Catching Up

Well, the end of summer means lots of projects. August ended with the Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency which continues to make headlines even after the political conventions. It seems that it still resonates with people as a better example of how to have political dialogue. If you have not heard it (or want to listen again) you can go to USAvoter.com to hear our broadcast. Our followup interview with Rick Warren the following Monday can be heard at www.aproundtable.org.

Also in August, we recorded a radio special for Far East Broadcasting Company with Gregg Harris (more about this later when it is released). What a great experience to meet and spend some time with Gregg, an excellent, young leader of a 60 year old organization that has a bright ministry future.

Okay, now it's September. After recording with the team at THE PUBLIC SQUARE last Tuesday, I headed to Nashville in order to attend the TOKENS SHOW-- a creative and unique live stage presentation at Lipscomb University. Jeff Taylor is the band leader and has been after me to come down for one of their shows. I loved taking it in and hearing Buddy Greene, Derek Webb (a young, old friend from Second Baptist in Houston) and Odessa Settles all sing that night. We're inviting Odessa to join us in our next session IN THE STUDIO with Michael Card.

Next week, I will be hosting and interviewing a pastor from Ethiopia who has experienced first-hand the hunger crisis as well as extreme persecution. David Hunt and Envoy Ministries is bringing this Ethiopian pastor and friend the States for us to have the chance to record some interviews.

The rest of September includes recording sessions for HEARTLIGHT RADIO and WALK IN THE WORD as well as a live broadcast movie premier in Los Angeles of FIREPROOF, which we are very excited about. On the last Friday of September, it's the annual MAKING A DIFFERENCE Banquet in Cleveland which goes hand in hand with THE PUBLIC SQUARE.

Then, a deep breath and October-- starting with the premier of BILLY: THE EARLY YEARS! I've posted a 4-part interview about the movie which ran on Moody Radio's PRIME TIME AMERICA this week-- it's on the front page of my website, www.wayneshepherd.net.

Thanks for your prayers.

God At Work In Vietnam

The first time I met Vietnamese pastor Rev. Dinh Thien Tu, “Pastor Elisha”, was about 3 years ago when he came to meet Joe Stowell at Moody Bible Institute. I bumped into David Hunt and Pastor Elisha that day and they instantly showed me a map of Vietnam which indicated that the place where the Vietnamese church was growing the fastest was in the same place where the persecution since 1975 had been the greatest. THAT got my attention.

Then, in April of 2007, I got to go to Vietnam with David, who grew up as a missionary kid there, and see Pastor Elisha on his home turf. It's an amazing church in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) with over 2000 member churches all over the country and spreading into Laos and Cambodia. Miraculously in late 2007, the communist government of Vietnam officially recognized this underground church and gave it legal status. The church Pastor Elisha went to jail for following the communist takeover is now legally recognized and continues to grow without compromise, even printing Bibles with permission. A significant factor in this growth has been its children's evangelistic ministry. For more see Envoy Ministries.

Well, I spent all day Friday with Pastor Elisha and his family in Wheaton. They came to Chicago to attend their daughter's graduation from Moody (another miracle story). It was a full and rewarding day as we were invited to sit with the news editors of Christianity Today for an interview, escort Pastor Elisha to Tyndale Publishing where he spoke in an employee chapel, and finally to my studio where Joe Carlson produced a series of interviews on the topic of "A Theology of Suffering" for use on the Moody Broadcasting Network in the future.

This Vietnamese brother and his wife are choice servants of Christ. Someday, we'll know the full price they and countless others have paid on behalf the Gospel.

Important Myanmar and China Updates

I just completed recording two interviews with David Hunt of Envoy Ministries which will be posted at their website later today.

First, regarding China's earthquake, not a lot is known at this point except that there has been a tremendous loss of life in the Sichuan Province and devastating damage. There is a large Christian population in the region, so as soon as communications lines are re-established, we should find out more from our friends in the house church movement. Funds are being collected now for aid and Envoy has committed 100% of what is designated for China will go there.

There is significant news coming out of Myanmar. David Hunt has been in constant contact with a Burmese pastor who has met with some of the military leaders and the Minister of Health. They have given their permission for aid by air and sea to be delivered to the church in Burma for distribution. This is a much needed window and Samaritan's Purse has already prepared an air shipment to be sent in through this channel. This will be a huge challenge for the Body of Christ in Burma, but think of the grateful people who are helped by their own Christian neighbors! Once again, anything gift given to Envoy will go in its entirety to the Myanmar relief effort and to those things the church is requesting.

These interviews will appear on the Envoy Ministries website later today and will be updated each day as new information reaches us. Any radio station who would like to make use of the audio interviews may do so as they have been posted to an ftp site. If you need access to the files, please email me at wshepherd@ameritech.net and I will give you the site and password.

Latest news from Cuba

Some of you know that I have had the opportunity to legally travel into Cuba a couple of times which has given me a beginner's insight into what life is like for Cuban believers-- there's been amazing church growth over the past 10 years.  My friend, David Hunt of Envoy Ministries, just returned from Cuba where he talked with church leaders following Fidel Castro's decision to step down as President.  I recorded a two-part conversation with David about what he learned and you can listen to it at www.envoyministries.org-- it's right on the front page.

When we were in Cuba last summer, one of the needs we saw was for pastors to have access to computers-- something they cannot even think of affording.  So, recently, a friend donated a laptop and it was taken to Cuba by Darryl Wright of WorldServe Ministries.  Afterwards, here's the email I got from Darryl:

"I was able to get your computer into Barocoa at the far end of Cuba.  The pastor (name omitted) is District Overseer for the Barocoa area of Cuba (where Columbus landed).  I thought he was going to cry when he received the computer.  He was so overjoyed.  They are a poor family and he doesn't have much so this will be a huge help to their ministry."

We plan to do more of this, so it anyone has a laptop in fair to good condition, let me know and we'll do our best to get it into the hands of a Cuban pastor.  They are an incredible breed who need our support.  You can learn more about the needs in Cuba (including Bibles) at www.envoyministries.org.