June 2026 Update: What God Spoke to Me About the Recent Earthquakes

This month's newsletter is a little different. It's a little longer than normal, but I believe it will be worth your time. I want to share some things the Lord has been speaking to me and invite you to reflect on them as well. So grab a cup of coffee, settle in for a few minutes, and ask the Lord if there is something He wants to speak to your heart too.

The Earth Is Groaning

This past Thursday, our staff gathered for a time of intercession and prayed for those affected by the recent earthquakes around the world. As we prayed, I couldn't stop thinking about the pain and devastation these communities are experiencing. People lost, homes destroyed, families grieving, and lives forever changed.

As I continued praying, I felt the Lord broaden my perspective beyond these particular disasters and began thinking about our world as a whole. Everywhere we look, we see evidence that something is deeply broken. Wars and rumors of wars, human trafficking and slavery, abuse and injustice, disease, famine, and natural disasters all remind us that we are living in a world suffering the consequences of sin.

My thoughts immediately turned to Romans 8:22: "For we know that all creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now." What a picture. Creation itself is groaning, longing for the day when Jesus will return and make right everything that sin has broken.

Then my mind went to Matthew 24, where Jesus speaks about the days before His return. He mentions wars, famines, and earthquakes and says, "These are only the first of the birth pains." It struck me that both passages use the same imagery. The earth is groaning, like a mother in labor, longing for the day of redemption and restoration.

As I prayed, I pictured the Father's heart. He deeply loves humanity and sees every injustice, every disaster, every act of evil, and every person suffering under the weight of this broken world. He is a God of justice, and I believe He longs for the day when He will make all things right and new.

But then I remembered what Jesus said only a few verses later: "And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come" (Matthew 24:14).

What an incredible thought. The world is groaning, and yet the Father's heart is still reaching. There are still people who have never heard the name of Jesus. There are still islands, villages, and communities waiting to hear the Good News for the very first time. In His mercy, God is giving more time because His desire is that all would have the opportunity to know Him.

As I sat with these passages, I felt both challenged and encouraged. The brokenness of our world should not cause us to withdraw in fear or become consumed by the troubles around us. Instead, it should awaken in us a greater urgency to make His name known. The world is groaning, people are longing for hope, and the Church has been entrusted with the greatest message the world has ever known.

Stay on Target

As I continued praying, I saw a picture of a target with its rings narrowing down to the center bull's-eye. I felt the Lord say, "Hit the bull's-eye."

The picture was so clear. In archery, you can hit the target and still miss the bull's-eye. You can be close and still be off center. I sensed the Lord saying that many of us can become satisfied with simply hitting somewhere on the target. We are doing good things, important things, and necessary things, but we can slowly become distracted from the very thing He has called us to.

The enemy doesn't always try to pull us completely away from God's purposes. Sometimes he simply tries to get us slightly off target. The cares of this world, our worries, our responsibilities, our disappointments, and even good opportunities can slowly pull our attention away from the center.

As I thought about the groaning of creation and the urgency of making Jesus known to the nations, I felt the Lord saying that this is not the season to settle for being "close enough." The days we are living in require us to be focused and intentional, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus and on the mission He has entrusted to us.

I began asking the Lord, "Where in my own life have I allowed distractions to pull me away from the center of the target? What am I carrying that You never intended me to carry? What do I need to surrender so I can stay fully focused on what You have called me to do?"

I would encourage you to ask the Lord those same questions. Is there anything in your life that has slowly pulled your focus away from Him? Are there worries, distractions, or burdens that have begun to consume your attention? What would it look like to lay those things down and once again fix your eyes on the center of the target?

The world is groaning, people are longing for hope, and there are still many who still need to have an encounter with Jesus. May we not become distracted by the things that pull us in different directions, but instead remain faithful to the calling God has placed before us and aim for the bull's-eye.

Focus on the Mission

As I prayed and asked the Lord where I might be allowing distractions to pull me away from the center of the target, He gently brought my attention to one area of my life that has been weighing heavily on me: finances.

I have always believed that where God calls, He provides, and over the past thirty years of ministry I have seen His faithfulness over and over again. Yet, if I am honest, the extra ministry expenses of the past few months have often occupied more of my thoughts than I would like. Between my recent trip to Panama and Costa Rica, upcoming maritime training that is required to keep my license current, and several unexpected ministry and personal expenses, I have found myself carrying concerns that can easily become a distraction.

As the Lord spoke to me about hitting the bull's-eye and staying focused on the mission He has given me, I realized that I don't want financial concerns to consume my attention or pull my focus away from what He has called me to do. I want to be fully available to train and disciple the next generation of maritime missionaries and continue taking the Gospel to isolated islands and coastal communities that still have little or no access to the Good News of Jesus.

For some, staying focused on God's call may mean laying down fear, worry, or distractions. For me, one part of that journey is inviting others to come alongside me in the mission so that together we can continue reaching the nations.

Would you pray with me that God would provide the additional monthly partners needed to strengthen my support team and sustain the ministry He has entrusted to me? And if, as you pray, you sense the Lord inviting you to become a monthly partner or give a special gift toward these ministry needs and upcoming training expenses, I would be deeply grateful. Your partnership helps make it possible to continue training and sending people to some of the hardest-to-reach places on earth so that isolated communities can hear the name of Jesus.

But this isn't just my question to wrestle with. I believe the Lord is inviting all of us to ask: What is keeping me from fully giving myself to the mission He has entrusted to me? Perhaps it's fear, worry, busyness, disappointment, or simply the distractions of everyday life. Whatever it may be, my prayer is that we would each lay those things before Him, fix our eyes once again on Jesus, and stay focused on the center of the target.

The world is groaning, people are longing for hope, and there are still many who need to encounter Jesus. May we be found faithful, aiming for the bull's-eye and making His name known among the nations.

IMM Graduation: Raising Up Mariners for the Nations

On June 26, we celebrated the graduation of our Introduction to Maritime Missions (IMM) students and the completion of our three-month program. It is hard to believe how quickly these past months have gone by!

Throughout June, the students continued developing their sailing skills and growing as safe and effective crew members. They spent time putting into practice everything they had learned over the past three months, from seamanship and navigation to teamwork, leadership, and living in community.

But what has excited me most has not been simply watching them gain new skills. It has been seeing the passion that God has placed in their hearts for the nations. And this is why this school exists. We are not simply teaching people to sail. We are raising up mariners who are willing to go wherever God sends them and use their skills to make His name known among those who have never heard.

Thank you for praying, giving, and partnering with me in this ministry. Your support is helping train and equip the next generation of maritime missionaries, and the impact of that investment will reach far beyond Corpus Christi and into the nations.