A few eternal moments

We are on our way to MEXICO!

2008-01-31T08:25:00.000-08:00

The Baxter family was selected to lead an International Training Project this summer to Guadalajara, Mexico this summer. The team is comprised of 12 students from the Univ. of South Alabama and another staff couple (Ben and Katie Nelson). We are so excited to be a part of it and yet we know that it will be a challenge, especially with 2 small children. Our goal is to partner with a local church and reach out to college students on a university campus in Guadalajara. Please pray with us for these things:
-the USA students would grow in a devotion and heart for God
-that we would reach many Mexican students with the gospel of Christ
-strength for Kim as she will have the kids a lot of the day without my help
-safety for the team
-wisdom for me as I have to make decisions for the summer

We'll keep you posted on how everything is going. As you can imagine there is lots of planning that needs to be done over the next few months in order to make this happen.
Thanks for your prayers and support.

Campus Outreach Global Conference

2007-11-01T10:40:00.001-07:00

I just got back from a week long staff conference in Atlanta, GA in which there were over a hundred campus outreach directors and leaders from all over the region and various parts of the world to remind ourselves of what we are all doing. It was probably the best conference I've ever been to. We talked about where we are going as a ministry and where we've been. We talked about our strategy and the importance of having a team. We talked about our desire to continue to grow here in the US and expand our influence to different parts of the earth. Some of the most encouraging things we talked about is the fight for and the importance of humility; for God hates the proud and gives grace to the humble. In the fight for humility we began to take an honest look at our shortcomings and weaknesses and asked God to help us in those areas. We also said that if we want God to work in and through us that we needed to be men of depth. We want to be, men and women who love Jesus and spend time with Him; those who embrace His grace and find our significance in the gospel and our relationship with God, not in others approval. Please pray with us that we would be humble men of depth who wish to see others enjoy a relationship with their Creator. Please pray for wisdom in moving forward wherever that may be. Pray that we would be faithful to what God has given us. Thank you for your prayers and thank you for your support in this ministry!

Here's some new pics!

2007-10-28T18:42:00.001-07:00

Fall 07 Has Begun at USA

2007-08-31T11:09:00.001-07:00

Here We Go Again! We've started another school year by helping with freshman move-in and reconnecting with students that we haven't seen in months. This is always an exciting time for us as we meet new people and try to share the love of Christ to perhaps identify those who are spiritually hungry. Our hope and prayer is that God does an incredible work here this semester. Already we've met many students who seem to be either searching or already have a relationship with God.
These are our prayers specifically:
o Renewed minds & transformed Hearts(Acts16:14;Jeremiah 24:7;Romans12:1-2)
o Protection from our flesh, world and satan (Ephesians 6: 10-18; 2 Cor. 10:4-5)
o Genuine love for God, others and the world (Mk 12:29-31; Deut. 6: 4-6)
o Understand the Love of God / Christ. (Eph. 3:16-19; 4:1-2)
o Live worthy of our calling as Christians (1 Tim. 4:12)
Please Pray with us as we ask God to do these things!
On a personal note, I'm really looking forward to starting a discipleship group with Mikey and Russ, two fraternity guys that have gotten involved with our ministry. We start our group next week so I'll write more about that later. Thank you so much for your time, prayers and support.

Beach Project stories

2007-08-10T20:37:00.000-07:00

We got to spend time with students the last week of Beach Project and it was amazing to see the changes in their lives in just three weeks. Here are some statements they made:

Heather: "Through God bring someone to me that had been through the same things I have, I saw that God could use me, and that I didn't have to wait a few years until I know more for that to happen."

Kelly: (WHO I WROTE ABOUT EARLIER THIS SUMMER) "I want God to use me to reach my friends at school. I want to think of ways that I can tell them what has happened to me. God has shown me this summer that I can trust him, and that he isn't like any human. I want my friends to know what I have found." (I wish you could see the difference in Kelly's countenance in just a few weeks!)

Derek: "God has shown me this summer that last year I didn't take responsibility for ministering to the people He put around me. This year I've gotten together with some other guys and we're going to hold each other accountable to reach our campus."

Johnny: "If our campus is going to be reached, it has to be through us, the students. We are the ones who God can use to make it happen."

Alisa: "I'm excited about going back and sharing all the things that I've learned at Beach Project. I just want to be faithful."

