Thanks to all who were there and participated in prayer and good words for my new venture of faith.

Love you all so much!

In His Arm's,

Pat

Bless Ya!

Just wanted to say the Lord bless you today! May this day be one of joy and patient trust as we rest in His will. Our Master loves us with an everlasting love - which means it is a constant. No matter the mountains or the pits His love is steady and able to hold us and comfort us and sustain us thru even the most terrible stuff of this world.

Hold on to Jesus' love - nothing can compare!

In His Arm's,

Pat

emcee

This week has just zipped by. Been on the go a lot - so what else is new? :-)

Highlighting the last few days was last nite's Camp Alandale Christmas dinner and fundraiser at the Windmill in Carlsbad. I was asked to emcee the event and it was a real blessing. About 150 folks gathered to thank God for the ministry to abused and neglected children that Camp Alandale provides.  You can check out their ministry at this link: Camp Alandale

This coming week has me meeting with several missionaries, a few pastors, doing a Men's Breakfast at Calvary El Centro on Saturday and giving a ministry update at the weekend services at my home church, CC Escondido.

Keep growing in Jesus!

Pat

Mission's support teams

Up in the L.A. area yesterday and today doing Shepherd's Staff things. Last nite I had the privilege to speak to about 30 missionary support team members at Refuge Calvary Chapel in Huntington Beach about building a strong support team for their missionaries. Two families were preparing to be sent out. One is preparing for East Africa and the other for Northern Ireland. Two other missionaries were there on furlough from Iran and Melbourne, Australia.

I told them I was there to not only support and encourage them - but also to learn from them. And just observing their interaction and desire to help and come along side their missionaries was really stimulating and encouraging to me. It's estimated by many mission's writers that a healthy support ratio of support team members back home to missionaries on the field is about 8:1. Eight praying, encouraging, willing to work on behalf of their missionaries team members, from the missionaries home church! It's clearly a challenge to keep such a team healthy and vibrant and effective as the months pass. And that's part of the Shepherd's Staff vision - to offer help to sending churches in maintaining the health of their support teams - which in turn maintains the health of their missionary. And that's part of my new job responsibilities now.

What a joy to serve those who are serving as senders as well as those who are sent!

This evening I'm meeting with another Shepherd's Staff missionary family serving in Israel and sent out from Shoreline Calvary Chapel up in Morro Bay, CA. They are home just for a couple of weeks. Please pray for them that the Lord would meet all their needs for their family and their ministry.

Thank you all for continuing as part of MY prayer support team :-) I really need it!

In His Arm's,

Pat