Partners (2 of 8)

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:3

Of the many motivations for this trip with Compassion international to the Philippines, relationship is high on the list. 

WIth Dan in El Salvador 2012

Dan Chun is the Pastor of First Pres Honolulu and we've know each other for 20 years. Dan started in television news, served at Menlo Park and Honolulu Churches. He and his wife Pam founded Hawaiian Island Ministries 30 years ago to support and encourage island churches. Amy and I have attend the 4000 participant HIM Conference almost every spring as attendee or speaker.

I appreciate Dan's vision, faith and his commitment to unity among churches in Hawaii. His engagement with Compassion International (compassion.org) is fantastic.

I went with Dan and 20 other pastors to El Salvador in Fall 2012 to visit Compassion International projects. That's where I met and eventually sponsored six year old Josue David.

First Pres Honolulu families sponsor over 800 children, mostly in the Philippines, and return each year with students or adults to participate in the church to church partnership with Life Church in Puerto Princesa, a 5000 member church with over 30 church plants!

Living in Honolulu means Dan has to fly to get anywhere and had enough United status to upgrade some of is to business class. (Which means right now I'm typing fully reclined after my four course meal and nap.)

Bob in El Salvador with his child

Bob Davis is pastor of Chula Vista Prebyterian Church in San Diego. We have served on teams together and talked Presbytery polity, theology and denominational strategy, but swimming in Kailua Bay this morning or going to a Padres game with our wives last summer deepens our experience as brothers in ministry. 

Bob was also on our El Salvador trip and sponsored a child. Next September fifteen from his church will travel together back to El Salvador with Compassion to sponsor kids and visit projects. It's a big deal for his whole church, bringing every one together to, as Bob says, "put a man on the moon."

Tim Shaw recently joined the staff at Pirst Pres after three decades at Berkeley First, filling every position from youth directo to interim senior pastor. We first met in Spring 1984 when Amy and I drove to the Bay Area to interview for the college internship at Berkeley the month before we married. 

Tim praying for the children 

We didn't get the position, but six years later we moved to Moraga for our first call and Tim and I served in the same presbytery. Tim and I were in a covenant group for 10 years--once a year checking in on life and ministry, praying and playing with each other. It was a formative time for all of us.  

I wanted Amy and I to experience this trip together. More and more we like to do ministry together, believing God can use both of us, often better than alone. Our workshops are important but so are the visits with children and parents and together we are families visiting with families. 

We've traveled the world together and our experiences together deepen our calling to ministry and relationships together with others. I'm grateful for Amy's partnership on this trip and trust God will be at work in us and through all of us. 

For information on making a difference through sponsorship: http://www.compassion.com/solanapres