Carrie: (WHO I'VE WRITTEN ABOUT PREVIOUSLY WITH HER SISTER KELLY) "I learned this summer in Mexico that Christ in us is the hope of glory for everyone else. They have to see the hope within us and we have to share it with them."

This is only a small fraction of what happened over the summer at Beach Project. What is exciting is thinking of all the lives that will be radically changed through THEM! Please pray for their return to school and their new relationships.

Summer family pic

2007-07-10T20:23:00.001-07:00

God Our Sweet Provider

2007-07-08T19:59:00.000-07:00

Last night while we had some friends over, the spring to our dishwasher door broke off (it's very old). I realized today that Bailey and Owen could get hurt badly if the door came down on them suddenly. I told Duane and we decided to go get a new one today . We walked into Lowe's and right away saw two couples we knew. Long story short, one of them had just replaced their appliances and had a white dishwasher (which matches our cabinets) sitting in their garage, and they gave it to us! What is so amazing is that just 15 minutes sooner or later, and we wouldn't have crossed paths. Can you imagine all that has to happen, all the things in the universe that have to line up so that we met at that exact moment? Owen went down for a much later nap than usual, we went to Home Depot first instead of Lowes, and stayed exactly the amount of time that we needed to, and even that our dishwasher broke last night and that they would have a desire THAT DAY to go look at grills at Lowes (and that is only a few of the many unseen things that had to line up that we know of). It is so unfathomable how God orchestrates our lives to provide for us in such supernatural ways! Only a God who is in control of ALL things could make it happen!

Story about Kelly

2007-06-26T19:27:00.000-07:00

There are many lives already changing at the Beach Project. It is amazing to see the Word of God permeating their lives and hearts. Here is a story about Kelly, who I shared about a few entries ago:

Kelly and I were talking the other night, and she shared with me about how she wanted to come, but so many things stood in her way. Not really believing that God would do it for HER, she sarcastically told Him, “If you want me to go, then you do it God.” And he did, and it blew her away! Since then, she has been struggling over her salvation, and whether she is really a believer or not. She said that the only thing that she wants is Him, and that she is willing to give up anything to have Him. She said she had given God her life many times over the last few months, but didn’t really feel that He had taken it from her and she didn’t have any joy like she thought she would. Through our conversation, I shared with her an analogy of Duane and I getting married in front of many people, and saying “I do”. Then the next day I struggle with wondering if we really got married even though I know I said “I do” and signed all the documents. Then, every day I ask Duane “Do you really love me?” and when he says, “I told you I do”, I say, “No you don’t. You can’t love me.” I asked her, “Would I ever have any joy in our marriage even though we were officially married?” She realized that she IS a believer, but she is afraid to trust God’s love (because of things from her past). We talked about ways to practically choose to believe Him when she feels Him piercing her heart. Kelly also realized all the things that HAVE changed in her life, and how all of her desires are different, evidence to her of God really being part of her life.

More stories to come!

Our "home with the blue door" as Bailey calls it

2007-06-21T12:36:00.000-07:00

Here is where we've been staying for the past month, if anyone wanted to see. It's been SUCH a blessing having two rooms. We are leaving Beach Project this weekend for a month until we return in late July.

SBP 2007

2007-06-07T12:22:00.000-07:00

I like to call this place the concrete paradise of panama city beach!

We are enjoying ourselves at Beach Project and are starting to get to know a lot of the students. It was a little tough coming down with the kids and getting used to functioning in two hotel rooms (adjoined). The kids have to be in the room with the kitchen (it was a non-smoking room) because of their asthma symptoms, so that makes it a little hectic at bedtime since everything has to be cleaned up before that can happen. It took me a few days to figure out what was so much harder than being at home since we are on the same schedule, but once I realized that it helped me alot mentally. I am really enjoying being able to interact with people after the kids are in bed, they are right outside my door!

There are about 110 students here, and already they are dealing with their hearts as they are confronted with truth from God's word. Already we have seen one girl become a Christian, and there are a few others who are thinking through the truth of the gospel.

One guy in particular is a fraternity guy who Duane built a relationship with at the end of the year. He came even though he didn't know anyone else here. However, he doesn't like his job (security at a hotel) and this is affecting his attitude about wanting to be here. Duane is in charge of jobs for the students, and is trying to decide if getting him another job would be the best thing in light of him pursuing a relationship with Christ versus making him be committed to the job like everyone else must be.

