During Worship

Jennifer and I always sit together is the same place for both services and during the worship part of the service I worship most of the time. But my mind starts to focus on my message, or I look at the clock and think, “ok Brook you’re running a few minutes late so I need to pull an illustration out to keep on time.” But this Sunday as I was watching the band play during the “Joy” song, I thought “I can’t believe I’m the pastor here.” Decisions that I made 10 years ago are affecting me now. It’s like what the Bible says, “what we sow we will reap.” I always dreamed this: that one day I will always pastor my own church. During worship as I was watching the band and knowing all of them on a personal basis I have learned to love and appreciate each one of them. I have waited 22 years to pastor a church like M.C.F. Realizing that Jesus waited 22 years for me to become the person I needed to be in order to serve Him fully. Don’t give up your dreams. God is molding and changing you to be that person who He has called you to be.

Pastor Kevin
Marina Christian Fellowship
“A real church for real people”
I love typing that “lol”

Happy 40th anniversary

At the end of our 9:00 service, I called Ray and Maggie up to the front to renew their vows. What a great time! Congratulations Ray and Maggie! I love to see marriages succeed. Marriage is not easy (My wife will vouch for that) but God honors our commitment to one another. Our marriage can be our greatest testimony!

Jacob Knight

(Jacob and his mom Becky)

In 1989 at Hermon Free Methodist church I did a baby dedication. I held this newborn in my arms and prayed a prayer of dedication. What made this special to me is that I also was dedicating my godson. A few years later I found out that I could never be a father and I remember how devastated I was with this info. That I will never be called “dad” I remember the emptiness.

Through the years, being part of Jacob life has be phenomenal. A year and a half ago I had the privilege of baptizing him and last year while I baptized Hannah, Jacob preach his first 10 minute sermon on baptism. Jacob has a calling on his life and it is great to have an influence in this young man’s life.

Jacob wanted to come with me on this trip. But, his parents felt it was too dangerous (you think so?)

I always say to my congregation “God can take your most painful experiences and make them into your greatest ministries.” In 1992, I was devastated to learn that I would never be a father (my greatest pain)… in 2006 being part of giving hope to little boys and girls whose parents were murdered. Can this emptiness I had become my greatest Joy? You bet…

A side note: all my god kids call me “daddy Kevin.” God is so good!!!

Fear

Today I picked up Gordon to take him to get some blood tests done. It seems that we always get into some spiritual conversation about life and our fears.

When I leave for Sudan it will be exactly a year that Gordon was told that he had less than a year to live. In the last year I’ve really got to know and love Gordon. There is this unspoken protocol for pastors not to get emotionally attached to people in the congregation - love your congregation from afar. But, that is not me…

In the last week in preparing for this trip, I had to get 14 shots, take all kinds of pills, finish my living trust, apply for travelers insurance, and even meet with the staff and my district advisor about what to do if something happens - who would take over the church. I contacted that person and he said he would take over for me if something happens but wasn’t too thrilled about the idea (we’re great friends).

(Now back to Gordon),

Gordon: Are your scared? (talking about the Sudan trip)

Kevin: yea, I’m not sure what to expect.

Gordon: Kevin, your going to come back and the church will be blessed and you’re going to do great things for God. I know that He is going use you in great ways - you’ll see…

Kevin: Thanks, Are you scared about the future as well?

Gordon: Yes

A few months ago Gordon said something that stuck to me. He said “Kevin if I could take back my life and if I could do it over again, I would take more risks and I would have given my life over to Christ earlier.”

Risk, Courage, and His peace is my prayer. I pray that we as a body take more risks and boldly take courage by the reins. Can you image what God has out there for us?

Can we serve him with a “no fear” attitude? Let us live life every day as if it is a gift from God. Let’s not live with un-forgiveness and bitterness but with His Joy and with His calling on our life.

Gordon, I love you as a brother too much to let you go. Be strong and live with His peace - “the peace that passes all understanding.”

Pastor Kevin

Juli Mcgowan

When I fly from Addis Ethopia into Nirobia Kenya, We then will fly into Tanzania Kenya. That is where this team of 7 will meet then fly into Sudan. Juli Mcgowan will be one member of this team. Here is some infomation about her in her own words:

