GAS STATION IN GHANA
This is what a gas station looks like in Ghana. You wouldn't even know it was a gas station if you didn't know what to look for. No bright lights; no colored signs for advertising; no machine with LED readouts; and no place to swipe your debit card. They do offer full service though! Labor is very cheap in Third World countries.
CROSSING THE RIVER
There was a village in Uganda that was so far back in the bush that there was hardly a path to follow. When we came to a river, we found that the village people had little to work with in constructing a bridge. The boards were not even flat to step on, and the wood looked like it may not be strong enough to hold my weight. Pastor Maungo took my camera across and had it ready to take my picture, not just to see me cross, but in case I fell in. I made it! More importantly, a new church was planted as a result of the meetings we held in the village!
A CHURCH BUILT IN POVERTY
When a church is started in an impoverished area, like this one in Kenya, the people do all that they can to pool their resources in order to raise up a meeting place for the new church. In this case, all they could find was a few sticks of wood and some clear plastic. They may have little to give monetarily, but their zeal would put most American Christians to shame. What great excitement they have for the work of the Lord.
BABY ABANDONED
While in the Philippines, we stopped to meet with a pastor involved in upcoming meetings on our schedule. As we entered his home, he showed us this baby that was left on his doorstep. We go into very desperate areas, and sometimes the desperation is right in our faces. A young woman gave birth to a baby and could not care for it. The only thing she could think of to spare the baby's life was to leave it at the door of the local pastor.
INJURED BOY
While in India, I worked with a medical doctor. We went into villages to provide free medical care for all the villagers. The doctor would announce that he would not treat anyone until after Brother Rick preaches. Many were saved through this kind of evangelism. This is a picture of a boy guarding his sheep when he fell on a sharp rock and cut his knee to the bone. He just wrapped it with a rag. By the time we got there, the infection had set in. The doctor is applying antibiotics. If we hadn't come, the boy would have died.
My book and additional experiences while planting Independent Baptist Churches in remote villages around the world.