Missionaries:
Patrick
Location:
United States, Samaritan's Purse
Team Background: A native of Kentucky, Patrick came to saving faith in the Lord at the age of thirty-seven at Calvary Albuquerque while living in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He became involved in missions in December 2001. Patrick recounts that it was his first mission trip to Belize for an Operation Christmas Child distribution that changed his life and view of God and missions. Patrick’s active involvement in missions has taken him on over 18 trips to 8 different countries to share the love and word of Jesus Christ. He is a graduate of Calvary Albuquerque’s School of Ministry in 2003. He also served as a Home fellowship leader and as the Collection Center Coordinator for Operation Christmas Child. Patrick also served as a missionary candidate with Global Adventures in Spain and Morocco for three months before partnering with Samaritan’s Purse International Relief efforts in El Salvador in September 2004. Patrick has assisted the relief efforts in El Salvador, Grenada and Afghanistan and is now serving in the ministry's headquarters in Boone, NC.
Ministry Description: I
am excited to be able to return to Sri Lanka
to visit with some partners and contacts there. This may be my last
visit to that country. Samaritan’s Purse started working there after
the Tsunami in 2004. In January they closed their office there. It is a
great encouragement to see the work that has been accomplished there.
Since my first visit to that country a conflict has intensified between
two different people groups. My first visit was the beginning of and
end to a cease fire. The day I left a woman posing as pregnant woman
blew herself up trying to cause hard to some leaders. My next visit I
arrived at the airport and 15 minutes after I left it was closed
because the rebels attacked the airport because the government military
base is part of the airport. My next trip I was traveling to the east
coast and what normally took 7 hours by car took 13 as we had to route
south because of some bombings at military installations that closed
roads. After arriving on the east coast I stayed in a hotel in this
small town but it was next to a military base so while it was quiet all
day they constantly shelled all night long and I lay in bed with a
deafening sound while the walls shook. So every experience I have had
to Sri
Lanka has been unique and
there have been some unique opportunities to share the Word. Currently
one of the big prayer request for that country deals with the issue of
an anti-conversion bill that is likely to be passed in parliament
before April. It is specifically targeting Christians and Christian
agencies.
Vietnam
always proves to be a valuable trip. Last year I was able to go into
the far north in the highlands where the poorest of the poor live in
the country. There are some wonderful people working there and they
have a great desire to help their own. I don’t have a plan for this
trip so we will see how the Lord leads me.
Over
the past 5 years I have been involved in several disaster responses. My
first was to Grenada
in 2004 after a hurricane struck the island in the south Caribbean. The second was in
2005 after a massive earthquake did incredible amounts of damage in
northern Pakistan
and Kashmir. Last
year in June and July I was in Thailand
and Myanmar
supporting a disaster response after a cyclone destroyed the delta
region of Myanmar/Burma. In November of last year the conflict in the
DRC intensified and I responded to there as well. These
disasters have provided great opportunities to share God’s love,
compassion and Word with those that don’t know him. It has also given
me opportunities to encourage and support those who work in those
areas. I would say that probably two of the most closed areas are Myanmar and North Korea.
Samaritan’s Purse has had great opportunities in both countries.
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