These next few weeks will be intense as we talk about their position in Christ and the value they have in Him (at this time alot of things usually come out, including abusive relationships, past sins, and eating disorders). Please pray for these students as some of them share these things in their lives for the very first time. Also we will be doing our relationship seminar in which we talk about purity and dating relationships. This is also a difficult and challenging week as they are confronted with God's view of relating versus the way that the world has taught them, so please pray that they would experience God's forgiveness personally.

We thank you for your prayers!

Sorry everyone!

2007-06-02T11:42:00.000-07:00

If you saw our blog in the last 24 hours, we got on today and saw that someone had posted obscene videos under our videos. We're sorry if anyone had to see that there.

Off to Beach Project

2007-05-21T07:39:00.000-07:00

Well, we are about to leave for the summer again! We are trying to wrap up a few loose ends before we go. Duane is leaving Wednesday and I will be following him on Saturday after everything is set up and ready for the family! We will have two adjoining hotel rooms this year, which will make things much more convenient for the kids' naps and sleeping schedule without forcing us out of our room during that time (thank you God!)

A few weeks ago was our leader's retreat for the Summer Beach Project. During one of the discussion times, I looked around at the older students and even young staff that I have watched grow up and mature in the Lord. A few in particular stuck out in my mind as I remembered what they were like their freshman year in college, and how they now want to live their lives reaching other people for Christ no matter what they end up doing. I realized how their values have completely been changed to focus on eternal things, and I thought, "This is why we do what we do." It is such a blessing and I hope you are blessed knowing that you are a part of God changing lives forever. These students are leaders, and they WILL impact our culture, I am confident!

Afternoon at the creek

2007-05-07T13:35:00.001-07:00

Amazing story!

2007-04-19T19:32:00.000-07:00

Karrie is a girl who I have been spending time with since we met at our New Year's Conference. She was on the soccer team at USA and became a Christian a couple of years ago. She is graduating in May and going to speech pathology school here in the fall. She comes to our house regularly to spend time with our family and be a part of our lives.

Her sister (Kelly) is close to becoming a believer and Karrie had been praying for God to perform a major miracle for her to go to Summer Beach Project and He did! Kelly has been saying these last few months, "God always does great things for everyone else, but never for me. He doesn't care about me."
In one week, God showed her He does! He:

had one person she didn't even know pay her whole way to Beach Project ($1200) - money was a major barrier to her going
caused her art internship in New York (that Kelly never would have said no to because it was too important to her art career) and roommate situation for the summer to fall apart
caused her parents, who were mad at Karrie for wanting Kelly to go to Project, to be in favor of it

I have personally gotten to know Kelly at New Year's Conference and at our Winter Getaway this past March, and have had many gospel conversations with her. I am excited about getting to continue to be part of her life this summer and watch God change her.

Cute pics

2007-04-18T09:04:00.001-07:00

Russ- KA fraternity

2007-04-11T08:40:00.000-07:00

Russ is a guy I've been spending lots of time with. He became a believer last semester and is so excited about his faith. We do a Bible study together and he gets something new every time we meet! He told me the other day that he wants to learn to share his faith because he has a burden for his brothers in the fraternity. Pray with me that the Lord would continue to use him and that Russ would continue to make faithful decisions to follow Him. Russ is also thinking about investing his summer at the beach project. It would be great to see him go!

Here's Russ's testimony:

Until this past summer, I always thought I was a Christian. I lived my life doing what I wanted whenever I wanted to, and I believed that I was a fairly moral guy. I thought that because I was a good person and I believed in God, somehow I would see my family in heaven. Fortunately, I started dating my current girlfriend. She showed me what it was to be a true Christian and how incredibly happy I could be if I became one also. Eventually, I warmed up to the notion of talking to someone about Christianity as opposed to just believing in God. It was last summer that I met Shane Black for lunch where he answered about 200 questions I had. This spiked my interest to the point where I thought, “I want to be that happy… I want to know I’m going to heaven… I want to have all the answers.” It was in July when I decided that I wanted to be a real Christian and not just someone who believes in God. So I prayed, I went to church, I read the Bible, I educated myself as much as possible about becoming a Christian, and I asked God over and over to enter my heart and take over. Finally, on September 26, 2006, I prayed again for God to take me over and enter my heart, and He finally did. For the first time I felt the warmth and comfort of an active relationship with Jesus, and it felt phenomenal.