In the summer of 2000, I went to Kenya for the first time and served with ELI as a member of a short-term team from Azusa Pacific University. In going, I was unaware that this four-week mission trip would change my life. As a nurse, I helped deliver a baby on the floor of a mud hut. I also washed the open sores of a man dying of AIDS. I experienced brokenness and poverty. At the same time, I saw rich joy and inexpressible faith. I encountered a people and a culture that captured my heart and I knew that I had found a place to serve; but, I had more to learn first. I earned my bachelor’s degree in nursing at Azusa Pacific University and have been working in the infectious disease unit at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for the past two and a half years. After two more summer trips to Kenya, I realized that to truly give quality care, I would need even more education. In September 2002 I went back to school at Cal State Los Angeles to get my Masters in Nursing, with an emphasis in international healthcare, and become a Family Nurse Practitioner. So, this September I will be joining the Empowering Lives International team and returning to Kenya.While in Kenya, I will be working out of a small clinic in the village of Kipkaren, doing community development and health education and caring for the medical needs of the people there. In the midst of the AIDS pandemic, I feel called to educate and to care for the people of Africa where AIDS has ravaged through cities and villages indiscriminately, destroying the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of life. Once a week I will travel to Ilula, a village in which ELI will be opening an orphanage, where I will be in charge of the health of these children. As God leads, I will also be in the Congo for about a month where I will be doing physical examinations for 277 children at a school in the slums of Bukavu.September 1, 2004 I will be arriving in Kenya and then traveling to Tanzania for Swahili language school until the beginning of October. From there, I will return to Kipkaren to begin working within the clinic. I’m sure the rest of this year will be a season filled with adjustment and transition as I begin to live life within the village and continue to discover the areas and ways in which God is calling me to serve.

Values:

Back in the end of November I made a commitment to get in shape for this trip. So, every morning I leave the warmth of my home and I venture out into the darkness for my 4 mile walk. Each day as I am walking I come across the U.C.L.A. rowing team as they practice - 8 men or 8 woman working together as a team. They’re working together as a team with one goal in mind and that is to be the best. I don’t hear them yelling at each other. I don’t see themselves slowing down by dragging their ores. They work in unison as they glide through water.

It made me think, the reason people work as a team is because they have common values to which the team is committed. Can you imagine, we as a the body of Christ, if we held onto His values and made a committed to be part of His team! My prayer is that this team of 7 (including myself) that will be flying into Sudan will be His team. I pray that Christ will show us what breaks His heart I know without a doubt that this trip is going to radically change my perspective on life itself . I thank God that I will be part of a team of sold out men and woman that put any common sense out the door and say “Here am I send me” What can 7 people do that are committed to give hope in a war torn country?

Jesus only knows…

Right out of a Movie

I wanted to include some of the e-mail’s I have been getting to keep every one up to date on what's going on behind the scenes in preparing for the trip.

Hello Sudan team,

Through you haven't heard from me this past week I'm still alive and on the line for getting our Sudan info completed.
I've talked with Steven Reech several times by phone and they (Steven and the EL Sudan staff) are in place. The truck Steven escorted with the construction supplies he had purchased in Kenya made it safely all the way (four days across the desert).

I am still trying to get the final costs and bookings for our flights from Kenya to Padak, Sudan.
It is most likely somewhere in the range of $7,500 total for both flights. We will need to hire a charter (Both AIM and MAF are almost the same cost) and when we go there the plane cannot stay with us and even when the plane returns empty we must cover the cost of that fuel and pilot as well. This is an unavoidable cost unless there is another group who will want to fill those empty seats.
At this point we are planning to fly into Sudan on Feb. 16th and back to Kenya on the 21st

Looks like there will be seven of us going. Can I ask if it's possible to divide this plane cost into thirds which is $2,500 each group below?

Steve Fitch (Pastor)
Kevin Robertson (Pastor)
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Tom Hamic (ELI Friend and construction)
Jim Mann (Pastor - Upland, CA)
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Don Rogers
Samuel Teimuge (ELI Kenya director)
Juli McGowan (ELI Kenya RN and HIV/AIDS coordinator)

We may need to bring tents with us from Kenya so keep open in terms of accommodations. You should consider coming with a camping air mattress.

Thanks again for being a part of this important venture. God is with us.

Serving together,

Don

This flight reminds me of " Indiana Jones The Temple of doom"

Pastor Kevin

Empowering Lives Orphanage - Ilula, Kenya

It was almost a year ago that I started praying about beginning an orphanage. I am so amazed on how God will call you and I to do extraordinary things for him. Today I came across this scripture:

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27

I have been in ministry since 1983 and I have committed most of those years working with youth. But never thought about reaching out to children that have lost their parents until the Lord placed it on my heart exactly a year ago this month. I’ll be leaving for Addis, Ethiopia February 9th at 6:00 a.m from LAX. During that trip I’ll be visiting orphanages in Ethiopia and Kenya (pictured)

Please pray that this will be a productive trip. That I will be prepared emotionally and spiritually and physically. I am told that this trip will take me to extremes in these areas. I’ll keep you posted.

Pastor Kevin