2nd Day on Patmos

It’s been an interesting couple of days. Yesterday, which was my first day here, was a good and productive yet restful day. I got up at around 11 and dad and I went out to hunt for food. We found the local (to our hotel) supermarket and bakery, got ourselves some eggs, bred and butter, and a couple of Won Ton noodle soups for dinner. Went back to the hotel and cooked ourselves some eggs. By the time we were done it was around 15:00 and since everything on the island is closed at that time, I decided to go for a nap. Man did I need that nap!!! I slept for about 2:30 when I finally got up at 17:30 dad and I walked down to the port, it took us 1:30 but it was nice walking with him and spending some time alone with my daddy. I really feel like I haven’t capitalized yet on him being here. Like everything I do is on the go and he just follows, my poor dad. Anyway we get down to the port, I located the AB store and went hunting for a car. I found the local car rental and found that a car for the day was only 19 euros so I took it. Then we located Imsoo’s house, a Korean missionary here in Patmos. We are going to have our lessons in his house while we’re here. So my mission accomplished - I had located everything that I needed to locate for our week-long stay here AND had acquired a car. I think I did pretty good - if I do say so myself. That night I was pooped and we went to bed early, if for no other reason than the team coming in about 5 hours later, at 3 in the morning. So I got up at 2:45, by 2:55 I was walking outside towards the car and by 3:20 I was at the port. I basically parked the car as the boat was docking. Perfect timing! So I started shuttling everybody up to the hotel, which is a good 7 min uphill drive. Andrew and Mike, of course (for those of you who know them), started walking while I drove the rest. Anyway as I’m getting the last people Sarah Wheway calls me and tells me there are some problems with one of the rooms. Two of the guys are not happy with sharing a bed, I can understand that, so I figure out what to do and solve that problem, then Popi - the wife of the owner of the hotel - comes up to me and tells me that somebody had come up to her and wanted to know if there were any other hotels he or they could stay at. I couldn’t believe my ears! Somebody walked up to the person who has graciously opened up her hotel for us and asks if he/her can go somewhere else! Anyway that is when it started. I was lying in bed and going over all these scenarios in my mind and imagining all these different fires I would have to put out in the morning and I basically tossed and turned for an hour in my bed! I never do that, I am not a worrier - and then it hit me, this is Satan planting seeds of doubt in my mind, and not only that, but depriving me of sleep!!! Once I realized that I prayed about it and went right to sleep!
This morning when I woke up everybody was enchanted by the place, the loved being here and they were thanking me for everything! You see how Satan can work in our minds, if we are not careful. We need to have our guards up constantly. Constantly alert against the fire darts of the enemy. Today was such a blessing. We had the most amazing brunch, as soup with potatoes and carrots and lamb, and not the stingy type of soup where you hardly have any meat at all - it was abundant. After a hearty brunch we went up to the monastery to look around and then off to class down in the port at Imsoo’s place. Class was wonderful, I really have missed going to school and being part of that class setting. The one thing I am taking away from today’s lesson is from Revelation chapter 1, the Ephesus Church. The Ephesus Church was perfect in all aspects, they worked hard for the Lord, found out falls prophets and cast them out, reached out to the poor - they were Christ like but then came the blow. God told them BUT there is one aspect I do find at fault in you - You have LOST your FIRST LOVE. That was a blow to me. I am a doer, I do things for the Lord, I do ministry, I work 12 hour days frequently, I reach out to the poor and needy through the Love Meals, I’m involved with discipleship through the Morning Star, I give of my services at the Worship Events, I give, give, give but when was the last time I actually sat down and read my Bible? When was the last time I sat down and prayed? When was the last time I had quality time with the Lord? I can’t remember!!! Have I lost my first love? I think yes, I am guilty of the same thing that the Ephesus Church was guilty of. And what happened to them? They are no more. God took them out. He told them if you don’t stop and get right with me I’m going to stop you. Now this is something that I’ve been feeling for a while now but I have never before heard it with that ultimatum, “get right with me or you’re out” What was interesting is that all of us in the HM team that are here felt it drive right home. They thought about it on the more corporate level, the individuals within HM need to be spending more time together in prayer and worship and fasting, as a group. It’s interesting that we all feel the need to be spending more time with God on a personal but also on a corporate level. After dinner and worship that we had together, us from the HM team, got together and discussed the issue and prayed about it as well as for HM. It was a good time that we all needed.

I really feel as sense of spiritual warfare going on around this program, more so than any other I’ve been involved with. Maybe because this is the first time I am completely responsible for a program, I don’t know, but I really feel like Satan is not happy about us being here. I think that there are going to be major decisions made here this week for the Lord and that something great is going to happen in all our lives, something, after the first day, already is happening.

Lord I just pray that you might please protect us from the evil one. Keep him at bay so that You might minister to our hearts unhindered by anything. Mold and shape us this week and let us be all of one mind, seeking your face and your will for our lives. In Jesus name I pray AMEN.

By the way went to see the monastery in the Chora today and it was really cool.