I’ve never been so happy in my life since that day I became a believer. Since then I have been attending church at Grace Community church, participating in Campus Outreach activities, making new Christian friends, and trying to spread the faith especially to my fraternity brothers. I really get excited when I read the Bible and the stories it has to offer because, though thousands of years have passed, all its teachings are still applicable today as they were 5000 years ago. Also, I have really enjoyed growing and learning from other Christians through the fellowship, wisdom, and strength they give me. But most of all, I love feeling, and seeing in others, the joy and indescribable happiness that comes through loving Christ and knowing that He loves you back.

They're growing up!

2007-04-08T18:50:00.000-07:00

Bailey has just turned two, and is a constant delight (mostly:) She is talking in full sentences now, and it is so fun. Owen is turning 8 months old this week, and weighs 25 pounds and is already half my height. Here are some recent pics!

Thank you God!

2007-04-06T18:22:00.000-07:00

This is Kim:
We have jasmine (about a foot high) for a lovely 2/3 of our backyard, and it just keeps growing.

On a sidenote: When I was over-emotional and we were looking for houses last summer, after Duane had told me he liked the house, we stepped into the backyard, and I said, "Is this what you want for your children?" (another side note, our backyard in Pcola was HUGE and I had so looked forward to Bailey and Owen getting to play back there). Duane and I laugh about this now, but you get the idea of how much jasmine is in our backyard (and the rest is pretty much dirt).

Anyway, we had checked into getting it dug up when we moved here and got a quote for about $1000 (then would have had to sod on top of that). Since we are having to build a shed right now, we could not do both. Well, our neighbor next door had some landscaping people working on their jasmine, and I mentioned we were trying to get rid of ours. They offered to dig it out of our backyard if we didn't charge them for the jasmine!!! (And I just thought a few minutes ago, we know they'll get all the roots because otherwise it won't grow:) Just wanted to share God's faithfulness in the "small" things!

Jonathan - TKE fraternity vice-president

2007-04-06T13:45:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to spend time sharing Christ with fraternity guys. This has been a hard thing for me to do. They live in their fraternity houses and the "in-roads" are not that easy to come by. A door opened up a couple of weeks ago with a guy who came to one of our meetings. His name is Jonathan and he is so close to putting faith in Christ and beginning a relationship with his Creator. I've had lunch with him the past 2 weeks and got to share about Christ both times. He says he wants to put his trust in Jesus. Pray with me that he will. He has influence with his fraternity brothers and has even introduced me to most of them when I went to visit him at his fraternity house. He wants to go to SBP, pray that God would open the door for him to take summer classes from distance learning programs in Panama City.

My vision for the fall is to disciple him and help him reach his fraternity brothers for Christ.

Justin - freshman

2007-04-06T13:43:00.002-07:00

Justin is one of the freshman that I spoke of above. I've been spending more time with him lately and have developed a good relationship with him. He's let me in on some past family issues that have been hard for him to deal with but is now seeing God start to help him deal with them. As he opens up more and more about his life, I see God move in to heal those areas. I think it's cool to hear him make statements like, "I want to do what God wants me to do with my life and not just run from one situation to the next." As of now, he's made the decision to go to the SBP. Please pray with me that he would stay at the Univ. of South Alabama. He is contemplating going to Troy to be closer to family (I'm not saying that is a bad thing). May God's will be done.

Freshman dorm Bible study

2007-04-06T13:43:00.001-07:00

I've been spending time in the freshman dorms. Last semester I was a part of an intramural flag football team (watch video I made on right!!!) in order to hang out and meet these guys. From those relationships I started a Bible study in the dorm in which 8 or 9 would come. Some of them went to our New Years Conference in Atlanta and have started to get involved with our ministry. This semester I've continued to hang out with them and started a new, more in-depth, bible study that challenges them to examine their faith and encourages them to reach out to others. A few guys to pray for specifically are John, Joe, Chris, James, Justin, Nathan, and Ryan. A few of them are seriously considering the Summer Beach Project. Please pray with me that some would go.

Where am I having ministry this semester?

2007-04-06T13:02:00.000-07:00

How have I been building new relationships?

Volleyball team- I have 4 freshman USA basketball players on my team, 1 is spiritually interested that I know of
Softball team- getting to know some of the guys involved with our ministry
Cafeteria- sitting down and meeting guys who eat and hang out there
Co-rec Volleyball team- a guy invited me to play and I got to share the gospel with him
Fraternities- visiting guys I know who live at the fraternity houses and meeting as many others as I can there